Re: AWWW SHIT!!! BOARDWALK EMPIRE SEASON 4 STARTS TONIGHT at 9 O'CLOCK!! DO NOT SLEEP
Why Isn't 'Boardwalk Empire' Compelling Even When It's Really Good?
Part of what contributes to Boardwalk Empire not being compelling is that the plot tends to meander as it unfurls strands of the ever-expanding story. When those strands begin to coalesce – hours and episodes later – it serves as a reminder of what Boardwalk Empire can be at its best.
But now, with three seasons under its belt, I’m not sure there’s much more for Boardwalk Empire to reveal about itself. It’s a series that seems oddly populated. The characters that I most like – Richard Harrow (Jack Huston) and Chalky White (Kenneth Michael Williams) – have essentially been supporting players. Steve Buscemi does a superb job as Nucky Thompson, the main character in Boardwalk Empire, but he’s never been really likable. I adore Kelly Macdonald as an actress, but her character, Margaret, lost much of her intrigue (and likability) after the first season. I’ll watch Michael Shannon (who plays former agent Nelson Van Alden) in anything, but Van Alden as a character on the series is all over the map and a struggle to believe or appreciate.
Two of the Boardwalk Empire characters I’ve been most interested in – Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) and Owen (Charlie Cox) are dead.
Because Boardwalk Empire is now so sprawling, it can bring in character actors (like Bobby Cannavale last season and Jeffrey Wright this season) and pump some vigor into the episodes, but often that’s at too great a cost for side players I already don’t see enough of, like Stephen Graham as Al Capone.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/hbos-boardwalk-empire-why-isnt-623341