Forget SIFF. We're Watching Deadwood.

Deadwood's back, starting Sunday night. We're feverishly working through our season 2 DVDs to get ready in time, 'cause we know we're not going remain spoiler-free.

Haven't seen either season? Never fear -- Matt Zoller Seitz, king of the Deadheads, has the rundown on all you need to know to plunge in to season 3. Seitz, and his blog The House Next Door, have been Deadwood central for the past week, celebrating "Deadweek" with character analyses of prospector Ellsworth, newspaperman Merrick, and town legend Calamity Jane, along with celebrations of the show's women and the show's dramatic evolution.

One of the most interesting Seitz posts, though, took place back in March, long before Deadweek. "McCabe and Mr. Milch" features an interview with Deadwood creator David Milch in which he acknowledges the show's heavy debt to Robert Altman's masterpiece McCabe and Mrs. Miller:

Milch said he likes to think of “Deadwood” as a way of speaking to “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” across time, answering one work of art with another.

Haven't seen McCabe? You're missing out, not only on a cinematic masterpiece but also on a compelling portrait of a Northwestern town being built from scratch. (There's your local connection, Seattle-fans.)

Swing by Scarecrow for the Altman, make sure you're subscribed to HBO for the Milch (or at least good friends with someone who's got HBO), and enjoy two affectionate, rough-and-tumble portraits of frontier America.

Deadwood kicks off its third (and final) season Sunday night on HBO at 9 p.m.