Ranking All Main Characters From Boardwalk Empire
4. Gillian Darmody
If Nucky Thompson were to ever have a female counterpart, it would have to be Gillian Darmody. Ambitious, conniving and headstrong, the mother of Jimmy Darmody was always a thorn in Nucky's side, even when she wasn't intending to be.
Where to begin with such a complicated and interesting character that isn't seen on TV much these days? For starters, she was a dynamite Femme Fatale - getting what she wanted, and when she wanted from some of the most powerful men in Atlantic City. A Lady Macbeth to her own son, it was her whispering in his ear that ultimately led to her own son's death, something she would absolutely deny doing.
Her story arcs after the third season only grazed the main plots of the series, but that didn't make them any less entertaining. From the former madam of a brothel, to a desperate grandmother looking to reacquire the affection she once had - perhaps the best thing about the character of Gillian Darmody was that she had her own agency throughout the series.
Her tragic end in the series is both heartbreaking and befitting, and with metaphors and symbolism laid out to examine, could make her one of the most fascinating characters the show ever created.