What is it? Boardwalk Empire, Complete Series, 56 episodes on 19 discs from HBO
When? Now
How much? $199.99
What boardwalk? The famous one in Atlantic City, N.J., during the 1920s and early '30s.
And what empire? That would be the empire of "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the county treasurer.
Nucky is an expert politician, good at shaking hands and kissing babies, going out of his way to help his constituents.
He's also as corrupt as they come and when the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act (known as Prohibition) go into effect, he sees a golden opportunity. Bootlegging, speakeasies and all manner of illegal and borderline activities thrive in Atlantic City and Nucky is poised to make a huge fortune.
His brother Eli (Shea Whigham) is county sheriff, which comes in quite handy for Nucky and his cohorts, though Eli is torn between loyalty to his brother and resentment of his position of power and authority.
Nucky makes deals with some of the biggest up-and-coming gangsters of the day, men like Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza), Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) and a young upstart named Al Capone (Stephen Graham). He also fosters relationships with the black community and powerful leaders like Chalky White (Michael Kenneth Williams).
Of course, this is a dangerous world and alliances and loyalties are about as solid as cotton candy. But Nucky's smart and crafty and intends to stay ahead of his enemies (which grow in number daily) and legitimate lawmen such as the unbalanced Prohibition agent Nelson Van Alden (Michael Shannon).
Nucky may be a crook, but he's not without a heart, which is evident in his relationship with Margaret Schroeder (Kelly Macdonald), an abused wife who is drawn deeper and deeper into Nucky's world -- romantically and professionally -- and finds her own moral compass going off-track in the process.
Throw in show girls, hotheaded young gangsters looking to make names for themselves and slimy, scheming politicians and you've got a series full of characters and twisting plot lines that follows Atlantic City from 1920 to Prohibition's end in 1933 (skipping most of the later years).
How is it? Deep, rich, entertaining. With all the scheming and backroom deals, layered (if not terribly likable) characters and complicated stories that require viewers to pay attention, it bears more than a passing resemblance to series like The Sopranos and House of Cards.
Then there's the production design. The 1920s were re-created with an incredible attention to detail that really allows viewers to get fully immersed in the world.
One should bear in mind that this series ran on HBO. The world of Prohibition-era gangsters was brutal and dangerous and the series doesn't spare viewers any of the gory, gruesome details.
Extras? The extras from the original series releases have carried over. That means commentaries, character profiles (to help you keep track) and behind-the-scenes features.
As for the new content, there's a half-hour farewell look back with the cast and creative team, a feature with three producers discussing key death scenes and more short features on the production design and visual effects.
New this week: Bonanza, Season 8; Falling Skies, Season 4; Justified, Season 6; The L Word, Complete Series; Miss Marple, Volume 3; Parks and Recreation, Season 7 and Complete Series; Pretty Little Liars, Season 5; Rizzoli & Isles, Season 5; Soap, Complete Series.
Next week: The Abbott and Costello Show, Ultimate Collection; The Facts of Life, Season 6; The Forsyte Saga, miniseries; Hart to Hart, Season 5; Laverne & Shirley, Complete Series; The Odd Couple, Complete Series; Schitt's Creek, Season 1; The Strain, Season 1; Teen Wolf, Season 4.
Style on 05/31/2015