The fifth and final run of the HBO series about Prohibition-era organized crime jumps ahead to 1931, when talk of ending the ban on liquor is in the air. While Atlantic City bootlegger Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) works to stake his claim in the legal booze trade (attempting to strike a deal with a certain Joseph Kennedy), New York mobsters Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky (Vincent Piazza and Anatol Yusef) plot to unite the major gangs into a syndicate and eliminate the competitors, and the FBI goes after Al Capone (Stephen Graham). Like other cable dramas about violent worlds, this last set wraps up many of the storylines by chronicling the demise of major characters. While creator Terence Winter is guided by history, he isn't strictly beholden to the record for all of his dramatic developments. Winter may also have been hampered by only having eight episodes to work with (rather than the usual 13), but his choice to end the series during a time of transition feels rights—more creative and smart than convenient. Nucky's personal journey (complete with flashbacks to his formative years) comes to a close with the rise of the modern mob, offering an interesting end to a compelling series. Compiling all eight episodes from 2014, extras include episode commentaries and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fifth Season
HBO, 3 discs, 480 min., TV-MA, DVD: $59.99, Blu-ray: $79.98 April 6, 2015
Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fifth Season
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