Boardwalk Empire Season 5

[Guest John Hancock]

I know there's at least a couple of fans of this show on the site, so HYPE. The reason I thought the thread should pop up this early is that Michael K. Williams has accidentally given out some MASSIVE plot spoilers by saying that this final season will be set in 1931. If you're into your crime history, and it's a bit of a personal interest of mine, that's huge, especially for this show because (historical spoilers that may, or may not apply to the show);

 

 

- Rothstein died in the late twenties, which means he won't be in the show at all, unless it's flash backs.

- Al Capone is going to prison.

- Possibly, we finally get to see Murder Inc., because they were around in the early 1930s, and very heavily connected to the rise of Lansky and Luciano.

- Masseria is getting killed, and Lucky and Lansky get to finally take over New York.

 

 

Other than the first of those three really bumming me out, and being weirdly timed, the second one should be interesting, the third one could be ridiculous fun, if they go with it, and the fourth one I've literally been waiting for for four years, and it's going to be the best thing ever.

 

I am an excited young man.

[King 277]

All that is great news but I still think they could have done at least 2 more season of it.There is just so much to tell from that time period, I wonder will it end with Nucky getting done for tax evasion?

 

Let's hope there is no Margaret, and plenty more of Dr. Narcisse and Van Alden.

[Guest John Hancock]

I wonder if they'll give the fans what they want and kill off Margaret relatively early. With so much else going on, it wouldn't really matter, it not like they don't have anything else to be going on with.

 

I'd like to think it ends with Lucky and Lansky getting Murder Inc. to kill Nucky. How many times has Nucky not taken them seriously, or gone over their heads? I think of at least two times when he's convinced Lansky he's going to murder him for a bit of a laugh. Rothstein and Capone won't be backing him up anymore, he's an open target. It could be a poetic mirror of how he treated Jimmy, Jimmy's "type" died in the First World War, Nucky's type died in Prohibition, and now the game's changed, and you can be "half a gangster" again, because Lansky and Luciano and Siegel were also playboys, and businessmen, and Hollywood stars, and legal investors, and they worked with the government, and the fought the Nazis and all these things. In terms of the characters who survive to the very end, the character arcs, roughly, of the whole show have been about businessmen trying to be gangsters, and gangsters trying to be businessmen, but, historically at least, the only major characters who survive prohibition are the guys who managed to be both.

 

I think your ending is more likely though. I think the real Titanic Thompson was done for tax evasion. He went to prison, I'm sure of that, not sure what for, but I think it was taxes. The only problem with that is you'd have two tax evasion cases in one season, but they could probably easily handle that without it seeming samey, with one maybe leading into the other.

 

I'M SO EXCITED. IT'S THE BEST.

Edited June 24, 2014 by John Hancock

[Guest Ciaran The King]

Boardwalk is a really classy programme.....can't wait

[King 277]

I wonder if they'll give the fans what they want and kill off Margaret relatively early. With so much else going on, it wouldn't really matter, it not like they don't have anything else to be going on with.

 

I'd like to think it ends with Lucky and Lansky getting Murder Inc. to kill Nucky. How many times has Nucky not taken them seriously, or gone over their heads? I think of at least two times when he's convinced Lansky he's going to murder him for a bit of a laugh. Rothstein and Capone won't be backing him up anymore, he's an open target. It could be a poetic mirror of how he treated Jimmy, Jimmy's "type" died in the First World War, Nucky's type died in Prohibition, and now the game's changed, and you can be "half a gangster" again, because Lansky and Luciano and Siegel were also playboys, and businessmen, and Hollywood stars, and legal investors, and they worked with the government, and the fought the Nazis and all these things. In terms of the characters who survive to the very end, the character arcs, roughly, of the whole show have been about businessmen trying to be gangsters, and gangsters trying to be businessmen, but, historically at least, the only major characters who survive prohibition are the guys who managed to be both.

 

I think your ending is more likely though. I think the real Titanic Thompson was done for tax evasion. He went to prison, I'm sure of that, not sure what for, but I think it was taxes. The only problem with that is you'd have two tax evasion cases in one season, but they could probably easily handle that without it seeming samey, with one maybe leading into the other.

 

I'M SO EXCITED. IT'S THE BEST.

 

It was for taxes so I would think that's how the series will end,I'm not sure what was the time frame though, it's great though as it seems we are going to see loads more of Lansky and Luciano who I thought were so under valued in the last season.

[Guest John Hancock]

[video=youtube;gDRcAWjyUYM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDRcAWjyUYM

 

My soul is ready.

[King 277]

Oh hell yes, can't freaking wait for this!!

[King 277]

Didn't like the first episode at all, way to much flashbacks and just didn't feel like a season opener should feel to me.

 

Oh well it can only get better as they say.

[Guest John Hancock]

The flashbacks don't finish after the first episode by the way, it think they're going to be all season, but they go somewhere in the second episode, so I think it's going to lead somewhere.

 

I liked the first episode mostly because of "yay, Boardwalk Empire's back!", but I think them being forced into a final series has put a few road bumps in. The Castellammarese War beginning and ending in one scene was weird, but nothing on Rothstein's death being revealed and explain in literally one sentence. I think they've been forced to miss a season they wanted that would be like the late 20s. Obviously the show has to end in 1931, because every character has been building to that year, but the storytelling has suffered from the jump being slightly too dramatic. Why's Rothstein dead? Why do Massaria and Marazano hate each other? Why's Chalky in a chain gang? It's not entirely their fault, but it's awkward.

 

The second episode, last night, gets right back on track though. I won't spoil it, but they deal with the awkward time skip really well, and the second episode feels like a more logical storyline than the first, which was a bit all over the place. Also, they've gone full light-relief-character with van Aldon, in a good way. If "Why must it always be pandemonium?" doesn't become this season's "everybody got guns", I'd be surprised.

[King 277]

Also the lack of Al Capone in the first episode was a major NO NO for me........I love that little guy :lol

[Guest John Hancock]

You'll like the second episode then :lol

[King 277]

Yeah it just popped up on FB feed there, something about the real interview he did, the episode is kinda based on that or I could be totally wrong :lol

[Guest John Hancock]

The interview's just sort of happening, nothing really comes of it. Capone doesn't really have a major storyline at the moment, he's just a character in other people's stories, popping up in the background being insane, but he's in full on scarface, cocaine-addict, public enemy number one, blankly refusing to put his trousers on at a party mode, and it's gloriously ridiculous. There's also a really bizarre scene concerning van Alden, Eli and hats, which is really funny for some completely unexplainable reason.

 

I think Capone is probably going to be the "villain" of the van Alden/Eli story in the same way that Lucky and Lansky look like they're the "villains" of the Nucky story (by the way, the tiny, tiny hints that Lansky and Lucky are constantly lying in the first episode where probably my favourite moments, I love it when Boardwalk Empire gets super subtle like that, it's like trying to solve a who-done-it early; the clues are there, if you catch them). I use quotation marks, because I'm kinda rooting for the villains in both. Other than van Alden, he's awesome.

Edited September 15, 2014 by John Hancock

[King 277]

The second episode was far better than the first, Capone coked out of his head is the greatest thing on tv, but I'm still not digging all these flashbacks.

 

Van Alden/Eli story looks to be good as does the Lucky and Lansky rise to power but still it seems to be lacking from previous seasons, early on I know but still.....

[Guest John Hancock]

Not enough Margaret!

 

I hope no one manages to get Capone to put his pants on for the entire season. I agree with you about the top two story lines 100%. Lansky/Luciano and Eli/Van Alden all the way.

[Guest Ciaran The King]

Sky+ both episodes so far gonna have to watch them all in one go, can't wait.

[King 277]

Also Nucky's new hit man buddy is one cool MOFO.

[Guest John Hancock]

Also Nucky's new hit man buddy is one cool MOFO.

 

I'm calling Murder Inc. gang rush him in one of the last episodes after he kills a character an episode, and he gets mauled, like, 20 to won. It'll be like Richard's invasion of the brothel in season 3, but in reverse.

[King 277]

Loved the cameos by Ness and Kennedy, small roles I'd say but could have huge impact on the storylines.

[King 277]

I'm not digging this season so far Johnny Boy, these flashbacks are wrecking my head.