Boardwalk Empire
Was going to post this in the Boardwalk Empire thread but thought it would be better posting it here so the fans are more likely to see it.
Watched a bunch more and i'm enjoying it quite a bit more than i did the first time, still don't think it will become one of my favourites unless it changes for a few reason. Firstly is actually one of the reasons it's most praised: its setting. Don't get me wrong the 20's prohibition scene is like a dream setting for me as as i said i've always had an interest in the US Mafia, it looks gorgeous and exactly how i'd imagine it, couldn't ask for anything more there. It's more how it handles being a period drama, there's not alot of depth, commentary, etc on the 1920's at least compared to say Mad Men with the 1960's or The Americans with the 1980's. It just kind of presents something really obvious to you and shows it the way you'd think it is going to play out, it doesn't even really go that far into how the people felt about whatever event, the KKK, Black Vote, Hardings Mistress and Women getting the vote and they really haven't done anything interesting with them. It's frustrating as the show is ran and written by alot of very talented guys and i think this is easier than say what The Sopranos and to a lesser extent The Wire (by lesser extent i mean it wasn't really a major focus/goal of The Wire) tried to do in shaping their show as a slice of what life was like in the time they were making it. The further i get from the 2000's that it starts to feel like a distinct time i'm amazed at how much The Sopranos made it feel like the 2000's, can't really explain what i mean well and i know it seems logical that's how it would feel but i've not came across any show that was like that to that extent. It seems easier taking an intriguing look at 1920's life and the events that unfolded in it as we have travelled so far from then that we've been able to study and come to understand how that decade played out. I know you could say it's just not a goal of the show but then i think that's wasted potential personally as it just comes across as a straightforward history presentation when it could be alot more.
Another problem is that i'm not really feeling the major conflicts. I'm a few episodes into Season 2 and the Nucky-Rothstein conflict in Season 2 felt pretty weak, to be fair i don't think it was a problem of the show. As i said i know quite a bit about this time and the characters involved, this conflict is fictional of course but i know while watching that Rothstein didn't die until the end of the decade, Luciano til the 60's, Lansky in the 80's, etc so the stakes never feel that high and i also felt the ending was a little rushed and underwhelming. The major Jimmy/His Dad/Eli Season 2 conflict has alot more potential as this is entirely fictional and could be used well mixed in with real life events, but again i thought it was rushed and not that interesting how it started; they just kind of threw problems with Jimmy and Eli in and Jimmy's Dad kind of came out of nowhere.
This will all make it seem that i'm not liking this but i actually am alot more than i did the first time i watched Season 1. A problem with it then was that some of the portrayals of real people that i have read quite a bit about weren't right to me. I've got over that though and i'm enjoying them as semi-fictional representations. And the shows strength lies in its interesting characters. Luciano and Lansky are both really great, don't think they fit into how they were usually described but again i don't really care they are probably more interesting this way. Love Capone too, still can't believe that's the scouser dude from This Is England, his accent isn't world-class or anything but a scouser not sounding like a scouser is amazing to me. Only really got a problem with two characters. First off: Margaret, i like Kelly MacDonald, i like her character and i think she is doing a great job. But she does this face in so many situations, when she is confused, sad, offended, etc, it's always the exact same and it kind of takes me out of it, it's not that big of a deal but it annoys me more as it goes on and i think it will reach the point that i won't like the character which is a shame as i think she has one of the most interesting arcs so far. The other is Nucky, i love Steve Buscemi; dude is one of the few actors who never seems different in any role and yet i don't care i just really like him. Again he's doing a good job and i like the character, problem is he's kind of too nice to completely accept in some of these roles. In certain ways the casting is perfect as he is a politician who needs to come across likeable alot and Buscemi has always done irritated well which is part of Nucky's personality, and he's also supposed to be someone who hasn't quite accepted his role as the bad guy, which works with how likeable in general Buscemi is. Problem is he is so likeable that he doesn't pull ruthless off that well which is supposed to be a part of Nucky, stuff like him burning down the house and choking Micky Doyle just doesn't feel right coming from Buscemi. Hope i can come around on this though as it goes on.
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