It occurs to me that American TV doesn't have the rich history of historical drama that the British boast of. Boardwalk Empire remedies the fault, with an over reliance perhaps on "shocking" sex scenes and sometimes clunky characterization, but making up for it with a cannily cast Steve Buscemi as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, kingmaker and gangster extraordinaire, as well as Kelly Macdonald as his scrappy, vulnerable mistress, the widow and mother Margaret Schroeder. Gretchen Mol's turn as Gillian Darmody is largely a disappointment for such an interesting figure. However her son and Al Capone conspirator, James "Jimmy" Darmody, played by Michael Pitt and who is a deadringer for Scorcese favorite DiCaprio, but, thankfully, much more deadpan, is getting more compelling as the series continues. Freaky bible thumping cop, politicking, bootlegging, suffragettes, racism and lovely period costumes complete the picture. With the slow pace and multiple subplots, the show is just starting to scratch the surface of these people, but it seems like an extended viewing will pay off.


On the other hand, I'm tired of zombies already. Or to be precise, all of the living. For godsakes give the man a gun so he can shoot himself already.