Boardwalk Empire – The Problem With Nucky Thompson

Boardwalk Empire, I can€™t help feeling something is slightly amiss. There€™s plenty of drama, plenty of conflict and plenty of action, but little of it seems to be orchestrated by the shows main character, Nucky Thompson.

At times during the first Series of Boardwalk Empire I felt that there wasn€™t enough happening €“ drama, conflict, action etc. However, only 3 episodes into Series 2 and I already feel that there is more of all the above as well as plenty still in store. The issue I have is that everyone around Nucky seems to be planning, plotting and making moves as they strive towards their goals and Nucky appears to do little to drive the story forward. He appears to be more of a reactionary character and mainly acts in response to what is happening around him. For me it makes him feel flat, boring and repetitive.

Every screenwriting course, tutor, book and seminar will tell you the same thing €“ the main character must drive the story forward. They must have a goal and something they desperately want to achieve. From that striving towards their goal comes drama, conflict, action and a development of character. However, Nucky Thompson doesn€™t appear to have a great goal other than to keep things as they are. With everyone around him plotting to knock him off his perch and steal his empire from under him a desire to return to the status quo wouldn€™t be an unusual or stale story at all, but it€™s the ways in which Nucky attempts to return the status quo that seem to be lacking.

So far in Series 2 we have the Commodore wanting to regain the power he passed onto Nucky some time ago. Jimmy wants to be a big player and to be calling the shots. Eli wants more power and respect. The mobsters of New York want a big piece of the pie, as do those in Chicago. Agent Van Alden is striving towards putting an end to the corruption that pollutes America. Atlantic City seems to be a hot bed of crooks all willing to sell their own Nan to gain more power and money. The inhabitants of the boardwalk all seem to be climbing over each other to steal a piece of the glory for themselves. Except Nucky.

Nucky seems to act a little more gentlemanly than everyone else. He doesn€™t deal in underhanded tactics like the others. He tries to appease everyone. Keep people happy. Good for him, but it€™s doesn€™t make him as interesting a character as he good be. Rarely over Series 1 and into Series 2 have we seen Nucky really lose his temper, exercise his power or use any real type of force to cement his place at the top of the crooked tree he presides over. His moves are always too calculated and calm.

In this week€™s episode we saw Nucky walk across a restaurant and throw the Commodore€™s lobster dinner on the floor after being told by the waiter that there were no more lobsters in the kitchen for his dinner guests. This was one of the rare moments when we saw Nucky act out and be proactive. He threatens to ruin everyone, but so far has done little other than call a meeting to which no one attended and then attempt to call in a favour from Washington unsuccessfully.

Nucky always seems to sit in his chair in his office and think of a plan. Which he then gets others to follow through for him without him getting his hands dirty. Nucky€™s lack of being proactive means that we don€™t really get a chance to see him do much. Also, as he remains calm and gentlemanly in each situation and scenario its repetitive and we don€™t get to see him at his best, worst and everything in between.

People may argue differently, but in other top shows such as The Sopranos where a crime boss, Tony Soprano, is struggling to hold onto his power the main character made moves, acted upon his instincts and made things happen. What then happened in response to his actions added to the drama and made the story much more interesting, as Tony had to deal with the repercussions. Nucky, on the other hand, appears to sit back and respond to what is happening around him.

Boardwalk Empire is a good show and has so many great characters and stories flowing through it. I just wish Nucky Thompson would do something to fuel the fire, the stir the pot and to try and flex the power that he has built. At the moment Nucky doesn€™t carry the show and only serves as the character that links everyone together.

For me, Jimmy is the most interesting character and has the greater story to tell. Jimmy is constantly looking to better his own position and create new possibilities, which leads him into more drama, conflict and action €“ story! With Jimmy as the main character Boardwalk Empire could go from good to great.