Courtesy of the HBO Go app on my iPad, I'm finally catching up with Boardwalk Empire, a very entertaining show that centers around prohibition-era gangster activity in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Unlike HBO On Demand, the new HBO Go app features every episode of every HBO series aired during the past ten years or so, not just selected offerings. The app is free to HBO subscribers, with myself being a recent addition to that fine group.
Getting back to to the show, I like how Boardwalk Empire both immerses itself in romantic nostalgia for 1920s-era Atlantic City and blunt, realistic depiction of the gangster activity that took place during that time, with neither flavor undercutting the other. Helping to reconcile those two approaches is Steve Buscemi's crime/political boss character Nucky Thompson (based on the real-life A.C. figure Nucky Johnson), who himself displays both sympathetic and brutal sides. Buscemi is great in the role, demanding viewers' attention despite his high voice and lack of physical stature. Who says an effective crime boss has to look the part at first glance?
I'm sure I'll write more about the show as I watch more episodes, but so far, the first three episodes of season one have been rich, involving, and a lot of fun.
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