1876. The Black Hills Indian Cession, two weeks after Custer's last stand. Witness the birth of an American frontier town – and the ruthless power struggle between its just and unjust pioneers. In an age of plunder and greed, the richest gold strike in American history draws a mob of restless misfits to an outlaw settlement where everything – and everyone – has a price. The settlers, ranging from an ex-lawman to a scheming saloon owner to the legendary Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, share a constant restlessness of spirit, and survive by any means necessary. Welcome to Deadwood... a hell of a place to make your fortune.

1877. A new day is dawning in the Black Hills outlaw camp of Deadwood. For better or worse, times are changing, and the transformation from camp to town is imminent. Unsavoury new arrivals - looking to cash in on the lucrative anarchy – and a government of outsiders usher in an era of hard decisions and brutal power struggles among the camp's founders. Seth Bullock is the new Sheriff and forced to stand his ground against two conniving brothel owners: cutthroat Al Swearengen, and his chief rival, the cunning Cy Tolliver. The women of Deadwood prove their mettle as Calamity Jane, Alma Garret, Trixie and Joanie stake their claim in this dangerous town of scheming misfits, all learning the hard way... fortune comes with a price...

The lawless era in Deadwood is coming to an end. As the town's first elections approach, it becomes apparent that, like it or not, civilization is on its way. But a civilized town is not necessarily a peaceful town, and the power struggles that determine the fate of Deadwood have never been more brutal. A ruthless newcomer, businessman George Hearst, threatens to reshape the town in his own image, forcing Deadwood's settlers – including the steadfast lawman Seth Bullock and the cutthroat saloon owner Al Swearengen – to form strategic alliances if they expect to thrive, and survive. While bloody conflicts change the face and fate of the town, the citizens of Deadwood come to the harsh realization... some fortunes are better left unclaimed.