agreed about sol star john Hawkes is such a great actor and this part had absolutely no meat on it.. too bad for Hawkes..

Bullock comes across as uptight, but I loved how he and Al found a mutual respect after their fight. Now, Sol Star was about as useless as moose tits.

Hey, you are right when you say that a character does not have to be likeable - that could very well be what the role calls for and means the actor is doing his or her job.
You and others are also right that Timothy Olyphant is not a bad actor.
Neither one of those things means that he was right for the role, however. In my opinion he was definitely miscast. I thought that the first time I watched it back in 2007, and I thought so again when I watched it again last week(Jan. 2017). I say this as a big fan of the show, one of the best series I have ever watched.
Also, on a side note, Bullock has a weird walk - he walks without moving his arms-reminds me of a Seinfeld episode.

I like Timothy for the role , yes a bit dry but the show needed it to showcase the other characters. If he wasn't a stubborn Marshall type then Al and the rest of the characters wouldnt have shined as much. If you took any of the main characters and reworked them i dont think the show would have worked as well.
Plus even big name actors may have overacted his part not leaving room for supporting cast.

Im not quite sure that you know what acting means.
It does not mean that the character must be likeable to you.
Timothy Olyphant hardly counts as a new Daniel Day Lewis but he is not a bad actor.
And I love that his character is sometimes an beep This is hbo, you are not going to like every character.
but they hung him anyway.
Hanged, Ami. Your father was not a tapestry.

Elephant could have inflected more historical context into his speaking style, which is probably why you felt that he came across as more contemporary and modern than vintage and authentic. Even though his dialogue is reflective of how Americans conversed in the late 19th Century, Timmy's vocal range felt too
Californian
even for me, and I'm a California native (grew up in Northern and Southern Cal).Other than that, his performance is bearable and leveled out due to the more enigmatic performances of other actors in the series overall.

This thread should be titled: Spoiler Alert

I agree that when the series started (oh so very long time ago). I had the impression that Olyphant was trying to channel Clint Eastwood with his performance. But as the series progresses he just about fits right in as his character is developed. My only 'criticism' would be that Hickok got killed way too early as Carradine's portrayal was nothing short of magnificent.
Ironically, Olyphant did the Eastwood vocals in the animated film Rango. Playing Eastwood's spirit in the desert.
Stick with it. There is gold in them there hills. Possibly the most realistic portrayal of the Old West you're ever likely to see.

Please
Sure he might seem a little stiff but that's his character..
He's a straight shooter, a very serious dude who has complete confidence in himself and his shooting ability.. He doesn't take any beep from anyone even if it's to his detriment.. And as you advance from the infancy stage of this series you will get it..
By the way Timothy Olyphant has a very impressive body of work, he's a solid actor..

The art of constructive discourse does seem to be moving towards extinction.

Thanks for the insightful critique. I'm sure everyone is anxiously awaiting your further insights.