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Boardwalk Empire: Season Four (1 Viewer)

Robert Crawford

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TravisR said:
The new season starts tonight.

I wonder if Harrow will shoot anyone this season.
Yes, they already show him doing so in this season's trailer.
 

Walter Kittel

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I wonder if Harrow will shoot anyone this season.
Well, the first episode certainly answered that question in short order. Had to go online to figure out who Emma was, at the end of the episode. I could not remember the character. I suppose her holding a shotgun should have been a clue. :)

- Walter.
 

TravisR

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Very good intro to the season.

Since Gillian is one of the most despicable characters on a show that's full of them, I felt weird for feeling bad for her current plight.

I loved seeing Purnsley cut that pervy white dude up with the bottle but I have a feeling that's going to be big trouble for him and Chalky.

Really looking forward to seeing Jeffrey Wright on the show.
 

Ronald Epstein

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So far not really liking this season.The absence of Ms. Schroeder this seasonis quite noticeable.
 

Dheiner

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Ronald Epstein said:
So far not really liking this season.The absence of Ms. Schroeder this seasonis quite noticeable.
I've heard she returns 5 episodes in.
 

Josh Dial

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I'm really enjoying this season. The intrigue has been ramped up a little bit, and the web of alliances and rivalries is really interesting. There are a lot of characters floating around, and the show rewards patient and close attention. I especially like how the show doesn't talk down to its audience with needless exposition or explanation.
 

TravisR

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Robert Crawford said:
I don't miss her!
I like Kelly MacDonald/Margaret but there's so many characters on this show that I have no problem with her being on the bench right now. As it stands, they have like 14 (?) people in the main cast and every episode already has to leave probably 3 or 4 interesting actors/characters out so if they have a story reason for Margaret to be MIA, I can wait for her eventual return.
 

Dheiner

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You know what I love about this show? Well, OK there are a bunch of reasons, but to me the biggest is that it makes me want the bad guy to win.

Unlike, for instance, WW or DD in their shows, Nucky has NEVER been anything but a corrupt, conniving through and through bastard, and still, I want him to win against all his "opponents", even his church-going, woman-educating (cheating with his hired help) wife.

I think Buscemi is every bit Cranstons' equal in this role. He owns it.
 

ScottH

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Judging by the lack of activity in this thread, I'm wondering if people are feeling the same way as I am about this season.

It has certainly had some great moments, but there are a lot of story lines really dragging the show down. No interest in Gillian anymore. Or Margaret. Or Chalky's new love interest. Even Richard's story hasn't been interesting other than the first episode. And the story with Eli's son was weak but at least looks to be showing some potential after this week.

Give me more Nucky, Rothstein, Capone, Lansky, Knox, Hoover, Torrio...and less of all this other fluff and we'd have a great show.

Did some of these actors sign contracts guaranteeing them a certain number of seasons or episodes or something? It just seems to me they're shoehorning in some of these actors just to give them screen time.
 

Ronald Epstein

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Scott,

Have not seen this past Sunday's episode. I am going to watch it today.

But you are correct. This season seems so distant from prior seasons.

Last week, finally, Margaret's character returned. But you knew it was
probably a cameo and chances were she wouldn't return.

I find Valentin Narcisse (played by Jeffery Wright) to be somewhat annoying.

I don't know what else about this season bothers me, but I just don't have
any invested feelings about the characters or the story.

Got my Mom hooked on the show at its beginning and she even recently
asked me if I was able to correctly follow this season, as she was having
problems keeping on top of all the stories.
 

TravisR

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I think that this is, by far, the best drama currently on TV so I'm quite happy with it. The acting from all two dozen people regularly on the show is as good as it gets.

Since they've spent so much time on Nucky's personal life (Eddie, Margaret and Eli & Willie), I'd like to see more of his criminal machinations. I'm sure the second half of the season will probably give me what I want.

I can't say that the Gillian story is particularly interesting but I give them credit for managing to create sympathy for a despicable character. It'd be a shame to not see the super hot Gretchen Mol on a semi-weekly basis but if they can't figure out some main characters to tie her in with, I'm hoping that they give her a happy ending and write her out of the show at the end of the year.

The story involving Van Alden, the Capone brothers and Torrio leaves me wanting more every week. I'd love to see a show with just those guys.

The stuff with Chalky, Purnsley and Narcisse is definitely building to something serious and cool.
 

Josh Dial

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I agree with your comments, Travis (though I don't think it's the best show on currently showing on TV--though it's close).

The show is brilliantly acted, and treats its audience with respect. It doesn't hand-hold you through the stories with a bunch of exposition and summary. Other shows would talk down to the audience with stuff like "so, what you're saying is you are a NY mobster, and we're from Chicago, and we don't like you guys, but we also don't like the guys from Atlantic City, oh and there's this land deal we're doing, and how it works is..." That sort of stuff annoys me to no end.

I think the show is the best it has ever been, with the exception of the Gillian story, which is really just a leftover from the first season. When the show focuses on the historical gangsters and government officials, it's absolutely terrific.
 

ScottH

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I don't completely disagree with what either Josh or Travis is saying...of course it's a very well-acted and well-written show. But it still has to be entertaining. And to me, it seems only about 70% of it is entertaining. Which does lead me to Josh's final statement:
Josh Dial said:
When the show focuses on the historical gangsters and government officials, it's absolutely terrific.
That's the problem...that's only like 70% of the show this season (and I might be being generous).
 

Brett_M

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I think the puzzle pieces have taken time to put into place and a lot of story lines are hurtling toward an explosive conclusion. I love this show. It is subtle and nuanced one scene and jolting in the next. It's like a great novel.
 

Hanson

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I don't mind the pacing and am enjoying this season (although it's lacking the jolts and thrills from last season), but I was surprised that was already episode 7. It doesn't really feel like a lot has happened.
 

ScottH

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This week's was a really good episode. Aside from a few minutes of Gillian, everything seemed relevant. Even the Gillian story showed promise in that it appears the Ron Livingston is up to something with her. Hopefully whatever it is leads to her abrupt exit of the show.
 

TravisR

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Scott Hanson said:
...it appears the Ron Livingston is up to something with her.
I've spent the whole season thinking that TV logic dictated that he had to be up to something but during this episode, I finally became convinced that he was really just a decent, nice guy and then that scene came on. I really liked that Gillian filled in some blanks in her and Jimmy's history. It's really fucking sad that she named her son after a kid she liked prior to the Commodore destroying her.

The scenes with Van Alden were hilariously dark.
 

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