Deadwood is known for its memorable and lively characters, with the HBO series focusing on everyone from the prospectors and entrepreneurs to the prostitutes and families who called the titular mining town home. It features a broad swathe of people who hope to make a better life in the American West, and in Deadwood, the women are just as capable as the men in charting their destinies.
Their strength and tenacity comes from a variety of sources, but whether they’re turning tricks in the Gem Saloon, or living with men they know secretly pine for another, they hold their heads high and make the best of their opportunities. The series continues to be praised for its well-written female characters, all of whom are powerful in their own way and help shape the future of the town.
DOLLY
A favorite companion of Al Swearengen’s after Trixie leaves The Gem and begins a relationship with Sol Star, Dolly is economic with her words but listens a great deal, especially to Al’s innermost thoughts and vulnerabilities.
Al doesn’t care for Dolly in the same way he did Trixie, but in his way he acknowledges her struggles, and her capacity as a sounding board facilitates certain character development with Al, making her an unlikely power player whose actions end up benefiting the other prostitutes under his employ.
MADDIE
A madam with a considerable reputation throughout the frontier, Maddie arrives in Deadwood with her three prostitutes to help Joanie Stubbs set up the Chez Amis, a brothel of expensive taste. She secures funding from Francis Wolcott, knowing that his unpredictable tastes with women involve violence.
Maddie plans on assisting in Wolcott’s dangerous proclivities and allows him to murder a prostitute, hoping to secure a long retirement after extorting him for money to keep quiet about the incident.
AUNT LOU MARCHBANKS
George Hearst’s personal cook, Aunt Lou arrives with Hearst in the second season of the series and takes over as head cook at the Grand Central Hotel. She remains in Hearst’s employ and suffers through his blatantly racist attitude towards people of color, knowing being in his employ protects her from the mob mentality of the town.
She unsuccessfully convinces her son Odell not to do business with Hearst, and she endures working for Mr. Hearst even after he has her son killed over a gold claim deal. She remains in Deadwood a free woman after Hearst leaves, to cook at the Grand Central Hotel with her assistant Richardson.
JEWEL
While born with a physical birth defect that would normally leave her disabled, Jewel finds ways to make herself useful around The Gem as a cleaning woman. She never lets disparaging remarks prevent her from being dependable in her duties. She often overhears important conversations, and contributes useful anecdotes where applicable.
Aside from cleaning, Jewel prepares most of the meals for the clientele for The Gem, and uses her influence as cook to see to the needs of Al when he’s sick. Were it not for Jewel taking charge of his affairs, and ordering Dan to break down his door when others were too scared to approach it, Al might have perished from the agony of his kidney stones.
MARTHA BULLOCK
As the wife of Sheriff-turned-Marshall Seth Bullock, Martha Bullock enjoys a certain amount of privilege in the camp, but only because she’s part of a levirate marriage to her late husband’s brother. She dutifully married Seth as part of that custom, and turned a blind eye when he had an affair with Alma Garret.
One of the only women in Deadwood who isn’t a prostitute, she’s afforded courtesy and respect. After Joanie Stubbs converts the Chez Amis into a schoolhouse, Martha Bullock becomes the teacher of the camp’s children. She carries out her duties with integrity, knowing she’s an outsider in the camp, and that her husband is a philanderer, which highlights her quiet strength.
MISS ISRINGHAUSEN
Hired by Alma as the tutor for Sophia, Miss Isringhausen moves to Deadwood from back East, only to be fired by the widow Garret during an emotionally charged turn of events. It’s later revealed she was hired by the Garret family to take control of the Garret gold claim.
A Pinkerton agent, Miss Isringhausen proves to be adept at subterfuge and manipulation, going into dealings with Al Swearengen to usurp the Garret claim from Alma, as well as one of his lieutenants Silas Adams to secure her machinations.
CALAMITY JANE
Calamity Jane commendably eschewed a more feminine way of life in favor of a more rough-and-tumble frontier existence, riding with Wild Bill Hickok and Charlie Utter as they made their way to Deadwood.
While in camp, Jane could dependably be associated with long nights fueled with whiskey, but she assisted Doc Cochran during a smallpox infestation, as well as Sheriff Bullock in his duties upholding order in the rambunctious streets, despite her addiction.
JOANIE STUBBS
Though at times self-loathing and morose, Joanie Stubbs nevertheless went from being under the heel of Cy Tolliver as the madam of the Bella Union to operating her own brothel called the Chez Amis.
When Francis Wolcott destroyed any chance she had of making her business operations successful, she converted the Chez Amis into a schoolhouse, facilitating the education of the children of the camp. By the time of Deadwood: The Movie, Joanie owned the Bella Union outright after Cy’s unexplained death.
TRIXIE
Irascible and foul-tempered, Trixie was nevertheless one of Al Swearengen’s favorite working women at The Gem, and she enjoyed certain privileges of being his personal consort before pursuing Sol Star.
Never known to for wasting time with polite discourse, she nevertheless had her own moral center, and her smoldering rage erupted whenever she saw injustice. She was the only inhabitant of Deadwood who had the conviction to try to kill George Hearst after what he did to Whitney Ellsworth.
ALMA GARRET
Though she began the series as the dulcet-toned wife of Brom Garret, more interested in opioids than camp concerns, she became an influential figure in the camp once her husband died. Alma took control of his gold claim and from its riches, she started the first Deadwood Bank.
After Charlie Utter was killed, she used her impressive fortune to outbid George Hearst for his land, preventing him from laying poles for his telecommunication company and effectively keeping him out of Deadwood. She provided infrastructure for the town and much needed opportunities for commerce.
