Boardwalk Empire Season 2 is coming, as evidenced by this new trailer. Does anybody care? Now that six months have passed since the first season of HBO's period gangster epic, it might be a good time to reassess what went wrong, and right, with a show that had all the hallmarks of a classic series—but ultimately failed to live up to expectations.
But first, here's the promo:
Watching this footage, I found myself struggling to recall where things stood at the end of December's Season 1 finale. In rereading a plot synopsis, I realized that entire characters and storylines had faded from memory entirely. I'll admit that my memory isn't the greatest. But I feel pretty confidently that when Season 2 of Game of Thrones rolls around, the various personalities and power struggles of that expertly drawn universe will have stuck with me.
Part of the problem with Boardwalk Empire was the ambitiousness of the project: In telling the story of the birth of organized crime in 1920s Atlantic City, the series simply tried to take on too much. But the characters it did choose to focus on—particularly corrupt city treasurer Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), his Irish immigrant mistress (Kelly MacDonald), and his protege (Michael Pitt)—consistently failed to provoke in ways you'd expect them to.None of them ever measured up to the anti-heroes of The Sopranos—a show to which Boardwalk was frequently compared. As for the sociopaths dotting the periphery, Michael Stuhlbarg, as Arnold Rothstein, and Stephen Graham, as the rising Al Capone, both delivered solid performances, as did Michael Shannon, playing a Prohibition agent with some severely weird bedtime habits. Paz de la Huerta's boozy Lucy, Nucky's sidelined floozy, was also a Season 1 highlight.
But in the end it was the series' reverent approach to its era and subject matter that doomed it. I know there are viewers who will violently disagree, but a show about the distribution of contraband alcohol during a distant and forgotten chapter of American history just doesn't hold that much interest for me. Maybe one, fantastic feature could come out of it—but dozens of hours of TV? Too often, the episodes came off feeling like antiseptic history lessons. Really expensive, bloody and bullet-ridden history lessons—but history lessons all the same. It's the kind of entertainment I refer to as "Dad TV."
So now that you've seen the new tease, are you excited for Season 2? Or have you already forgotten it ever aired in the first place?
I can't wait...it is the only show on TV that I watch with regularity. Of course, I DVR so as not to have to endure all the ads, but I have been checking the TV guide to find the start date. Hurry Sept 25!
Failed to live up to expectations? What are you talking about? Boardwalk Empire was one of the best series to hit the air in awhile. Definately, it fall into the category with the Sopranos, Mad Men, and The Wire. I can't wait for season 2..... Just can't wait.
love it. cnt wait
i like the show, its not action filled, but still a great show
I dont care, I only saw the first episode of the first season.....Boring
Does anyone know when it's starting? Because judging from the HBO commercials I've been hearing lately, they make it out like it's a summer premier?
Super excited for the season 2 premiere. "A distant and forgotten chapter of American history"- ??? Good luck with that buddy
Loved the first series, roll on series 2.
I can't wait for Season 2 to start. This is the only reason I subscribe to HBO is for the awesome series of shows it has. I watched the Soprano's, Deadwood, Entourage, and now Boardwalk Empire. They are all good series. Bring it on Boardwalk Empire!
sorry seth but i am excited for season 2 ;) it's a great show.
to dofuscato: I can understand people not liking series or shows for many reasons, but yours in particular, are wrong. To think that in 1920's the word f**k wasn't around is just plain wrong. Here's some interesting read for you: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-f-word.htm . Sure, maybe these particular gangsters didn't use it that much, or maybe they didn't even use it at all, but the word WAS around by then. Not to mention, the word is there to have an impact, so we can understand what the characters are feeling in that particular situation, not because of some childish humour.
Love this show; this and Treme are getting the cold shoulder from this site constantly but whatever, more for me. Can't wait.
Boardwalk Empire was an epic fail to me just because they used the f-word in the script. Just as Deadwood failed because of that. It is not only painfully historically inaccurate, which is annoying in itself, it gets even worse when you know they do it on purpose for political (radical liberalism, social engineering) reasons. Shows like that is unwatchable to me, no matter how good the rest of the material are. That kind of language is not good in a modern setting either, but it is much worse when they try to put it in time periods when it did not even exist. But, even today it is an epic fail to curse like that. Most stand up comedians are unwatchable mainly for the language, it actually makes you cringe when watching grown men and women using a language where they sound like insecure teenagers, the only thing missing would be the constant spitting teenagers also often do. Robin Williams is one of them who lost a lot of my respect first time i saw him do standup. Cursing is something normal people only do in affect, not something you do in every sentence. Not even criminals and/or low educated people curse that much actually, because if you have a limited vocabular, you are neither a creative speaker or a creative curser. The more elaborate and excessive cursing, they better you are with words, and the more we should/could expect you NOT to curse. So, double fail. Anyway, sorry for ranting.moreless
Your statement that the F word wasn't used back then is untrue. Here is some documents to prove it. Starting off, here is a late 19th century memo to Baseball players. Read the memo that is posted and you'll see what I mean.
http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/what-the-its-a-19th-century-baseball-memo-on-swearing/
And here is a song from the 1930s (warning! Explicit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ko2VXpW7_g
Not only that, but "Lady Chatterly's Lover" and "Ulysses," two novels published in the 1920s use the F word.
I don't like the F word either. But to say it wasn't in use during that time period is historically innacurate, when, clearly, it was.
Yes, i care so much, i can't wait for next season
The quality of writers here is ordinary. This show is amazing, go back to watching How I Met Your Mother
yes i care very much... !
Well, I agree. I usually love HBO but this one just couldn't get me excited so I stopped watching before the season was even finished. I'm not going back for more...
Being a show based around the mafia Boardwalk Empire was always going to be compared to The Sopranos but there are arguably only two or three shows ever that can match The Sopranos for quality. Taken on its own merits however Boardwalk Empire's first season was a fairly good watch.
You could not be more wrong. This show slowly builds a complex plot and pulls you in bit by bit. I wasn't too sure in the start but by the 5th episode I was hooked. Cannot wait for Season 2!
cnt wait
It's great to see all the comments disagreeing with this "review" of the Season 2 trailer. PS - Season 1 was amazing, and the Season 2 trailer looks every bit as good.
Yes, I care. No, Boardwalk Empire did not fail to live up to expectations. Yes, there can be dozens of hours of quality tv in this show. Yes, I am excited for season 2. No, I have not forgot it aired or any of the major plot points. No, Glee is not quality television. Does that answer all your questions?
I didn't watch the trailer because I want to be kept in the dark and not have to wait 3 more months for more footage (plus, I find most trailers for TV shows to be manipulatively misleading and the cause of building up false expectations). But, where is this "Dad TV" talk coming from? Based on what you have written, I can't convince you that this show is brilliant, but I can't see my dad watching more than one episode of Boardwalk Empire. Or do I just not know what that term means?
@Johannes_Kepler I like Glee. Jersey Shore has lost its luster but I liked Season One a lot.
I agree with kavselj, BE is a great show with memorable stories and characters and I for one am looking forward to Season 2 I just hope Jimmy doesn't team with Eli against Nucky because if Nucky doesn't kill him first Eli will and I don't want that ungrateful wannabe getting anything more than what Nucky has allowed him to have
I loved the first season of Boardwalk Empire it is one of my favorite shows on TV. It's been a long time since it has last been on so I'm sure I've forgotten some of what's going on but I remember all of the big developments from the end of last season.
Writers on this page have proved it numerous times before that they actually have no clue about the topics they post about. This article is no exception.
"Dad TV", huh? I can imagine that you loooooove Glee, Jersey Shore, and other gems like that.
I'm on board for season 2 for sure. One of the best shows running.
I care!
It is without a doubt one of the greatest first season of any new show ever existed!. It's in the same level of Lost season 6, Breaking Bad season 3, Mad Men season 3, Dexter season 4. it's Just a PERFECT show.
A miss? Really? I was definitely drawn in by Boardwalk Empire: Steve Buscemi as a mob boss; the corruption of his mistress, whose husband he murdered; the post-Civil War race relations; the introduction of a pre-infamous Al Capone.... What's not to like?
For me, it was a bit of a disappointment because I just didn't feel drawn to any of the characters, even though I think everyone acted really well! I think it sort of lost energy after the first few episodes and it didn't really feel like a planned short season HBO-series-style, more like they were writing it as it moved along (like most regular series)...
I know exactly where they finished the first season because i like this tv show and even thou i agree that they have taken a bit too much of a bite it still has something that draws me to watch it.