User reviews

Boardwalk Empire is absolutely, without a doubt one the best gangster shows ever created. Every season is as addictive as the last. Steve Buscemi leads an amazing cast as he gives one of the best performances ever put on tv! This is tv at its best so don't miss it!

Boardwalk Empire is one of the best shows I've ever seen. The acting and writing are as good as anything you'll see on tv. The production is also fantastic, the attention to detail is just incredible. It tells the story of Atlantic City politician/gangster, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi), and how he runs the town both legally and criminally. He runs it with his brother Elias (Shea Whigham), who is also the Sheriff, and their gang of tough guys. It takes place during prohibition and Nucky is the #1 distributor of illegal alcohol. He does this while doing business with some of the most notorious gangsters in American history like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Jim Colosimo, Arnold Rothstein, among others. There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said about this incredible show so just go watch it. You won't be disappointed!

Terrific from start to finish. Can't say enough about how entertaining this show is.

This show has to be one of my personal favourites, I would always recommend people to check out. In terms of the show itself, you've got an awesome cast of great actors, with some the most beautiful cinematography, and hands down the story is just fantastic. You've got historical true elements mixed of course with fictional aspects, more so on the fictional side but it's just amazing to see these actors play out some the most iconic historic mobsters, Stephen Graham as Al Capone is just amazing, one my top favourite actors to see on screen. And ultimately one the best endings to a show, with no spoilers the story comes full circle, with a satisfying end.

At first when I started this series, I thought it would be just another typical gangster TV show with not much of a plot or well developed characters. However, season 3 onward, the show really grew on me.

The overall story arcs I found really engaging and interesting. You weren't just watching one gangster shoot another gangster, you were watching characters you cared about get into interesting and varied predicaments. Though each season was often slow at the start, though I didn't mind this personally, the way they built up to the finales was fantastic, not a single one disappointed.

The characters were also really well developed. Again unlike your typical gangster flick, where you like the characters because of the stealing and murdering and racketeering they get into, in Boardwalk Empire you actually get the sense that the mob bosses are real people with real motivations. This is best seen in Nucky Thomson but also with others, though in Al Capone's case I found he got crueller, nastier and less humorous as the seasons went by.

The setting and cinematography was also great, helped by the show's choice of music. Previously, I'd never thought of Atlantic City as much of a place, being an Englishman, but by the end I felt like I had gotten to no and love it. Overall, a great TV show which I would think is suited to quite a wide audience, not gangster film fans.

This show is loaded with excellent acting and writing!!!!! It's worth watching every minute and shot. Steve Buscemi definitely deserves an Emmy for his portrayal of "Nucky." I haven't enjoyed a show from HBO this much since "Deadwood." The characters are well layered and the dialogue is fantastic. The supporting cast is immensely talented and the scenery is simply gorgeous. Michael Pitt is a pleasure to watch in his, complex role of the war hero gone bad. I hope this show lasts a lot longer than "Deadwood" did and makes household names out of its cast. I'll keep my HBO subscription forever if more shows like these are on the horizon.

It was nearly perfect. I feel like the final season was a little unnecessary but they made it work. Richard Harrow is probably my favourite character from anything ever and I know they think they used him just enough but they could have featured him just a little more.

I feel sorry for everyone who says they stopped watching after season 2.

This show is amazing all around such great acting and story line. It's one of those shows that needs time to set things up so if it seems slow and confusing at first try and stick it out. I love seeing all these big time crime syndicates come up and thru the ranks. The way they can transform a set back 100 years with such precision and accuracy is astounding to me. Sopranos is my favorite show ever and you'll see a lot of these actors and actresses in this series.

The writing, acting, music, historical events. It's all there. Then you have Martin Scorsese involved, so what can go wrong?

I just recently finished binging this show and I've gotta say I don't know what took me so long to watch. It's an amazing show with great characters and as a history buff I really enjoyed how they incorporated real life people into the story. Beautiful settings and costume designs as well. For anyone who hasn't yet watched this do yourself a favor and start now.

With production values that are mind-boggling, cast, and a budget to die for HBO is now what film studios were in the 1930s, they have the clout and the ability to go way further than most films can - and you get episode after episode.

the detailing is beyond accurate and lavish - every stitch, every furnishing, every telegraph wire looks and feels authentic and it is all shot and lit to the highest standards of film not TV.

The story of prohibition and Atlantic City is fully detailed, complex, with Steve Buscemi heading up a great cast. I have a gripe that the F-word was not ubiquitous at the time and strikes a jarring note in an otherwise near perfect production.

Where this shines is in the details - I just hope the story lines and acting live up to the promise - they certainly have so far.

Season 3 was excellent, mainly due to gyp Rossetti. It is a very good series, but is too drawn out and slow a lot of the time.

since first episode it was pretty much what i expected; great re-enactments of 1920's America (including the excessive use of stereotypes unfortunately, with a superficial originality ), an appropriate soundtrack for the era, excellent camera direction, and decent to good actors (a few played too over the top such as Capone character ).

but after watching season 2 entirely i will surly give up on it. my problem is that the writers are going after "The Godfather Effect" with cheap melodramatic thrills all in the name of so called realism...characters are multidimensional (most have likable/dis likable traits) but season 1 is all over the place with the same message given over and over: "America was a much more ruthless place than it is today, with everyone unscrupulous, driven by almighty dollar...". Meanwhile season 2 starts rather better off but derails off track and in the last 2 episodes there was so much predictability when expecting the twist.

my point i try make is that the serial becomes UN-entertaining fast. after the season 2 finale especially, i really can not care less for any of the "players" LEFT in play... for such "realism" i will just call my local politician or read the newspaper between the lines, i don't need waste time watch a fantasy that claims to be realistic (oxymoron at best).

it is a much too materialistic show for my taste (capitalism at its finest...right...) with very little if any educative content besides the costumes and appliances used on sets).

I have never written a review on iMDb. I have never given a TV show a straight 10/10 before. No other ending has ever left me in the total shock that this ending left me. Apart from a very few exceptions (e.g. The Sopranos, Breaking Bad), no other show has done such a phenomenal job at character development. The music, the atmosphere, the (historical) characters are simply spectacular. Pretty much all the characters are extremely memorable, since the viewer gets really, and I mean, REALLY invested into their entire personality, their dreams, their fears, their yearnings, their aspirations. Do yourself a favor and start watching this masterpiece right away.

Starts off great as you learn about the corruption spreading as prohibition takes off. It's a story of morality and it doesn't have a happy ending.

You're reminded this an HBO show that loosely follows real life historical figures through the rise of organized crime and the forces trying to stop them.

The later seasons start to get a bit tired and boring, but it has a strong ending.

As an avid Sopranos fan, and generally a fan of anything gangster-related, I was always going to gravitate towards a show like this. It's 'that' show which always seems to be left out of the 'Greatest TV Shows of All Time' discussions, and it's baffling as to why that happens. For me, it's up there with The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, and others we're so much more familiar with.

The casting is fantastic, the sets are incredible, and the writing is multi-layered and keeps you really involved with each character's story. I recently shared this show with my current girlfriend who stated right away "I can't stand Nelson Van Alden, he's so boring", and all I said was "just wait...you'll change your mind", and change her mind she did. His story arc in particular is just incredible, but that's about 1% of the full picture - it's just an amazing piece of television and probably still my second-favourite show post-Sopranos, with number one being Breaking Bad.

Watch it - seriously.

The show doesn't need any introduction and neither does the cast. It encompasses a generation where the political landscape is much the same as today but it is laced with more violence, sexism and corruption and in the midst is a thriving business of illegal alcohol.

A new standard is set with the storytelling, cinematography, elaborate sets on the shores of Brooklyn, carefully chosen custom tailored clothes and costumes that match the opulent lifestyles of the characters. The occasional inserts of magazines, books, manuals; all in their original form, which not only gives originality (to the show) for the era that is being depicted but also takes you back in time into the deeply woven lives of characters like Mrs Schroeder, Nucky, Eli, Nelson and my personal favorite character Mr. Kessler.

A barrage of other prominent real life characters like Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Liciano, Al Capone, (Jimmy Darmody?), Johnny Torrio, Senators, Congressmen, President and VP contenders make the show complete and give it a political as well as a mob dimension.

Much of what is in the show is based on true events and a cursory search on Wikipedia on some of the famous characters validates it. This is what makes this brilliant show dark just like it's setting - theme song with clouds over Atlantic city.

One of the less talked about part of the show perhaps are the melodious songs that the producers/writers have decided for the background score. The songs fill up the environment with melancholy just like much of the show and leaves us eagerly waiting for the next episode.

Any less than ten stars for the show would only reflect lack of fine taste.

Everything about this show is pleasant to watch. It's beautifully staged, well acted with a brilliant cast of characters. The dialogue is well written, the story is well paced and every episode moves the story along concisely.

If Boardwalk Empire was the follow up to that dreck piece of garbage The Sopranos then Terrance Winter has redeemed himself.

There has never been a mob/mafia film like this one, and there never will be again. Phenomenal writing, dialogue, acting, directing, photography--the works. I only give the series a 9 because many of the sex scenes, and much of the profanity, could have been left out and the story would not have suffered at all. Ultra-violent, authentic dialogue from that era, and touching in many parts.

A must watch series Brilliant acting and story. Thought ending was slightly rushed

You know it is going to be good when it is produced by Martin Scorcese and starred by Steve Buscemi.

The directing and writting are incredible, it never looses quality and you know that no matter who gets wacked it never fills like something is missing.

It isn't as good as The Sopranos, though. Both shows have their slow moments/episodes, but the comic side of The Sopranos and the funny acting of James Gandolfini makes the show more entertaining.

Still, another incredible success from HBO.

The show is good, but there was something lacking in the characters, and the story. Some were awful, some were ok, and some were good. Which was kind of surprising, for an HBO show. One thing for sure, the show lacked the lovable "bad guy", that you had in shows like The Sopranos(Toni, Paulie), or Deadwood(Al). The one who's bad, but the character is so good, you couldn't help but love them. I assume it was supposed to be Nucky, but almost no one in this show fits that role, the closest, was maybe Al. I didn't feel character connection, and without spoiling anything, some of the major characters, fell very flat for me. I found myself wanting to rush through seasons, not because the typical, " Oh, I have to watch just one more". It was more like I just wanted to get it over with. Is it worth watching? Yes. Is it worth buying, or even watching through a second time? Not in my opinion. This doesn't hold up like other HBO shows that I can randomly go back through, and rewatch every once in a while. I think this one would fall pretty far down on the list, if you were ranking HBO shows.

Into Episode 3 of Season 3 and I just really don't care anymore. Too many incidental characters and story lines are spoiling the broth.

Whereas with The Sopranos I felt an emotional attachment to the characters (as heinous as they were), I'm just not feeling it here. It's as if the writers don't have a seasonal, let alone a series arc in mind.

This series continues to waste a great cast.

On the upside, the set design and music are wonderful. The series really evokes the early '20s (not that I was there).

Take some money from the art design budget and put it into some great writing.

Which is not to say that this show is unredeemable. But the series needs to cut down on the incidental characters and flesh out a good "core" cast in much tighter plot lines.

Greetings from Lithuania.

What a wonderful pilot!

First i read some reviews before watching pilot, and they where saying how "boooring" this episode was. Hell no! That was one of the best pilots in a ... ever! When you have screenwriter of "Sopranos" and Mr. M.Scorsese in a director chair - nothing can go wrong! A pilot of "Boardwalk Empire" reminded my of "Goodfellas", "Sopranos" (i read that behind this show is a writer of "Sopranos" after watching pilot) and ... "Departed" - it's was THAT good.

If this show will live up to the pilot - we have a new Emmy winner in all possible categories.

Watch it and don't wary about negative reviews - this is a really great show.