How Could They Cancel "Deadwood?"

I just realized HBO probably saw all (or almost all) of the new season of "Deadwood" when they decided to cancel it. That makes their decision all the more infuriating. "Deadwood" has been better than ever, with a breakout performance by Gerald McRaney that is as gripping as Ian McShane's original appearance as Swearengen. (And how funny is it that Swearengen now seems like a reasonable guy?) HBO kept "Arliss" on the air for years because they knew a core group of fans were happy to pay for HBO 12 months a year just to see those new episodes. "Deadwood" surely achieves the same purpose, not to mention the aura of being a critics' darling that makes HBO the place to be. Last night's episode was a corker and I can't wait for the rest. I almost wish they hadn't agreed to do those final four hours -- any attempt to tie up the storylines will seem rushed and unnecessary compared to the hilarious, profane heights the show is currently scaling. Oh and I finally enjoyed "Entourage" last night for the first time. Either it's growing on me or they just got lucky for once. (I'm pretty sure it wasn't because of the threesome.)