Eldorado

From the get-go, this show had unbelievable hype to live up to, and it seems like to many it didn't. It continued to lose popularity and hype as it went on, which is a shame because I think the show got undeniably stronger after the solid, but unspectacular, first season. At the same time though, I could never fully emotionally connect with it, and I think this is what kept me from ever loving it the way I did other crime dramas of its kind. But it was always incredibly consistent and intriguing, and contrary to how many feel, I enjoyed the last season for what it was. It was always going to be a leg short in terms of fulfillment, but I think it mostly managed it well and the series finale really brought everything I cared about full-circle. Even when I couldn't fully love the series, though, the technical aspects cannot be denied. One of the most gorgeously-shot, most beautifully-constructed, most elegantly directed series I have ever seen. I don't think it ever really hit glaring missteps as far as direction goes, and as far as consistency in these technical aspects, I think from recent series only Mad Men really rivals it.

Overall, I really can't wait to rewatch this from beginning to end. Not always easy to love (hey, neither was The Wire and Deadwood on my first viewings either, and both are now two of my favorite shows ever) but always a show that I respected, certainly for its patience and the trust it had in its audience. And I may prefer Game of Thrones because of its story lines, but I don't think it comes close to achieving the overall technical perfection this show did, certainly not in terms of directing.

As Red_Identity wrote above, this show cannot get better in terms of technical aspects. Precision, elegance, the pictures and the music of course. How all these small pieces are put together to form a true masterpice. I simply cannot imagine how difficult it can be to do something which is so immersive. The only thing I miss is the smell of these rooms... I think the characters were real authentic, all of them had great backgrounds, all of them had just the right motives to get the story going. I especially loved Harrows, the war veteran. For a side character it couldn't get better than this in my opinion. Some people think that the story is not so exciting maybe that is why it lost most of the audience through the years. For me it was very good, very simple and highly entertaining with the clubs, the feelings, it was so well presented. I am very disappointed because this was something worth watching however the story feels a whole after the closing scene.

Any time an HBO show shortens its season, it always sucks. Westworld and Game of Thrones later on are good examples of this unfortunate phenomenon. And maybe this. Granted, at least, characters still feel believable or deal with circumstances that are thrilling, more than those two bigger shows. Yet, this season proves to be mediocre in comparison to the last. It feels like a hasty epilogue to the climatic highs of season 4.

One thing the show has it going for it is the cast of characters. This time around more attention is given to Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi who never really struck me as a charismatic but frightening character that he should have been); we get flashbacks to his early life and career which mostly packs as much charm as a Wikipedia article. We get good moments, especially with the Commodore, Sheriff Lindsay, and Gillian but much of it is at the last half and at the finale. The flashback can get repetitive sometimes; I already know Nucky hates his father and I don't need to see more of that.

Other characters suffer as a result of this Nucky-centrism. Luciano's takeover of New York, Capone's fall through the eyes of Eli and Nelson, Narcise's post-arrest leadership. All those deserve further elaboration. Not to mention, the seven year time-jump meant a lot of what could have been interesting scenarios or character development are wasted. I want to see and know more about Luciano's perspective and motivations (e.g. Why he's so fixated in eliminating Nucky). I want to see Capone's rise in public notoriety, and how exactly the unlikely duo of Nelson and Eli (who deserve more episodes by the way) fit into all of it. Narcise, in particular, is the biggest victim of the lessened running time and time-jump. Season 4 ended with him betraying his fellow black nationalist which could have led to some rich conflict in the recently introduced antagonist. But no, he's only here to settle his score with Chalky. Granted, it leads to good moments and a fitting conclusion for Chalky (RIP Michael K. Williams) but it does feel mechanical. No time to flesh out details or whatever.

Meanwhile, like the rest, Gillian is almost in the same dire position as she was by the s4 finale. And she is more stagnant too which recalls Junior from The Sopranos where series creator Terrence Winter worked as a writer. But sadly, Gillian's tragedy doesn't conclude as riveting as Junior's or her storyline in the previous season.

And our pal Nucky? It ends predictably but again I never found him as compelling as many other characters. The juxtaposition with the flashbacks reach their high point in the finale but Winter and company should really have focused on the best aspects than on Nucky. It's an empire after all. It's built on diveristy.

What a terrific finale to a terrific series. Boardwalk Empire has always been one of those rare shows to contain all the elements of what makes a superb television series; the excellent acting, the terrific storytelling, the emotionally captivating characters, stunning cinematography, the list honestly goes on, and the series thankfully sustained that mark of quality until this great finale.

The way everything came full circle was brilliantly handled, and the resolutions with each character was presented in a very satisfying way, especially with Nucky Thompson.

I could not recommend this series more. Please do not listen to those who have complained that this final season was a disappointment, if anything, that could be not farther from the truth. If you're new to the series, you will not be disappointed. One of television's finest dramas has concluded, but it was presented in the most satisfying was imaginable.

You won't be disappointed.

Lack of everything the seasons 4,5 no excitement no mystery or build up scenario to it, it's like you rushing to end something just to end it with no vision or masterclass in it. The ending was boring and not something to be surprised about you could see and know it from the start of season 5 , everything about season 5 was randomly handled there was no effort in it some characters showed up suddenly just to fill the randomness in this boring last season, it's about wrapping every single scene that is what the last season is supposed to be about clean ending and no randomly working like what i just saw.