HOLLYWOOD—Sunday night’s exciting episode was titled “Hold Me in Paradise,” and it held my attention as well as all of the viewers. The acclaimed series is really picking up steam. I love how the women are now being focused on a lot more. Nucky and his gang of male maniacs are more than fun to watch. However, we all know that behind every one of these great or dastardly men, there are equal feminine counterparts. We now are seeing them come out of the shadows and into the forefront of Atlantic City dealings.

Tonight, while visiting Chicago during the Republican National Convention, Nucky (Steve Buscemi) received alarming news from Atlantic City. His baby brother was beaten up and robbed by a competing team of gangsters, but now trouble is ahead for the men who almost killed Nucky’s youngest brother. Nucky sent for his second brother Jimmy to return to New Jersey to protect the family’s illegal enterprise.

The show has reached an apex now. The characters are all fleshed out, but their insecurities and issues are becoming obvious to the viewers, as they are to the other characters they have to interact with on the show. The writing by Meg Jackson cannot be over praised for the episode which aired tonight. Maybe its’ because she’s a woman, that the women really did shine a lot more? Whatever it is, it was excellent on Ms. Jackson’s part. The director for this gripping episode was Brian Kirk, another fresh name on the show’s horizon. Wherever they were hiding, producers Winter, Scorsese, Van Patten, Levinson and Wahlberg had better start using them a lot more. The costume department also deserves an Emmy-nomination as well. The dresses and suits are addictive for fashion lovers like myself.

The series was created by Terence Winter. It is executive produced by Terence Winter, Martin Scorsese, Tim Van Patten, Stephen Levinson and Mark Wahlberg; co-executive producers, Gene Kelly and Lawrence Konner; producers, Rudd Simmons and Rick Yorn; supervising producers, Howard Korder and Margaret Nagle.

“Boardwalk Empire” airs on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on HBO.

Photograph Courtesy: Abbot Genser/HBO