Boardwalk Empire

I just finished the much-lauded Boardwalk Empire and really loved it. It was, for the most part, a pleasure to watch: an intricate, sprawling series, testament to the roaring twenties and their excesses. That said, I did – and still do – have some serious reservations about certain aspects the series. For, given the fanfare, the presence of Scorsese, and the involvement of many of the best people involved in The Sopranos, we were lead to expect great things. But does it deliver? Or is it unfair to compare anything to The Sopranos and The Wire, even if it invites those very comparisons?

My first thought is that the fact that Boardwalk Empire being a period piece, set in 1920, surely counts against it. As, despite every detail of that decade being accurately and lovingly recreated by the crew, there is a certain lack of depth to some of what is going on – through no real fault of their own. For me, it’s no coincidence that The Wire and The Sopranos are modern day series, filmed on location as much as possible, that reflect the complexities of modern life. Somehow things just seem simpler 90 years ago, and they may well have been: 2D to our 3D. It just means that every problem is one gunshot away from being fixed and storylines can be tied up neatly in an instant. The second Nelson baptism scene is stark evidence of this.

The incredible set

I must say, the look-at-how-different-things-were-back-then vibe isn’t as bad as Mad Men, but there is an element of that in some scenes. The speech of Chalky White (Omar Little from The Wire), whilst being characteristically charismatic and excellent, is almost certainly anachronistic and incongruous, which, considering the efforts made for authenticity, seems a bit dumb. Nucky even asks: “What’s a motherfucker?” after speaking with White, as if to illustrate its ridiculousness.

The acting, though, is almost universally impressive. Buscemi, typically, is a towering presence: an Actor with a capital ‘A’. The support cast (Shooter McGavin, Tommy from Snatch et al.) are also so brilliant you nearly forget your watching a series. The Brits among them certainly prove more adept at Stateside accents that Dominic West as McNulty. However, the one exception is Jimmy: a man so wooden (“He’s shell-shocked”, I hear you cry), I fear he may be a Keanu Reeves-Liz Hurley lovechild. It’s a massive disappointment to see bad acting in HBO dramas, so rarely does it happen, but here is a key character, badly-played and possibly badly-drawn.

That minor setback aside, I love the rest of the characters. Especially Nelson Van Alden, whose Catholic crusade against the sin and iniquities of alcohol and Atlantic City is a key element in the show’s balance. As many of the personae are based on real people, the dichotomy between fact and fiction puts the show in an awkward – if interesting – position. How closely will they adhere to history and does this matter? It certainly sets the series up to be a saga, as the majority of the historical figures lasted a long time at the top.

Nucky speaking to the press

Even so, the Soprano’s comparisons are also slightly annoying, because, if you scratch the surface a bit, you’ll find that many of the concerns are identical. Thus, morality, murder and inner anguish; the women behind criminal bosses and their problems; and the souring of the American dream take centre stage. As good as it is, I don’t think it’s wise to consciously make comparisons with one of the very best things to ever appear on the small screen – 2 Pints of Lager reruns aside. At worst, it seems like déjà vu.

All in all, the first season is a very promising one – better than the first Breaking Bad and Mad Men series were, anyway. I certainly have hope that it will be a return to the grand days of HBO. Not being The Sopranos isn’t a crime, even if they kind of want it to be another Sopranos; I can enjoy films that aren’t The Godfather, can’t I? I’m sure that the next twelve episodes will be better and hope that most of the issues I have will be ironed out. For that I await the Season 2 première with baited breath, as there can never be too much good TV.

The Wire or The Sopranos?

So which camp are you in? Are you a fan of the gritty realism of The Wire or the slick Hollywood pizzazz of The Sopranos? This question always rears its ugly head when I chat with mates about the two. But I, like a mother with her progeny, have always found it impossible to say because I love both equally. Or do I?

Just like with long novels, I find that every time I sit down to watch a lengthy series, I invest so much in the characters emotionally that I am shocked, saddened and indignant when anything happens to a major character. And this was no truer than in these two landmark television series. I actually watched The Sopranos after I watched The Wire and that might also have had an effect on my inability to decide. For I can’t really separate McNulty from Tony Soprano, or Ralphie from Omar, despite Tony being the more obvious protagonist and Omar being the most unique character in T.V. crime drama. They’re all just too good.

But, I think what it all boils down to, given the proliferation of great writing, memorable characters and artistic achievement in both series is one’s preference of style. Is it the novelistic Wire or the cinematic Sopranos? Both are densely plotted, slow-burning monuments to what the medium of television can do but reflect different visions of reality and the American Dream; The Wire’s is a colder vision, where corrupt institutions crush the little man, The Sopranos is an ostensibly warmer (but ultimately bitter) take on the effect of family and violence on the American male.

So which on is for you? Or, like me, could you not say and prefer to enjoy each on its own (not insignificant) merits?

For anyone who has already seen all of The Wire, feast you eyes on this:100 Best Wire Quotes (contains spoilers...)