10 Most Memorable TV Drama Moments Of The 2010s

Nucky Thompson and Jimmy Darmody had all the makings of a pairing on par with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman - a father figure and surrogate son of sorts, both entrenched in highly profitable, yet highly illegal endeavours in the form of a blossoming criminal empire… on the boardwalk.

Of course, as it transpired, Darmody turned out to be a shade more Christopher Moltisanti than Jesse Pinkman… and he met his ultimate end far sooner than anyone was expecting.

After betraying Nucky by joining a coalition meant to bring Atlantic City’s nefarious treasurer down, Darmody declared a state of war that would rage on throughout Boardwalk’s superb second season. Eventually, Thompson emerged victorious with his power in tact, leaving Darmody in a bit of hot water with his former mentor. But perhaps forgiveness was in the cards?

Nucky had other ideas, and Darmody, ever the soldier, embraced the inevitable. After luring him to a fairly ominous meeting in the rain, Nucky makes it clear that Darmody’s fate was of his own choosing… before putting a bullet in his skull.

In retrospect, there was no way that Darmody was ever going to make it out alive after crossing such a vengeful, powerful individual, but there was always the hope that the show’s plot, so early on in its run, would find some way to finagle the survival of a central character. That’s why the sheer finality of his execution was so stunning, so powerful, and so very memorable.