Dean Rader-Duval

In the series premiere, Montana marshal Seth Bullock executes a last act of justice and relocates to a gold-mining camp known as Deadwood, where he and partner Sol Star look to start a hardware business. Bullock soon crosses paths with another new arrival--legendary gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok--and clashes with the formidable boss of the Gem Saloon, Al Swearengen. For his part, Swearengen must handle the deadly result of a run-in between one of his whores and a trick, while brokering the sale of a gold claim to wealthy New York socialite Brom Garret. When reports come of the massacre of a frontier family by Indians, a suspicious Bullock and Hickok ride out in search of survivors; for Swearengen, the results are bad for business.

As suspicions arise that 'road agents' may have been the true perpetrators of the massacre, Swearengen takes a special interest in the health of its sole survivor--a young girl ministered to by the unlikely team of Doc Cochran and Calamity Jane. Meanwhile, Bullock and Star attempt to buy property from Swearengen, who suspects an alliance between Hickok and the hardware boys. At the Grand Central Hotel, Brom Garret rethinks his recent investment, while his wife Alma medicates her anxieties. As a confrontation brews over the young survivor, Hickok asks Bullock to cover his back in a tension-filled poker game.

Competition arrives for Swearengen in the form of the Bella Union, a new gambling outfit from Chicago operated by savvy Cy Tolliver, Madame Joanie Stubbs and gaming guru Eddie Sawyer. Hickok puts up precious collateral in a poker game with McCall; Bullock and Star strike a deal with Swearengen on a lot for their store and, with help from Hickok and Utter, set to building; Brom threatens Swearengen with the Pinkertons before he and Dan Dority are dispatched to reconnoiter his claim.

An opium theft leaves Swearengen trying to find common language with his supplier, as well as navigating tricky waters to deal with the mess. Meanwhile, Silas Adams, bagman for the magistrate from Yankton, arrives with bad news for Swearengen; Bullock regrets having raised his hand at the government meeting; Merrick proposes Deadwood's first 'club'; and an unwelcome Rev. Smith gravitates to the Gem and its new piano.

Simone jeopardizes Russell's undercover assignment by taking Liery into custody. The detectives discover drug addicts auctioning-off a dead man's possessions-with the corpse still inside the room. A murder witness puts his life on the line in an attempt.