This doomed the otherwise masterful series to a predictable and deeply unsatisfying finale.
Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) is now operating out of Cuba instead of Atlantic City.
This makes much of the shows precise and purposeful writing now feel irrelevant.
Image via HBO
How Does ‘Boardwalk Empire’s Ending Measure Up to Other Prestige TV Dramas?
In some ways, one cant help but considerBoardwalk Empireto be a follow-up of sorts toThe Sopranos.
Show creatorTerence Winterwas a writer onThe Sopranosfor most of the series run.Boardwalkpremiered three years afterSopranoswent off the air.
Image via HBO
And both shows are, of course, about New Jersey gangsters.
Whats more apparent is that Nuckys death feels deeply unsatisfying.
It seems thatBoardwalk Empirelearned the wrong lesson from the end ofThe Sopranos.
Some might argue that the series was already running out of steam prior to Season 5.
Instead, the creative collapse of the series was entirely the result of a rushed ending.
The characters weve come to know so well are pale shadows of their former selves.
Image via HBO
We are not invested in their current states because we lack the context of how they arrived there.
His murderers identity is so obvious and on the nose that it inspires an emotionless response.
As lackluster as the final season ofBoardwalkmight be, thats how spellbinding the first four seasons are.
There isnt a single flawed performance in the entire cast.
The fictional characters are as equally compelling as the real-life notorious gangsters.
The costume and production design are both immaculate.
The direction, especially in theMartin Scorsese-helmed pilot episode, is both appropriately stylized and restrained.
Perhaps best of all,Boardwalkgives usthe show-stopping Steve Buscemi lead performancethat the world always needed.
