I guess I didn't mind it as much as the general consensus. I really enjoyed Boardwalk, one of my favourite shows to come along the past decade or two of tv, and more than a lot of other shows that get all the 'attention.' But, yes, the last season did have its flaws. The show started off so strong and intense, and I am not sure if it is from general people leaving the project along the way, or just using up all the excellent ideas at the start, but it did start to drift. And, unfortunately (as with nearly all truly great HBO shows) there are inevitably the loss of fantastic characters you don't want to see go. But, there were equally great storlylines continued too.
The time inbetween seasons was always an issue, but especially so in the later seasons. It begged for further expansion, and left the viewer too much to figure out - and also spent too long throwing things out there in the dialogue, to keep the audience up to date. It was undoubtebly handicapped by being based on actual events, and trying too hard not to stray too much from the history; though honestly, I would doubt that anyone would have noticed [or cared] much about deviations from those events. It is a drama after all, and the action and intensity is what made it such a great show. I actually went in not knowing this was the final season, so when I had finished it I was actually suprised, though also disappointed, in this as a finale. I think it deserved better. Shows can't last forever, but I would rather they planned it out in advance and divided strong plot among each of the seasons. If it had to end early, so be it.
I was not 100% sold on the whole flashback aspect. It was handled well, and gave you a lot of information on the characters' development, but I also think that the reverse side of this is seeing things you might interpret yourself somewhat differently. All in all, I think it made the development of certain characters seem more tame, when you (the audience) didn't really need any extra explanation given in most cases. Leaving it up to your own interpretation of how they got where they were in season one was fine. I am tired of all this need with prequels/origins to piece out every little thing to the audience like we are school aged children. It was interesting, but generally unnecessary to the show. Great performances, but yes, the over the top teeth were especially a very odd choice.
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if you haven't caught this yet, I would recommend it. While it may not have the action of Rome or Game of Thrones, and not quite the suspense of The Wire, the story stands up, and is more entertaining then much of the other fare. [Oh, and I should mention that it does have these things as well.] The production value, like any of these HBO dramas, is amazing, more than you could expect for a simple TV show. And Steve Buscemi is great. I won't say much more, just check it out.
). The production is great though, and the storylines really keep you entertained. I am also into the period music, which makes a great bonus of the show, but I can appreciate it is not everyone's thing. As BD said, so much to cover historically in the 20s, and they have done a real fantastic job. I've aleady re-watched it a couple times, and suggest everyone give it a fair shake. Plus, there's gangsters. 