Well, why not, we've got discussions on most every other HBO show 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.

Never managed to get through the first episode... I found it boring, couldn't get excited about it. I probably didn't give it enough time but with all the shows currently produced I felt it needed to kick off from the very beginning and this, IMHO, just didn't.

I find most HBO shows have a rough first episode. I ended up loving boardwalk empire. I can't wait for more episodes.

I'll try again but once I'm over with the current wave of Breaking Bad, True Blood and Curb (still need to wrap up Treme and Game of Thrones too). Some pretty good stuff out there (a bit underwhelmed with Curb but still pretty funny).

HBO has such involved storylines, it usually takes an episode or two to introduce all the characters and kinda bring their lives up to speed.
Boardwalk Empire definitely started off slow, but really picked up steam as the season went on. I'm really excited for the new season to start once True Blood is over.

Considering how much garbage people are watching and coming from the tradition of 'Masterpiece Theater', 'Sherlock Holmes' with Jeremy Brett & 'Poirot'....(not to mention the original 'Law & Order' with 'Lenny' & Law & Order Criminal Intent')....I saw a couple of episodes of 'Boardwalk Empire', unlike the Sopranos, its masterfully produced in a more classic style and is also based on some real Mafioso history. I am a fan of all the Godfather movies, which went beyond masterful production into the realm of masterpieces. Movies like 'Once upon a time in America' about Jewish mobsters are also on the list. The intrigue I have for this subject extends to even appreciating and currently watching the original 1950's 'untouchables' series with Robert Stack. If I had HBO I would certainly watch every episode of Boardwalk Empire.

I wasn't sure how I was going to receive the show, with some many changes (i.e. deaths) towards the end of the last season. In particular, Jimmy was a crucial part of the show to me, and the storylines involving him were a major appeal. Coupled with the death of his wife, and the Commodore, this effectively cuts out three (four, assuming his mother too) of the plotlines of the show.

But, I am glad it is back on now, and enjoyed the first episode. The darker side of Nucky which was hinted at, and then shown outright towards last season's end, does bring a continued aspect of the show. Richard is one of my favourites from the series so far, so I hope they build up something strong for him. In a way, I am glad Van Alden will be out of the reeds too, they needed to either kill his character or get him back into the story. Anyways, a decent start, and looking forward to more.

I love Steve Buscemi and the time period intrigued me, but I could not get past the first two or three episodes when it first started. Maybe if I watched from start to finish now I'd feel different. Hey a plus was they used Brian Jonestown Massacre's 'Straight Up and Down' in the opening sequence.

I love this show. It might be my second favorite current show (behind Breaking Bad of course.) I love the time period and the fact that it's only semi-fictional gives them some room to explore interesting topics of the period without being shackled too much.

Thinking back on the first season, it takes a bit to REALLY kick in. I don't want to get into any spoilers if people haven't gotten too far in it.

I'll say I think WW1 vets, early prohibition, early days of what becomes the FBI, Atlantic City and the country as a whole at that time are all super interesting and Nelson Van Alden is creepy and awesome.

I am a bit surprised people have had trouble getting into this show, but have actually heard it a few times so I guess it is just me (but then, I know several people who can't make it even a few episodes in to The Wire ). 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.

^this. I may give it another chance at some point.

That's what turned me off initially. I'm kind of tired of the whole gangster thing and, before I really knew what the show was about, assumed it'd just be some cheap gangster show.

What's refreshing is seeing guys like Capone and Luciano as low men and seeing Rothstein and the Jewish mob or the IRA too. It's not just the generic Italian base.

I'm also a big dork about the 1st World War, so anything so closely set gets me interested.

Yea, it is not really a gangster show at all (well, if you are taking that to mean Italian organised crime) - I was just tryin' to sweeten the appeal. It is about the criminal underworld in general, and, what I find more important, is its role in corruption an politics. This what makes a person like Nucky Thompson so interesting, and the whole Atlantic City scene. Then there is the whole subculture of alcohol being totally part of ordinary life, in the face of prohibition.

I cant wait to start watching season three!

Great casting, great acting, great music and a fascinating time-period.

I love the characters Nelson Van Alden (Federal Prohibition agent) and Richard Harrow (Army marksman who wears a tin mask over half of his missing face). They are such intriguing supporting characters.

I think TV does'nt get any better than Boardwalk. Its up there with The Wire & Breaking Bad for me . . . .

My 2 favorites too! Not that Nucky or Jimmy suck, but I just LOVE watching those 2 guys.

Just finished this series. I realize it's totally possible I'm the only person on earth who saw this series through to the end. That said, am I the only person who thought

Might not be the worst ever, but definitely ranks high up there...

Was a fan of the show early on, then after S3 really lost interest. I think this was the case for a lot of folks... Made no attempt to pick it up when S4 started, but saw it was on demand last summer and decided to hop back in before the final season aired.

BWE really deserved an extra season between 4 and 5. The 7 years or so that passed between them was just too much and really left the final season feeling especially rushed and sloppy while trying to tie up all the loose ends. The budget seemed pretty tight too, and I remember in one S5 episode Al Capone's scar make-up looking so badly done, it could've been purchased at a Halloween store.

The fact that the show was "historical fiction" didn't help its cause in the end. One of the most disappointing aspects was that Arnold Rothstein (who was alive and well at the end of 4) passed away in the years that were skipped over. So picking up in 5 with him having died off-screen (to keep the historic timeline accurate) was a big disappointment among the many others that plagued the final season.

To the producers credit, the kid that played teenage Nucky in all the S5 flashbacks was an excellent casting choice. Not only was he a dead ringer for a young Steve Buscemi, he had all his mannerisms down pact as well.

This more or less sums up my disappointment in the final season. It felt like they really didn't care about the series but they felt like they needed to tie up all the lose ends as quickly as possible whether or not it looked good (Capone's scar WTF!) or was in the best interest of the story. They just wanted to kill everyone off and end the series so that Vice can have a bigger budget.
And although the actor who played the younger Nucky had his mannerisms down to and absolute tee, his WAY over the top fake teeth kind of ruined it for me. And if I was Steve Buscemi I'd be more than a little insulted by that.
The series had so much potential but I think HBO just gave up on it.

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.