Written by Terrence Winter & Howard Korder
Directed by Tim Van Patten
Boardwalk is a show where I do not have a favorite episode. I do not recall particularly strong episodes either. There are, however, strong characters and casting, memorable scenes throughout the series, as well as turning points that stand out as important. This is due to the nature of the show with the large cast, multiple settings, and numerous storylines. The show it is most similar to is Game of Thrones, which also features a large cast and multiple settings*. In both shows, we take temporary breaks from characters, even the favorite ones, for several episodes at a time while we check in with the other storylines.
* I would love to see a pie chart showing the combined budgets of Game of Thrones and Boardwalk versus all other HBO shows.
Game of Thrones does manage to have several memorable episodes, notably "Blackwater" and "The Reigns of Castamere". The common thread between those two episodes is they are exceptions to the series, largely singularly focused on one storyline for the full hour.
Boardwalk may have had it's strongest episode of the series on Sunday, and almost certainly completed its strongest season thus far. However, it diverged from it's HBO cousin on how it got there.
This is a show that is greater than the sum of its parts, despite many of the parts being quite spectacular. Despite the big ticket sets and costumes which strive for a Mad Men-level of accuracy, probably the greatest part is the casting and acting.
Being greater than the sum of its parts, Boardwalk is probably one show that would particularly benefit from the natural method of analysis of writing up each individual episode, but rather take 3-4 episodes at a time. This is probably why reviews don't necessarily speak to the quality of the show.
Season Three was largely self contained and felt "off the shelf". You could insert and remove the entire season at will within the series. Episode One: introduce villain, Episode Thirteen: kill villain. The overall storyline felt telegraphed (Villain conflicts with Nucky, Nucky is edged out, Nucky regroups, Nucky wins). Outside of Margaret (and a lesser extent, Eli), not much changed within the characters. They sat in largely the same places they sat at the end of Season Two with the same outlook on life. The villain was a bit of a carpet bagger who had few connections within Atlantic City. Some of the established characters' storylines felt less than necessary and, come the finale, ultimately directionless due to the lack of payoff*.
* How could they payoff though when not much was invested in the first place?
Season Four made two bold, unconventional moves. It did not force the female lead into a story simply for the sake of using her. And it did not give the central, top billed, featured throughout the entire opening credits, Nucky Thompson his own adventure but rather allowed his character to reveal itself via reactions to the machinations of other, just as qualified, characters. Nucky was both physically separated from much of the action (living at the Albatross) and mentally (allowing much of his operations to be run by Eli and, of all people, Mickey Doyle). His position is an emeritus one, able to step in and apply pressure as needed (like Bert Cooper at Sterling Cooper & Associates). Nucky spends his time reacting to other characters coming to him (Will, in trouble and later entering the business, Eli and his annual betrayal, Chalky's problems with Narcisse, AR's money troubles, even the land deal and the Lansky-Luciano-Petrucelli-heroin-Narcisse dynamic is brought to his door). Nucky's reactions to each of these, whether the image he wishes to project with Will, his indifference to Chalky or his coming up short in the land deal all show just as much about him than if he had his own story to tell.
One other aspect that strengthened the show, especially in contrast to Season Three, was the introduction of several new characters/sources of conflict. Between Mr. Piggly Wiggly, Knox and Narcisse, the plot thickened each week and continued to remain unclear throughout how they would or would not tie together, but interesting enough to make us want more. And that was just the new characters. The Chicago outfit expanded. AR connected to Peg. With all these embers in the fire, there was a lot of flexibility with how the story could end.
In a simplistic way, Narcisse was Rosseti to Chalky's Nucky. A menacing outsider who encroached on territory. But the execution was much better, with understated performances evoking more from the character than Rosseti ever could no matter how many people he beat to death. Bobby Cannavale won the Emmy when he was probably 5th or 6th best in a category I was shocked he was nominated for int he first place. Jeffrey Wright has to be in the mix next year as his performance dwarfs Cannavale's.
When the end did come, little was final about it, and it set up the following season better than any previous finale. Eli, Capone, Van Alden, Margaret and Chalky are all in new settings or roles. Narcisse is in a position that was completely unpredicted and gives enough flexibility where he can come back if there is a story to tell but also fade away if they feel a Peg-esque year for him coming on. There are a lot of different directions the show can take now as the show becomes almost wholly a gangster show with little remaining of the political machinations and post war life the first two seasons conveyed. That however is in line with what Jimmy told Nucky long ago...
- Body Count 3 (33 total)
- Maybelle - Richard at the Onyx with the sniper rifle :-(
- Knox - Eli in his house with the saw, candle stick, bare fists and whatever else was lying around. Brutal.
- Richard - Unknown Narcisse henchman, shot at the Onyx but dying at the pier, with the pistol
- I yelled and turned away in horror and nearly vomited when Knox went after Eli's eye
- A Wire like montage caught up with everyone near the end, showing us their new digs
- Hoover, ignorant as he truly was regarding organized crime, bared his teeth with Narcisse, much like he did with Remus, and opens the door to a lot of possibilities with the FBI, Narcisse, and Garvey
- Few television deaths shake you like Richard's. We see him on the train with a few un-Boardwalk like flashes as he walks up to the house. It brings to mind both "Everyone's Waiting" and "Mayham" and I wonder if Richard died. I quickly discard that thought as Richard still has his mask on. A quick cut to the house and back to Richard and my heart absolutely sinks as Richard's face is fully restored. I had figured if Richard had died, his face would be replaced once he passes on, being restored and able to spend time, however it exists in that state, with his loved ones. Once his face is restored, it's immediately clear even before the cut to the pier that Richard is passing on. It was tough to expect him to live and live with his missed shot, killing Maybelle, as well as the goodbye he gave Tommy and his new wife at the station, but seeing Richard go is a death as hard to take as any in recent memory
- HBO posted an In Memoriam video for the character. I have not given it a ton of thought but Richard may be a top ten for the last ten years.
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