Since the previous thread was mysteriously locked, the discussion continues here:

Last night's episode was slow but still interesting. I believe there were things revealed in order to set up the penultimate season finale next week.

Chalky: As if Chalky wasn't pissed off at Narcisse enough, his piss-tivity is now boiling three times over since now his mentor has been killed. It was revealed that he really doesn't trust Nucky anymore and no longer calls him a friend. It'll be exciting to see their confrontation next week. And as far as Maitland goes....her wandering off into the woods was kind of silly to me. Of course, she shouldn't have been trusted by Chalky in the first place, but goodness, she's a dead woman in the eyes of Narcisse now, so her behind might as well go on to Canada.

Nucky: Urgh. Nucky irritated me last week and has continued to irritate me this week. So now he's placing all of the blame for this "mess" he's in on Chalky? Really Nucky? Sure it all started with Dunn, but Chalky surely wasn't the reason that Narcisse is trying move in on Nucky's territory. If anything, Narcisse used Chalky as a stepping stone into his empire. Now he knows who this "skunk" in his empire is, his own brother, Eli.

Eli: Disappointed in Eli but not surprised. All I know is that this situation may end up a "Fredo Corleone"...if you get my drift.

Gillian: Last night's big reveal was Roy Philips disguised as a detective and successfully getting Gillan's confession of killing Roger. Wow. Did Leander orchestrate that?

So one more episode left. According to the previews, it looks like Torrio may be turning over the business to Capone (as what happened in history), Chalky will confront Nucky but will their business and "friendship" be salvaged? Chalky definitely isn't going to kill Nucky but their relationship will never be the same. What plan will Nucky put into place to divert Agent Knox and Eli? And lastly, it appears that Richard will FINALLY be utilized by Nucky....now that part is exactly what I want to see. Who will get to do the honors in killing Narcisse? Chalky or Richard? Looks like there's going to be a major showdown at the Onyx.....Richard is seen looking through his sniper gun and Masseria has his gun pointed up towards the window of the office of the Onyx. Oh yesss!!!!!

[Edited 11/18/13 5:41am]

I just watched it yesterday...

It was okay. I was glad that Gillian has finally been dealt with...

Daughter irks the crap out of me. She talks like she's downed a bottle of Ny-Quil. She can stay wherever she went...

I am looking forward to the showdown next week...

chocolate1 said:

I just watched it yesterday...

It was okay. I was glad that Gillian has finally been dealt with...

Daughter irks the crap out of me. She talks like she's downed a bottle of Ny-Quil. She can stay wherever she went...

I am looking forward to the showdown next week...

You are so right!!! Girl, her singing at the drop of hat irked me in addition to that.

I'm looking forward to the showdown next week too. Finally get to see Richard in some action and doing what he does best!!!!

BobGeorge909 said:

I've been somewhat distracted while watching lately....i suppose that's why the Gillian bit took me so off guard. I was like WTF! I didn't see it coming at all. I think blu-eyed baby-face is about to be not so baby faced. He stirring pots to hard and gonna get popped with some burrlin' water. I believe this was the week b4....but crazy dude...the was-an-agent guy now florist kinda....his money scene..splashin' the money on that broad. I was like u go dude...fuck yeah....that shit was hot. That was an assload of money too. [Edited 11/19/13 16:09pm]

Oh you are talking about Nelson Van Alden. Yeah that was a wild scene.

missfee said:

missfee said:

Since the previous thread was mysteriously locked, the discussion continues here:

Last night's episode was slow but still interesting. I believe there were

Chalky: Chalky, IMO, always knew Nucky was fickle and only moderately reliable when he actually needed something. His mentor was right, and he himself learned from experience, dealing with the Commodore.


Nucky: Chalky is easy to blame. But Nucky made his own bed. He let Dunn sandbag him. He gave Eddie way too much authority, against his better judgment. He cut a deal halfway across the country though he darn well knew better. He ran interference with Eli's son and initiated him into the business which Eli did NOT want. He continues to win battles and risk losing wars. That's the arc of the show, though.

Eli: Disappointed in Eli but not surprised. All I know is that this situation may end up a "Fredo Corleone"...if you get my drift. I'd say he's more like Tessio. Tessio was always smarter.

Gillian: Last night's big reveal was Roy Philips disguised as a detective and successfully getting Gillan's confession of killing Roger. Wow. Did Leander orchestrate that? I told you I thought Roy was a fed. This is worse.

So one more episode left. I expect Narcisse and Daughter to run their course, and one of the older heads to bow out as well. Nucky will deal with Eli. What's gonna happen to Mickey? Margaret? Jimmy's kid? And of course, Richard is getting ready to "Red Wedding" somebody.

[Edited 11/18/13 5:41am]

URGGGHHHHHH!!!!!! They killed my beloved Richard off!!!!

OMG, OMG, OMG. Of all people in the cast they had to kill off my Richard? Are you kidding me? Yet Doyle's silly ass is still alive? What? Gillian's alive, Eli's alive, hell Margaret's still alive and they couldn't have killed off any of these nimrods instead of my Richard?

Poor Chalky, poor Maybelle. What kind of storyline will Chalky have next season? He's lost everything. Urgh.

How in the hell am I going to watch next season at all? I was so pissed that I couldn't even sleep well last night. As far as I'm concerned, in my anger, next season should be the last season. Perhaps they are keeping Mickey alive to be the one to kill Nucky in the end.

Urgh. I just can't.

Has there ever been a show destined for greatness that has had the wheels fall off more spectacularly than Boardwalk Empire?

namepeace said:

Has there ever been a show destined for greatness that has had the wheels fall off more spectacularly than Boardwalk Empire?

I was waiting for you to show up. Your words are so true. Folks are so pissed that Richard has been killed off that they are threatening to cancel HBO! I wouldn't go that far, but I feel their pain. I did a re-watch of the episode last night and felt even more devastated. In fact, my enthusiasm for the show has officially been "killed" as well. I'll tune in for the next season, but at this point, I'm not really overtly interested in what they do. The only other character I would tune in for is Chalky, but they've killed his spirit...he's just as good as dead in the next season. That's why I feel like in light of the direction they've taken the show, they might as well make the 5th season the last.

missfee said:

namepeace said:

Has there ever been a show destined for greatness that has had the wheels fall off more spectacularly than Boardwalk Empire?

I was waiting for you to show up. Your words are so true. Folks are so pissed that Richard has been killed off that they are threatening to cancel HBO!

Game of Thrones is the only thing keeping me from doing the same!

I wouldn't go that far, but I feel their pain. I did a re-watch of the episode last night and felt even more devastated. In fact, my enthusiasm for the show has officially been "killed" as well. I'll tune in for the next season, but at this point, I'm not really overtly interested in what they do.

Here are the basic problems:

- Nucky not only hasn't learned anything, but he's failed to be interesting in the process.

- They built a sizable chunk of this season dedicated to Eli. Again. His arc will not change. He will betray Nucky or lie to him or defy him. Time after time. It would have been far more interesting had Will turned informant.

- Compelling characters go woefully ignored. Van Alden (but maybe that was because of Shannon's Man of Steel commitments). Lansky. Luciano. Rothstein. Capone. THESE characters helped give the show more dimensions and the writers just ignored or underused many of them.

- They should take a lesson from the creators of Game of Thrones of how to remove characters in a way that develops the folks left behind. They've only done it once -- with Jimmy. Richard's arc just seemed shoehorned in.

The only other character I would tune in for is Chalky, but they've killed his spirit...he's just as good as dead in the next season. That's why I feel like in light of the direction they've taken the show, they might as well make the 5th season the last.

Exactly. Jeffrey Wright saved this season, which otherwise would have been a failure. Just like Chalky, they may want to put this fading show out of its misery.

namepeace said:

missfee said:

I was waiting for you to show up. Your words are so true. Folks are so pissed that Richard has been killed off that they are threatening to cancel HBO!

Game of Thrones is the only thing keeping me from doing the same!

I wouldn't go that far, but I feel their pain. I did a re-watch of the episode last night and felt even more devastated. In fact, my enthusiasm for the show has officially been "killed" as well. I'll tune in for the next season, but at this point, I'm not really overtly interested in what they do.

Here are the basic problems:

- Nucky not only hasn't learned anything, but he's failed to be interesting in the process.

- They built a sizable chunk of this season dedicated to Eli. Again. His arc will not change. He will betray Nucky or lie to him or defy him. Time after time. It would have been far more interesting had Will turned informant.

- Compelling characters go woefully ignored. Van Alden (but maybe that was because of Shannon's Man of Steel commitments). Lansky. Luciano. Rothstein. Capone. THESE characters helped give the show more dimensions and the writers just ignored or underused many of them.

- They should take a lesson from the creators of Game of Thrones of how to remove characters in a way that develops the folks left behind. They've only done it once -- with Jimmy. Richard's arc just seemed shoehorned in.

The only other character I would tune in for is Chalky, but they've killed his spirit...he's just as good as dead in the next season. That's why I feel like in light of the direction they've taken the show, they might as well make the 5th season the last.

Exactly. Jeffrey Wright saved this season, which otherwise would have been a failure. Just like Chalky, they may want to put this fading show out of its misery.

Agreed and yes, that's the EXACT reason why I'm not canceling HBO either!

Yes Rothstein, Lansky and Luciano were barely a storyline this season. Meanwhile, a lot of focus was placed on Capone and Van Alden. I don't mind Van Alden's character being developed but I'm puzzled at why Capone's rising power was the only focus. In history, Capone is a highly popular gangster, but it's Luciano and Lansky who made the moves necessary that cemented la costra nostra...as well as outlived their contemporaries and enemies alike. I was thinking that this season, we would see the rise of all three, Capone, Lansky and Luciano but instead, they made a detour left into focusing on Eli's betrayal, Willie's involvement in "the business", Gillian's troubles, hypocrite Margaret and her deal with Rothstein and Chalky vs. Narcisse. In the end, they make Chalky damn near senile, Nucky back at square one and kill off Richard. I was interested in seeing an alliance develop between Richard and Chalky, but that's all down the drain now. As I've said before, I'm at the point where I'm disinterested in where the show is heading and could care less what they have the characters do next season.

Hate to say it, but I think it would have made more sense to have killed Chalky off rather than Richard. It would have made more sense. Narcisse takes over all business efforts while Chalky is reduced to nearly nothing. I think I would have reconciled Chalky's death more because honestly I'm having a hard time accepting that they killed Richard off. I know it's only a TV show and all, but damn, I'm really losing sleep over this. I wasn't no where near this bothered when they killed Jimmy off.

I'm surprised about all the criticism directed at the show. I love shows that have the balls to kill off characters such as Richard. Very good season, I thought.

Phishanga said:

I'm surprised about all the criticism directed at the show. I love shows that have the balls to kill off characters such as Richard. Very good season, I thought.

I liked the finale too, but reading other online opinions, I think we are in the minority.

I liked it, too.

I think a grieving Chalky will be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Phishanga said:

I'm surprised about all the criticism directed at the show. I love shows that have the balls to kill off characters such as Richard. Very good season, I thought.

Forgive the pun, but the issue is really execution.

Game Of Thrones has killed numerous important characters -- including arguably THE most important character of the series -- but its arcs for those "endgames" are more compelling. Boardwalk has only accomplished it twice -- with Eddie and Jimmy Darmody. I realize the beginning of the season basically clued us in on what would happen with Richard. GoT, though, has pulled this off a little better.

This season and the season finale had its moments, but the last 2 seasons really have dropped off, IMHO.

namepeace said:

missfee said:

I was waiting for you to show up. Your words are so true. Folks are so pissed that Richard has been killed off that they are threatening to cancel HBO!

Game of Thrones is the only thing keeping me from doing the same!

I wouldn't go that far, but I feel their pain. I did a re-watch of the episode last night and felt even more devastated. In fact, my enthusiasm for the show has officially been "killed" as well. I'll tune in for the next season, but at this point, I'm not really overtly interested in what they do.

Here are the basic problems:

- Nucky not only hasn't learned anything, but he's failed to be interesting in the process.

- They built a sizable chunk of this season dedicated to Eli. Again. His arc will not change. He will betray Nucky or lie to him or defy him. Time after time. It would have been far more interesting had Will turned informant.

- Compelling characters go woefully ignored. Van Alden (but maybe that was because of Shannon's Man of Steel commitments). Lansky. Luciano. Rothstein. Capone. THESE characters helped give the show more dimensions and the writers just ignored or underused many of them.

- They should take a lesson from the creators of Game of Thrones of how to remove characters in a way that develops the folks left behind. They've only done it once -- with Jimmy. Richard's arc just seemed shoehorned in.

The only other character I would tune in for is Chalky, but they've killed his spirit...he's just as good as dead in the next season. That's why I feel like in light of the direction they've taken the show, they might as well make the 5th season the last.

Exactly. Jeffrey Wright saved this season, which otherwise would have been a failure. Just like Chalky, they may want to put this fading show out of its misery.

Do it well, but, Jeffrey Wright can only do so much.

Seen this thread over the past couple of months but didn't open it because i wanted to avoid spoilers. Just seen the final episode here in the UK - finished about ten minutes ago.. Richard, oh man!

Not happy at all, need time to process this, lol.