Boardwalk Empire: S01 Ep03 – Broadway Limited

Despite attempts by Nucky’s brother to kill the surviving witness of the robbery, prohibition agent Van Alden steps in and tries to deliver him to Rothstein in New York. En route the witness takes a turn for the worse so Van Alden is forced to stop at a dentist’s, ply him with drugs, and then apply torture techniques to extract the information that one of the robbers was Jimmy.

Rothstein learns that Jimmy was one of the men responsible for the robbery and murders and sends one of his men to go and find out who else was involved before killing him. Pre-empting this, however, Nucky has already told Jimmy to leave. And so Jimmy boards a train and leaves Atlantic City, and his wife and child, behind.

Nuckly meanwhile brokers an arrangement with bootlegger Chalky, but their operation is evidently not without resistance when one of the gang is found hung. Nucky, with his brother, decides to make it appear like he was shot in an argument to keep the peace and prevent a race war breaking out.

Thoughts

It’s curious that when recapping what happened in the episode it transpires that so much ‘big’ event occurred when, whilst viewing, it seemed sedate and pedestrian and rather more of a ‘ticking over’ instalment. That’s definitely the nature of events, things slowly coming to the boil, but it’s tricky to explain why even major activity on this show can feel muted and detached.

Van Alden marked himself out as the standout here. His ribbon-stealing antics of the previous episode gave way for a whole new lease of crazy. It’s tricky to know what his original plan was by delivering the witness to Rothstein; I can only assume he figured the witness would be more likely to tell what he knew before he died to his own people. As it was, Van Alden had to take more drastic measures in the dentist chair using cocaine and a well-placed couple of fingers in an open wound.

Van Alden was then seen reciting damning Bible verse at the witness once he was dead, apparently unfazed by the room full of people watching him. And furthermore we were given one small scene as he sat eating with his wife at dinner; a picture of uncomfortable sterility. There are clearly layers to his puritanical yet twisted mindset to be peeled back that make him highly interesting and a far richer character than your usual do-gooder lawman.

The history between Nucky and Jimmy was revealed a little, with it transpiring that Nucky knew Jimmy as a small boy and appears to have been watching over him his whole life. Indeed, I am wondering whether Nucky is actually Jimmy’s father. There were some clues tucked away to suggest as much.

There was the exchange between Nucky and Jimmy’s mother, where she felt she could come to Nucky to make sure her boy was OK.

There was Nucky and his girlfriend, and her saying that she would bear a child for him if that’s what he wanted, and him skittishly deferring the matter until after the election.

There was Nucky reminiscing about Jimmy as a boy, and how he thought he held so much potential and would go on to do great things – before it somehow all went wrong.

There was Nucky’s brother remarking about how he wonders if Nucky would have been as lenient with him as he was being with Jimmy – clearly Nucky has a soft spot.

All little pointers, yes, but furthermore there was Jimmy himself having doubts over whether he was really the father to his son, or whether it was the photographer his wife and boy seemed so familiar with. Thematically it could be something resonating through both Nucky and Jimmy. The episode played it so that it was impossible to know the truth of what, if anything, had gone on with the photographer. Once Jimmy left his wife seemed to effortlessly get on with the business of getting on quickly enough – to the extent that she was even using the vacuum cleaner!

Probably there was something symbolic to interpret out of that. Maybe that the boy wasn’t scared of the vacuum cleaner, rather Jimmy’s presence, so once he was gone it was fine to be used? Or perhaps more simply it was because the cleaner was more efficient, like Jimmy said, and his wife now using it merely demonstrated her taking a more pragmatic approach to life.

Where is Jimmy headed? If the episode did state this information I didn’t catch it. My best guess would be to figure he’s headed for Chicago, to Al Capone. But the truth is he could be headed anywhere; I don’t even know if he’s going to disappear from events for a while or if we’re going to keep following him. I hope for the latter.

Margaret’s sideline subplot continues, as Nucky got her a job in a French clothing boutique. Gratuitous nudity abound when Nucky’s wife showed up (certainly not something I didn’t enjoy – she’s a fine specimen) but I don’t really know what that scene was about. I figure that Margaret and Nucky will have more involvement with one another and that this scene offered juxtaposition between the two women who will be in his life.

Chalky White looks to be a character with his head screwed on. He was quick to up the terms of the deal with Nucky in return for keeping the murder of one of his men from instigating larger problems. Whether that larger problem is one that will continue to remain suppressed remains to be seen. I am not actually sure if we’re supposed to know who was responsible for the murder. Given the meeting Rothstein’s men had with the former bootlegger, the implication is they did it.

I was also slightly confused about how it was Rothstein found out about Jimmy being the person the witness named. Does this not suggest that Rothstein has an inside man, either with the prohibition agents or with the Atlantic City police? Could it even be Nucky’s brother? Again, I didn’t quite pick up on whether this was a purposefully hidden conceit to create mystery or I just wasn’t following things accurately.

Strange then, for what felt like a low-key episode, there was so much incident and intrigue! I did actually enjoy it, to be fair – perhaps it was even the most enjoyable episode so far. I still feel like it’s keeping a lot of characters and plot threads in the mix without quite the level of definition and sense of belonging that would make the show more compelling but I do feel more drawn in to Boardwalk Empire than I previously did.

What was the best part?

Van Alden’s interrogation and torture scene was absolutely the highlight. The shift in tones during such a short sequence was adroitly handled; the comedy of the dentist only knowing one place to administer drugs (the mouth, obviously!), to the witness’ initially foul retort, before Van Alden turned medieval on him to get the information and then outdid his otherworldly intensity with that Biblical eulogy.

What do I think will happen next?

If Jimmy is going to Chicago then I expect he will hook up with Capone and really roll his sleeves up and become ingratiated into the world of organised crime. I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t follow Jimmy for a few episodes and then perhaps his return will be marked with an extended flashback of what he got up – that would be cool.

Otherwise it’s all about Rothstein and his gang exerting pressure on Nucky and his organised crime infrastructure. At some stage you feel that things are going to come to the boil and a showdown of sorts is on the cards.

Doctor Who: S03 Ep03 – Gridlock

What happened?

The Doctor and Martha travelled into the future to New Earth, a planet The Doctor had visited previously with Rose (in series 2, New Earth). However, they find themselves in the underworld; a place little more than a slum. Martha is kidnapped by a couple who take her onto the packed traffic jam of a motorway, believing that 3 people in a car entitles them to take the fast lane. The Doctor investigates and discovers the traffic jam is endless, the motorway a neverending circle, beneath which lie ravenous crab-like creatures.

The Doctor makes it to the overworld to discover humanity has been wiped out, and all that remains is the Face of Boe struggling to maintain enough power to keep the underworld denizens alive. The Doctor finds a way to open the underworld’s ceiling and frees the people. The Face of Boe is then able to die but, before doing so, tells The Doctor he is not alone.

Martha asks what it means and The Doctor tells her the Face Of Boe must have been mistaken as he is the last Timelord.

Thoughts

I really enjoyed this episode. On the surface it had all the hallmarks of being a rather run-of-the-mill filler and yet as it unfolded it was mining some really clever ideas and themes that really chimed with me. Indeed, at first when I thought the underworld traffic jam gridlock was a deliberate ploy from the ‘higher ups’ to keep the masses occupied, I thought the show was really tapping into rather profound territory regarding social structure.

The idea that the masses could be drip-fed a fiction to keep them ticking over in their literal dead end, treadmill lives felt like a serious commentary on how the world works – the masses kept controlled and pacified in their position in life, blinkered to the reality and the larger scheme of things.

As it turned out Gridlock wasn’t attempting to be quite so politically cutting, and instead settled on a tragic situation where the people stuck in traffic were oblivious to a terrible disaster that had occurred. I was a tad disappointed, I suppose, but a return to the Face of Boe, and the promise he had made to reveal a secret as his last words to The Doctor was at least fulfilled.

Although his remarks that The Doctor is not alone are hardly offering up anything concrete to go off. The Doctor’s conviction that the Face of Boe was wrong didn’t seem overly-convincing – perhaps he doubts the belief he’s held for so long that he really is the last remaining Time Lord?

It’s certainly the most obvious conclusion to reach from the Face of Boe’s final remarks: that there is, somehow, somewhere, another surviving Timelord. But then the expression is cryptic enough to be moulded and interpreted in a whole number of other ways so, I suspect, such a clear-cut assumption won’t be correct.

The other good element to this episode was the relationship between Martha and The Doctor. I do get the feeling that she has rather fallen for him a little quick and it feels somewhat premature for her to have such absolute faith in his abilities to rescue her, and to extol his brilliance to other people. That being said, it was good that she demanded he speak to her properly and he acknowledged to himself that he hadn’t really been treating her fairly.

Good episode then, offering a solid storyline with character progression and even a dash of longstanding show mythology thrown into the mix. I certainly got a lot more than I expected!

What was the best part?

I am tempted to go with the moment The Doctor was questioning the nature of the traffic jam, of the validity of the information the people were receiving. However the close of the episode, with The Doctor rather reeling about the information he is not alone and admitting he had lied to Martha about his home planet and then plainly telling her what had happened and how it used to be. With the music and singing it verged on the cheesy, but I think it just about managed to get away with it.

What do I think will happen next?

I’d anticipate further clarification around the Face of Boe’s words (though I don’t expect that to happen within the next episode or two at the very least). My guess would be that perhaps The Doctor is a father? I do remember an offbeat remark he once made in the last series, about being a father. . . I’m a bit hazy on it, but I can only figure that somehow The Doctor isn’t quite the last Timelord in existence.

Doctor Who: S03 Ep02 – The Shakespeare Code

What happened?

The Doctor and Martha arrived in 1599, England, to see Shakespeare and his plays at the Globe in all their glory. Unfortunately a trio of Carrier Knights, very much like witches, have orchestrated the construction of the Globe to be a spot where a portal can be opened to free the rest of their race from their other-dimensional prison. With Shakespeare’s play, his words, being used as a means of unlocking the prison it’s up to The Doctor, Martha and Shakespeare to prevent it from happening.

Thoughts

I wasn’t enthused about this episode, but it proved rather enjoyable. The constant Shakespeare quotes, and running joke of The Doctor feeding ‘Will’ his most famous lines (paradox alert!), I did find somewhat tiresome, though. Clearly the writer of this episode knew his Shakespeare, both in work and in history, and many of the remarks felt like a kind of breaking of the fourth wall.

Like, for example, Shakespeare simultaneously flirting with both Martha and The Doctor, to which The Doctor quipped about a certain number of scholars being pleased. The in-joke being that speculation about Shakespeare’s sexuality has been pondered through various obscure references in some of his sonnets. That kind of thing breaks the suspension of disbelief for me.

Same goes for the use of Harry Potter-speak “Expelliarmus” at the end of the episode. “Good old, JK!” exclaimed The Doctor; such moments just totally snap me out of what’s going on and make me think of a scriptwriter being referential and communicating too directly with the audience.

But that’s just me. Maybe other people love all that. I don’t.

The monsters of the week for this episode were reasonably otherworldly whilst retaining a Shakespearean vibe, the three witch creatures calling to mind Macbeth (I felt certain a reference would show up and hammer that point and was rather happy it didn’t/couldn’t and was left more subtle). Not sure why they were called Carrier Knights, or quite what they were all about, but they served their purpose.

The interplay between Martha and The Doctor ticked along here. The episode started with him discussing how this was to be her one and only trip away with him, but there was no mention of that being the case as things were wrapping up. Of course she’s going to be around for a while yet so there’s no danger of that really happening, though I must say that The Doctor’s obliviousness of her is a little off.

I liked how Shakespeare observed the two of them, recognising the age in The Doctor’s young eyes and how Martha looked at him with a sense of surprise that he even existed. The show doesn’t quite have the energy to relive that sense of new excitement it once took the time to allow Rose to experience, but at least Martha was there to question cause and effect and consequences of time travel. The Doctor seemed wholly unconcerned with it, mind, which is probably subject matter that shouldn’t undergo too much scrutiny.

Doctor Who doesn’t quite subscribe to the ‘whatever happened, happened’ theory of linear time and yet allows whatever changes and alterations are made in history to not have a lasting effect on what has occurred. Perhaps earlier shows, years ago, thrashed out the specifics of the nature of cause and effect for The Doctor. Me? I’ll just go along with it.

Something of a one-off episode then, on which a Doctor Who series is mostly comprised of. Enjoyable enough as some light entertainment on TV but nothing really meaty to chew over in the grand scheme of things.

What was the best part?

I did like the bedroom scene with The Doctor and Martha. He very nonchalantly presented her with the option of sharing a cosy bed with him. Once she was in it all her sense of suggestion, about how small it was, went right over his head. I guess the point being made here is that The Doctor just can’t get passed Rose, can’t even see Martha as anything like an equal – and so when he talked about her it was the equivalent of slapping Martha across the face!

What do I think will happen next?

From this episode there were really only two potential ‘threads’ that I suspect will be either picked up again or continue to be pulled on. The first was Queen Elisabeth I showing up, hating The Doctor. Almost certainly this indicates an episode will feature her and result in her displeasure! The other was Martha and her evident attraction of The Doctor. Not quite sure where it’s come from so fast (the one kiss in the previous episode – must have been a heck of a kiss!) but The Doctor is so far ignorant of it to the point of obnoxious. Can’t he see that Martha is way hotter than Rose!?!

Doctor Who: S03 Ep01 – Smith & Jones

What happened?

Martha Jones, a trainee doctor, arrives at hospital for work on the day the entire building is transported to the moon by a race of police-like aliens called the Judoon. The hospital is enclosed in an airtight bubble, so whilst the Judoon begin hunting for their quarry (a shapeshifting Plasmavore) the oxygen for the stranded people in the hospital is running out. Luckily The Doctor is in the hospital, too, and alongside Martha Jones they find the alien Plasmavore and turn it over to the Judoon, who destroy it.

With the hospital returned to Earth in the nick of time, The Doctor catches up with Martha and shows her the TARDIS. As a thank you for saving him, after proving to her that he can travel through time, he offers her one trip with him through time and space.

Thoughts

My interest in Doctor Who used to be just a passing one. It is shown on Saturdays, early evenings, and if I happened to be in front of a television when it was on I’d watch it. However, I decided I’d return to the early days of the show and watch the lot since, in recent times, it’s become more sophisticated and improved as a drama series.

After the loss of Rose in the second series’ finale, this 3rd series has the burden of introducing a new companion for The Doctor. (I appreciate the recent Xmas special, The Runaway Bride, introduced us to someone that will eventually become a companion, which in retrospect makes the fumble of bringing Martha Jones into the mix even more bizarre.)

Martha Jones does make a good first impression here, though. She’s smart and has a very open mind. She’s the first to question how they can still breathe once on the moon considering the hospital building isn’t airtight, and yet doesn’t flinch when joining The Doctor to open the doors and step outside. Furthermore she has compassion, lingering to close the dead eyes of her doctor mentor, and a sense of humour as well as being very capable; she’s thrown right in at the deep end and has to save The Doctor’s life with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

In all honesty I didn’t like that The Doctor’s scheme basically involved him dying to save the day. When he was interrogating the Plasmavore with disguised naïve human ignorance it suggested he was merely loading up a surprise to spring. Instead he just basically allowed the Plasmavore to take his blood so the Judoon would know she was an alien. Fine in exposing her, but at the cost of his own life? It amounted to a sacrificial act and he’d only known Martha for five minutes – not enough time to establish she’d be able to save his life.

OK, the episode showed us she knew he had two hearts and had steely determination, so he could have predicted that outcome – but considering she could have easily succumbed to collapsing through lack of oxygen like pretty much the rest of the hospital’s inhabitants (her continued capacity to act was put down to sheer adrenaline which, to be honest, I didn’t really buy either) then it was a major gamble for The Doctor to take.

Those were my only nits to pick in the episode, which was otherwise a strong, confident opening full of the verve and energy that makes the show rattle along and seem to pack in so much character reveal and plot exposition that don’t seem possible in the running time. A bit like the TARDIS, Doctor Who episodes are bigger on the inside than they are on the outside – and it was fun to see that oft-repeated phrase used here when Martha first encountered the iconic police box time machine.

What was the best part?

I really liked the nifty opening, actually. Zipping across phone calls between Martha’s family, interrupted with The Doctor showing up undoing his tie (an event that would later be revealed as his proof that he could travel in time) it was a terrific way of introducing us to a major new character with an effortlessly light flair.

What do I think will happen next?

As this is Doctor Who the episodes are often standalone affairs. There is little indication about what the over-riding plot arc of this 3rd series will be (if there even is one). Ostensibly this episode paired up The Doctor with his new companion, Martha, and set them off on adventures together. The next episode preview showed me they’re going to see Shakespeare; I can’t say I am looking forward to it, really!

Boardwalk Empire: S01 Ep02 – The Ivory Tower

What happened?

Following the robbery, Nucky has now become the focus of interest for the authorities. He detaches himself from dealings with Jimmy, who in turn has to find the money he owes Nucky for what he did. Jimmy is rebuffed by Al Capone and so ends up pawning the jewellery he bought for his mother, only to watch Nucky squander the lot. Meanwhile Rothstein in New York wants the money he feels he is owed, but Nucky plays tough and sets up a line over Atlantic City that he dares him to cross. The episode ends with a stumbling appearance of a wounded member of the gang that were robbed, that Jimmy thought was dead. . .

Thoughts

Boardwalk Empire is proving difficult to warm to. From a plot point of view it doesn’t really put a foot wrong. It’s clearly got the visuals and production values to make it look the part. And yet there’s something about it – something aloof, perhaps, or something in the pacing – that really makes it difficult to get enthusiastic about. Indeed, it’s only on reflecting on the episode afterwards do I appreciate what was going on of interest; whilst it was happening I basically watched with an expectancy that something more would occur, but it didn’t seem to.

I think one of the major problems is in not quite being able to grasp precisely what is going on. I mean, 1920s Atlantic City is practically another world to here and now, and so I feel like I could do with more explanation about how things fit together and operate. Two episodes in, for example, and I still don’t really understand what Nucky is: what is his job, both in public and in the criminal fraternity. He is said to have his fingers in every pie and be the central figure to all that happens, but it’s not really clear how or why.

Another more specific example came during the scene when Jimmy went to visit a woman who was in a raunchy show. Backstage she greets him by wrapping her legs around him, and with kisses. He then gives her an expensive gift (from the robbery swag). It’s at the end of the scene did it appear to transpire that this woman was not his lover, but his mother. Rather than be a slap in the mouth surprise, instead I just frowned and wondered if I’d understood things correctly.

If it was supposed to be a surprising reveal, it got muddled. If I’ve got the wrong end of the stick, then why make it so confusing?

The main federal agent guy, Van Alden, remains a fairly obtuse fellow. He betrayed little sense of humour when he met with Nucky, and the eventual reveal that he had stolen Margaret’s ribbon showed a rather seedy, creepy element to his character. Not quite the straight, clean-cut G-man then and he definitely appears to have taken a personal dislike in Nucky to turn his full attention in nominating as the number one target.

It also seems Nucky is determined to cut Jimmy loose, but something about the relationship between the two of them tells me they are not going to stop having dealings with one another. The scene where Nucky got the money he had demanded and then blew it all on a whim at the roulette table in front of Jimmy was clearly a power display. . . Maybe, just maybe, there’s the potential that Jimmy might not align himself with Nucky at all – rather he’ll become an antagonist.

That would actually be a really good dynamic; seeing Jimmy rise to power to become a force for Nucky to concern himself about. However, for now, it seems he’s got the likes of Rothstein in New York to worry about. And Rothstein certainly seems menacing and petty enough to not allow Nucky’s unsettled debt to him go unpaid.

The last scene of the episode set up the ‘surprise’ that had been subtly signposted earlier with a dialogue exchange between Nucky and Jimmy over how many bodies had been recovered from the robbery. It has turned out that one of the men that Jimmy believed had been killed had survived, and is now set to surely get to the authorities or his gang and report what he knows.

What was the best part?

Two scenes stood out for me. The Rothstein scene, where he delivered the tale about the guy who could swallow a billiard ball. It was a nice speech, but a better performance. Rothstein has an eerie, above-it-all quality about him and is probably the most enigmatic character in the show so far. I did also like the scene where Nucky gambled away the money Jimmy had brought him; it said so much without saying a lot about who these men are to each other at this point in time. If Jimmy ever needed motivation to take Nucky down a peg then that’s the kind of spur it would take.

What do I think will happen next?

I expect that the survivor of the robbery and what he does next will have direct repercussions in the events of the next episode. If he goes to the authorities then he ought to be able to tell them something that will hasten their investigations or give them lines of enquiry that ought to see them breathing down Nucky’s neck.

Otherwise, if he goes to Rothstein, then it might be all that he needed to hear to set in motion a serious strike against Nucky. Either way, this survivor doesn’t bring good tidings for Nucky!

Boardwalk Empire: S01 Ep01 – Pilot

What happened?

It’s 1920 and Prohibition-era America is about to fall. Alcohol – the sale and consumption of – has been outlawed. Revelling in this news is businessman, Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, who is set to profit by running a smuggling operation that will import booze and then sell it at a high cost.

Nucky sets up links with counterparts in Chicago to arrange a deal but, when lower-ranking muscle from both sides decide to thwart the transaction, it becomes apparent that power and control of this new era is going to come at a ruthless cost.

Thoughts

Boardwalk Empire certainly came with a large entourage. I’d read about it long before it was released due to the trumpeted buzz of major production values, Martin Scorcese directing, and a reasonably high profile cast (all of the key players have been leads and co-stars in movies). It was also the flagship show to launch (in the UK) the Sky Atlantic channel. It can’t complain that it didn’t have hype or pre-release publicity – for a brand new show I can’t think of one that’s had more expectation dumped upon it.

If anything it’s the hype that has perhaps most dampened my enjoyment. If Boardwalk Empire had been a little more unassuming then I would have enjoyed it more – instead I expected to be blown away, and I wasn’t. The wow factor wasn’t present. Fair enough, it didn’t need to have it, it’s just the hype about budget and big stars and Scorcese directing made me expect more than I received.

Setting aside the disappointment, however, this pilot episode seems to have positioned various key characters in a turning point of American history that is rife with cops ‘n’ robbers, gangster action potential. Steve Buscemi as Nucky is clearly the central figure, but he’s got some way to go before he makes a compelling force that everything gravitates around. He’s no Tony Soprano. Weedy, ugly, and in various scenes he’s played for laughs – such as with the hotel assistant interrupting him during sex and him banging on the door when his squeeze has locked him out of the bathroom. Whilst he does warn that he shouldn’t be messed with his ruthlessness has a question mark over it for me.

Far more interesting were the two underling characters, Jimmy and Capone. Jimmy was the main focus. Not only does he have a dangerously cold view of life and death due to his experiences in the war (his remarks about how he was considered a hero for all his forays going into enemy territory spell out he is a man that cares little for his life and is efficient at taking other people’s). That he now appears to be also straddling both sides of the law mark him as a character mired in all manner of interesting circumstances – it’s unclear whether he really will be a rogue agent for the government as well as maintaining his criminal interests but I kind of hope he does.

The introduction of a young runt Al Capone was also good. I hope his is a character that is kept in the mix. When he went back to Chicago I kind of wished the show was actually about him; the story of how a young Capone worked his way up to the figurehead he became. If he remains a part of the show’s tapestry then great, it’ll be a strong plotline and character arc for the show to lean on.

There were other elements introduced but sidelined. Kelly MacDonald’s character, Margaret, the battered wife who had her unborn child beaten into stillbirth, was horrific. If anything this show let the tension drop and the viewers turmoil eased by having her husband beaten and killed early on; it would have been bold and provocative to allow his terrible deed to go unpunished, at least for now. I suspect the newly-widowed woman’s future now lies with Nucky who clearly has a soft spot for her.

Otherwise there was also the government’s police agents circling the criminal operation. Whilst the majority of them were portrayed as bumbling and idiotic, the one main guy (name forgotten) maintained a brooding, focused intensity that mark him out as a formidable antagonist for Nucky.

So, for a show that had over an hour running time it didn’t really bring the wow factor, and if anything it was somewhat talk-heavy. Even the much-touted recreation of prohibition Atlantic City didn’t particularly impress me, although I concede the show certainly looks like nothing else I’ve seen on TV and the attention to detail is sharp.

I think the point being made is that Nucky is unwittingly on the verge of a new era in what we consider gang-related crime. The old ways of conducting illegal activity have been blown apart by the new wave of hoodlum – Jimmy and Capone ushering in violence and double-cross that will become common practice. Prohibition-era America is about to experience relaxed inhibitions from those that have the stomach to take what they want however which way they can get it.

In a soundbite, Boardwalk Empire was billed as a 1920s-set The Sopranos. Well, it’s got a long, long way to go before it can hope to reach that kind of benchmark but, outside of all the hype, it’s laid down a solid start and it’s bristling with potential.

What was the best part?

The double-cross gunfight was nicely handled, with the close-up shotgun blast to the head being brutal and bloody. I don’t know why, but those old guns just always seem nastier and more damaging than 21st century weapons! Seeing Jimmy and Capone get trigger-happy and totally blow open the ‘cicvilised agreement’ both literally and metaphorically is the spark the show needs and will surely propel all manner of dramatic tangles and thrills.

What do I think will happen next?

At this stage I can’t really predict any kind of specific events I think will occur. I think this pilot episode has set up the situation and the general tone for the course of events. I envisage Nucky will have to balance controlling Jimmy’s violent activity with the new-found power he will gain. The lawmen will attempt to tighten the noose, and other gangsters will vie for dominance over the ‘boardwalk empire’ now emerging.