Boardwalk Empire – Too much Jimmy

We’re two episodes into Boardwalk Empire, and I’m still unsure about a lot of things. There is no doubting the impressive production value of the show. HBO has dumped a crapload of money into this project, and it you can see it on the screen. For that reason alone, I’m going to continue watching. With that being said, however, I have a few concerns about how the show is coming together and where it is headed.

My main concern lies with Jimmy. The character is annoying, stupid, and pretty much completely unlikable. Mobster stories are a difficult genre, in my opinion. With so many people doing bad things, I feel like the characters really have to be likable or else the audience can be lost really, really quickly. Nucky is an extremely likable guy. Even as he is having people killed, threatening others, and manipulating the rest, he remains an affable fellow. You can see some redeeming values in the man. He clearly cares and wants to take care of his constituents. Jimmy, on the other hand, is lacking of any positive characteristic, as far as I’m concerned. I suppose he’s a family man; I have to give him that. Other than that, though, this guy is a scum bag. If the show continues to focus on him, and his dimwitted ideas, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to take it.

Overall, it feels like the series is still in its formative stages with a lot of the characters still being established — Nucky Thompson, first and foremost. We continued to see different sides of Nucky in this episode. In my last review I questioned whether he was really a gangster or if he was getting in a little over his head with the big boys from New York and Chicago. I think those doubts are beginning to dissolve. He certainly stood his ground with Rothstein, though I’m not sure that is going to end well for Nucky. Rothstein is a wee bit scary. Also, I loved how Nucky totally schooled Jimmy in this episode, forcing him to pay the rest of his “cut” and then casually blowing it on the roulette table. It let Jimmy know, in no uncertain terms, that he is way out of Nucky’s league, and that he better watch himself. Something tells me that Jimmy isn’t going to get the message, but I think it was my favorite moment in the series so far.

It seems like the fallout from Jimmy’s big adventure in the first episode is going to continue to build up through the rest of the series. We’re already seeing the tension building between Rothstein and Thompson, as well as the snooping from agent Van Alden.

I would actually like to see some of the focus shift from Jimmy on to Van Alden. Perhaps this was just a Jimmy-heavy episode, and future episodes will feature some of the other characters more. Van Alden seems like a smart cookie, and I can only imagine what he is going to uncover with his investigations. I’m also a big fan of Michael Shannon and his stoicism is perfect in this role.

My disappointment continued this week, as Michael K. Williams was absent from another episode. He was a huge draw to the series for me, and I was under the impression that he was going to have a large role. I’m still waiting to see him since the five second appearance in the pilot. Oh well, there’s always next week.

How are you enjoying Boardwalk Empire so far?

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Sep 26, 2010 @ 22:00 EST5EDT