David Milch’s “Deadwood” features one of the most shocking TV deaths of all time. It occurs in Season 2, when young William Bullock (Josh Eriksson) gets run over by an escaped horse and dies soon after from his injuries. Killing off a child character might seem like a bold creative decision, but William’s death stemmed from some behind-the-scenes drama involving someone connected to Eriksson.
“There’s this kid, and there’s some brouhaha going on that didn’t sit well with Milch,” Timothy Olyphant recalled in an interview with “The Rich Eisen Show.” “There was a knock on my trailer door, and Milch is there … I said, ‘What’s going on?’ He said, ‘We’re going to kill the kid.'”
Olyphant — who plays William’s uncle, Seth Bullock, in the acclaimed Western series — didn’t go into specific details about the aforementioned behind-the-scenes drama. However, he shared more information about his conversation with Milch, revealing that the “Deadwood” showrunner told him Bullock’s death would benefit his own character’s storyline. That proves true, as the child’s death strongly informs Seth’s arc moving forward.
William Bullock’s death changed Deadwood
David Milch’s decision to kill off William Bullock may have been spontaneous, but the character’s death shapes “Deadwood” Season 2 and beyond. Seth Bullock and the child’s mother, Martha (Anna Gunn), are obviously grief-stricken following the tragedy, but it brings them closer together. Seth and Martha are still together in “Deadwood: The Movie,” which remains the last story told in this universe at the time of this writing.
Timothy Olyphant addressed the long-term impact of William’s death in the aforementioned interview. The actor credited Milch’s ability as a writer for making it work, especially since it changed the course of the series. “It was incredible drama — it took up the bulk of that season,” he recalled. “And I was like, ‘What the f**k was this show going to be about?'”
Olyphant speculated that the character’s death could always have been Milch’s grand plan for the beloved HBO series, and he just needed a reason to follow through. The actor noted that Milch was known for making changes to “Deadwood” when the story called for it. However, he doesn’t know if William’s death was planned before Milch’s on-set disagreement with Josh Eriksson’s unnamed associate.
