Well, Spoiler Chalky's dead and Spoiler Van Alden too! I'm interested to see where Eli is going to go. The first couple episodes with the Nucky flashbacks were somewhat boring, but I'm starting to really like how everything is coming together.
That dude that plays 20-something Nucky is doing a fantastic job. Seriously. The looks, the mannerism, speech, everything is spot-on Buscemi.
I agree with everything posted on this page. I just watched the last 4 episodes in a row. They're closing this shit out properly. They aren't sitting there telegraphing every death either. They're just doing what they need to do, making it awesome. I'm enjoying this season immensely. Capone needs to get an award for the shit he's pulling. It's just incredible.
I'm really enjoying this season as well. Was that little girl they caught stealing THE Gillian? As in Darmody? Because if it is, that makes for a very interesting little story.
That's what I assumed and I got SO excited when she said what her name was, since, if you remember wayyy back, Nucky said the Commodore made Nucky bring her to him. I can't wait to see how they play that out. I agree with what Juice said about the actor playing young Nucky. He's excellent in that role. And Capone is equally as excellent. It all makes for a really great final season.
As this season closes out, I've read all over the place that "Steve Buscemi isn't a strong lead" and "He doesn't have the gravitas to carry this show" but I think and have thought throughout this whole show that he is exactly what is necessary for this show. Not once have I thought that Steve Buscemi was the problem or he needed more oomph. He's no Jon Hamm, but he wouldn't have fit in this role. Nucky is played perfectly to a T. He's never been a big dude, he's gotten by solely on knowing how the game works. The flashbacks are excellent, because they're answering a question that watchers were asking season 1, and it kind of fell off. Now they're answering it and they're answering it perfectly. And as it rolls out you go from "What the fuck is the point of this?" to "Ah...." especially when they had that nice sequence with Mabel and how he just pops up from dreaming after the flashback.
Absolutely. Critics who are saying that miss the point of the character. Nucky isnt really a gangster, he never has been and to make him one would ruin it. He has way more finesse and cunning than Capone or Luciano. The entire point of the show, or at least the last few seasons, is the transition from the old world of organized crime into the new one. Rothstein is dead, Torrio is retired, Masseria is dead. Nucky is the only one left and now hes up against all of the old bosses' former proteges that are ushering in the first generation of American organized crime.
First of all, once again, the guy playing young Nucky is fucking haunting. The precision in which he not only does Buscemi, but does Buscemi playing Nucky is uncanny. UN-FUCKING-CANNY. All the while wearing extra teeth in his mouth. It was such a touching moment Mickey Doyle and Nucky had together in the club, when they realized "Who the fuck we'd both be standing here doing shit?" Of course that meant he was going to die. Also, its shocking how easy it was to kill Marazano, what happen to all those people he had with him at the dinner? Thought he was a big wig. Next week should be some Capone, and how all that goes down. They're going to have to nail it.
Micky Doyle has probably been the most loyal to Nucky out of everyone during the course of the show. Nucky's begrudging realization of that fact was very poignant. Although thematically it was a little anti-climactic for Nucky to lay down for Luciano, it really couldnt have gone any other way without shitting on history. I dont know whether the real Nucky Thompson (Nucky Johnson) ever had any interaction with the real Luciano. They do have pictures of him with Capone, but the other details are sketchy. Im wondering how the Gillian story line will tie up. The flashbacks are supposed to be him remembering all this stuff right? Maybe he tries to redeem himself by saving her at least. If I were to guess, next week he escapes the assassination attempt unscathed and it ends up him as an old man writing a story or something kind of like the ending of Casino.
I think Nucky is going to have one play that is going to just get him out of it. This whole season has been about retiring and securing a life for himself where he doesn't have to be shitty anymore. I'm sure this season will end with him having a way to have gotten ahead.
I feel like whatever he told Margaret to do when she called has something to do with Nucky's contingency plan. Is next week the finale? I can't remember if this season was only 8 episodes. I have to admit, I'll be sad to see this show end.
Next week is the finale. I'll definitely be sad as well, but then I'll realize all the other shows I've been talking about watching I can now fit in.
Yeah its gonna be the show that could have been better, but kept tripping over it self. I very much enjoyed the ride though. I cant decide who I liked better, Chalky White or Van Alden. Both really great characters.
I think this show closes out with a B+. I'm not mad at it. Everything can't be a home run, and its better that way. I really don't think it was swinging for the fences completely. The show wasn't trying to make some grand commentary on things going on today, every character wasn't supposed to relate to a view. The show had a story, it told that story and I think they did hit most of what they were trying to do. I think that can be safely said even before the finale.
I need to sleep on it, but just saw the finale. I didn't jump up and cheer, but I think they really tossed in a lot layered shit in this episode and it is hard get it all in one viewing. They really nailed that last actor. If any of you have HBO, I highly suggest watching the Inside the Episode recap. Just interesting to understand what they were thinking.
Wow never thought they would kill off Nucky, I thought he would go away from AC, either with his tail between his legs or not, but he would still get away. As soon as the flashbacks started focusing on his experience with Gillian I suspected that they would have Tommy back at some point, but definitely not to clip Nucky. I guess it makes sense though, in the end he we undone by his own ambition (and the Darmody family, which has been been trying to get one over on him since the beginning). I have mixed emotions on it as well.
I had been telling myself that the kid reminded me so much of Jimmy. But that it must just be a coincidence. Well, I guess it wasn't. They kind of shit on history a little with that ending because the real Nucky lived until 1968 or something in an old folks home. I think showing how Gillian was introduced to the commodore was really fucked up. He sold away a little girl to get himself ahead. And now I know why Jimmy was so close in age to his own mother.
But why she liked to fuck Jimmy is still a mystery. That segment in that episode was probably the most uncomfortable piece of television Ive ever watched.