One of the most divisive and complicated women on HBO's Deadwood, Alma Garret was an aristocrat who found herself struggling to survive in a camp town whose female citizens were predominantly prostitutes. Though she never intended to remain in Deadwood past her husband's unexpected death, she came to find it an appealing setting for forging a new life and a new persona far removed from the cloying expectations of the East.
While much of Alma's personality centered around her being alluring and mysterious, her actions often bellied motivations that puzzled fans. In many ways her continued presence in Deadwood drove some fans crazy, while others looked for justification for her prominent character inconsistencies.
HER VOICE
The dulcet tones of Alma's voice never failed to assist in viewers' misinterpretation of her dialogue. Where other characters were long-winded with their polysyllabic soliloquies, Alma's lines were simply undecipherable due to the breathlessness with which she delivered them.
After Bullock came to her room to deliver the news that her father was badly beaten, her vocal intonations were so soft that she was almost mouthing words without actually saying them. A woman of status in society wouldn't have shouted her words, but they would also have had the resonance to have been understood.
AFFAIR WITH SETH
Alma knew that Seth Bullock was married to his late brother's wife, and that their levirate marriage brought with it the addition of his brother's son, William. She also knew that his family was due to join him in Deadwood from Montana, thus making anything romantic between them a hopeless venture.
Regardless of her status as a still-grieving widow and his status as a taken man, Alma welcomed Seth's advances after he beat her father to defend her honor. Even after their affair is forced to truncate with the arrival of his family, Alma continued to make doe eyes at the dashing sheriff.
BEHAVIOR TOWARDS TRIXIE
When Sofia was first brought to Deadwood, she was cared for by various capable women, from Calamity Jane to Trixie before finally being adopted by Alma in an unprecedented act of generosity. When that happened, Alma kept Trixie on as a governess.
Even before Alma became dismissive of Trixie when she suspected her of returning to her laudanum addiction, or challenged her relationship with Seth Bullock, she thought that Trixie should have gone to Chicago with Sofia in tow to start a new life, completely ignorant of the problems she would face as a prostitute with only a letter of recommendation to employ her as a governess.
STAYING IN DEADWOOD
Alma stuck out on the streets of Deadwood like the lavender gloves poking out from Ellsworth's wedding suit. She never truly fit in but continued to try, despite the fact that throughout the series there were numerous opportunities for her to go home.
It would have been one thing if she was only responsible for her own safety, but soon she had Sofia, and the possibility of another child. All the while she complained of maintaining their safety, yet the safest thing for her to do would have been to leave Deadwood and entrust everything in Ellsworth's capable hands.
DISTRUST OF MARTHA BULLOCK
Ever since Martha Bullock arrived in Deadwood, Alma had great reservations about her. Not only were they fueled by her occupation as the wife of the sheriff, whom Alma still had great affection for, but by her distrust of Martha's abilities to be a school teacher.
When Martha wanted to enroll Sofia in the town school soon to be opened, Alma forbade it, having decided she could provide Sofia with a better education. This wasn't correct, but Alma's pettiness seemed to dictate her decision based on nothing to do with Martha's inherent flaws.
LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITH ELLSWORTH
Instead of communicating her unhappiness with her marriage to Ellsworth, Alma resorted to using opioids again without his knowledge. When he comes to the realization that she's using again, he decides to leave their home and spend his days camped outside her gold claim.
It seemed strange that Alma felt she couldn't open up to her husband about her feelings, especially since he had proved to be a compassionate and empathetic sort who had no trouble expressing his own.
USING LEON AS A SUPPLIER
Of all the ways to get opioids in the camp, Alma sought out Leon, the dope-fueled lieutenant of Cy Tolliver. Not only was it dangerous to use Leon, who was already known for his dimwittedness and wagging tongue, but it put her at a disadvantage since he worked for a man already in Hearst's pocket.
Leon couldn't be trusted and neither could his employer. Alma was better off asking Trixie to simply procure the drugs for her than risk her ire and resentment.
FIRING TRIXIE FROM THE BANK
Viewers might have decided it was the dope talking in Alma's place, but whatever her reason for firing Trixie from the Deadwood Bank, it was extremely short-sighted and worked to invalidate all of Trixie's hard work.
Not only did it disrupt their relationship, it drove Trixie back to Al Swearengen. It also further complicated her interactions with Sol Star, who had become a partner with Alma as well as the chief financial officer at the bank.
THE SALE OF HER CLAIM TO HEARST
After Hearst killed Ellsworth, Alma had two choices; either she could remain in Deadwood and run her claim and most likely be killed, thereby allowing Hearst to take it anyway when it was auctioned off, or sell it to him at a fair price and be able to remain in the camp with Sofia.
Alma ended up selling her claim, but there was a possibility that she could continue to have her claim run from afar. While it would have presented difficulties for Al and Seth, it would have allowed her to maintain her interests and not jeopardize her safety.
HER DEPARTURE FROM DEADWOOD
When viewers next saw Alma in Deadwood, she had been gone for some time and returned with a grown Sofia in tow. Reasons weren't given for her long absence, except that perhaps having sold her claim to Hearst, there was nothing to keep her in Deadwood.
This seemed odd because she explicitly sold her claim so that she could remain in Deadwood without an impending threat to her safety. Leaving Deadwood seemed like Hearst would have won on all accounts, having driven her from her life there.