BOARDWALK EMPIRE Season 2 - Tag-Team Discussion Thread - Page 2

I'm pretty sure everyone in this week's Tag Team glossed over the prison beatdown, assuming everyone else would gush about it, because no one talked much about it.  So just for the record: shit was awesome.

And I was more taken with his willingness to let Pursley just keep pushing and pushing before finally pulling the trigger with his men.

That said, yes, shit WAS awesome.

I was sort of expecting that we'd find out he was hired by the Commodore to provoke Chalky into a brawl in order to keep him locked up longer, but I guess he was just a dillhole who does dill-ish things when he's bored. But man, that last boot to the head was broo-tal.

Throwing this out there for our readers (and yes, that means both Stephen Atherly of Duluth, MN and Jesse Horst of Clayton, MO).  If you want to suggest a "question of the week" for us to consider in next week's review, post it here and it will be addressed.  Probably by a slew of dick jokes, but still. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

I was sort of expecting that we'd find out he was hired by the Commodore to provoke Chalky into a brawl in order to keep him locked up longer, but I guess he was just a dillhole who does dill-ish things when he's bored. But man, that last boot to the head was broo-tal.

 

I thought it was clear Walt hired him.

Heh.  But I watched Boardwalk (directly) before Breaking Bad last Sunday.  Conspiracies abound!

My slightly different take on Chalky in this week's episode was that the book was a defensive weapon in case of emergency. Since it was established early on that he couldn't read, the whole time I was waiting for Chalky to take the spine of the book and smash it into the other guy's nose Jason Bourne-like, after using the book to deflect a shiv attack. Of course, this not being an action show, I was not expecting something as slick as that, but definitely a bloody fight. Which we got anyways, just not in the way I was predicting.

Probably would've sheared too close to

in The Wire.

That Tag-Team review wasn't particularly Tag-Team-y.  Where was the discussion?

I think I prefer that format to the usual one. It makes everyone's opinions much more coherent. If it is to go in a more discussion-like style it should be heavily moderated.

There's a push and pull between having a full discussion with 5 people and getting these out before the next episode airs.  My suggestion that we have a question of the week was aimed at getting things to be less scattershot without adding days to the turnaround time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

Probably would've sheared too close to

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Omar fending off a prison shivving with phone book body armor

 

in The Wire.

Hah. Totally forgot about that scene. I wonder if they were trying to riff on Omar Little here.

Good to see Charlie Cox getting something else to do. Haven't seen the guy since Stardust -- too bad he's been MIA, the guy's got charisma to spare.

Slater vs. Harrow is going to be a hell of a thing when it comes down to it.  They seem about as fast as each other.

I hope this season doesn't turn into Gangs of Atlantic City, with Nucky being backed by the recent immigrants and the African Americans, while The Commodore, Eli, and Jimmy are running the 'Real' Americans.  I think the show is smarter than that.

I like the way the season seems structured. Instead of going the route of Nucky being at the top of the world, slowly get his power taken away only to rally at the last stretch of tne season, they wen't the other way. With the Commodore's coup having pretty much succeeded and Nucky still trying to get his bearings and gather allies. But if last episode's closing didn't cement the theme, this year will be all about the old vs. the new order.

Anyway, I loved the verbal bitchslap Nucky gave Jimmy. He certainly had it coming, that dysfunctional mopey fucker. 

So what's the significance of the maid telling Margaret that she knows she's really P. Rowan?  

I believe the maid saw where Margaret had come from, and after the scene where she sat down with the help for a drink, was beginning to see a little of herself there, along with the hope for upward mobility. Margaret of course rebuffed the shit out of that.

God, that scene with the lobster was just excellent, one of my favorites on this show. They've  done a great job making the Commodore more interesting this year. I like what they're doing with Van Alden too, even if he does seem doomed to an eternal B story, or even an alternate series. 

The show is always quite good, and the William Forsythe butcher scene was just excellent, but I am generally annoyed that as soon as they come up with a really strong antagonist in the Commodore, they give him a stroke and remove him just about completely from the action.

I'm itching for Harrow to switch sides. I hate that my favourite character is aligned with Jimmy-the-Bitch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd 

The show is always quite good, and the William Forsythe butcher scene was just excellent, but I am generally annoyed that as soon as they come up with a really strong antagonist in the Commodore, they give him a stroke and remove him just about completely from the action.

Are you kidding? Even if his job from now on is to be Gillian's punching bag, he has more than fulfilled his duty. That ending was so great.

This show at times makes me feel as if I'm watching some sort of fucked up rock opera. I haven't put much thought into it yet, but I'm feeling that people are misreading it. And I want to pounce on Gretchen Mol like a lion upon a gazelle.

Also, new and improved, pissed off Chalky is excellent. There will be significant amounts of blood spilled around AC in the near future, no doubt.

Oh, it's not a bad ending at all, I'm just surprised that it's ending already. The Nucky V Commodore tension was the best plot device this show's ever had, and now it's over a third through the season. I guess we'll just shift to Nucky V Jimmy, but that seems like a conflict that will be inherently less serious. They'll be working together again by the end of the season.

Compared to Gus Fring, Harrow's face looks like a summer peach nowadays.

The Commodore was too cartoonish, he just played an integral part in setting up Nucky's true conflict, which is Van Alden.

Well, I'd love it if you're right about that. I mean, I still think Van Alden spends most of the year irritating his subordinates while privately imploding with guilt and madness, in a different series than Nucky and everyone else. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by stelios 

Are you kidding? Even if his job from now on is to be Gillian's punching bag, he has more than fulfilled his duty. That ending was so great.

 

This show at times makes me feel as if I'm watching some sort of fucked up rock opera. I haven't put much thought into it yet, but I'm feeling that people are misreading it. And I want to pounce on Gretchen Mol like a lion upon a gazelle.

 

Also, new and improved, pissed off Chalky is excellent. There will be significant amounts of blood spilled around AC in the near future, no doubt.

 

Love the episode and agree with most of this, but just had to shout out Gretchen Mol for delivering the goods once again. Seriously...best body in Hollywood by my estimate. Just ridiculously flawless.

Best episode of the entire series for me. The focus was strongly on the show's most interesting and unique characters: Chalky and Harrow, and boy did they deliver. Jimmy is less tedious this season, but I still wish he and Harrow could swap prominence - each has been broken by war, but Harrow's tragic emptiness is just far more captivating than Jimmy's prickishness. Chalky's frustration at being powerless in public and patronized at home was understandable even as it was ugly. I was surprised he just took that shitty, "You're asking dad for help on your homework?!?" line from his son, but I guess he was just saving that venom for dinner. Even without visions of Omar, it is clear that Chalky is constantly keeping anger in check, making me wonder if he was whittling a weapon in his shed at the end. Either way, a show focusing on these two characters would be one of my favorites on TV. 

Relegating Van Alden to the role of antagonist suited him far better than the tedious scenes focusing on him and his morphine.. err, mistress. Gretchen Mol proved that the show is capable of delivering nudity without it feeling like a reward for making it through a scene of sleepy monologue. Her assault on the Commodore was twisted and terrific. This episode is the first time I really felt like I (and perhaps the writeers as well) had a grip on who her character is.

The only hiccups were the scenes in Nucky's household, where the "I resent my servants" Schroeder storyline fell flat for me. I'm not sure they know what to do with her character - they seem to just be throwing a dozen plotlines at her to see what will stick.

Still, this was the first episode of the show that I can remember being transfixed the entire time; not just appreciating it, but also actively involved in it. Great stuff.

So which happens first: Katie the cute maid gets naked, or someone finally calls Benny "Bugsy"?

I'm taking Katie and the points.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trav McGee 

So which happens first: Katie the cute maid gets naked, or someone finally calls Benny "Bugsy"?

 

I'm taking Katie and the points.

I'm expecting Katie to get thrown out by a jealous Schroeder, you can see her and the new Irish dude hook up coming from a mile away.

Michael K Williams really can be terrifying.  And such a contrast to his other current role on Community.

Manny Horvitz is now at the top of the list for "most intimidating side-characters in this show" just for that one single scene.

With Forsythe, the intimidation is practically unavoidable. What really made that scene sing was the warmth he brought to it too.

Oh that's the best part! He sounds like every sweet old Jewish guy in the history of the world, and doesn't so much as raise or change his voice from asking the folks at the shop if they want something to eat, to explaining how he's got a bunch of dead guys stuffed in ice boxes who made the mistake of crossing him.

Forsythe FTMFW!

Also, don't ask me why, but Stuhlbarg's delivery of the line "that I cannot abide" referring to his tripe dinner almost made me piss my pants.

Stuhlbarg is a scene stealing machine. Both this and his kids line were brilliantly executed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trav McGee 

So which happens first: Katie the cute maid gets naked, or someone finally calls Benny "Bugsy"?

 

I'm taking Katie and the points.

I must have missed that, who was Benny?

Also, I have no problem admitting that I was nearly brought to tears when Jimmy's wife was scetching Richard and he was telling her his story about his sister; Jesus H. Christ was an incredible and powerful scene.!  

Benny's the kid with Meyer Lansky's crew who makes the weird monkey noises to Jimmy when he first appears.

Cool, thanks. And yeah, I think its pretty safe to assume that it is indeed Bugsy Seagal.

Nice to see Mol getting so favorably tag-teamed.

We aim to perv.

Nice Goodfellas nod. And one amazing episode.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stelios 

Stuhlbarg is a scene stealing machine. Both this and his kids line were brilliantly executed.

Seeing Stuhlbarg in this every week I have to fight the urge to find a messge board and fantasy-cast him as The Riddler. He hums with a quiet, intellectual menace that still raises a smile.

Oh shit, you're so right.

http://www.npr.org/2011/10/24/141585236/going-under-the-boardwalk-with-michael-shannon

This season's been amazing so far. I loved how everyone started attacking their closest associates in this past ep. There's a power vacuum and everyone is scrambling to hoard power. That scene between Jimmy and Richard. Great stuff.

Oh man, this show. This show.

Huston deserves roles and money heaped on him with tow-trucks. Seeing that prick Jimmy treat him like a fucking pet makes me wish the season ends with Pitt's glorious disembowelment.

I wanted Richard to live in the woods with those two guys from now on. Hunt a little, drink some moonshine, eat some squirrel, bamboozle each other a bit. It would be a fine show.

Nothing like a good scalping to teach an old, bigoted coot a lesson.

I really thought that Nucky was going to take Eli back, and I still think somewhere down the line he will. Or maybe blood isn't thicker than water.

I'm still convinced he will.  The coup has already basically fallen apart and I don't see them killing Eli off.  The bigger question to me is how Jimmy pulls out of this.  He's probably going to have to put together a very lucrative deal with Luciano and Lansky in order to get Nucky to let him back in the business.