No. 42 Boardwalk Empire Season 4 Part 1 Eps. 1-6 (2013) 43 of 100

 

Season 4 of Boardwalk Empire has a more cinematic feel and it’s environs expand south to Florida, where Nucky looks to seal a land deal which will enable him to import his booze with impunity. With Margaret out of the picture, apart from a fleeting appearance in Episode 6, a new love interest in the shape of backwater bar manager Patricia Arquette comes into Nucky’s life.

With a few main characters departing from last season, they are replaced with Ron Livingston’s hapless businessman who falls into the orbit of the manipulative Gillian, and Jeffrey Wright’s enigmatic preacher Narcisse who is a foil for Chalky. There is also a storyline for one of Eli’s kids who clearly has inherited the family’s traits for recklessness and misfortune, when he needs Nucky’s help after poisoning a room-mate when his prank goes wrong.

Most of the plot thread are somewhat light with Nucky’s especially being somewhat derivative. He is again batting politicians and making shady deals. I guess he was never going to embark on a song and dance career, but it just seems a bit dull and repetitive.

As for Van Arlen he has become almost a supporting character despite still being high up the list of credits, as does Kelly MacDonald with her one scene in 6 episodes. Hopefully we get more Shannon in the next six as he is starting to blur into the background. That said he does have an impact in every scene he’s in, albeit with him usually being the butt of the joke.

He is building a house in Cissero and doing a bad job at it. He is working as a delivery man for florist mobster O’Bannion, delivering poseys and punches in equal measure. He is cautious, and rightly so, about being sent to Al Capone for a delivery and this leads to some funny scenes with the determinative Stephen Graham as Al, knocking lumps out of Shannon. “Who sent for the undertaker” Graham asks as Shannon shuffles in, somewhat embarrassed.

The dynamic between the two is good and soon Van Arlen, or Mueller as he now goes by, is involved in several scrapes including one where some election rigging goes south and Capone’s brother gets killed. Mueller is keen to make an impression and hopes to secure the rights to peddle his wife’s Norwegian spirit. His days as a prohibition agent are now far behind him.

In other developments Nucky’s man Eddie takes a jump out of a window after falling afoul of some new and motivated FBI agents who work for J Edgar Hoover. I’m not convinced adding in real world characters is a good idea as it does limit the narrative somewhat, and it does seem like lazy writing.

Most of the plot threads are happening in isolation with regular caption cards telling us where things are heading to next. Atlantic City is something of a sideshow now, with Chalky’s new bar being the main source of interest. I don’t really like the Narcisse character; but I guess that the point. He is smarmy when he’s trying for enigmatic, with Chalky just doing his normal quiet rage bit. The Gillian story has run it’s course as she tries to get custody of her son’s son, but there was a fun scene where she offers her charms to the judge who quickly refuses her approach.

This first half of the season rattled by OK, but lacked any real standout incidents. I don’t think the new recruits could polish the spats of Owen and Jimmy and the fun characters of Mueller and Mickey are added as almost after thoughts. I’m guessing Shannon’s blossoming career limited his availability as he remains the best thing in the show despite not appearing in episodes 1, 3 and 6.

Hopefully the second half sees a bit more of the hapless and embattled leg breaker and less of the custody battles and cabaret issues that slow the show down to walking pace.

When is Shannon-On? - 01.39 (Episode 2)

Outcome? Breaking legs with Al Capone

Programme 3.5/5

Shannon Stars 3/5