HOLLYWOOD—Tonight’s “Boardwalk Empire” ended where it all began. At least in the mind of the show’s protagonist, Nucky Thompson. The episode titled “Home” was very poignant. Nucky spent the episode fighting within himself, with Margaret trying valiantly to make him confess why he’s so adamant about proving his strength to everyone. Perhaps every politician is a megalomaniac that is trying to prove that he or she is not that poor little kid who was picked on? Sociologists and psychologists can debate whatever causes this syndrome in our political leaders. However, “Boardwalk’s” amazing writers did finally bring Nucky back to the place where he felt violated and abandoned, his own childhood home.
The episode was still filled with rustic glamour and excitement. All of the characters are finally fleshed out perfectly, and we know who they are, but the one person, the lead character in the show was finally revealed to the viewers, if not to the other characters on the series. Nucky is not the nicest guy, but he’s been pushed to becoming the monster we all have grown to love or hate. The writers did their best work yet in the series that spans America’s Prohibition-era and the building of Atlantic City, as a city of American dreams.
While Nucky is not paying too much attention to his baby brother, Jimmy began forging a new alliance with a fellow veteran; Luciano (Vincent Piazza) and a friend cut a deal with the D’Alessio brothers. This is going to be a direct threat to Nucky’s powerbase, but he seems ever prepared for it after tonight. He purged his demons from his childhood, by returning to the home where he hated his father growing up. After removing the occupants from the home, Nucky took the drastic step of setting the house on fire, then going outside to watch it burn to the ground. Whether this helps Nucky in the long run is something we’ll have to watch and find out. However, it was a house burning episode, filled with excitement from beginning to end.
Tonight’s episode was written by Tim Van Patten and Paul Simms. The talented Allen Coulter directed it. A night viewers will not soon forget.
“Boardwalk Empire” was created by Terence Winter, the show 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 Sunday nights on HBO at 9 p.m.
Photograph Courtesy: Craig Blankenship/HBO Productions
