Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

"Nothing will fill that hole you got inside. Don’t you know that yet?”

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown July 28, 2014

Boardwalk Empire has long been building towards something. What, exactly, hasn't always been clear, but Season Four aims to clarify matters. Consequence is imminent and Nucky Thompson, no matter how sharp, sly or slippery, isn't about to walk away from the fallout unscathed. Not this time. With his inner circle dwindling, his empire in decline, his skeletons and demons being dragged into the light, and his enemies growing hungrier by the minute, control of Atlantic City suddenly seems open to the highest bidder or gutsiest gambler, with powerful rivals, merciless gangsters and an emboldened U.S. government vying to pull the trigger and put Thompson out of his misery; a misery he still doesn't grasp is one of his own making. It comes as no small irony then that Nucky isn't the focus of Season Four. Far from it. All manner of chaos churns in his wake, but he arguably remains the most stagnant character in the series and the most oblivious to his self-destructive urges. It's those so fiercely fighting for survival in Nucky's shadow -- those closest to him, those itching to take the throne and those desperate to watch his kingdom burn -- that battle and bleed to claim Boardwalk Empire as their own. What began as Nucky Thompson's story has become so much more, positioning the series for an explosive fifth and final season every bit as shocking and stunning as its finest episodes.

Boardwalk Empire chronicles the life and times of Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Golden Globe winner Steve Buscemi), the undisputed czar of Atlantic City who rose to power as Prohibition fostered the rise of organized crime in America. Season Four picks up eight months after the end of Season Three, in February 1924... the year jazz "really came into being." Buscemi's co-stars include Michael Kenneth Williams as Nucky's ally Chalky White, leader of the city's African-American community; Shea Whigham as Nucky's brother Elias, whose attempt to steer his son clear of Nucky's influence sparks tensions; Michael Shannon as former Federal Agent Nelson Van Alden; Jack Huston as disfigured war veteran Richard Harrow; Kelly Macdonald as Margaret, Nucky's estranged wife; Stephen Graham as gangster Al Capone; Michael Stuhlbarg as gangster Arnold Rothstein; Vincent Piazza as gangster Lucky Luciano; Paul Sparks as Mickey Doyle, head of Nucky's bootlegging operation; Gretchen Mol as Gillian, battling demons from her past as she seeks custody of her grandson; and Anthony Laciura as Eddie Kessler, Nucky's longtime valet. New cast members include Jeffrey Wright as Valentin Narcisse, a violent Harlem power broker who tries to muscle in on Chalky's action; Ron Livingston as Roy Phillips, who grows close to Gillian; Patricia Arquette as Sally Wheet, a Florida speakeasy owner; Brian Geraghty as Federal Agent Warren Knox; and Domenick Lombardozzi and Morgan Spector as Al Capone's brothers, Ralph and Frank.

The second-season murder of Jimmy Darmody has proven more problematic for Boardwalk Empire than I suspect Winter and company anticipated. It was a twist that pushed the story in compelling new directions, sure, but one that deprived the series of its most complex and captivating relationship. It was a daring corner to write themselves into, but also a very difficult corner to escape. Nucky, and more so the show, took a hit square on the chin, leaving the gripping gangland drama less stable and sure of itself than before. Season Four represents something of a return to form, even though Darmody's death continues to produce increasingly convoluted and ill-begotten subplots. (Chief among them Gillian's irritating, bafflingly contrived arc; the low point of an otherwise excellent season.) Where do the latest twelve episodes excel? Chalky's increased role in the series and all that comes with it. Eli's struggle to reconcile his brother's business with his family's needs. Narcisse's sheer presence, made that much more unnerving by Wright's chilly command of the screen. Harrow's search for meaning and purpose... or, more specifically, any and every scene featuring Huston, up to and especially including the finale. The smartly cast Capones' smartly penned rise to power, which frankly could have sustained its own series. Van Alden's difficulties in finding his place in the world. Laciura's performance and, of course, "Erlkonig," a magnificent episode all around. Geraghty's ability to steal entire scenes from established characters and veteran actors, with a volatile straight arrow every bit as dangerous as Al Capone. On and on and on, with stronger and stronger episodes as the season progresses.

There's a lull early on that weighs down the first four episodes, and small issues throughout as a handful of key characters fail to enrich the series. (Again, my mind drifts to Mol's Gillian, who ropes Livingston's Phillips into what becomes one of the most disappointing plotlines of the season.) That all changes with "Erlkonig" thankfully, and continues right up through "Havre De Grace" and "Farewell Daddy Blues," a two-chapter finale that builds towards several unforeseeable, heartwrenching deaths that will have a lasting impact on all those who survive. Winter also wisely shies away from ground covered and re-covered by The Sopranos and, in one crucial sequence late in the season, avoids what could have been a distracting Godfather parallel by the skin of its teeth. Nucky isn't Tony Soprano or Michael Corleone, and the gap between Boardwalk Empire and other mobster classics continues to widen, allowing Empire to carve out a place all its own. Watching Winter weave fiction and non-fiction, fabrication and history, the operatic and the authentic, is the lifeblood of the series and it's no small feat that the show retains the element of surprise at all times. Cultural barriers, shifting political and socioeconomic tides, race and gender hurdles, and other challenges unique to 1920s America provide fertile soil for all the seeds the showrunners plant, with the subsequent conflicts and clashes offering real dramatic nourishment. The series isn't beholden to history, yet respects it above all else, creating a slightly heightened world of illusion and reality as cinematic as it is revealing.

The Blu-ray release of The Complete Fourth Season includes twelve episodes spread across four BD-50 discs:

• New York Sour: Following his battle with Gyp Rosetti, Nucky makes a peace offering to Joe Masseria while working the odds with Arnold Rothstein. While Chalky is busy running the Onyx Club on the Boardwalk, the impulsive Dunn Purnsley clashes with a booking agent. Fresh-faced Federal Agent Warren Knox arrives in Atlantic City to learn the ropes from Agent Sawicki. Gillian seeks custody of her grandson, Tommy, while trying to find a “good” man to keep the Artemis Club afloat. Eli’s college-age son, Willie, turns to Nucky for career advice. Al Capone enlists his brothers, Frank and Ralph, to help him expand his business in the Chicago suburb of Cicero. Richard Harrow returns to his violent ways.


• Resignation: Now working as a “delivery man” for Dean O’Banion, Van Alden is ordered to keep tabs on Al Capone, joining the ascendant mobster to help keep Cicero voters “informed” at a political rally. Dr. Valentin Narcisse arrives in Atlantic City, clashing with Chalky and Nucky over the loss of an employee. In Washington, Agent Knox aligns himself with J. Edgar Hoover, acting director of the Bureau of Investigation. Harrow fails to finish a job in Milwaukee, while Eddie demands a promotion after 11 years of service. With a business opportunity on the horizon, Nucky departs for Florida.


• Acres of Diamonds: Nucky has reservations about investing in a Tampa land deal engineered by transplanted bootlegger Bill McCoy. While there, he meets speakeasy owner Sally Wheet. Valentin Narcisse books a sexy jazz singer, Daughter Maitland, to perform at the Onyx, and gauges Dunn Purnsley’s allegiance to Chalky. Willie, Eli’s son, turns to Mickey Doyle and his bootleg warehouse to elevate his social standing at college. Gillian agrees to pose as Roy Phillips’ wife to impress a possible partner. Harrow tries to bury his past, though not before taking care of some unfinished business with Emma.


• All In: Nucky gets to know Arnold Rothstein over a card game, and sizes up an unexpected partner for his Tampa land deal. A newly promoted Eddie Kessler gets detoured after making a train-station delivery. When one of their collectors is incapacitated, Al and Frank Capone decide to finish his route, enlisting a reluctant Van Alden to tag along. Agent Knox fills Hoover in on the Thompson operation, vowing to exploit Nucky's weakest link. Chalky is intrigued by Daughter Maitland’s presence. Dunn Purnsley goes to Harlem, and is courted by Valentin Narcisse. Willie and his college roommate, Clayton, carry a practical joke too far.


• Erlkonig: Nucky goes to Philadelphia to deal with the aftermath of Willie's ill-fated prank. Meanwhile, 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: After a cautious reunion with Margaret in New York City, Nucky heads to Tampa to work out details of his land deal with Bill McCoy and reconnects with Sally Wheet. Richard Harrow returns to Atlantic City and makes a confession to an ailing Paul Sagorsky, who encourages him to get over the past and return to Julia and Tommy. Meyer Lansky decides to go it alone on the Tampa land deal when Lucky Luciano gets spooked by Vincenzo Petrucelli, an investor with ties to Joe Masseria in New York. Chalky takes out his frustrations on Daughter Maitland.


• William Wilson: Eli confronts Nucky after Willie makes an unpopular decision. Margaret has a surprise encounter at her job on Wall Street. Joe Masseria orders Lucky Luciano to return to Tampa and deal with Vincenzo Petrucelli. Gillian goes cold turkey with Roy Phillips' help. Still seething over his brother's death, Al Capone tries to get Johnny Torrio to turn on rival gangster Dean O'Banion. As the relationship between Chalky and Daughter Maitland deepens, Valentin Narcisse exerts his control over Dunn Purnsley and the Northside.


• The Old Ship of Zion: Nucky's shipment from Florida comes with some unexpected cargo; Eli feels the heat from the Feds when Knox uncovers new evidence of the Thompsons' escapades; Willie reconsiders his recent choices after a talk with his uncle; Chalky clashes with Narcisse over control of the Northside.


• Marriage and Hunting: Nucky refuses to back Chalky in his conflict with Narcisse. Julia considers her options after Gillian makes her custody case in court. In Cicero, Van Alden stands up to Capone and comes clean to O'Banion. Rothstein looks to trade an insurance benefit for a cash infusion.


• White Horse Pike: Tipped off by Sally Wheet, Nucky enlists Eli and Agent Knox to check out the extra cargo in Florida shipments. Margaret ponders a deal with Rothstein to improve her family's living conditions. Capone grows suspicious of Torrio; Nucky faces a dilemma; Eli makes peace with Willie.


• Havre de Grace: Nucky takes inventory after being warned of a skunk in his cellar. On the lam following a close call, Chalky and Daughter take refuge outside Wilmington with Oscar Boneau, his mentor from years ago. Gillian considers selling her mansion and starting a new life with Roy Phillips.


• Farewell Daddy Blues: Eli braces for the worst as Agent Knox launches a plan to bring Nucky down. Capone and Torrio reach an agreement in Cicero. Chalky looks to settle scores. Richard steps forward to save Tommy, at Gillian's expense.

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like previous seasons, the Blu-ray release of Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season boasts a high-class 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation, although this time around there are a few more issues of note, minor as each one is. But more on that in a moment. Colors range from dusty but sumptuous to bleak and muted, yet contrast remains consistent throughout, primaries are supported nicely, skintones are almost always lovely and lifelike, and black levels are satisfying, with heavy shadows and evocative lighting. Detail is exacting as well. Edges are crisply defined and generally very clean, even if a hint of ringing is apparent at times. Fine textures are well-resolved and revealing too, and there isn't any significant aliasing, macroblocking or banding. However, crush and delineation inconsistencies are more prevalent than before. The worst of it plagues the last three episodes, but it seems to be inherent to the series' photography; not a problem stemming from HBO's recent move from 5-disc sets to 4 discs. There's plenty of room (three episodes per disc isn't what I'd call cramped) and The Complete Fourth Season presentation still delivers from start to finish.

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The fourth season's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track also falls perfectly in step with those that have come before it. Dialogue is capably centered, intelligible and carefully prioritized, even when guns are drawn, engines roar or bodies begin to fall. The LFE channel establishes its authority early on too, bringing a real sense of weight and presence to elements within each episode that further enhance the dramatic impact of key scenes. (Eli's knock-down, drag-out fight in the season finale is loaded with particularly gristly punches and meaty thunks sure to turn a few stomachs.) Not to be outdone, the rear speakers charge into every locale, club, hotspot and shady back-alley dive, creating wonderfully immersive, fully realized environments as memorable as they are enveloping. The Onyx Club, the fourth season's key set piece, is a suitably dizzying, electrifying exhibit of pinpoint directional effects, effortless pans and swirling, surging, absorbing music. All twelve episodes are sonic powerhouses, backed by the AV prowess fans have come to expect from the show's Blu-ray releases.

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentaries (Discs 1-4): Six cast and crew audio commentaries kick things off and, once again, each one proves itself a must-listen for fans of the series. Insight into the characters, storylines and conflicts is balanced nicely with more technical dissections of the episodes, with a particular focus on script-writing, authenticity, production design, period music and the fine line between fiction and non-fiction central to the series' success as a television drama. Commentaries include "New York Sour" with executive producer/writer Howard Korder, executive producer/director Tim Van Patten and actor Steve Buscemi; "All In" with creator Terrence Winter, writer David Matthews, director Ed Bianchi and actor Michael Stuhlbarg; "Erlkonig" with Korder, Van Patten and actors Anthony Laciura, Brian Geraghty and Gretchen Mol; "The Old Ship of Zion" with Korder and actors Erik LaRay Harvey, Michael Kenneth Williams and Margot Bingham; "Havre de Grace" with Korder, director Allen Coulter, Williams and Bingham; and "Farewell Daddy Blues" with Winter, Van Patten and Buscemi.
• Boardwalk Chronicle (Discs 1-4, HD): All twelve Season Four episodes feature a running "Boardwalk Chronicle" guide that tracks on-screen characters, locations and historical facts. Each episode's guide also includes a "Scouting the Boardwalk" icon that leads to a featurette detailing the criteria the locations manager Audra Gorman used when searching for the perfect locales to serve as notable hotspots.
• PaleyFest: Made in NY Panel (Disc 2, HD, 26 minutes): Creator/executive producer Terrence Winter, executive producer/writer Howard Korder and actors Michael Kenneth Williams, Jeffrey Wright and Gretchen Mol participate in a PaleyFest Q&A panel after a screening of the fourth season's fifth episode, "Erlkonig." They don't waste much time either, diving right into the shocking moment that caps "Erlkonig" before delving into other memorable moments. The only downside is that it's a mid-season Q&A, meaning that later developments and, really, the full breadth of the season is off limits.
• The Onyx Club: A Step Back in Time (Disc 4, HD, 9 minutes): New music, new series set. Go behind the scenes of The Onyx Club, its three-month design and construction, the practical functionality of the sprawling club as a multi-tiered set, and the many opportunities it presented the writers.
• Becoming Harrow (Disc 4, HD, 8 minutes): "He did with half a face what some actors can't do with a whole face." Actor Jack Huston and executive producer/director Tim Van Patten discuss Huston's performance as Richard Harrow, the genesis of and inspiration behind the character, the challenges inherent to the role, Harrow's mask, disfiguration, voice and demeanor, and the evolution of the character over the course of the series.
• New Characters (Disc 4, HD, 6 minutes): There's no shortage of new faces in Season Four, and this short featurette touches on all those that make a sizeable impact, among them Dr. Valentin Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright), Roy Phillips (Ron Livingston), Agent Knox (Brian Geraghty), Sally Wheet (Patricia Arquette), Frank Capone (Morgan Spector), Ralph Capone (Domenick Lombardozzi) and Daughter Maitland (Margot Bingham).
• Scouting the Boardwalk (Disc 4, HD, 23 minutes): The locations featurettes sprinkled throughout the "Boardwalk Chronicle" episode guides can be viewed separately on Disc Four. Segments include "Tippecanoe Diner," "Cicero Political Rally," "Tampa Bay Hotel," "Chicago Street," "Western Electric Paint," "Savarin Restaurant," "Conors & Gould Brokerage Office," "Heroin House," "Schofield's Flower Shop, Front & Back Rooms," "Tampa Warehouse," "Oscar Boneau's House" and "Torrio's House."
• Season 3 Revisited (Disc 1, HD, 15 minutes): A recap of the third season, if you're looking for a refresher.

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Boardwalk Empire embraces a proud tradition of mobster movies and gangster sagas, yet does so in a way uniquely its own. It isn't The Sopranos or The Godfather or Once Upon a Time in America. It draws inspiration but never forgets to carve out its own path, and the series is better for it. Season Four sets the stage for a climactic final season (due to begin this September), expanding its focus beyond Nucky to the colorful cast of characters slowly pressing in toward the throne. By season's end, it's apparent any lost momentum has been regained as Boardwalk Empire hurtles into an exciting and uncertain future, where Nucky's sins demand payment and the consequences of his actions come to collect. HBO's Blu-ray release of The Complete Fourth Season make it even easier to get lost in the series, with a terrific video presentation, first-class DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a full complement of special features that delve into the development and production of the show's penultimate season.