Boardwalk Empire

[Warner2BruceTD]

Who are the guys Richard is taking out and what happened in Milwaukee?

let it play out

[Glenbino]

let it play out

Just making sure I didn't miss something from last season...

[CrimsonGhost56]

http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/boardwalk-empire-renewed-by-hbo-for-fifth-season-1200670835/

HBO has handed a fifth season to period drama “Boardwalk Empire.”

The prohibition-set drama returned for its fourth run on HBO earlier this month, and has averaged a gross audience of 7.5 million viewers this season. The show is created by Terence Winter, who executive produces alongside Martin Scorsese, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Tim Van Patten and Howard Korder.

“Thanks to Terry Winter, Martin Scorsese, Tim Van Patten, Howard Korder and their stellar team, ‘Boardwalk Empire’ remains in a class by itself,” said HBO programming prez Michael Lombardo. “I look forward to another electrifying season of this impeccably crafted series.”

News arrives after Bobby Cannavale took home the Emmy for supporting actor in a drama for his role on “Boardwalk.”

[Warner2BruceTD]

Shit is still simmering, but I have no idea where it's going to come all together. Enjoying.

[Buzzman]

They are finally giving Van Alden some more deserved plot movement. I feel like everybody talked the shit out of Michael Shannon when he had some iffy character choices, but when hes at his best right now, he's being overlooked. I feel like this is the best start to a season the show has had to date. I dont know where things are setting up tho.

[CrimsonGhost56]

spoilers through the first half of the season

 

the good

-al capone storyline. top notch. capone and van alden = two of the best characters this season
-chalky white. most amount of screen time hes had since the start of the show
-barely any margaret. everyone's least favorite heroine absent for half the season.
-agent knox. first hes a good guy, then a bad guy, but could become a good guy again

meh

-dr. narcisse. champion of the black movement, but secretly the peddler of heroin destroying his own people. no where near the greatness of last years villain.
-gillian darmondy. gillian one of the most underrated characters on the show IMO but the story arc of her heroin addiction/recovery = meh
-willie thompson. a lot of time devoted to eli's son wanting to be nucky's protege but just comes across as a wuss. no where near a jimmy darmondy

the bad

-richard harrow. slowly doing a whole lot of nothing this season. barely there. he has finally come back into the mix but could care less about his reconnection (or further drifting apart?) from his sister
-margaret is back
-more mickey doyle is needed

[Pitty]

spoilers through the first half of the season

 

the good

-al capone storyline. top notch. capone and van alden = two of the best characters this season
-chalky white. most amount of screen time hes had since the start of the show
-barely any margaret. everyone's least favorite heroine absent for half the season.
-agent knox. first hes a good guy, then a bad guy, but could become a good guy again

meh

-dr. narcisse. champion of the black movement, but secretly the peddler of heroin destroying his own people. no where near the greatness of last years villain.
-gillian darmondy. gillian one of the most underrated characters on the show IMO but the story arc of her heroin addiction/recovery = meh
-willie thompson. a lot of time devoted to eli's son wanting to be nucky's protege but just comes across as a wuss. no where near a jimmy darmondy

the bad

-richard harrow. slowly doing a whole lot of nothing this season. barely there. he has finally come back into the mix but could care less about his reconnection (or further drifting apart?) from his sister
-margaret is back
-more mickey doyle is needed

 

I think you're missing the point of both Narcisse and Willie. Narcisse hasn't yet begun to peak, and when he does the whole of Atlantic City will know it. I feel that its going to continue along the beaten path of Nucky ignoring the drkies until Chalky (probably) dies in the next few episodes, leading to an all out bitter war between Nuck and Narcisse. It won't top Gyp, but it will pick up considerably.

As for Willie, of course he's not Jimmy, when Jimmy is introduced he's a freshly home, hardened war veteran. This kid has, up to this point, done nothing immoral in his life, until poisoning his classmate. You can see he's beginning to get that Jimmy attitude in the last episode, the apathy and bitterness. I think he could turn out to be one of the most interesting characters in about 2-3 seasons, but I am still extremely intrigued by his turnaround and those Temple tittays.

[mgoblue2290]

I actually like what they are doing with Willie. I'm a fan of shows that take existing characters and build them up rather than just adding someone new. I think it's a pretty logical progression for his character too as far as joining up with Nucky.

Narcisse creeps me out in a similar way that Gyp made you have no idea what he was going to do next. He sold me as a quality villain when he met Rothstein and immediately wiped his hand in disgust after Rothstein left.

Really like the Agent Knox character too.

[Palooza]

I think the Willie thing is going to do some serious damage to Eli. Eli KNOWS where all of Nucky's right hand men have ended up (jail/dead) and once he truly sees how much Willie looks up to Nucky and wants to slide into that role, I think we will see a divide if either Willie or Eli don't die first.

[Palooza]

Also, we haven't even scratched the surface of Narcisse and he already makes me nervous. He's calm, cool, collected and sees all the moves before they're made. Jeffrey Wright will truly shine before the season is up. Strong contrast to the hot headed unpredictability of Gyp.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I am enjoying Willie as well.

Harrow is putting me to sleep.

I wish Gillian & Ron Livingston would go to Chotchkie's and never come back. Zzzzzzzzzz.

Agent Knox intrigues me more than Narcisse.

[CrimsonGhost56]

thats what im saying. so far agent knox has been better than narcisse. way better

[Warner2BruceTD]

Great episode. They sold me, I thought Chalky was dead.

[NAHSTE]

Great episode. They sold me, I thought Chalky was dead.

Being the savvy TV viewers that we are, we should have known damn well Michael K. Williams wasn't being written off the show, and we should have known damn well ole' girl was gonna swoop in and save him, but in that moment I forgot all of that and really thought Chalky was about to punch his card. Really effective scene, had me like "NOOOOOOO!"

Don't think I'll miss Purnsley much. He was a cool character when he was Chalky's muscle but kind of outgrew his usefulness once he became a pawn between Narcisse and Chalky.

Anyway, this show is humming right along now. This Narcisse/Chalky dynamic has allowed the writers to essentially re-boot last season's conflict with Gyp, but without it directly affecting Nucky. That makes Wright's character feel less like a formulaic "big bad" and more of an organic antagonist.

Really liking the way this is shaping up. The Eli dynamic is great too now, no idea how that will play out but the final scene, with the entire family in the living room when he comes home, was damn powerful.

[Pitty]

Clayton gonna get Breaking Bad'd now.