Boardwalk Empire - Season 3 (Discussion, Spoilers)
- Thread starter Tom
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I'm glad to hear it's not just me that was disappointed with it. I felt it really lacked impact. Everything was so good leading up to it, that it's like they didn't know how to actually answer to that. So, I think the show is great at building up situations, but not so great when it comes to resolution.
I really liked it for the way how so many storylines converged at the brothel and how that was a tragic case of bad timing for some (Gillian in particular) and good timing for others (Richard who might not have survived his assault on the house if Massaria's people had still been around). I was surprised that Nucky's plan was much more elaborate than I would have thought (also playing Rothstein).
The scene between Nucky and Margaret was quite tense and interesting. I guess she got her period and wasn't actually pregnant after all? Or did she have an abortion? She was really scared of Nucky in the beginning and I'm not sure what will happen between the two of them next season. Nucky seems to be quite unhappy with his fate, too.
Rosetti's end was awesome and quite fitting regarding his craziness. For a moment, I thought the writers would let him get away to California or something.
The scene between Nucky and Margaret was quite tense and interesting. I guess she got her period and wasn't actually pregnant after all? Or did she have an abortion? She was really scared of Nucky in the beginning and I'm not sure what will happen between the two of them next season. Nucky seems to be quite unhappy with his fate, too.
Rosetti's end was awesome and quite fitting regarding his craziness. For a moment, I thought the writers would let him get away to California or something.
My take was that it might have been a miscarriage. I got the impression that some time had passed when she was supposed to get her last period and the time she was shown bleeding and that it was still relatively early in the first trimester, a dangerous time where miscarriages are generally the highest, even by today's standards. If she was simply "late" then it appeared to me as if she was REALLY late. She seemed genuinely surprised by the blood.
A miscarriage is a bit more drastic than just some blood and it requires medical assistance but we saw Margaret just getting back into the room, to sleep afterwards. That doesn't strike me as the sort of behaviour you'd show in that situation.
True - a miscarriage is definitely a more traumatic occurrence. Then again, her personal experiences she's had during the show's run were also extremely traumatic for her, and she may already have been numbed by those experiences leading up to this point. Difficult to tell with the time-frame involved.
I liked the finale, but it didn't provide all the resolution I was hoping for. I thought Richard going solo into the brothel was awesome, but was disappointed that he decided to back away from Julia after delivering Tommy to her. I also wish that Gillian had bought it. Right now both stories are a little too unresolved for my taste.
I am fine with how things ended with Margaret and Nucky and thought it would be a good jumping off point for her character.
I enjoyed Chalky v. Capone and how they came to respect each other at the end.
I was a little confused by all of the betrayals and counter-betrayals. I'm going to run through them. Anyone who understands this better than me, please let me know if I'm right.
-Lucky and Meyer buy heroin from Masseria and owe him big time. They do it behind Arnold's back, correct? Lucky, impatient, gets arrested and then strikes a deal with the cops. These cops work for Arnold. Now, Arnold owns the heroin. He decides to offer a partnership with Masseria to split the profits from the heroin, the clincher being Masseria withdraw his support from Gyp. Okay, if that is correct, then why isn't the heroin still Masseria's? Masseria hasn't been paid off yet for his fronting the drugs, so why isn't he within his 'rights' to reclaim the drugs?
-With Nucky and Arnold. After Mickey calls, Nucky and tells him they are sitting on a gold mine, I'm assuming that Nucky later tells Mickey to call Arnold? Anticipating that Arnold's greed will get the best of him, Arnold calls Nucky to deal and Nucky obliges to take care of the immediate problem of Gyp. Nucky also contacts Mellon so that he can take care of Arnold. But why would Mellon want to take care of Arnold? I thought his only concern was making sure he got paid from his distillery? And what's the difference between Arnold and Nucky? The only one I can see is that Arnold appears to be more stable than Nucky is.
I am fine with how things ended with Margaret and Nucky and thought it would be a good jumping off point for her character.
I enjoyed Chalky v. Capone and how they came to respect each other at the end.
I was a little confused by all of the betrayals and counter-betrayals. I'm going to run through them. Anyone who understands this better than me, please let me know if I'm right.
-Lucky and Meyer buy heroin from Masseria and owe him big time. They do it behind Arnold's back, correct? Lucky, impatient, gets arrested and then strikes a deal with the cops. These cops work for Arnold. Now, Arnold owns the heroin. He decides to offer a partnership with Masseria to split the profits from the heroin, the clincher being Masseria withdraw his support from Gyp. Okay, if that is correct, then why isn't the heroin still Masseria's? Masseria hasn't been paid off yet for his fronting the drugs, so why isn't he within his 'rights' to reclaim the drugs?
-With Nucky and Arnold. After Mickey calls, Nucky and tells him they are sitting on a gold mine, I'm assuming that Nucky later tells Mickey to call Arnold? Anticipating that Arnold's greed will get the best of him, Arnold calls Nucky to deal and Nucky obliges to take care of the immediate problem of Gyp. Nucky also contacts Mellon so that he can take care of Arnold. But why would Mellon want to take care of Arnold? I thought his only concern was making sure he got paid from his distillery? And what's the difference between Arnold and Nucky? The only one I can see is that Arnold appears to be more stable than Nucky is.
Gillian. Still alive, DAMN IT.
Rosetti. Who didn't see the beach scene coming?
Margaret. I'm guessing she had the abortion. If not, they may have given her something to bring on an abortion (remember that woman and the raw milk?)
I think she's a fool for turning down Nucky. How will she support herself with 2 kids? The problem with Margaret, she wants to be good and virtuous, but she gets herself in trouble every time. She gets hot for a guy and *wham!* goodbye good intentions. She was pregnant coming over from Ireland, she went after Nucky and she went after Owen too.
She can't make up her own mind. Good girl or bad girl. Problem is, she is both but she can't seem to live with the bad girl part of herself. Which makes her a pain in the ass to everyone else around her.
Rosetti. Who didn't see the beach scene coming?
Margaret. I'm guessing she had the abortion. If not, they may have given her something to bring on an abortion (remember that woman and the raw milk?)
I think she's a fool for turning down Nucky. How will she support herself with 2 kids? The problem with Margaret, she wants to be good and virtuous, but she gets herself in trouble every time. She gets hot for a guy and *wham!* goodbye good intentions. She was pregnant coming over from Ireland, she went after Nucky and she went after Owen too.
She can't make up her own mind. Good girl or bad girl. Problem is, she is both but she can't seem to live with the bad girl part of herself. Which makes her a pain in the ass to everyone else around her.
The episode was definitely rushed, as I feared last week, but it was still entertaining. There was more plot crammed into this episode than the entire first season, and some of it was hard to follow for that reason. For example, what sort of deal did Nucky make with Capone? And why is Secretary Mellon doing Nucky's business? This episode could easily have been stretched out to two or three episodes and would have been better for it.
That being said, the sequence where Richard stormed the building was incredible. It's sad to see that this might be an end to his relationship with Julia, but we might get to see more of him being a badass in the future, so I'm torn.
That being said, the sequence where Richard stormed the building was incredible. It's sad to see that this might be an end to his relationship with Julia, but we might get to see more of him being a badass in the future, so I'm torn.
Richard was flat out awesome! The Terminator-like precision with which he dispatched all of Rosetti's men was like art in motion.
I SO wish Gillian OD'd and was removed from the picture. It would have been a fitting end for her. Perhaps this will become one of those "life lessons" for her and maybe - just maybe - she'll start down a new path of positive change through introspective reflection.
Yeah, I wonder how much was left on the cutting room floor with this one. I agree it did seem rushed to address all the loose ends.
I am genuinely curious what's going to happen to Rothstien over this PA distillery trap. Definitely a good set-up for early next-season conflict. That, plus the Lucky/Lansky conflict in New York. Good stuff... Can't wait til next year!
I SO wish Gillian OD'd and was removed from the picture. It would have been a fitting end for her. Perhaps this will become one of those "life lessons" for her and maybe - just maybe - she'll start down a new path of positive change through introspective reflection.
Yeah, I wonder how much was left on the cutting room floor with this one. I agree it did seem rushed to address all the loose ends.
I am genuinely curious what's going to happen to Rothstien over this PA distillery trap. Definitely a good set-up for early next-season conflict. That, plus the Lucky/Lansky conflict in New York. Good stuff... Can't wait til next year!
Personally, I think Jack Huston (Richard) should get Best Supporting Actor next year. He's a tragic character who has managed to literally return from the brink and fully transcend his handicap through external struggle and inner strife, during a time when a tolerance of such things was virtually nonexistent. His relationships with Tommy and Julia is positively touching to the core and he's just a damn good all-around actor in general. He should at least get a nomination for it.
Although I am wondering - what the hell happened to Van Alden??
Although I am wondering - what the hell happened to Van Alden??
In Mellon's first scene in the season, he's being berated for not doing much to enforce Prohibition. Nabbing someone like Rothstein would make him look good and seem like he's doing his job.
Mister Fandango
Fleet Captain
I'm pretty sure Mickey made the move to call Rothstsein on his own, too, presumably after getting annoyed at how Nucky was being dismissive about the whole operation. Nucky didn't even know how Rothstein was able to track him down on the phone when he called to make his deal.
Although I am wondering - what the hell happened to Van Alden??
I guess that's one of the things that ended on the cutting room floor... Hope next season is a bit Van Alden heavier.
Terence Winter confirmed that Gillian would be back next season:
http://www.vulture.com/2012/12/terence-winter-on-whats-next-for-boardwalk.html
Great interview and insight into the show in the article.
http://www.vulture.com/2012/12/terence-winter-on-whats-next-for-boardwalk.html
Great interview and insight into the show in the article.
Thanks. So Rothstein is a bigger fish than Nucky? I know that Rothstein was a real person and Nucky is based on a real person, but within the context of the show it would seem that Nucky is as big a fish as Rothstein, or at least one that Mellon could get rid of to show he was doing something about Prohibition too. Then again, maybe he just 'trusts' Nucky more than he would Rothstein, since he and Nucky worked out their deal eye to eye and Rothstein elbowed his way into the deal.
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