Boardwalk Empire vs. The Sopranos

Before Boardwalk Empire ever started, true HBO watchers knew this had to be the next Sopranos. The characters, the storyline, the channel, the time and the writers all gave you the feeling of the greatest show ever to hit television. For my last Boardwalk blog, I am going to jump back into the season and compare/contrast four characters from the thrilling HBO dramas. Let’s get into it.

Margaret versus Carmela

When the series started, we see Margaret as a weak, shy and timid mother of two. Boy what a change a season makes. We now see her standing up to her more powerful, rich and straight up baller husband in Nucky Thompson. She now steals from him. She cheated on him. She treats their housekeepers like they are below her, when in fact, she was in their position not long ago. Now who does this all remind you of?

Carmela Soprano. Let me start off by saying she may be one of my most hated characters in all of TV, so I may have some bias here. Anyways, at the beginning of Sopranos, Carmela wasn’t really a factor to the show. She was more of an afterthought. She was Tony’s wife who helped him portray that frame of normalcy in a mobster’s world. However, as the series progressed, she gained some steam. She had romantic relationships (in non-sexual ways). She started stealing money from the bird feed out back and giving it to the church or school (remind you of anyone?). She had more of a pivotal role in the show during the divorce that happened later on in the series. At certain points, she was the vocal point of the show, when in all honesty, she had no business being the center of attention. Really sounds familiar doesn’t it.

Jimmy versus Christopher

The most intriguing comparison has to be Jimmy and Christopher. When the second season of Boardwalk got under way, the audience has that feel that Jimmy is on his way up in the world. As expected, he starts making moves. He leaves Nucky and runs back to the father who abandoned him. He then teams up with fellow second men Lucky Luciano and Al Capone. They end up forming their own bootlegging business. Turns out, Jimmy bites off more than he can handle. Jimmy doesn’t know how to play the politics game. He doesn’t know the finance world of Atlantic City. He doesn’t know how to handle business in a nonviolent manner. After failing on his own, killing his father, reflecting on his wife’s murder, he comes running back to Nucky. Mr. Thompson sees this as an opportunity. After convincing Jimmy to do his bidding, he ends up killing him. It was a surprise ending, but not unexpected.

And now we go to Christopher. A bright up and comer related to the big man. At the beginning, there wasn’t much Chris couldn’t handle. Nevertheless, it was clear he was not ready for the big time. As time moved on, Chris gained more confidence and looked for ways to move up. He started his own dealing business. He bought a club for his wife. He was an ambitious kid looking to become captain, if not more. Then, drugs got to him. He got greedy. He wanted the world before he was ready. That’s when it changed. He bit off more than he could handle. He debated killing his Uncle Tony (hint, hint). His wife turned into a rat and therefore, had to be taken out. He took his relationship with Tony for granted. In the end, Christopher was too much. After a car accident most likely caused by Chris’s drug habit, Tony decides it’s enough. He chokes him on his own blood, putting an end to the “up and coming.” I can imagine, something along the lines of “I don’t seek forgiveness” was going through Tony’s head at that moment.

Other tidbits in Boardwalk Empire that reminded me of Sopranos;

• In Boardwalk, the priest mentions the children having a better life as a result of blood money.
• In Sopranos, Carmela went through the same situation with her priest (who she had a bizarre relationship with).
  
• During her preparation, the DA in Nucky’s trial said “he orders up murder like you or I order up a cup of coffee.”
• During Uncle Junior’s trial (who, by the way, is a regular on Boardwalk), the DA mentions the line, “he orders up murder like you or I order up a steak.”

As the seasons move on, keep an eye out for Soprano moments in the hit series Boardwalk Empire.