Boardwalk Empire is HBO’s new prestige series set in Atlantic City at the dawn of the 1920s, just as Prohibition is becoming the law of the land. Nucky Thompson is the crooked county treasurer who is wasting no time setting in motion his plans to make sure that Atlantic City stays soaking wet. In the first episode, he strikes deals with the major Chicago and New York gangs to keep the booze flowing and soon learns that maintaining control of a criminal enterprise is no easy task. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the pilot is of a piece with his previous studies of the underworld–meticulous attention is paid to period detail and the violence is unapologetically graphic.
It’s difficult to assess a series based on one episode, but HBO seems to have struck gold again. The pilot does what a good pilot should–keep the viewer intrigued enough to watch the next episode. Steve Buscemi’s Nucky doesn’t give off the same sociopathic menace as a Tony Soprano; he’s less dramatic and more practical, although I expect he’ll become more faceted as the series progresses. Boardwalk Empire is also one of the most gorgeous television shows in recent memory. The cinematography and set design imbue the gaudy Jazz Age extravagance of Atlantic City with a hyperreal sheen.
HBO has already renewed the series for a second season, so there’s no need to worry that the story will come to a premature end. It’s well worth your time.
Two questions:
1. Didn’t you hate the editing and directing job? It was like Scorcese on acid! Too many quick shots. And the graphic, which I didn’t mind, was also classic Scorcese, so predictable.
2. Why was the Chicago, Italian mob boss shot at the end? Was it because he was tied up with stealing the truck’s whisky? And somehow Nucky found out?