HBO's Boardwalk Empire - Season 1

This looks like an Epic. I made such a great choice picking up HBO in time for The Pacific, Boardwalk Empire and Treme.

HBO seems to be coming back in a big way. can't wait for Treme, especially after hearing Dominic West claim it was better than the Wire

Impossible.

Holy Shit! That looks amazing!


I hope that's makeup on Buscemi, right? Right?

I might have to sign up for cable for the first time in 10+ years for this

HBO Canada's not carrying it? What the hell?

Uh...this looks like the best shit ever.

I was out being amazing today, so didn't pick this up till now.

http://chud.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122188

If the chatter could shift over there, that'd be rock'n'roll.

Well, that was shit hot. Treme, The Pacific, Justified and this...damn, we've got some great (looking) TV coming out this year.

If I'm going with pedigree, I'm more excited for Boardwalk, but if I'm going trailer, Treme is the more interesting one. Guess I'll just have to watch both! And not True Blood!

How about we not resurrect the endless WirevsSopranos thing with BoardwalkvsTreme?

It's been a long time since so many potential great shows exist simultaneously, let's not wreck it with my italian mobster is better than your ghetto dealer v2.0.

That's a great idea, like communism. It'll never work in the real world.

But hopefully it'll lead to the imprisonment and eventual execution of many online commenters.

Tomorrow.

Is it tomorrow yet?

It is tomorrow today.

It's getting rave reviews all over the place.

I am pumped. I have been spinning my wheels with True Blood waiting for this to come on. Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men. I may not be able to sleep tonight.

Seems like Scorcese and HBO getting together has been a long time coming. Really primed for this.

I feel like I'm counting down the new year. I am constantly aware of the minutes until . . . I want this show now.

I am so pumped for this. Going to be an amazing night.

That was Dabney Coleman?

Well that was just a big ol' slice of Scorsese steak, wasn't it.

Wow, that was good. I didn't know Kelly Macdonald was in this. Hope she sticks around awhile, and I guess it looks like she might.

Lovely head shots. I want gifs for those who can do that sort of thing.

So was the hit at the end retaliation for the liquor job?

Holy shit. I'm hooked. THAT was a fucking TV show.

Brilliant start.

I think so. I'm not sure if the show will go to Chicago more in the series, but I really hope so.

All the trailers have Capone doing things we haven't seen so while I doubt they will go to Chicago, it will have a presence in the show.

That was some amazing TV. I'm almost sad I won't be first seeing this on DVD as I could watch another episode right now.

I was a little busy thinking about how I really want a giant stuffed bear in one scene so I have to ask: is Nucky's wife dead or did she disappear (presumably with his child)?

Yeah that was some good stuff. Michael Shannon is damn creepy. He is perfect as the freaky Christian agent. That guy should be doing horror movies.

Re: Big Jim- Was it New York? Why go after him and not Nucky?

I was thinking Jimmy might be his basterd child.

He claims she died of consumption, at least that's what he told Ms. Schroeder.

Freaking incredible.

The guy in Chicago was killed by his underlings because he was holding them back from getting involved in bootlegging. Rothstein hasn't learned about the robbery yet, if the "next week on" thing is to be believed.

Yeah, really good, brilliantly edited. I didn't catch it, but did Thelma Schoonmaker edit this? It sure seemed like it.

Only complaint: not enough Michael K. Williams. But I'm sure that will change soon enough.

Everything you'd expect from a show this caliber and more. I don't think I've ever seen this period of history come alive so authentically on a TV show, and Scorsese hit a home run out of the park and through the windshield of some asshole's $80,000 car with the pilot (it's also light-years better than Shutter Island). Buscemi is great.

If you have HBO, you have no reason to not see at least the first episode.

They're being circumspect about what happened. Nucky tells Dabney Coleman(!) it's been "seven years" and Coleman replies, "I'd have just gone to jail."

Schoonmaker is credited as a consultant.

So does that mean they basically asked her how to edit it?

She edited it... she didn't want credit. (My guess)

I didn't think he was creepy here at all. I think you might be projecting from other roles he's been in. Unless you're only referring to his unusual appearance.

I'm curious what kind of role Michael K. Williams can play in this show, as a black man in 1920.

After the first freeze frame I knew we were in Scorsese's playground. Perfectly executed there.

Great first episode.

I wonder if every episode will feel as ingrained in the Scorsese/Schoomaker feel as this episode is. With most series, the style of editing and photography of the pilot is kept constant throughout the series, but I can't imagine it'll be easy filling the shoes of Marty and Thelma every week.

From the Wikipedia (but with sources!)

"Martin Scorsese was involved in the project even before creator Terence Winter. He directed the pilot and established the look of the show, which other directors later emulated to make the show feel seamless. He is also one of the executive producers of the show. Winter stated that Scorsese weighs on the casting decisions, watches all the cuts and dailies. Up until the shooting of the show's first season, Scorsese and Winter would meet every Sunday afternoon to review what went on during the week where Scorsese would have comments and suggestions. Martin Scorsese is expected to continue to be creatively involved in the ongoing production and if the series continues—with proper scheduling—he would like to direct more episodes."

Michael K Williams will be the link to the black community. He'll play a big role. The way his character was established, he's someone who talks to Nucky regularly and kinda at the same level.

That was indeed some incredible Tv. And yeah, the Chicago hit at the end is a coup. Al Capone is rising.

Technology is doing some great things with headshots. Can't wait what The Walking Dead brings us.

What i don't get is why didn't Nucky take out Jimmy? He pulled something that will only bring trouble for him and the operation.

Also, Rothstein. Holy shit that dude looks menacing as fuck. Can't believe it's the same guy from A Serious Man.

Maybe it's just me, because I was less than blown away.

Among other things, it felt the complete opposite of what we've come to expect from HBO series like The Sopranos or The Wire. Those shows thrust you into their world, and its stories, and forced you to pay attention to learn the names, relationships, and motivations over the course of the first few episodes. Boardwalk Empire's first episode was just one long set of introductions, spelling everything out in letters ten feet high (I fear that, by the end of the third episode, Nucky will have run out of storefront windows to peer into for his next bit of foreshadowing).

The show may also find itself hamstrung by history: it would appear that we're seeing the story of a guy most of us have never heard of, in confrontation with historical figures whose futures go on for years or decades after this. I have no idea what happened to Nucky Johnson, but I do know that Lucky Luciano was going strong in WWII. That's not a terminal problem, of course, but it does rather stack the deck in such a way that the story will need more ingenious telling than we've seen so far.

Certainly, I'll stick with it-- great cast, looks fine, interesting period. But I will be (pleasantly) surprised if it turns out be the kind of "appointment" TV that previous HBO series have been for me.

The thing about Sopranos and The Wire is that the genius of them, and the major themes they tackled, weren't immediately apparent from episode 1. I recall the first episode of The Sopranos also being very on the nose and obvious, only to get more subtle and sly later on.

My only real problem with the episode is that it didn't really give Michael Shannon's character any real depth.

I like how the guy that feels like a cross of early Christopher Moltisanti's worst traits with the whole douchekabob of Jackie Aprile Jr just happens to be Lucky freaking Luciano.

I'm guessing Nucky's long stare at the incubator after being asked whether he has children is the answer here. Not that Jimmy's related to him, but think Tony/Christopher or Walt/Jesse.

I think eventually we get to see a bit more of Michael Shannon's life, so I think "it's a godly pursuit" is good enough setup for now. And I gotta say, I always enjoyed Gregory Antonacci's presence as Butchie in the last days of the Sopranos, I hope he sticks around for a while.

Arnold Rothstein is a very interesting figure and Stuhlbarg is great as him, I hope the series lets him shine. So far, so good.

I think the first parts were damn clunky. "It's nearly prohibition where ALCOHOL WILL BE OUTLAWED STARTING TOMORROW, here we are ALL GOING TO BE RICH OFF IT. HERE MEET MY BROTHER THE LAWMAN. OH AND HERE'S THE MAYOR IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING HOW I'LL GET AWAY WITH IT"

I understand they need to introduce the world, I just wish it wasn't so overt with it. That said, once that's out of the way I loved it.

I loved how Nucky thought he was above it all, even when he fucked ("Could you not say that? It's annoying.") until Jimmy told him that he can't live halfway. He's a really interesting character and Steve Buscemi's really bringing it. I'm curious what he was thinking when he stopped at the palm-reading storefront.