The Gem
Ownership
Regular Staff
Johnny Burns
John "Johnny" Burns is a worker at the Gem Saloon and one of Al's lackeys. His main jobs are tending bar, cleaning, and hauling corpses to Wu's pigsty. Young and ambitious, Johnny is also not too bright, leading Al to continually abuse him verbally and physically.
- The Bartender: He shares this duty with Dan at the Gem.
- Hidden Depths: Johnny is a bit dim, but he can decipher Wu's drawings when even Al can't, and was teaching Jen to read.
- Hypocritical Humor: When he asks Wu "Why don't ya learn to talk[sic] AMERICAN?!"
- Minion with an F in Evil: Johnny might be a lackey of Al, but he's far from a cold-blooded killer and is friendly to just about everyone.
- Punch-Clock Villain: He's a henchman for Al, but he never kills anyone and the one time he almost shoots someone, he feels terrible.
- Terrible Trio: With Dan and Silas.
Silas Adams
Silas Adams, also known as "the bagman from Yankton", who comes to camp to collect bribe money for Magistrate Clagget. Swearengen hires Adams to join his operation, as he is smarter than Al's other lackeys, paying him to slice Clagget's throat for extorting money from Swearengen. Adams serves Swearengen as his contact in Yankton to bring him news of the territorial changes, as well as relying on his legal counsel when dealing with Commissioner Jarry and his election proposals. He also serves as middleman between Hearst and Swearengen.
- Co-Dragons: With Dan Dority, for Al.
- Deadpan Snarker: Al quickly notes Adams' adeptness at handing out snark.Al: Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Silas looks completely different in the first season, sporting muttonchops, short hair and a top hat. In the second season, he grows his hair long, grows a beard, and typically goes hatless.
- Evil Genius: Adams is easily the smartest of Al's henchmen, and as such Al trusts him with matters that require a more cunning mind than Dan or Johnny.
- Hyper-Competent Sidekick: Not that Al is bumbling in any way, but Silas is the smartest and most sensible of the three henchmen.
- Punch-Clock Villain: When he's not cutting throats on behalf of Al, Adams is a genial enough fellow.
- Not So Stoic: Adams remains cool and collected much of the time, but when he loses his temper, he can fly into a violent rage.
- Terrible Trio: With Dan and Johnny.
- The Rival: Dan views him as this. Silas knows it, but doesn't reciprocate.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: He's nowhere to be seen after the Time Skip, and it's never explained what happened to him. Welliver was unable to return for the film due to scheduling conflicts.
Jewel Caulfield
Jewel is the disabled cleaning woman at the Gem, Al Swearengen's saloon and brothel. Jewel often uses her job in the Gem to "overhear" what is really going on. Coffee and most of the meals from the Gem kitchen are prepared by her. Al makes a public show of barely tolerating her, often publicly referring to her as "the gimp" or complaining about her noisily dragging her stiff leg. Jewel responds with a cheerful, mocking disrespect Al would tolerate from no one else.
- Beleaguered Assistant: To Al and to the Gem Saloon in general.
- Disabled Snarker: Frequently.Al: What was your purpose at Doc's?Jewel: I'm knocked up.
- Hidden Depths: She reads books about medicine in the The American Civil War.
- Limited Wardrobe: Jewel only has one dress, and it is clearly old and torn apart.
- Servile Snarker: One of the few that get away with sassing Al.
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Written-In Infirmity: The actress has cerebral palsy in real life.
Gem Sex Workers
Dolly
Dolly is a prostitute at the Gem Saloon. Swearengen begins a relationship with her after Trixie leaves his employ. Although he doesn't harbor the same affection for her as Trixie, Swearengen confides his innermost vulnerabilities with Dolly.
- Big Beautiful Woman: Gorgeous and full-figured; particularly in contrast to the more slender Trixie.
- The Confidant: For Al; he confides a great deal of himself and his past to her in times of stress, but it isn't so much that he trusts her as it is that she fears him, so her status as his confidant is almost incidental. He becomes angry if she ever tries to engage with him in conversation.
- Fiery Redhead: Completely averted. She's one of the only redheads in town, and is probably the most placid, passive character on the show.
- First-Name Basis: She's known solely as Dolly, with no last name known.
- Happiness in Slavery: Dolly isn't exactly happy, but she's certainly resigned and does seem to care for Al in a way.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Despite Al's shabby treatment of her, Dolly still manages to muster up a sense of compassion and sympathy for him.
- Replacement Goldfish: After Trixie leaves the Gem, Al replaces her with Dolly, although he doesn't regard her with nearly the same affection.
- The Quiet One: She's plenty demure and knows enough to keep quiet.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: There's no sign of her following the Time Skip, with no explanation given for her absence. One imagines that prostitutes in boomtowns don't have very long careers.
Jen
Another prostitute at the Gem. She is closer to Johnny, who teaches her to read.
- Call-Back: The subplot of her corpse standing in for Trixie receives a few flashbacks, and Johnny recalls her fondly.
- Disposable Sex Worker: She's killed by Al for a fuckup made by Trixie.
- Forgotten Fallen Friend: Averted; 13 years later, Johnny still mourns her.
- Never Learned to Read: Which is why Johnny is teaching her.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Killed to save the life of Trixie.
- Slashed Throat: Al kills her via his usual method.
