'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' on HBO HD - Page 38

Didn't he say that? I could have sworn Mellon said at the beginning of the phone call that he had been informed by his business partner Nucky Thompson that gangsters had taken over one of his business properties.

Doh!
I didn't catch that.

yes, the female agent inquires if he means the activities of Nucky Thompson and he states it was Nucky that informed him of the activities of Rothstein.

Recall that Gaston Means (played by the wonderful Stephen Root) has to whisper Rothstein's name to Mellon during the phone call. His character leaning in the frame to give Mellon the name, accompanied by Mellon's obvious discomfort, was really neat scene planning. Based on how they played the scene, I'd even guess that Mellon had never even heard of Rothstein until Means told him. I would guess that Mr. Means was the person in the know (as he always seemed to be), and perhaps that inside info came from Nucky.
Edited by Joseph - 12/3/12 at 2:49pm

the finale was very good but things played out pretty much as everyone expected...no twists or curveballs...this season felt like Season 1 where everything was self contained and the story had a beginning, middle and end...Season 1 also ended the same way with Nucky (and Margaret) standing on the boardwalk looking out...I did not like the way Gyp was killed off...after all the buildup and anticipation he gets killed by some random redshirt we hardly knew?...having Nucky, Harrow, Gillian etc do the deed would have been much more satisfying

I think overall this season was the best by far but some of the same problem's remain...the cast is so huge that a lot of characters are underused and deserve a lot more air time- specifically Chalky White, Rothstein, Van Alden and Al Capone...this season's biggest highlight was Bobby Cannavale's portrayal of psycho gangster Gyp Rosetti...the guy owned every scene he was in...the show's reliance on historical accuracy also makes some things anticlimatic as you already know the fates of certain key characters

the show's attention to detail, the period setting, cinematography and production design are second to none but they still seem unsure if they want to be an all out gangster drama or a slower period drama...the season finale had Godfather levels of mob violence, bullets and murder...I do think the show needs to forge its identity better rather then trying to make everyone happy by trying to be both a gangster show and a slower character driven one...looking forward to Season 4

I thought it was brilliant. Despite his grandiose delusions, he's just another schmuck, something he'd be incapable of understanding - although he may have gained some personal insight in the last few seconds of his life. Gyp would have expected to go out in a blaze of glory, but it's a knife in the back on a lonely beach - when delusion meets reality, delusion loses.

Oh I love it, you captured the moment perfectly...

I think Bobby Cannavale's protrayal of Giuseppe Colombano Rosetti was definitely the center of season 3, and this was his undoing.

For better or worse its Nucky Thompson's story and Cannavale as Gyp was stealing the show.

Steve Buscemi has always done excellent work, yet nothing as magnetic, scary, unpredictable, emotional and believable as Bobby Cannavale's work here.

Even his before death "impression" of Nucky was real disturbing, the guy just kept outdoing himself (some of which is really tough to re-watch).

Gyp was a real low-life with aspirations for greatness, captured to a "T" by Cannavale.

That Nucky impression just freaked me out - Cannavale at his Memorex best. If he doesn't get an Emmy for this, I'm personally boycotting New Jersey or something One of those simple, undeniable cases where character meets actor and magic happens.

Buscemi has the task of being the straight-man, and still making it interesting when surrounded by such a cast of characters, and he pulls it off. Funny, because back in the day, he'd be the Cannavale of the project ... now he's the elder statesman.

It was in last weeks preview for the next episode. Evidence that sometimes important original content is cut from the actual episode.

Agreed.

Yeah, but predictable.

That's why I resist the temptation to Wikipedia.


However, I agree with your point....conforming OR trying to conform to the "accepted" history drags on the drama.
I want more FICTION in this series.

as a followup...I read an excellent interview with Terence Winter today online which answered many questions I had about Season 3 (I know he gave interviews to a lot of websites after the finale but this one actually went in-depth about things I didn't see asked anywhere else)...

-a question that's come up a lot from fans is your willingness or lack thereof to change history. Lucky got arrested on a drug charge around that time, and you worked that into the show. As the series moves further along, do you become any more willing to say, "Okay, I know these people are real and this is what happened, and this is how they died, but maybe for the sake of this fictional show, something else might happen"?

-Who burned down the greenhouse?

-What did Lucky whisper to Masseria?

-Could a wiseguy just take over a town like Tabor Heights back in the day?

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/boardwalk-empire-creator-terence-winter-talks-nucky-richard-chalky-and-more-from-season-3

I knew the episode would be good with Tim directing and Winters in on the writing. Like others, I thought the incident on Margate Sands was perfect. Now it just waiting again till next season....

larry

Winter is weaving fictional characters and even events in with historically accurate ones. The tension may be ruined if you read up on the specifics of how people died and their dealings but even with that the fictional aspect keeps you in the dark enough to be entertained. The quality of the delivery of these characters is what really pulls me in. Like fjames states, Cannavale deserves awards for his portrayal. Looking at his bio he has played many small parts and I can only specifically recall him from a great little film, Win-Win, a year or two ago with Paul Giamati where he played a high school wrestler turned coach. In all, not a bad for a NJ native that started out in theater with never even an acting class.

Wasn't there an exchange between Massaria and Gyp on the beach in an earlier episode where Massaria asked who the guys that Rosseti has working for him are....and Masseria says something about loyalty and how having guys who aren't loyal could come back to bite him? I'll have to go back and look for that dialogue between the 2 of them....but it was a harbinger of what was to come for Gyp's fate now that I think back on it.

Yeah Gyp and "the beach" was a symbol of his karmic destiny.

We are introduced to him by the beach, and he dies by the beach (by Tonino).

His fateful killing of Franco, Tonino Sandrelli's cousin was at the beach.

Massaria's advice was at the beach....

Life's a beach.

And then you get stabbed repeatedly.

LOL.

I wasn't aware that this was the season finale, but as the body count rose, it dawned on me that they couldn't top this. Wow, 60 plus mobsters bought the farm in this little ditty.

 

I prefer the gangster drama, but very much appreciate the slower period drama aspects.   I love the fact that it doesn't fit nicely into one category.   I hope they don't change it but just make sure the season has proper pacing.   I felt like the middle of the season got very slow with Nucky and his new girlfriend, Margaret's women's health crusade, etc.   I hope they pick some more interesting side storylines for next season.   

Cannavale was in a teriffic little film "The Station Agent" in which he, Patricia Clarkson and Peter Dinklage played three non-conformist misfits who developed a deep friendship. Bobby more than held his own against two superb actors.

Absolutely, fantastic film, great acting...

Agree 100%, it was my introduction to Peter Dinklage and I've been a big fan every since.

I hope that Margaret is used next season like she was in the past 2 episodes...I don't hate the character as much as some (I think she's an interesting character) but the problem with her is that she is at the forefront way too much compared to other more deserving people...her storylines are never the most engaging yet Terence Winter pushes her to the front at all times...his background on The Sopranos might be blinding him a little as he thinks that focusing so much on Margaret and Nucky's home life is the same as Tony and Carmela on Sopranos...difference being Sopranos was way better at it

point being that a little less Margaret would go a long way towards improving her story as well as fan's opinion of her
Edited by TitusTroy - 12/4/12 at 4:58pm

That was a truly satisfying film. You grew to love each character. Dinklage was a surprise, but the interactions with the other two characters and how they totally reacted to him as a person/friend, not a dwarf (even though PD's character had that problem), really made me appreciate their performances...and Cannavale's impressed me the most.

(puts into NF queue.....)

Since we are talking about Bobby C., his role in "Win Win" was excellent. It wasn't a big part but he was very funny in all his scenes with Paul Giamatti. The whole movie was pretty good too.

(puts in NF queue....)

I think he's also been excellent in Nurse Jackie as a new character this season as the hospital administrator whose son just happens to be an addict who was in rehab with Jackie.

SMK

Nope, it was in the actual episode. I never watch previews.

eta- went back to tell you exactly when it happens. In Two Imposters it's right after Nucky tells Chalky he's staying in AC and is followed by them arriving at the lumber yard.
Edited by sirjonsnow - 12/11/12 at 3:46pm