: Doc Cochran informs Alma Ellsworth that she requires urgent surgery to avoid a miscarriage. Whitney Ellsworth, fearful due to the loss of his first wife in a similar situation, supports the decision. This health scare forces Alma to consider the future of Sofia, leading to pragmatic discussions with Seth and Martha Bullock about the girl’s stewardship should Alma not survive.
: Joanie Stubbs admits to a bedridden Cy Tolliver that she recently contemplated suicide. Characteristically, Cy attempts to manipulate this vulnerability to suit his own interests. Thematic Elements TV Review – Deadwood Season Three Deadwood Legendas PortuguГЄs (Portugal) S03E02
The episode title is taken from a "hooplehead" (a local drunk) who wanders the deserted streets at night, shouting, "I am not the fine man you take me for," before accidentally falling to his death from the hustings. This grim opening sets a thematic tone of shifting identities and the arrival of a new, more dangerous power. : Doc Cochran informs Alma Ellsworth that she
: George Hearst delivers a cryptic diagram of "X's and lines" to Al Swearengen via his enforcer, Captain Joe Turner. Swearengen eventually deduces the note is a taunt related to a staged incident at the Gem Saloon, where Hearst intends to show Al that he is a "reasonable" but absolute power. : Joanie Stubbs admits to a bedridden Cy