Boardwalk Empire

2012-12-01 21:59:51

#176

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5793

I don't watch breaking bad so I can't even comment on that.

2012-12-01 22:17:20

#177

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6900

https://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/57746_o.gif

x

2012-12-02 07:11:16

#178

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

You're missing the point Macbeth. People need someone to cheer for on a show otherwise there is nothing for them to invest in. No one wants a stressful television viewing experience, it's entertainment. I'm not saying that a show should carry it's entire cast throughout the entirety of its existence, but every show needs a hero. Nucky is no hero. He's blew his wad when he killed Jimmy and cheated on Margaret. Jimmy was the hero. Jimmy died. Owen became the new hero. Owen died. Now we're left with who we began: Nucky, and the only reason people will cheer him on tonight is because he's not a shovel wielding psychopath. He's the lesser of two evils tonight, not a hero. I guarantee season 4's ratings will drop unless a new hero emerges tonight.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-02 07:39:11

#179

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6900

Two face is the hero

x

2012-12-02 08:03:05

#180

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5793

There are still plenty of very interesting characters. Capone, Van Alden, Chalky White and Luciano all have interesting story lines set up for next season. Your judgements on Nucky probably aren't the norm for people who watch the show. Who cares if he cheats on his wife? Tony Soprano was a bipolar serial cheater murderer. Fans didn't turn against him.

The ratings have been trending downward since the first episode. I think they will bounce back once the NYC and Chicago lines start to pick up. It is obvious the show is going to start focusing on Chicago and NYC in a big way. Van Alden (whose storyline is the most interesting to me) moved to Chicago and Capone is being built up as a likeable character/someone central to the what is going on in Atlantic City. The golden age of the Mafia done by HBO is something people will probably be interested in.

2012-12-02 08:11:31

#181

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

I did not like, or watch, The Sopranos. If they start focusing on NYC and Chicago then the entire point of the show is gone. It's supposed to be a stylized retelling of the roaring 20's in Atlantic City. The rest is supposed to be sideshows that make the story more coherent. Yes, they still have to have the St. Valentine's Day massacre, and Masseria needs to create the five families etc. Boring. The mafia is a played out mythology at this point.

Edit - And yes, Nucky being a cheater does have huge consequences. It completely destroyed Nucky among female viewers. No one wants to see Margaret get cheated on.

Last edited by Jay (2012-12-02 08:25:31)

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-02 08:24:11

#182

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5793

It's supposed to be a stylized retelling of the roaring 20's in Atlantic City.

No it is not. It is a mafia show at its heart. The book it is being based off of was about the real life Enoch Johnson. From the first season you had characters splitting time between NYC, Chicago, and Washington. Hell, the first episode had Al Capone murdering a bunch of people on the road. So don't tell me the show is supposed to be a case study on 1920's culture and society in Atlantic City. If you want a stylized retelling of the 1920's go watch the Great Gatsby.

2012-12-02 08:27:21

#183

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

Macbeth wrote:
It's supposed to be a stylized retelling of the roaring 20's in Atlantic City.
No it is not. It is a mafia show at its heart. The book it is being based off of was about the real life Enoch Johnson. From the first season you had characters splitting time between NYC, Chicago, and Washington. Hell, the first episode had Al Capone murdering a bunch of people on the road. So don't tell me the show is supposed to be a case study on 1920's culture and society in Atlantic City. If you want a stylized retelling of the 1920's go watch the Great Gatsby.

And if you want yet another mafia show go watch Soprano's reruns, or the Godfather, or Goodfellas or Growing up Gotti. The mafia is about as interesting as the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-02 08:31:59

#184

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5793

But you do understand now that you have been a watching a show for the wrong reason right? I bet you have been watching Game of Thrones and was expecting to see someone sign the Magna Carta.

2012-12-02 08:50:41

#185

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

Macbeth wrote:
But you do understand now that you have been a watching a show for the wrong reason right? I bet you have been watching Game of Thrones and was expecting to see someone sign the Magna Carta.

For someone that bashes historical fiction constantly, you sure seem to want them to follow the easy path and turn it into a historical account of the beginning of the mafia. Isn't that what you hate? Historical events with dialogue inserted? Boardwalk Empire, it's right there in the title. The focus is Atlantic City no matter what you want it to turn into. Semi-fictional period piece with real events inserted around the edges to keep the story moving and coherent. They'll show the massacre and Luciano buying seats at the Joe Lewis fight in order to recoup his reputation, but the show is and should still be focused around Nucky Thompson. The problem with that is that they've essentially run their course with that story. The show should be over. He's a bootlegger. Done. He had a love interest. Done. He had an enemy he had to fight. Done.

The difference between us is that I want to watch shows in which the characters have some sort of moral compass. You don't seem to care either way, and that's fine, but don't stoop to insults when someone wants something different out of a show than you do. Frankly, if you got the show you wanted it would have no ratings.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-02 09:06:27

#186

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5793

I got the show I wanted. You are watching it.

Last edited by Macbeth (2012-12-02 09:06:41)

2012-12-02 09:21:14

#187

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6900

The Sopranos was one of the best shows ever produced.

x

2012-12-02 10:13:59

#188

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

While you may feel that is true, I still didn't like it; it was a lot of hype over a stupid topic. The mafia is not something that should be glorified. They were and are thugs that prey on the weak. There's nothing redeeming about that.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-02 10:22:55

#189

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5793

The point of the show wasn't the mafia. The point of the show was the family Sopranos and the father Tony. It was a family drama wrapped in the mob.

The show didn't glorify the mafia at all. It did the exact opposite.

2012-12-02 19:12:59

#190

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5793

Okay, too much violence. The Richard shootout in the mansion was overdone. The Capone on a browning was dumb as shit.

I did like the fact that Nucky didn't get Margret back at the end. At the start of Season 3 Nucky had political support, strong mafia ties, a family, a mistress, and fame. At the end of Season 3 he had lost everything but the business.

2012-12-02 19:14:27

#191

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

Spoiler (highlight to read):
Well, Nucky's storyline is obviously over now. I think throwing the carnation to the ground symbolized the end. Nice to see Gyp get his, and Gilian get hers. This honestly should've been the series finale, not the season finale imo

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-02 19:15:01

#192

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5793

Gil is still alive.

2012-12-02 19:15:12

#193

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

It was a .30 cal machine gun, and completely dumb.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-02 19:15:34

#194

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

Macbeth wrote:
Gil is still alive.

Yes, but she has nothing left.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-02 19:36:07

#195

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5566|London, England

Spoiler (highlight to read):
That was Rothstein punishing Luciano for trying to expand his empire bigger than Rothstein wanted him to. If the deal had gone through it would've opened up a connection in Buffalo for Luciano, which would've freed him from being under the thumb of Masseria and Rothstein. Can't have that. Rothstein set him up and the entire scene with Masseria was meant to show him who is truly boss (them).

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-12-03 00:09:36