Boardwalk Empire | Season One

Boardwalk Empire is set in Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era of America. The story revolves around Enoch "Nucky" Thompson the corrupt treasure of Atlantic County and the tribulations he faces. Throughout the show Thompson interacts with historical figures including Al Capone, Arnold Rothsein, Lucky Luciano, and Johnny Torrio. The law enforcement is chasing after Thompson's illegal activities and most notably by Prohibition agent Nelson Van Alden.

Steve Buscemi portrays Nucky Thompson and he does an wonderful job with the portrayal. While at first I did not believe that Buscemi could portray such a daunting person. I was quickly won over. With Nucky you do not know who you are going to get. The people he does not trust or have screwed him over will pay the price for it. Nucky has a tortured past that includes his young son and wife dying. His childhood was not much better either with an abusive father. I think the only reason the character of Nucky can be pulled off is because of Buscemi. He fits the proper gangster of the 1920s and I do not know if any other actor could have pulled of Nucky any better than Buscemi.

The most complicated character in the first season of Boardwalk Empire was Jimmy Darmody who is played by Michael Pitt. Jimmy is a veteran of World War 1 and begins the season as the protege of Nucky. Jimmy is haunted by what happened to him during the war and is a shell of his former self. He resents what everyone around him has and wishes he could have the power that Nucky has. Jimmy gets himself in trouble early in the season when he and Al Capone rob a shipment of alcohol intended for Arnold Rothstein. The robbery goes to hell and it forces Jimmy to move to Chicago and lay low with Capone and the rest of the Torrio gang. Pitt portrays the tortured Jimmy perfectly. You see the pain in Pitt's eyes and you really feel for what Jimmy is coming from.

The final character I want to talk about is the most sincere and innocent person in the show full of criminals. This character is Margaret Schroeder who is played by Kelly Macdonald. Schroeder is married to an abusive husband but after Nucky finds out about what her husband does to her. Nucky has his people take care of him. Schroeder looks up to Nucky as he portrays as an upstanding politician, and she begins to have feelings for him. They soon strike up a relationship as Nucky thinks highly of her. During this time in America, women were trying to gather enough support to have the right to vote. Schroeder is one of the key members of this movement in Atlantic City. As the season goes on she soon learns about what Nucky does for a living and does not know if she can be with a man like this. After leaving him for the reasons I just mentioned they reconcile at the end of the season because she truly loves him. Macdonald plays the innocent Schroeder quite well. She holds great poise when interacting with the characters around her. Especially when surround by the male dominated culture of the time. In one scene in particularly she has a banter with a senator of New Jersey and holds her ground and impresses the senator. Macdonald is not known for many roles and she holds her ground with the veteran actors around her.

Overall, I really do not know what my take on Boardwalk Empire is. While for the most part I enjoyed the show and was intrigued with the setting of Atlantic City. I was disappointed in certain characters and the general feel of the show. I felt like the show was trying to be like The Sopranos and it just could not reach that level. The character of Nelson Van Alden also bugged me as his character seemed to contradicted itself throughout the first season. These deterrents did not hold me back from loving the setting, the historical figures, and the general plot of the show.