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This season, Boardwalk Empire got great

My wife and I have been watching Boardwalk Empire for the past three seasons and it’s seemed at times like we were the only ones. Writing for Grantland, Carles argues that the show got great this season and I totally agree. (Warning: tons of spoilers.)

Basically, I spent the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire trying to figure out whether or not I even enjoyed the show. It featured premium producers, directors, writers, and actors, but it never felt like you were watching the show of the moment. Boardwalk Empire has been popular enough to get renewed regularly (it will be back for a fourth season next year), but it’s been difficult to come to a consensus on whether or not it has been a fulfilling experience. There’s a gap between high-end critical acclaim and casual fans. The uninitiated never get it. ‘It’s boring,’ they say. ‘It’s trying to be something it isn’t.’ And maybe they were right. Fortunately, Season 3 has changed everything.

The show’s tough to recommend to people because it’s such a slow starter (compared to something like Breaking Bad or Homeland or whatever), but I’m happy we stuck with it.