Boardwalk Empire

[Jenson71]

The writer's views on Buscemi's character:

"Yeah, I think Nucky is a realist, I think he does what the job requires. I think as a practical man, as a practical politician, he knows that to do good, sometimes you have to do bad. And probably the feeling is at the end of the day, he hopes he does more good than he does bad."

[eazyb81]

Eh, I have HBO so I will at least check out the first episode or two, but I'm not automatically sold after seeing the previews. Buscemi's as Tony Blundetto in Sopranos - a small-time gangster - was believable, but I'm not sure I can buy him as some bad ass lead gangster.

There may be some historical precedence in casting here but I see Buscemi as a great supporting actor, not a great lead.

[Buck]

That was a great first episode IMO.

I wonder if Al Capone and the whole Chicago crew will be sticking around, or if they were just for the first episode. Same with Lucky Luciano and New York.

This is regarding the end of the episode so don't read if you haven't watched yet.

Who was it that shot the Chicago restaurant guy at the end?

[PhillyChiefFan]

Originally Posted by BuckinSmurf

That was a great first episode IMO.

I wonder if Al Capone and the whole Chicago crew will be sticking around, or if they were just for the first episode. Same with Lucky Luciano and New York.

This is regarding the end of the episode so don't read if you haven't watched yet.

Who was it that shot the Chicago restaurant guy at the end?

That's what I was wondering, I got that impression when they flashed the "Chicago 200 miles" sign.

The first episode was great, I'm really hoping it keeps getting better.

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by PhillyChiefFan

That's what I was wondering, I got that impression when they flashed the "Chicago 200 miles" sign.

The first episode was great, I'm really hoping it keeps getting better.

I haven't watched yet, but a couple of the reviews I've seen say the first episode is the weakest.

[PhillyChiefFan]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

I haven't watched yet, but a couple of the reviews I've seen say the first episode is the weakest.

Wow! If that is true, this will quickly become my favorite show.

I guess it could be considered weak because it was just the character introductions but I was still really impressed.

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by PhillyChiefFan

Wow! If that is true, this will quickly become my favorite show.

I guess it could be considered weak because it was just the character introductions but I was still really impressed.

Don't think of it in terms of being weak, just that it supposedly gets even stronger moving forward.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by BuckinSmurf

That was a great first episode IMO.

I wonder if Al Capone and the whole Chicago crew will be sticking around, or if they were just for the first episode. Same with Lucky Luciano and New York.

This is regarding the end of the episode so don't read if you haven't watched yet.

Who was it that shot the Chicago restaurant guy at the end?

Torrio, who Al Capone is muscle for. [in real life, it was another gangster pal of Torrio's that does the deed].

Why does Torrio kill the guy? Because the guy was against getting into bootlegging, and just wanted to stay in the whoring business (we got that information from Capone, talking to Jimmy outside that one night).

And now that "the Chicago restaurant guy" is dead, Chicago's gang can open up the city to the business of liquor, which, you're probably aware . . . they do. A lot.

[Buck]

Originally Posted by Jenson71

Torrio, who Al Capone is muscle for. [in real life, it was another gangster pal of Torrio's that does the deed].

Why does Torrio kill the guy? Because the guy was against getting into bootlegging, and just wanted to stay in the whoring business (we got that information from Capone, talking to Jimmy outside that one night).

And now that "the Chicago restaurant guy" is dead, Chicago's gang can open up the city to the business of liquor, which, you're probably aware . . . they do. A lot.

Awesome, thanks man. I watched the episode at like 10 pm after spending all day at the stadium, so I was a bit out of it last night.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by BuckinSmurf

Awesome, thanks man. I watched the episode at like 10 pm after spending all day at the stadium, so I was a bit out of it last night.

There was a ton going on in the first episode. We met Al Capone, Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano, a battered immigrant, the mayor, the treasurer, the treasurer's young protege (and his family), the treasurer's girlfriend, the butler, the treasurer's mentor (not sure who he is), the treasurer's brother-cop, a guy who makes whiskey in the basement of his funeral parlor, FBI agents, Torrio, and the guy Torrio kills (the former big mob boss of Chicago).

And they all dress in 1920s clothing.

It was easy to miss something. I'm sure more than a few watched it again right afterwards.

I liked Buscemi as County Treasurer. I don't think there's any glaring miscast. I like his character: he's more the tragic Michael Corleone/young Vito Corleone figure that is so straddling the edges of falling completely onto the dark side, and has some moral dimension that is there for tension. Jimmy actively pursues the life, which I don't find too attractive (and I can't imagine not going to Princeton if I had that opportunity). He's like Chris from the Sopranos: an interesting side-character, but not someone that ever wins you over. We'll see about him.

The immigrant is supposed to be a big character. I didn't get into her as much as I did the non-fiction guys. Seeing the young Luciano and Capone being portrayed was exciting.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Jenson71

Torrio, who Al Capone is muscle for. [in real life, it was another gangster pal of Torrio's that does the deed].

Why does Torrio kill the guy? Because the guy was against getting into bootlegging, and just wanted to stay in the whoring business (we got that information from Capone, talking to Jimmy outside that one night).

And now that "the Chicago restaurant guy" is dead, Chicago's gang can open up the city to the business of liquor, which, you're probably aware . . . they do. A lot.

That wasn't Torrio that pulled the trigger. Torrio met Capone on the docks. It was a Torrio henchman.

That was Colosimo that was shot and I think they gave him a bit of short shrift. They kind of make him out to be a bumbling idiot that gets blown away when in reality, he was a critical organized crime boss and was the equal of Torrio as far as gangland politics go. In fact, my recollection is that Torrio and Colosimo were partners at one point.

I think they started the episode about a year too late, they had some excellent character development that they missed out on pre-Volstead act.

I'm also not sure I loved Buscemi in this show. He seemed a little out of place; I just don't see him having a dark enough side for this character. I think it would've been better with a guy like the guy that played Rothstein as Nucky's character.

Should still be very good, but I'd have made a few changes.

[Buck]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That wasn't Torrio that pulled the trigger. Torrio met Capone on the docks. It was a Torrio henchman.

That was Colosimo that was shot and I think they gave him a bit of short shrift. They kind of make him out to be a bumbling idiot that gets blown away when in reality, he was a critical organized crime boss and was the equal of Torrio as far as gangland politics go. In fact, my recollection is that Torrio and Colosimo were partners at one point.

I think they started the episode about a year too late, they had some excellent character development that they missed out on pre-Volstead act.

I'm also not sure I loved Buscemi in this show. He seemed a little out of place; I just don't see him having a dark enough side for this character. I think it would've been better with a guy like the guy that played Rothstein as Nucky's character.

Should still be very good, but I'd have made a few changes.

Heres the thing. I think those of you with this opinion may be jumping the gun a bit.

I think that Enoch is supposed to be a character who is, for lack of a better word, a pansy.

Remember at the end when Jimmy (i think thats his name, the WWI vet) says, "You can't be half gangster. Not anymore." I think that was a tell-tale sign that Enoch is trying to not be a gangster, and maybe he will have a hard time deciding whether he will stay half-legit or go in all the way.

Sorry if I didn't make any sense there, I'm pretty tired.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BuckinSmurf

Heres the thing. I think those of you with this opinion may be jumping the gun a bit.

I think that Enoch is supposed to be a character who is, for lack of a better word, a pansy.

Remember at the end when Jimmy (i think thats his name, the WWI vet) says, "You can't be half gangster. Not anymore." I think that was a tell-tale sign that Enoch is trying to not be a gangster, and maybe he will have a hard time deciding whether he will stay half-legit or go in all the way.

Sorry if I didn't make any sense there, I'm pretty tired.

That's a fair point.

It just seems from the commercials that he's supposed to be a bit of a badass.

Rothstein is asking him over the phone if 'this is how you do business' and he yells back at him "if you want to see how we do business, show your ass in Atlantic City again" or something equally bravado-ey.

If they're trying to sell him as a pushover, a pissing match with Rothstein isn't the way to go about it. Nor was "then stop listening to the grown-ups conversations" crack on Lucciano.

I see them actually trying to send him down a darker road and I just don't think he has those chops. And what fun would a pansy primary character be anyway?

We shall see.

[Skyy God]

From what I've read, the show is set in both AC and Chicago (starting around episode 4 or so).

[Deberg_1990]

I saw bits and pieces and what i saw had me intrigued. Ill have to set the DVR.

Buscemi to me seemed a little awkward as a gangster though. I was more interested in the young kid who was a WW1 hero turned gangster.