Aside from Game of Thrones, the big prestige show which currently airs on HBO is Boardwalk Empire, the prohibition set gangster series that is run by one of The Sopranos writers: Terence Winter, and produced by Martin Scorsese. Following two successful seasons, the show was inevitably renewed for a third and with the start date looming, we now have a new trailer.
If you’re a Boardwalk Empire fan, you’ll remember the close of last season, which saw Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) enact his revenge upon his former associate: Jimmy Darmody following his betrayal and attempts to destroy Nucky’s ring of power. It was a fantastic scene, not only shocking for its killing off of one of the show’s major characters but also an emotional climax as well. These men were once very close, like father and son but in that scene they were reduced to mortal enemies.
This trailer beautifully recreates that scene with the shooting of Jimmy being followed by Nucky’s wedding ring slipping off his finger and his trademark boutonniere falling out of his lapel onto the rain soaked ground. The slug then hits us: “You can’t be half a gangster.” which can only tell us of the deep and dark things to come in this third season. How long will his marriage to Margaret last? How much will his murder of Jimmy affect him? And how violent can we expect him to become?
All the answers to these questions will hopefully start to become clear when Boardwalk Empire debuts on September 16th. Check out the trailer below.