Boardwalk Empire

[meta187]

@ Wordsworth: Welcome the f*ck back, brother. Glad you got a bus pass.

 

I think the real life Nucky ended up in prison by the late 30's, so they may want some flexibility with that.

 

 

Premiering September 19, 2010, a new HBO series entitled Boardwalk Empire fictionalizes the life and times of "Nucky" Johnson, along with other players, at the start of the Prohibition era in Atlantic City, NJ. The series is produced by Martin Scorsese and Mark Wahlberg and stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, a fictionalized version of Johnson. Show creator Terence Winter elected to portray a fictionalized version of Johnson to give the writers creative license with history, and to maintain suspense. The series is based on the book Boardwalk Empire, by New Jersey Judge Nelson Johnson.

 

[Wordsworth]

 

@ Wordsworth: Welcome the f*ck back, brother. Glad you got a bus pass. 

 

No sh*t. I had to look both ways before crossing the street, believe you me. Bout time they let me back in- let bygones be bygones. Now if I could just get my old account back things would be lovely. That may be a push, though. I've missed you guys. <3

[Scarface187]

Pretty great episode. Had everything I could of asked for. One weird part that came to mind though was when Richard Harrow was talking to Margaret about how he can't remember what he looks like and all that and she just kinda shrugs it off and just leaves the room. Kind of lame, I thought. Other than that I thought it was a fantastic episode. Jimmy and Chalky killing those two guys back to back was awesome.

[M. H. Hunter III]

Agreed, but I stand by the notion that the Prohibition agent is one hell of a sketchy overtly religious motherf*cker.

Who now apparently has shown his 'admiration' to Margaret as well as being a real hypocrite with pounding the whiskey.

 

And it appears that Nucky and company are going to have quite the bloodbath on his hands when that fella gets back to Philly with the news that it was an ambush. Also it quite nice to see Chalky strangle the hell out of the guy for hanging his young friend.

[meta187]

I was all about the kills. The guys antagonized it upon themselves even if they had it coming when they got killed you felt no sympathy for them whatsoever.

 

*The scene with Margaret and Harrow did feel a bit awkward but they decided to play it a different way, you don't always have a perfectly crafted response when someone tells you some random sad personal thing about themselves so she just kind of left it at that. The way they tied what he said into the final scene was great though.

 

*The agent ain't right, I kept thinking ay any moment he was going to take a bite out of that girl while they were f*cking like De Niro in Cape Fear or something.

[Fnorg]

I'm starting to like Van Alden. Never thought I'd say that... I was in stitches when he told Margaret "I see INTO YOUR SOUL when I look at your picture at night", but now there's more to him than creepiness. The transition from straight edge Christian nutcase to flawed straight edge Christian nutcase is what turned me around I think. The only character left I'd really like to die or just vanish is Jimmy's annoying (non-)wife. She's such a bore.

[Creed Bratton]

Agreed, but I stand by the notion that the Prohibition agent is one hell of a sketchy overtly religious motherf*cker.

Who now apparently has shown his 'admiration' to Margaret as well as being a real hypocrite with pounding the whiskey.

 

And it appears that Nucky and company are going to have quite the bloodbath on his hands when that fella gets back to Philly with the news that it was an ambush. Also it quite nice to see Chalky strangle the hell out of the guy for hanging his young friend.

Jimmy's kill was way more awesome. "I wasn't going to but you kinda talked me into it" I loled

 

I'm liking this show more and more with each new episode.

[Don Garcia]

 

*The scene with Margaret and Harrow did feel a bit awkward but they decided to play it a different way, you don't always have a perfectly crafted response when someone tells you some random sad personal thing about themselves so she just kind of left it at that. The way they tied what he said into the final scene was great though.

Ya, but I was still pissed she just walked off after he opened up like that. But I get that she was feeling all sh*tty after the speech. Made me all warm inside when she invited him over to hear her read Oz. Tin Woodsman.... awwww. Heartstrings properly tugged.

 

Angela better not take Jimmy's kid.

 

And Van Alden is awesome. In no small part because of Michael Shannon's performance. He's so hell bent on this case for so many weird, conflicting reasons, I can't help but be intrigued by his every action. Including gettin' Nucky's sloppy seconds.

Edited November 24, 2010 by Don Garcia

[meta187]

Angela better not take Jimmy's kid.

 

 

Ya know, that would suck as far as the kid's concerned but at least it would get her wishy washy try-sexual ass off the show so that Jimmy could get on with his new life.

 

*I too like the descent of Van Alden into vice and such as it makes him much more interesting he just makes me nervous with his creepiness.

[meta187]

Really great episode.

 

Having a few boiling situations come to a head and a few surprises as well really put this in my top three for the season.

 

A few things I liked:

• I wasn't surprised Van Alden offed his partner but I was very surprised at the way in which he did it, in front of several witnesses like that. He is truly a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

   

   

• I also liked the argument between Nucky and Margaret because there were so many valid points being made on both sides that there was no clear person to side with.

   

   

• I enjoyed Harrow's casual suggestion that he go and off several family members of the people they're targeting to get them to "pop their heads up". He was so easy going and matter o'factual about it, like he was offering to go mow the grass or something.

   

   

• I'd been wondering why Jimmy's mother looked so young and attractive for her age and this episode totally let you in on all of that in a surprsing and clever way.

I don't want to jinx it with the finale coming up but for me personally this may have been a nearly perfect first season for any show in recent memory. Edited November 29, 2010 by meta187

[Wordsworth]

meta put spoiler tags on your post.

 

 

I thought it was a great episode as well, meta. Buscemi plays a cold boss type well for the period and his character's personality. I'm excited to see the finale. This show has really grown on me as the season has progressed.

[meta187]

meta put spoiler tags on your post.

 

 

I did, anything I didn't I tried to keep purposely vague.

 

I'll add one to that Harrow quote though.

[Scarface187]

Is it bad that I laughed when Harrow said that?

[Wordsworth]

Harrow's character is bad ass.

[Creed Bratton]

So is next week the finale? I thought the show had 13 episodes? Wasn't this 11th episode?

[meta187]

Next week's episode is titled "A Return to Normalcy" and is indeed the season finale.

[Wordsworth]

Somebody is gonna die. I can feel it.

[meta187]

 

Somebody is gonna die. I can feel it.

 

 

I'd say that's a safe bet.

 

I'm actually pleasantly surprised HBO isn't delaying the season finale by one week which has been standard practice for most of their hit shows.

[Creed Bratton]

I can't wait. It's gonna be awesome I know it.

[M. H. Hunter III]

I have to admit that I'm rather pumped for the season finale next week and to be fair there isn't a hell of a lot of programs that I can say that about.

 

As much as I enjoy the series, I throughly hate Van Alden for constantly spouting his religious rhetoric, he seems to work it in every damn scene of his to varying degrees, when it came to a point at the river bed. And as unbearable of a person he is, you would think as the antagonist that his focus would be more on Nucky and a little less riding the sh*t out of Jimmy but thats subsided. Another point is that he comes off terribly paranoid about his assigned agents (again see river and why he did it) that they are all bought off or something.

However whenever he has a scene with his superior he comes off a passive, reserved push over with little to no backbone in that circumstance.

 

Harrow, well harrow is certainly one of my favorites for sure. Just something about him aside from being a sniper/hitman his personality comes off as concerning for Jimmy and Nucky/Margaret/the kids, but at the flip of a hat he's ready to do whatever it takes to deal with Philly problem.

 

I'm thinking for the finale we're gonna see The Commodore/Jimmys father end up dying from his arsenic poisoning despite it being found out. Perhaps Rothstein will indeed poke his head up, but I don't think he'll be bumped so soon, but I'm also going with Eli getting even with Nucky in some way for taking his sheriffs spot and giving it to his underling, right from under his nose.

 

[meta187]

 

Perhaps Rothstein will indeed poke his head up, but I don't think he'll be bumped so soon.

 

He's not supposed to die until 1928 following a poker game that goes badly with completely unrelated characters so I think it's a safe bet he'll be around for upcoming seasons.

 

And I can def see Eli making waves for Nucky in the future following that decision.

[meta187]

Have to say, this was a complete and fulfilled first season from start to finish.

 

I'd buy the boxset and watch it three times without question.

 

Very few series have earned the right to have critics jump on their nuts quite so well as Boardwalk Empire.

 

I can only cross my fingers that they maintain this level of consistency in upcoming seasons.

[Wordsworth]

I thought it was a good finale but at the same time rather uneventful. Things wrapped up as expected and there were very few surprises to me. Great premiere season though and I'm very excited to see where the show goes from here.

[meta187]

Well this final episode was titled, "A Return To Normalcy". I liked the way they tied it back to the title at the end of the episode and they didn't leave you with any ridiculous cliffhangers aside from some of Nucky's closest confidants conspiring against him.

 

Harrow was a cold mother in this last episode as well, loved it.

[Fnorg]

Margaret is turning into a housewife-whore á la Carmella Soprano. I had trouble telling if she returned to Nucky because she loved him or because she got the rag from the cake. She's giving up her moral highground for a nice house, but I feel she's doing it a lot more for her children than herself, whereas Carmella just wanted stuff for herself - the spec house, the Porsche Cayenne (like the pepper!) and so on.

 

Did anyone else actually laugh out loud when Rothstein made that deal with Nucky? He's so cold and calculating - manages to get a get of jail free card and gets $500,000 with it. Probably my favorite character. Michael Stuhbarg is incredible.

[Sauron]

I thought it was a good finale but at the same time rather uneventful.

I've felt many of the episodes have been uneventful. The dialogue has been entertaining and the storyline has continued to build but not a whole lot happens. Not to say that I don't enjoy the show, far from it, but I hope next season starts to have a bit more action.

 

Harrow's scene with the shotgun was a personal favourite.

[Wordsworth]

 

I thought it was a good finale but at the same time rather uneventful.

I've felt many of the episodes have been uneventful. The dialogue has been entertaining and the storyline has continued to build but not a whole lot happens. Not to say that I don't enjoy the show, far from it, but I hope next season starts to have a bit more action.

 

Harrow's scene with the shotgun was a personal favourite.

I'm with you on that. It has been a slowly unfolding story since episode 1. I do wish there was a slight bit more action of the seedy variety, and maybe we'll see some more of it in season 2. Harrow's scene was excellent, loved that one too. His face is so chilling with that half mask with the eye painted on it.

 

Did anyone else find it difficult picturing Gretchen Mol as Jimmy's mother? I was glad when they finally shed some light on why she looked so young, but for me that still wasn't quite enough. She looks like the same age as him.

[Don Garcia]

I haven't been able to let go how young Jimmy's mom looks. They should've gotten an older looking actress, because she could pass for his girlfriend and it's a wee bit creepy.

 

Great season, great show. And Van Alden has a reason to stay. Huzzah!

[Fnorg]

I'm totally cool with it. She's only supposed to be thirteen years older than him, and that's partly what makes their relationship so creepily awesome. Considering she's only nine years older in real life so another four years isn't a stretch.

 

If Lucy isn't beaten to death after spawning Van Alden's child, I will be mighty annoyed. I hate her so much.

[Otter]

If Lucy isn't beaten to death after spawning Van Alden's child, I will be mighty annoyed. I hate her so much.

The two of them are wonderfully despicable characters, aren't they?