View Full Version : Boardwalk Empire
Lex Diamonds
10-03-2010, 04:56 AM
Y'all been watching it? Sopranos fans I'm lookin' at you.
Watching the first episode now, got the 2nd on my hard drive too. I got high hopes.
yeahwho
10-04-2010, 06:16 AM
The Boardwalk Empire takes television to another level altogether, the sets, the story and the cinematography are all outstanding.
I just watched the 3rd installment last nite and am pretty much amazed at how great this show is. At first I thought it would be too arty or overdone as far as all the money being thrown around. It turns out the acting is really topnotch and this is one hell of a story with just the right guy to tell it, Martin Scorsese.
I get the feeling everybody will have seen it by this time next year, it's a monster in the making.
Lex Diamonds
10-04-2010, 09:50 AM
Yeah it's pretty spectacular. Exactly what I was hoping it would be ever since I first heard about it a while back. I'd been thinking someone should make a Sopranos-style show but set in the good old days, and who better to do it than Marty Scorsese and Terence Winter, two people who sum up the essence of the Sopranos but are talented enough to make something of a completely different tone.
Anyway I love it, can't wait for more.
Turchinator
10-04-2010, 10:38 AM
so far, so excellent. I love the story of A.C. as a major player in the Prohibition era. The director who took over after Scorsese directed the pilot is a major HBO heavy hitter Timothy Van Patten, director of many episodes of The Pacific, Deadwood, and The Sopranos.
Steve Buscemi is excellent, but I don't know if I like Michael Pitt as Jimmy...
Never heard of it but will check it out as I will need something to watch soon.
Recently started on Lie To Me and love the first season. Midway into 2nd and its getting kinda samey but still enjoying. Anyway, that is a different thread but thanks for the recommendation.
HEIRESS
10-04-2010, 06:39 PM
*throws panties at Leonardo DiC..., I mean, Michael Pitt*
Audio.
10-04-2010, 07:35 PM
Michael Pitt? Brad Pitt's brother?
HEIRESS
10-04-2010, 09:13 PM
Twice removed? (http://img.poptower.com/pic-31815/michael-pitt.jpg?d=600)
Audio.
10-05-2010, 12:30 AM
now checking back on it yeah I misread
nodanaonlyzuul
10-05-2010, 10:48 AM
*throws panties at Leonardo DiC..., I mean, Michael Pitt*
Haha I was TOTALLY thinking that when watching the last episode. They chose Michael Pitt because they couldn't get Leo basically.
However, it's a pretty great show thus far I'm pretty excited about it. I absolutely love the fashion as well (some of those headpieces are to die for).
And Nucky's girlfriend has an awful voice, but she's hot. (y)
HEIRESS
10-06-2010, 07:08 PM
The last episode delivered. Oh, indeed.
"what's a mother fucker?"
Also, if Michael Shannon starts doing Books on Tape I am all over that shit.
I started watching last night. Done first two episodes. Its good shit.
Planetary
10-07-2010, 06:14 PM
the roast tastes good.
This was the highlight of episode three for me.
am i missing the obvious or... is jimmy nucky's son?
either way, i had mixed feelings about the first ep but now i'm liking it.
i thought he was a nephew or a cousin or something. his brother's the police captain.
one of the scenes i liked in the first episode was the part where the feds were in the hotel spying on the criminals, and the roast guy was telling the other, inexperienced guy who everybody was and the younger guy kept getting confused and screwing up the names. it was like the show was saying, "we get it, it's a lot of characters to meet at once, you'll figure out who they are in time"
yeah! i got that same vibe. felt as if i had to rewind and watch that scene again. i didn't so i'm still confused with everyone.
Planetary
10-11-2010, 01:23 PM
i need episode 4. but my download's going excrutiatingly slow. any ideas?
Lex Diamonds
10-11-2010, 01:28 PM
Nope. I spent the whole day at work waiting for it to download. I went home as soon as it finished at 5.30pm.
Planetary
10-11-2010, 02:43 PM
mine's picking up now, it gets faster at night. should be done soon :)
loving the direction this program is heading in. read kind of a spoilery summary of the program which reveals things that havnt happened yet. maybe things you'd anticipate, maybe not. im pretty sure all these things will happen in s4.
yay
jackrock
10-11-2010, 07:09 PM
Speaking of confusion with characters, what's going on with Jimmy's "mother?" I though that was his side squeeze when we first saw her.
Planetary
10-11-2010, 07:38 PM
Speaking of confusion with characters, what's going on with Jimmy's "mother?" I though that was his side squeeze when we first saw her.
word
Speaking of confusion with characters, what's going on with Jimmy's "mother?" I though that was his side squeeze when we first saw her.
i guess she had him young? i dunno
i like how we finally have a show about a 1920s gangster who ISN'T a horrible racist
everyone else is though
nodanaonlyzuul
10-15-2010, 01:34 PM
I*slight spoiler for anyone not caught up with the last episode*:
I find the development of Margaret's character a little confusing. To see her be so outspoken in front of government officials was sudden to me. I understand that she was already part of Women's Temperance League and probably building her strength, especially with her husband being gone now, but it seemed there was building up of the the timid, soft-spoken Margaret to the Margaret we saw in the latest episode.
I was just a bit puzzled by the seemingly sudden transformation.
Aside from that, I am still loving the show.
yeahwho
10-15-2010, 02:56 PM
The whole lot of them are crazy and unpredictable with perhaps the exception of Lucy who just seems obviously willing to do anything for Nucky.
Margaret has a lot going on in the last episode, the "we may of found" Anastasia story with the eventual letdown of the girl not being the Duchess, then the dress delivery to Nucky's birthday party. She has been thrown into this whole other world, a rags to riches type of storyline that has not yet been fulfilled and may never be fulfilled. I thought the dance scene was one of the best scenes yet in the show until right after wards when the gorgeous (I'll do anything for your love) Lucy popped out of the cake, as Nucky watched on at his beautiful girlfriend Margaret was positioned right above her. A sort of dichotomy for Nucky, you know, brains or beauty.
Margaret is outspoken, independent and very well read so she makes her words count and leaves an impression on all who encounter her.
All of the characters have developed rapidly, each with a storyline that could be a show of their own. It's gonna get crazy.
just got through the first two episodes. so far, so very great. buschemi is solid. the actors playing the young luciano and capone are great too. just needs some more violence and tommy guns.
Brother McDuff
10-16-2010, 03:08 AM
i feel like they've been setting up the story in the last 3 episodes, but have yet to pull the trigger.
i enjoy it and will certainly follow each week, but if the pace continues at this rate I don't really see myself getting too attached to the storyline or characters.
so agent van alden not only has a crush on margaret but is also pretty fucked up. jimmy's hair is also pretty fucked up. his mom's hot though, no wonder luciano is tapping her. jimmy and capone pairing up is working well, and will probably contribute to capone's rise to the top in chicago.
HEIRESS
10-28-2010, 07:03 PM
Leave Jimmy's hair alone!
It's the classic undercut, but he'll never rock it s well as River Phoenix did as young Indiana in The Last Crusade. *sigh*
Lucy is pissing me off now, somebody off'r already!
Seriously though, Michael Shannon is mesmerizing. If you haven't seen his scene from Revolutionary Road, please do so.
He and Garrett Dillahunt are my favorite character actors these days.
river's sides and back weren't shaved (http://www.indygear.com/images/gear/whip/LC-youngIndy.jpg), whereas jimmy's hair resembles early 90s mike patton hair (http://bloglog.globo.com/FCKeditor/UserFiles/Image/MikePatton.jpg). just saying.
yeah, lucy's a dumb hoe.
Planetary
10-29-2010, 03:41 AM
i like jimmy's hair (no homo)
thinking about getting it done. why the fuck not?
Lex Diamonds
11-12-2010, 11:49 PM
i like jimmy's hair (no homo)
thinking about getting it done. why the fuck not?
If you did that it would be yes homo.
Planetary
11-14-2010, 05:54 AM
If you did that it would be yes homo.
you're a homo :(
Planetary
11-15-2010, 05:41 PM
episode 9 has set up a really interesting last few episodes. the attempt on nucky's life, the murder of the witness and jimmy's inevitable release, the impending hit on the sicilian brothers.
excited.
nodanaonlyzuul
11-16-2010, 06:08 PM
It is kind of driving me nuts trying to figure out if Margaret will turn on Nucky. Would she? Will she?! The incident in the latest episode could exacerbate such a thing I'm sure.
no, i highly doubt it. margaret and nucky are both smitten with each other, and they make a really good couple. margaret's also loving the lifestyle and power.
jimmy's girlfriend (y)
Planetary
11-17-2010, 06:54 PM
It is kind of driving me nuts trying to figure out if Margaret will turn on Nucky. Would she? Will she?! The incident in the latest episode could exacerbate such a thing I'm sure.
I think each episode is showing her becomming more and more comfortable with his way of life and his attitude, emersing herself in it. She seemed to have a lot of integrity in the early parts of this season but as time has gone on, seems to have (reluctantly?) given in to the temptations of nucky's lavish lifestyle.
short answer: no she won't (i don't think)
looking forward to jimmy's increased involvement in the story from now on.
Drederick Tatum
11-18-2010, 02:05 AM
Margaret's a gangsta. I wouldn't be that surprised if she ends up running the operation.
oh yeah (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF2jY6Qcb9Y)
Lex Diamonds
11-19-2010, 02:26 AM
Just watched the trailer- Jimmy does one of the classic "on the floor stomach kick"s which is a staple of any good gangster movie, so I'm definitely looking forward to this one. It's already a winner in my eyes just for that.
That's it! Margaret was Diane in Trainspotting. That was nagging at me.
Planetary
11-23-2010, 12:18 PM
Chalky is a bad ass. when he whipped those pistols out?
and the strangling scene. ruthless.
and nelson, what the fuck? either hes going to get info out of her on nucky or we won't see her again...
yeah, nelson is definitely in the midst of a downwards spiral. either he's going to get info from lucy, or perhaps they'll hook up? regardless people are beginning to see how creepy he is (http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2010/11/boardwalk_empire_richard_harro.html).
chalky is one badass motherfucker. meanwhile capone seems to be on the verge of moving up and seeing more of richard harrow is a good thing.
jackrock
11-23-2010, 11:55 PM
Jimmy's wife, jimmy's mom (who Lucky probably killed), jimmy's hair, shit even jimmy's walk, yeah jimmy's a badass (ragingnohomo).
I don't understand the $500,000 life insurance baseball (forget his name) made the (don't know their names) sign?
I thought Nelson was going to break her neck (y)
Planetary
11-24-2010, 04:14 AM
lenny-style
i wasnt sure about the life insurance thing either. probably some sordid scheme by rothstein.
van alden is my favorite character, he steals every scene he's in in my opinion (not that he isn't always the focal point in his scenes to begin with). he kind of has the same quality as javier bardem in no country for old men; not because their characters are at all similar, but just because their performances are so weird and off-putting that you can't stop staring at them, wondering what they're going to do. they legitimately make you feel a little uncomfortable even though you're only watching them through a screen, it's powerful stuff.
yeahwho
11-28-2010, 02:30 PM
I like the look, feel and even the characters of this show but every week I keep thinking things are going to pick up and they sort of stay the same. It's too plodding and slow to be my favorite series on TV.
As far as authenticity and feel the show does a wonderful job and I'll keep watching but for crying out loud the Al Capone bar mitzvah scene was like parody, right?
OK maybe it's just me. It's my 4th or 5th favorite series on TV right now. Boardwalk Empire is really good but Boardwalk Empire just doesn't quite seem to be firing on all cylinders yet. Nine episodes into the season is a long time to wait for a well paced hour of TV.
yeah, one bad thing i'll say about the show is this: although i'm in love with the characters and the period and the acting and the scenery, i'm still not 100% clear on what the plot of the show is. maybe it's my fault for not paying enough attention, but there are gaps in my understanding of what's going on for some of the longer plot arcs. like i get that nucky and rothstein are at war, but i don't remember why. and i get that nucky's rigging elections and has an awkward relationship with that senator guy who's name i can't remember but he's played by the guy who plays the racist asshole captain on dexter, and i get that he's concerned about roads or something, but i don't particularly understand why. then there's this admiral guy that he goes to for advice but i can't remember why i'm supposed to know who he is either. then there's the lazy-eyed guy (torreo?) who's part of the show as well but i'm not completely sure where he fits in to the main plot.
there's just a lot of little things like that. it might make more sense on a second viewing, but i feel like you shouldn't HAVE to see the show twice to understand what's going on. like the wire, for example, was much better on subsequent viewings once you had a better understanding of the big picture and could focus on the smaller pieces but it wasn't necessary in order to understand the plot of the show - avon barskdale was a drug kingpin and daniels' crew was trying to shut him down while the department refused to make the investigation a priority. obviously it was more complex than that but at its core, that was the plot, and even if you were missing things, you understood that, you knew why the characters were going to work in every episode.
with boardwalk empire though, there's only two episodes left in the season and i'm still not sure why people are doing what they're doing.
THAT SAID i still like it a whole lot and will probably watch it again at some point
Lex Diamonds
11-28-2010, 03:08 PM
I don't think it's hard to follow. One thing I like about it is that it combines the long over-arcing plot style of The Wire with the mini-movie feel of Sopranos episodes. Maybe you just haven't been concentrating hard enough? Although I see why you could have that criticism, I know the answer to all the questions you posed from a single viewing of each episode once a week.
Also, you said you love the period. LOL!
yeahwho
11-28-2010, 03:52 PM
With all that said I felt the exact same way about David Simons' Treme. Treme had the same slow plodding buildup. Treme used great historical reference and insight into post Katrina New Orleans and the history of the Treme district. The soundtrack kept me coming back.
Then the Treme season finale blew me away. It was like a surprise upper left cut to the head. Reducing me to an emotional crybaby in front of my TV. I felt that the time invested into the all of the meandering story lines paid back 100 fold.
So just maybe Boardwalk Empire will wrap up the season with that type of a wallop.
Lex Diamonds
11-29-2010, 12:48 AM
cool
So you admit it?? You love periods?!?!!
Haha! :)
no, just the period, just the one
Lex Diamonds
11-29-2010, 02:11 AM
Oh right, that's fair enough then. You know what they say, too many periods spoil the broth.
yeah, one bad thing i'll say about the show is this: although i'm in love with the characters and the period and the acting and the scenery, i'm still not 100% clear on what the plot of the show is. maybe it's my fault for not paying enough attention, but there are gaps in my understanding of what's going on for some of the longer plot arcs. like i get that nucky and rothstein are at war, but i don't remember why. and i get that nucky's rigging elections and has an awkward relationship with that senator guy who's name i can't remember but he's played by the guy who plays the racist asshole captain on dexter, and i get that he's concerned about roads or something, but i don't particularly understand why. then there's this admiral guy that he goes to for advice but i can't remember why i'm supposed to know who he is either. then there's the lazy-eyed guy (torreo?) who's part of the show as well but i'm not completely sure where he fits in to the main plot.
with boardwalk empire though, there's only two episodes left in the season and i'm still not sure why people are doing what they're doing.
THAT SAID i still like it a whole lot and will probably watch it again at some point
i think you just haven't been paying very close attention.
nucky and rothstein are at war because jimmy and capone held up a shipment of booze headed for new york, purchased by rothstein, from nucky. jimmy and capone killed all the guys making the shipment, and rothstein immediately suspected that nucky double-crossed him. nucky didn't deny it and didn't try to make things right with rothstein, so therefore they've been at war (nucky wasn't about to give up or hand over jimmy to rothstein, despite going ahead with the robbery without nucky's permission).
nucky wants paved roads/highways coming to and leaving atlantic city as currently the roads are utter shit. nucky is seeking to drastically improve the local infrastructure, which will not only benefit his bootlegging operation, but the local economy as well. senator edge (and he's pretty badass on dexter) assured nucky he'd get him the money for the roads, but was really lying to him, hence nucky ensuring that senator edge would not receive the nomination for vice-president on the 1920 republican ticket.
the admiral - you mean commodore louis kaestner. he was the previous treasurer of atlantic county, and nucky's mentor. he groomed nucky to take over.
johnny torrio is a chicago based gangster, who capone works for. torrio met capone in brooklyn and recruited him into his organization. torrio appears to be capone's mentor as well.
Lex Diamonds
11-30-2010, 06:38 AM
Van Halden is a cunt, I hope Jimmy kills him in the end.
And Nucky has suddenly turned into a real asshole. Didn't really see that coming.
Planetary
11-30-2010, 11:40 AM
I like nelson, makes things interesting, but i've got a feeling hes going to fuck everything up. so hopefully he dies.
Tin-face is a bad-ass. when he's like "yeah ill go there and kill their mother and sisters and brother. np np"
^ yeah but notice how jimmy wasn't totally all 'wtf, dude?!1' about it.... hard nuts.
i do wanna see jimmy off van alden too. (y)
Planetary
12-01-2010, 11:27 AM
^ yeah but notice how jimmy wasn't totally all 'wtf, dude?!1' about it.... hard nuts.
i do wanna see jimmy off van alden too. (y)
Yeah theyre a pair of bad-asses.
yeah, van alden is a dick and deserves to go down (killed or arrested) for killing agent sebso, but i won't be surpised if he gets away with it.
i don't think nucky's being an asshole though. he had no choice but to defend himself when eli was giving him shit, and he pretty much told margaret how it is when they got into that fight (although i may have to go back and watch it again).
jimmy seems to go back and forth from being a good person/father to sociopathic war vet gangster.
BangkokB
07-15-2011, 02:35 AM
Seriously though, Michael Shannon is mesmerizing. If you haven't seen his scene from Revolutionary Road, please do so.
Hey Heiress, I just finished watching BE and took an interest in Michael Shannon when I saw him in the movie "13" last year. He played an over the top lunatic Masters of Ceremonies at a Russian Roulette of sorts game. He had the stand out character in that movie that I foresaw a broad horizon for. Great movie that I loved to the hilt, not having a clue what it was about going into it. Glad to see that he's moved his craziness onto bigger horizons.
He gave quite the baptism.
peeps still watching this? WELL, YOU SHOULD!
latest ep (revolving around jimmy's rather interesting mother) was mu'fucking intense. shit is getting real!
The newest episode was fucking crazy. I always thought Jimmy's mom was a loon. I don't remember having such a horrified expression from watching the scene after the Princeton mixer.
holy, holy shit - season finale - wow, wow, wow.
*spoiler alert*
dlisted.com put up a few months ago that michael pitt was drinking too much and had been warned he would be fired.
well??
discuss.
HEIRESS
12-12-2011, 01:36 PM
SEASON FINALE: I FELT LIKE PUNCHING EVERYONE.
terrence winter squashed the rumours (http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/12/11/boardwalk-empire-finale/), citing michael pitt's professionalism. season 3 will apparently will jump ahead to 1923, as opposed to starting in 1922. we should see more of capone moving on up in chicago. richard harrow will definitely be back.
gillian (jimmy's freak mother) and eli deserve to get killed off next season. gillian is a horrible sexual predator, and i can't believe jimmy left his son with her. hopefully next season richard harrow will cap her and eli. i can't believe nucky didn't kill eli. eli's explanation for the hit on nucky was pathetic, and there's no way that nucky believed one second of it. but i think he needs eli to serve a year in jail first, to ensure closure of the federal charges and let the hype and media attention die down first (?).
margaret went from one of the most compelling characters to one of the worst. she's nothing more than a disgusting, selfish opportunist. she went back to nucky in the season one finale, when she played that game with the cake with her kids, and received the symbol or card which represented poverty for her. then we found out this season that she falsely accused some guy of rape back in ireland when she got pregnant. then she stole her brother's money to flee to the states. then she slept with owen. she should have confessed her sins if she really wanted to repent her affair, as opposed to attempting to buy forgiveness via the church. and lifting nucky's ledger was to protect her position, moreso than protecting nucky. essentially, she's full of shit. and this whole church/priest storyline was so boring.
HEIRESS
12-14-2011, 09:21 AM
Ugh, yes to everything you said.
What's with the jesus talk in every goddamn show this year?
Boardwalk empire, Dexter, Walking dead. I'm fucking bored to death of the religious veins in all these shows.
Freebasser
10-15-2012, 06:52 AM
So yeah, anyone else watching this season?
I only got into it a few months ago but have got to the point where I have to find a shitty stream the second it's broadcast in the States in order to sate my appetite.
I think the way they're ramping up the tension in season 3 is fantastic and the shite is certainly going to be flying left, right and centre from here on in. Bit too much swinging dick in the last episode for my liking though!
Lex Diamonds
10-18-2012, 05:14 AM
My interest in this season has been waning a little. I've still yet to watch this week's episode.
I think the main problem they are facing is that there are no likeable characters left in the show. Although that's perfectly acceptable in certain films (Scarface, Alien, American Pie The Reunion etc.), when following an entire season of a television show it can begin to grate. I find myself wishing half of the main cast would get killed off because of their annoying cunty ways. Especially Margaret.
Harrow, who seemed like he might be becoming a protagonsit of sorts at the close of season 1, has barely featured. I'd quite like to see him team up with Capone or Nucky and do the whole creepy enforcer thing again.
Rosetti is cool as well, dude is a good actor.
HEIRESS
10-18-2012, 08:07 AM
Yup, needs more Harrow.
Freebasser
10-18-2012, 12:57 PM
Obviously everybody loves Harrow, 'cos he's a scrapbooking psychopath - what combination of character traits could be better?
I really do think that some people are going to get their comeuppance at some point during this season. As you say, Pads - there are an awful lot of dislikeable characters and I think we'll see a cull before long.
It has to be said though that the way they make you hate the characters (or not) is fantastic. Take Eli - I hated that self-important bastard, but a brief stint in the big house has turned him into one of the most likeable characters on the show. I felt genuine happiness when I saw him reunited with his family and when watching him treading on eggshells with Nucky I couldn't help but feel pity for the man, even though at one point he was prepared to shed his brother's blood for the sake of a pay-rise.
The way they handled Capone's family-life is heart-warming too. The guy beats some fucker to death in a bar and I'm rooting for him because inside you know he's unleashing his frustration at being unable to control his son's fate and by doing so he's sticking up for the little guy everywhere. But he's beating a guy to death to make his point. It's both completely and utterly brutal and heartwarming at the same time.
But yes... more Harrow please.
Lex Diamonds
10-18-2012, 01:00 PM
^ Top post. (y)
na§tee
10-19-2012, 04:47 PM
i might buy the box set to get me through winter. don't have sky or a tv license or anything so have seen absolutely shit all. sounds worth it though - and stephen graham (al capone) is always brilliant. anyone who has seen this is england will agree.
i've searched for a mad men thread but it doesnae exist :(
TimDoolan
11-06-2012, 10:16 AM
Spoilers
As a frustrated salesman myself I thought the sales pitch scene was fantastic. What did the steam iron say to the face? Hissssss
Freebasser
11-09-2012, 05:24 PM
Van Alden certainly knows how to 'iron out' his problems ;)
Great episode and there should be a crackin' few weeks of entertainment coming up. Harrow is going to have to kill somebody soon [SEMI-SPOILER] (Gillian, for besmirching Jimmy's name, or Gyp for generally being an arsehole at a guess)[/SEMI-SPOILER].
I wish they would sort out Owen's character though. The guy casually strangles a cunt in a public toilet and genuinely looks like being the biggest badass on the show in the process, only for the writers to give him a tiresome 2 season long love affair with Madge and send him off to do some pony shopping once in a while :/
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