Boardwalk Empire: Season 4 (2013)
Average Rating: 8.2/10
Reviews Counted: 17
Fresh: 15 | Rotten: 2
Boardwalk Empire continues to benefit from its meticulously realized period trappings, but what keeps the show watchable is its supremely talented ensemble players.
Average Rating: 8.5/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 0
Boardwalk Empire continues to benefit from its meticulously realized period trappings, but what keeps the show watchable is its supremely talented ensemble players.
Season Info
Political boss Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson runs Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition in this drama inspired by Nelson Johnson's non-fiction book 'Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City.'
Genre: Drama
Network: HBO
Premiere Date: Sep 8, 2013
Cast
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Steve Buscemi
Enoch 'Nucky' Thomps... -
Shea Whigham
Elias Thompson -
Michael Stuhlbarg
Arnold Rothstein -
Vincent Piazza
Lucky Luciano -
Stephen Graham
Al Capone -
Michael Shannon
Nelson Van Alden -
Kelly Macdonald
Margaret Schroeder -
Michael K. Williams
Chalky White -
Gretchen Mol
Gillian -
Anthony Laciura
Eddie Kessler -
Jack Huston
Richard Harrow -
Ron Livingston
Roy Phillips -
Charlie Cox
Owen Sleater, Roy Ph... -
Bobby Cannavale
Gyp Rosetti, Valenti... -
Paul Sparks
Mickey Doyle -
Dominic Chianese
Leander Whitlock -
Arron Shiver
Dean O'Banion -
Jeffrey Wright
Valentin Narcisse -
Anatol Yusef
Meyer Lansky -
Eric Ladin
J. Edgar Hoover -
Brian Geraghty
Agent Warren Knox -
Domenick Lombardozzi
Ralph Capone -
Ben Rosenfield
Willie Thompson -
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Erik LaRay Harvey
Dunn Purnsley -
Chris Caldovino
Tonino -
Brady Noon
Tommy Darmody -
Josh Caras
Henry -
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Ivo Nandi
Joe Masseria -
Owen Campbell
Clayton -
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Wrenn Schmidt
Julia Sagorsky -
Greg Antonacci
Johnny Torrio -
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Stephen DeRosa
Eddie Cantor -
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Morgan Spector
Frank Capone -
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Joseph Aniska
Agent Sawicki -
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Mark Borkowski
Paul Sagorsky -
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Johann Carlo
Teresina Capone -
Patricia Arquette
Sally Wheet -
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Emma Holzer
Edith Thompson -
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Marcella Lentz-Pope
Mae Capone -
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Pearce Bunting
Bill McCoy -
Wade Mylius
Elmer -
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Peter Patrikios
Archie -
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Margot Bingham
Daughter Maitland -
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Charlie Plummer
Michael Thompson -
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James Riordan
Franklin Werner -
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Craig Waletzko
Joe Klenah -
Madeline Getty
Nora Thompson -
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Episodes
New York Sour
The fourth season begins in February 1924, as Nucky tries to make peace with Joe Masseria and helps Chalky clean up after an incident at a seedy hotel. Meanwhile, Gillian seeks custody of her grandson and tries to find a buyer for the Artemis Club; federal agent Warren Knox gets acquainted with business in Atlantic City; and in Chicago, Al Capone and his brothers make sure their last name is well-known.
Resignation
Dr. Valentin Narcisse arrives in Atlantic City, and clashes with Nucky and Chalkie over the disappearance of an employee. Meanwhile, Dean O'Banion enlists Van Alden to keep an eye on Al Capone, starting with a political rally outside Chicago; Agent Knox reports to J. Edgar Hoover in Washington, D.C.; and Eddie demands a promotion from Nucky after 11 years of service.
Acres of Diamonds
Nucky heads to Florida to investigate a land deal in the Tampa area, but he's not sure he's buying what bootlegger Bill McCoy and his associates are selling. Back in Atlantic City, Valentin books a jazz singer for Chalky's club and gauges Dunn's loyalty to his boss; Gillian helps Roy impress a potential business partner; and Willie hopes Mickey will help him make a name for himself at college.
All In
Nucky becomes more acquainted with Arnold Rothstein during a high-stakes poker game, but the evening yields another potential partner in the Florida land deal. Meanwhile, Van Alden helps Al and Frank Capone on their collection rounds outside Chicago; Dunn discusses business with Valentin in Harlem; and Willie and his college roommate carry a prank too far in Philadelphia.
Erlkönig
Nucky goes to Philadelphia to deal with the aftermath of Willie's ill-fated prank; Eddie endures a marathon detention by Agent Knox; Gillian's desperation for a fix takes her to an unfamiliar part of town; Van Alden works for Al Capone on Election Day at a factory outside Chicago.
The North Star
Nucky has a tense reunion with Margaret in New York, then heads to Tampa to iron out the details of his land deal and reconnect with Sally. Meanwhile, Richard returns to Atlantic City and makes a confession to an ailing Paul Sagorsky; Agent Knox tries to gain Eli's trust; Chalky vents his frustration; and Lansky leaves Luciano out of his Florida expansion when the latter is spooked by an investor's ties to Joe Masseria.
William Wilson
Eli confronts Nucky after Willie makes an unpopular decision; Margaret has a surprise encounter; Joe Masseria orders Lucky Luciano to return to Tampa; Roy Phillips helps Gillian; Al Capone tries to get Johnny Torrio to turn on a rival gangster.
The Old Ship of Zion
Nucky's shipment from Florida contains unexpected cargo; Agent Knox uncovers new information on the Thompsons; Willie reconsiders his recent life choices; Chalky challenges Valentin Narcisse.
Critic Reviews for Boardwalk Empire: Season 4
This season, Boardwalk spreads its wealth to its excellent supporting players and serves richer stories.
The most promising addition this season is Jeffrey Wright.
Buscemi remains the thinking man's mobster, and Nucky's alliance with Chalky (Michael Kenneth Williams) deepens, the themes of race relations if only in the criminal world.
What it gives me is a level of quality assurance. It's like a secret arrangement; we keep it under the table.
If I'm not as instantly entranced by the storytelling of this season as I was last year, I am more than ever simply stunned by the talent of the ensemble.
The jury remains out on whether this latest arc will reach the same heights. (That said, the show continues to top itself in terms of scenes that are positively gruesome.)
The moral dimension is missing from nearly all of Boardwalk Empire's characters, who murder and maim, if somewhat discriminately.
It was a perfectly serviceable start, but nothing to get too excited about.
A Nucky scene will always be a good scene. The same could be said for a new season of Boardwalk Empire.
The slow burn begins.
Though I can't say my interest in Empire is still on the rise, it hasn't collapsed just yet.
When these two actors [Michael Kenneth Williams and Jeffrey Wright] are sizing up each other with quiet but potent animosity, you'll forget about Nucky, Van Alden, Harrow and all of the other characters who have mostly outlived their dramatic usefulness.
Empire is richer, deeper, and -- if possible -- even more beautiful.
Inevitably, it reveals itself as a show with a firm grasp on all these disparate people and places, and a clear sense of how to fit them all together.
The onrush of activity is merciless, and yet the show's pacing never suffers for it.
This is a show that believes in framework; it wants to set up what it tears down.
[This] Pullman sleeper is still beautifully appointed; the bar car never runs dry. But just because the train is moving doesn't mean it's headed anywhere in particular. And it doesn't mean it's worth going along for the ride.
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