Television Review: Boardwalk Empire

HBO's Boardwalk Empire, a 1920s period piece about gang life in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, premiered last night after months of hype and stellar early reviews. With a pilot directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter (of Sopranos fame), the lavish drama series was bound to be a big draw, and the extended pilot episode certainly delivered. This show has success written all over it.

Telling the story of political boss with a mobster agenda, Steve Buscemi plays Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (loosely based on a true character from Atlantic City's rich history, Nucky Johnson). Buscemi, known for his character work in a number of films, has finally hit the jackpot with Thompson, a complex character with numerous facets (and a seemingly rich backstory, involving the death of a wife that seems to haunt Thompson more than he lets on). The other main players are: Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt, using his pouty mug to wonderful results), Thompson's right-hand man, scarred by the war and unsure of his future in Thompson's gang world; Margaret (Kelly Macdonald), a desperate housewife that Thompson, rather mysteriously, shows unending compassion towards; and Van Alden (Michael Shannon, hard and gruff), a Prohibition officer investigating the Thompson's shady business dealings.

The pilot's plot dealt with the beginning moments of Prohibition (celebrated with a huge party of a "funeral," a countdown like New Year's Eve!), and a secret shipment of Canadian alcohol gone awry. One of my biggest problems with the pilot was its level of confusion; along with numerous new names and characters, it was often a difficult to sort out the show's details, and too intricate to hash out in its entirety here. That said, I'm sure the series will bring the important gangsters to the forefront, streamlining the expansive map of Atlantic City that the opening episode introduced. The use of historical characters is a wonderful touch - young Al Capone introducing himself to Darmody was a thrilling moment.

The production values for Boardwalk Empire are impeccable, from the costumes to the set to the music; everything is spot-on in capturing a different time, dripping with exquisite 1920s grit and glamour. The episode's depiction of the decadent, drunk lifestyle faded as the episode continued, beautifully striping down to the horrific gangster power during the Prohibition. Scorsese's work is a wonderful base for the series; his stylistic choices, often slightly overwrought (hello Gangs of New York, which treaded similar territory), are more understated here, yet still undoubtedly the work of Scorsese. Winter's writing is dense while deft, showing his skill at weaving a vast web of characters together in a singular environment.

The pilot could have used more time to flesh out its characters; the show's action-thriller opening minutes, before flashing back with a "three days earlier" title card, was a slight misstep, starting with action instead of the show's richly detailed characters. Still, this could also just be HBO's penchant for a flashy opening sequence, drawing in viewers so they'll stick around for the talky, intricate character drama that follows (speaking of which, Boardwalk Empire was incredibly light on nudity for an HBO premiere...).

Boardwalk Empire brings to mind previous period work from HBO (Deadwood, Carnivale). It also seems to be in direct competition with AMC's Mad Men. HBO infamously passed up on the critical darling, and now HBO is going to war with its own meticulously crafted period piece; we'll see how the Academy responds at the Emmy awards next year. However, having Boardwalk Empire in the time slot right before Mad Men actually served as a disservice to the former; last night, Mad Men's wonderful episode balanced nuanced characters, dark humor, and raw emotion... demonstrating (once again) why it is the greatest show currently on television.

Regardless, the comparison at this point in the game is be unfair; Mad Men's characters are playing off of three full seasons of background and history. Boardwalk Empire certainly needs time to establish itself, and the premiere episode built wonderful groundwork for a show that could easily reach the creative heights of Mad Men. For now, I am definitely a fan. I will definitely be tuning in next week. The possibilities for this gem are endless; if nurtured correctly, this could be classic HBO television gold. A-