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Season 5 – Boardwalk Empire

Play trailer Poster for Season 5 – Boardwalk Empire 2014 Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 132 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition is a place where the rules don't apply. And the man who runs things -- legally and otherwise -- is the town's treasurer, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, who is equal parts politician and gangster. Side by side with his brother Elias, Atlantic City's sheriff, and a crew of ward bosses and local tough guys, Nucky gains a reputation as the man to see for illegal alcohol. He does business with all the top gangsters -- Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, "Big Jim" Colosimo -- and he does it well ... until a former protégé takes matters into his own hands, setting the Feds on Nucky's tail.
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Boardwalk Empire — Season 5

Boardwalk Empire — Season 5

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Critics Consensus

The final season of Boardwalk Empire is as visually dazzling and well-acted as ever, but it's the emphasis on Nucky Thompson's history that's particularly rewarding this time out.

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Critics Reviews

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Helene Stapinski New York Times The end of a small, gilded masterpiece. Jun 18, 2018 Full Review Hank Stuever Washington Post The writing and acting in season 5's episodes have surpassed Boardwalk Empire's usual high standards, offering a pitch-perfect conclusion to a story that is surprisingly human in a world that's been intentionally strewn with subhuman behavior. Jun 18, 2018 Full Review Sarene Leeds Entertainment Weekly It's too late to try to make Nucky a compelling character after so many false starts over the past four seasons. Jun 18, 2018 Full Review Alan Jones Esquire Magazine Despite the show's relative longevity, this final season still feels like a perfunctory jump to the end, as if Winter expected Boardwalk Empire to last as long as Prohibition itself. Oct 19, 2018 Full Review Kate Gardner The Mary Sue Boardwalk Empire was an academic criticism that --emerges as a powerful return to the social commentary roots of the gangster film, and as a telling political manifesto on the dangers of the patriarchy. Jul 26, 2018 Full Review Adam Sweeting The Arts Desk The show's air of a dynastic saga unfolding down the generations is acquiring ever more Coppola-esque overtones... Rated: 3/5 Jul 24, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (47) audience reviews
Lorenzo T Definitely not the level of the other four seasons. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/29/24 Full Review Bernd B Outstanding show. a real pearl Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/20/24 Full Review Mikhael D It's a shame they forced the producers to merge two seasons into 8 episodes because of poor viewership which ended up in the cancellation of the show. We end up with a very confusing Season 5 that skipped on many storylines that were supposed to be exploited. In doing so HBO kind of ruined what would've been one of the greatest show of all time. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/24/24 Full Review JM M One of the best TV shows that I have seen. Oustanding from the 1st to the last season! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/20/24 Full Review Plasmo D I'm so tired of these lazy productions. They run 4 seasons of great story telling, great character development, amazing twists and turns... and then BLOW the final season. It's always the same problem - rushed, disorganized, empty. They just run out of money or something. It's horrible. This is just another Game of Thrones final season letdown. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/11/24 Full Review Hemant S A primary production by Martin Scorcese and Mark Wahlberg and with the pilot directed by the former – this old school 5-season series that spanned between 2010 and 2014 always promised to engross and captivate. With excellent production values that re-created the 1920s almost flawlessly, interluding story arcs of a multitude of characters that each had depth and a significant intersection between history and fiction, "Boardwalk Empire" is a detailed, intricate piece of writing and teleplay. Steve Buscemi leads the cast as Nucky Thompson, a shrewd, sharp politician in Atlantic city, who moonlights as a bootlegging boss. Nucky's character has been loosely based on a real life politician from that era, Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson. Surrounded by an ensemble of characters, mostly on the grey areas between the lawful and the lawless and played by brilliant actors including Michael Pitt, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg (yes, that is a hell lot of Michaels), Kelly Macdonald, Gretchen Mol, Stephen Graham, Shea Wigham, Jack Huston, Charlie Cox, Vincent Piazza, Patricia Arquette, Bobby Canavale, Paul Sparks and so many more. Buscemi clearly excels over his "Mr. Pink" in "Reservoir Dogs" (1992) and "Carl Showalter" in "Fargo" (1996) – both epics and cult classics. His eyes and tone of speech bring out the boss in the character – subtle in his moments of scheming and vicious when things get sticky. Akin to "The Sopranos" (1999 – 2007), in which Buscemi had a interesting role as another "Tony", "Boardwalk Empire" is a saga which makes each character like-able, hate-worthy and the end someone that you are attached to (and care about) in some way or the other – and it has an equally pragmatic and brilliant finale worth waiting for. Some characters really stood out for me in terms of their backstory and the way they were played out in their constant conundrum between being the good and the bad guy – Michael Pitt as James "Jimmy" Darmody (who for me, was THE gangster even before Thomas Shelby existed), Michael Shannon as "Nelson Van Alden", Michael Kenneth Williams as "Chalky White", Shea Wigham as "Eli Thompson", Jack Huston as "Richard Harrow" (Yes, he existed before John Wick) and Charlie Cox as "Owen Sleater" (As good as Matt Murdock). A good, vintage binge if you haven't watched it yet. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Boardwalk Empire — Season 5

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 7, 2014 Golden Days for Boys and Girls Nucky reminisces about catching the Commodore's eye; Nucky joins Sally Wheet in Cuba; Margaret finds herself in the hot seat; Chalky tries to extricate himself from a difficult situation; Lucky Luciano sets a bold plan in motion. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 14, 2014 The Good Listener Nucky pays a visit to Johnny Torrio; Eli and Van Alden must recoup money lost during a federal raid by Eliot Ness; Willie has a job interview; in 1884, young Nucky deals with the death of his sister. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 21, 2014 What Jesus Said Chalky heads in a new direction; Margaret finds herself in a quandary; Nucky hosts a prospective partner from Boston; Luciano and Siegel meet with Narcisse in Harlem; in 1884, young Nucky flirts with a girl. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 28, 2014 Cuanto Nucky and Margaret find common ground in Atlantic City; Luciano encounters an old adversary; Sally Wheet makes a payment in Cuba; in 1884, young Nucky moves up the Commodore's ladder. Details Episode 5 Aired Oct 5, 2014 King of Norway Chalky returns to Atlantic City; Nucky arranges a meeting with Maranzano; Eli's reunion with June takes an unexpected turn; Capone considers relocating his operation; Margaret completes a deal with Carolyn Rothstein; Nucky gets bad news from Cuba. Details Episode 6 Aired Oct 12, 2014 Devil You Know Chalky encounters Narcisse in Harlem; federal agents enlist the help of Eli and Van Alden to take down the Capone organization; Nucky is pained by a recent loss; in 1897, Nucky vents his frustration and roots out a young thief. Details Episode 7 Aired Oct 19, 2014 Friendless Child Nucky tries to hold onto his assets in Atlantic City; Willie and Eli become involved in Nucky's war; Maranzano meets his fate; Nucky reads a letter from Gillian; in 1897, Mabel and Nucky argue. Details Episode 8 Aired Oct 26, 2014 Eldorado Nucky plans to relocate to Manhattan; Margaret impresses Nucky and a grain company stockholder; Luciano tends to unfinished business; William shares underworld details with his boss; Nucky visits Gillian; in 1897, Nucky copes with a family crisis. Details
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Season Info

Executive Producer
Terence Winter, Martin Scorsese, Timothy Van Patten, Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg
Network
HBO
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 7, 2014