HBO [US] Boardwalk Empire **Spoilers**

spiritcrusher

Oh man oh man oh man... That was just stunning! Those last few minutes were incredible. Nucky going out protect his nephew was ridiculously tense. When Eli appeared that was pretty sweet but the reveal of Capone was so well played it was almost like a twist. Ah man, the whole thing was just so perfectly played.
Great payoff to the slow build so far. Feels like all those little stories floating around the fringes since the beginning are about to come good.

I love how the writers are so confident enough the audience loves Capone that they can just end on something so simple as him spouting off a one-liner.
"We been on the road for 18 hours. I need a bath, some chow... Then you me sit down and talk about who dies" all while smoking a fat cigar. Pretty much squealed like a teenage girl at Beiber concert.

Duggy747

Richard is doing a 1920's rendition of The Terminator when he storms the brothel :pac:


Solid episode that didn't let up once. As slow as some episodes were, the stories really come to fruition towards the end.

I wonder if we'll get a glimpse of what Van Alden is up to?

Dave!

Van Alden is Capone's b*tch now isn't he? After he got caught selling hooch. He'll be cracking skulls with the rest of them in the finale!

jcsoulinger

That was some payoff episode some thing that those who stop watching shows because they find the plot moves too slowly will never appreciate.

Even tho there was a great deal of suspense in the scenes where Nucky came close to being caught, I dont think anyone really doubted that he would survive?

Kinda sad now that there is only 1 episode left may ration it and watch 5 min every week for 10 weeks

_Kaiser_

That... was... AWESOME

What an ending! Capone walking out of the crowd like that with probably the best line of the season, Harrow tooling up (finally he's going to do something!), Chalky getting some great screen time and even little moments like Nucky realising he knows nothing about the one man who's always been there for him and he's always been able to trust, all add up to the best episode of the season... so far!

Can't wait till next week. What will we do when it's over though guys?? :eek:

Shane St.

That was one of the best episodes of a television programme I have seen in a long long time

ricero

My finale prediction is that eli will be taking a bullet for nucky and I also think it will be gillian that will kill gyp in the bedroom, she aint all to happy by his arrival either

superglue

Two reasons why I enjoyed that episode.

1. It was a great episode.

2. No Margaret.

leggo

Did anyone else love how, in the midst of all of Nucky's life falling apart and perhaps the most tension-packed episode of the entire show, they still took the time to flesh out Eddie? (Both in a character sense and...yeah, you get it...)

Richard Dower

lovin all the rave reviews on the thread, ive not seen any of season 3....but it sounds like the finale will be a corker!

spiritcrusher

Another thing about that episode is that even though Al's reveal at the end sort of dominates all discussion, let's not forget about Gyp's two cracking one-liners this week too.

"Mr Rossetti, what an unexpected surprise..."
"Aren't all surprises unexpected"

and after Gyp and Chalky's men put their guns down
"Look at us, we're almost kissin'"

It's the way he tells 'em.

Duggy747

I thought that bit were Nucky & Eddie crash in the car looked awful, the green screen came to a sudden halt before they even "crashed" :pac:

splashthecash

Loved this episode....can't believe we are only one episode away from the end of this season. I hope Jimmy's ma gets a bullet in the gee....what an absolute cnut!

So does Al's deal with Eli mean that he has shed his connection with his boss (the guy with the wonky eye) and is now out on his own? This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship

Roll on next week for an action packed episode....and I hope Margaret stays on whatever train she's on and it derails....and then explodes.

Duggy747

splashthecash wrote: »

Roll on next week for an action packed episode....and I hope Margaret stays on whatever train she's on and it derails....and then explodes.

The explosions also rips a hole in the space time continuum, sucking anybody who possibly could have survived it and shooting them out on the other end deep into space.

Might be a bit too out there for Boardwalk, but if it gets rid of her I'll let it slide.......

Dave!

Duggy747 wrote: »

The explosions also rips a hole in the space time continuum, sucking anybody who possibly could have survived it and shooting them out on the other end deep into space.

Might be a bit too out there for Boardwalk, but if it gets rid of her I'll let it slide.......

Think that actually happens in Homeland

Duggy747

Dave! wrote: »

Think that actually happens in Homeland

Margaret gets sent through a wormhole and winds up in Homeland?

Much hilarity ensues......

Handsome Bob

Forgot to mention MKW, what a thrilling performance, especially his scene with Rosetti. Kudos to the guy who plays the latter too, this was probably the best performance of his so far as well.

FloatingVoter

The Al Capone that we all knew and loved from the history books has arrived.
Gyp is surrounded on all sides now but he's too mad and dumb to know it.
I'm loving this - its more like a good book than a TV show.

Absolutely sensational episode and despite my not being an excitable person, I lost my **** at the end of this episode and the promise it holds for next week.

Just a note on Richard Harrow. He isn't looking for revenge, nor is he looking to start a fight. His number one priority in life is to look after the kid as he sees himself as his natural guardian (given that Gillian Darmody is insane).

He is tooling up because he sees the writing on the wall and knows that it may come down to the Brothel being Boardwalk Empires O.K Corral.

If he goes in, he is going in to get the Kid out - that is what he was trying to do because he wants to keep him safe. Gillian won't give him up because she is too selfish to put his survival above her want to see him around. Really makes her a pretty bad character in the final scheme of things and I'm not sure she will last the end of this season.

I think next week could be out of this world, or it could start with a lot of the action out of the way (similar to the ending of Season 1 of game of thrones where it all built up to nothing happening on screen).

I'm not getting too excited about anything other than what Richard Harrow is going to do, because his character is and will always be one of the best written and conceptualised characters in modern TV history.

S.3 Episode 11 Boardwalk empire - a rare 10/10.

Handsome Bob

Gillian's days are surely numbered, she can't get any lower as a character (only other option is some redemptive gesture but I can't see that).

Dermighty

spiritcrusher wrote: »

Another thing about that episode is that even though Al's reveal at the end sort of dominates all discussion, let's not forget about Gyp's two cracking one-liners this week too.

"Mr Rossetti, what an unexpected surprise..."
"Aren't all surprises unexpected"

and after Gyp and Chalky's men put their guns down
"Look at us, we're almost kissin'"

It's the way he tells 'em.

Both of those pale in the light of Chalkys line:

"Gyp: How do I address you?"
"Chalky: you doin' it"

ricero

S. De Sousa wrote: »

Gillian's days are surely numbered, she can't get any lower as a character (only other option is some redemptive gesture but I can't see that).

She will kill gyp I think while getting down and dirty with him

dr gonzo

ricero wrote: »

She will kill gyp I think while getting down and dirty with him

I hope not, that would be both obvious and boring. Unless... she did it with the intention of smoothing things out and keeping the business, but in that scenario someone would still shoot her. Shes ruffled too many feathers at this point.

splashthecash wrote: »

So does Al's deal with Eli mean that he has shed his connection with his boss (the guy with the wonky eye) and is now out on his own?

Undoubtedly I would think. The last few episodes have been showing Torrio going soft, and Al not being too happy about it. More to the point Torrio hasnt been presented as the kind of guy to go to war, which is about to friggin happen, fcuk yeh!


Chalkey, Harrow, Capone, Van Alden all about to lay the smackdown together. You gotta love it!

Handsome Bob

The question though is how would Capone have that many men if he separated from Torrio. They are Torrio's men.

Historically,

If I'm remembering correctly, Torrio retired to Naples and left Capone in charge. Torrio's demeanour lately in the show seems to be indicating that he is losing his interest in the business, and seems happy enough to let Capone do his thing. So maybe off screen Torrio has indeed left.

_Kaiser_

K3lso wrote: »

Here's the finale preview...

Ah crap.. is that Margaret at 1:01?

That's all we need - a break from the action to see her moping about Eoin

Corkfeen

In regards to Torrio, a couple of episodes back he started to give Capone more responsibilities and i'm inclined to believe that he's authorised Capone to make the decisions. It is amazing how the overall episode quality rises when Margaret is absent. :pac:

FloatingVoter

I predict Capone killed Gyp in the whorehouse with a baseball bat.
Cluedo was never this much fun.

Dave!

spitfireIRL

ah lads i actually can't wait for the finale, getting a few beers and locking myself in my room. latest episode was best of season by miles, thank god for chalky white.

Kirby

dr gonzo wrote: »

Undoubtedly I would think. The last few episodes have been showing Torrio going soft, and Al not being too happy about it. More to the point Torrio hasnt been presented as the kind of guy to go to war, which is about to friggin happen, fcuk yeh!

Would disagree entirely. It's obvious that his trip to Italy mellowed him. But he seemed happy to let Capone take over, and Capone was delighted to do it. Suprised yes, but happy. Several scenes have alluded to Al being happy to take the reins.

MagicMarker

I don't suppose the finale will be a feature length episode?

Dave!

Thought maybe too. Every chance of it really. Will probably be a bit longer at least.

youcancallmeal

I think deep down we all know how the finale is mostly going to play out, i.e. Nucky will be restored to his throne.

What I'm really interested in is what direction they will be going in for next season? They will probably lay down a bit of groundwork for it in the finale? If I was to guess I would say it will have something to do with Luciano getting busted maybe?

spiritcrusher

Well there's a war brewing in Chicago too so I'm sure Nucky's going to have repay Capone's favour there.
There's the politics side which still has to be fully resolved, and which I'm quite confused over who's double-crossing who. Probably everyone.
And I'm sure Nucky hasn't forgotten all those who turned their backs on him when he asked for help. I doubt he's forgotten that and now it seems like he may become more powerful than ever with stronger connections to Chicago and closer ties with Chalky and the black community.
But then there's always the possibility that Chicago could get frosty once Capone finds out about Jimmy.

I'm sure we haven't seen the last of oul Mags either, sadly.

ixoy

Excellent episode: Loved the directing here too. All of Nucky's scenes had a very claustrophobic feel when he was on the run: stuck in the confines of a car, hiding inside a small house, trapped in the back of a truck with no window outside.
Despite knowing he survives, it still made you wonder if he wouldn't...

Dave!

I'd say being stuck in that wagon with no smokes for so long was a killer

Duggy747

I'll cheer if Margaret dies, she's the weight that drags the show down and practically grinds an episode to a halt. Her hospital crusade just felt utterly pointless in relation to everyone else's story which were, in one way or another, connected to everyone else...............she's wasting precious time from all of the other worthy characters.

pappyodaniel

I haven't looked forward to a season finale this much since Breaking Bad.

I can't see Van Alden/George Mueller tooling up and fighting for Capone as some posters have mentioned. Nucky, Eli, Chalky and co. would know him only too well from his previous life as 'Agent' Van Alden. Coming back to Atlantic City, he's dead. I hope he stays in Cicero or Chicago as I don't want to lose my favourite character from the show.

FloatingVoter

Van Alden will go where Capone tells him. That's beside the point, he's just a bloke with a bad temper - why would Capone see him as an assassin or streetfighter ?
I'm guessing we won't see him develop until next season.

_Kaiser_

spiritcrusher wrote: »

But then there's always the possibility that Chicago could get frosty once Capone finds out about Jimmy.

Don't see how. Weren't the only people who know about that Nucky, Eli and whatshisface that Harrow shot early this season.. the butcher guy.

Besides, seeing as Gillian murdered Jimmy's double and passed him off as the real thing, Nucky can fall back on that story if it ever came up. I don't think Gillian will be around much longer to contradict it either...

I'm sure we haven't seen the last of oul Mags either, sadly.

Fraid not.. she's in the clip for next week

leggo

pappyodaniel wrote: »

I haven't looked forward to a season finale this much since Breaking Bad.

Breaking Bad is still on my 'to-watch list' but I know what you mean, this reminds me of Lost series finales a lot: the way they've set everything up so that, in the final episode, **** absolutely MUST hit the fan. And I've every faith they're going to smash it. Can't wait!

Grimebox

Just new to this thread so sorry if this has been mentioned before...

Did anyone else notice the drums that come in during Owen Sleater's final scene (him walking into the bath house)? They also come in during the scene in the latest episode where Richard Harrow is laying out his guns. Signifying his impending death? I noticed them once before when someone was killed but can't remember exactly when. They are lightly played during the final scene of the latest episode also. I predict they almost all die except Capone, the murderous drums stop when he appears.

dr gonzo

Grimebox wrote: »

Just new to this thread so sorry if this has been mentioned before...

Did anyone else notice the drums that come in during Owen Sleater's final scene (him walking into the bath house)? They also come in during the scene in the latest episode where Richard Harrow is laying out his guns. Signifying his impending death? I noticed them once before when someone was killed but can't remember exactly when. They are lightly played during the final scene of the latest episode also. I predict they almost all die except Capone, the murderous drums stop when he appears.

Interesting insight but I just cant see it. The characters in play here have been built up for too long to kill them off now; with the possible exception of Eli, and maybe... just maybe Chalkey. It is hugely unlikely that Harrow, Van Alden, and Nucky of course, are going anywhere, as a substantial amount of screen time has been invested in their story arcs this season without any hint of them concluding just yet. More to the point I hope that doesnt happen for any of them as the core cast is the best its been so far in the show.

In saying all of that though, this is going to be a war of attrition for both sides so you may be entirely right grimebox.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

if there was only like.. one season left I could see that, otherwise no way

just your garden variety drums of +6 foreshadowing

spiritcrusher

I can maybe see Harrow going, possibly Eli and I suppose Chalky but that's it. Chalky's story has plenty of legs yet though. Harrow I'd say is the most likely, he's just such a tragic character that I can't see him ever becoming "happy".
I think someone big is going to die and it's going to really annoy a lot of people no matter who, but that's what happens when you have good characters. I really hope it's not Eli, I've warmed to him so much this season.

Dave!

Now that I think of it, it wouldn't surprise me to see Harrow go out in a blaze of glory, saving the kid or something. It would be hard to see him going back to being some normal foot soldier or something after they developed his character so much.

K3lso

I don't want to see Harrow go...

He's one of the few remaining original characters left. They already got rid of Jimmy. Owen wasn't an original but still....I hope they don't fall into this trap of introducing new personalities every season only to see them leaving us at the end. These characters need time to develop and cement their position with the audience.

FloatingVoter

Some characters will have to figure / be introduced due to the historical aspect of the show.

Dave!

Eliot Ness must be due to show up, right?

leggo

I think anyone, except for Nucky and Capone, is on the chopping block. And, even with them, how many times did Jack Bauer 'die' in 24? So don't put it past the writers to have one of them shot and to leave it on a 'To Be Continued...' vibe. All of Harrow, Chalkey and Van Halden are ripe for a heroes death, to both redeem them of past wrongdoings and bring a tear to the viewers' eyes.

And Rosetti isn't necessarily a goner either. I mean, if I was a betting man, I'd be more inclined to put money on him dying than surviving. But still, with these scenarios, I try to think 'What makes it more interesting for the future?' (unless it's the last episode of a show altogether, in which case ask, 'What scenario ties up all loose ends and leaves people talking?') And Rosetti surviving, even defeated and disgraced, is much more interesting and unpredictable than him getting his comeuppance. So it's not beyond the realms of possibility at all.

If I was to make an actual prediction, I could see him

narrowly avoiding the wrath of Nucky and Capone's gang, being well and truly beaten, before going back to find refuge in the whorehouse, only to walk into Harrow on a rampage.