10 Reasons You MUST Finally Watch Deadwood
3. Swearengen And Wu's Special Relationship
Deadwood has a large yet mostly unseen Chinese contingent led by Mr Wu, a character who often meets with Swearengen to discuss matters of business. These typically include the distribution of opium and the disposal of dead bodies (by feeding them to the pigs).
Mr Wu's grasp of the English language is poor, and Swearengen's Chinese is equally limited, yet the two have a special relationship whereby Swearengen can crudely translate their conversations and it's these interactions that present a great deal of humour in Deadwood.
Whilst the matters discussed are criminal or reprehensible in their nature, it's hilarious to watch the back and forth as the characters shout, swear and gesticulate wildly, the frustration intensifying with each passing second.
Yet, despite all the confusion, and to the bemusement of onlookers, Wu and Swearengen usually understand one another just enough to formulate a plan.