Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season

In fine (and bloody) style, HBO's Boardwalk Empire returns to 1920, when the nationwide ban on booze led to a rising syndicate of bootleggers and smugglers. Created by Sopranos writer Terence Winter and produced by Martin Scorsese, the multilayered story centers on Atlantic City treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi), who schemes in private while preaching temperance in public. War vet Jimmy (Michael Pitt) is his right-hand man, while federal agent Nelson Van Alden (Michael Shannon) and mobster Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) represent significant threats to his enterprise. Nucky's other associates include his brother, Eli (Shea Whigham), girlfriend Lucy (Paz de la Huerta), and distributor Chalky (Michael K. Williams). If Nucky has little regard for law and order, his sensitive side emerges in his dealings with Irish immigrant Margaret (Kelly Macdonald), who segues from abused wife to kept woman. Nucky sends Jimmy away to Chicago for a spell, and the onetime sidekick winds up joining forces with Al Capone (Stephen Graham) and disfigured vet Richard Harrow (Jack Huston). Inspired by Nelson Johnson's same-titled nonfiction book, Boardwalk Empire combines factual and fictional characters with blue language and ladies sans brassieres (scripter Winter may take liberties with the historical record, but the series never claims to represent the truth and nothing but). Although the entire ensemble deserves praise, Buscemi rules the show as thoroughly as Nucky rules the city. Compiling all 12 episodes from the 2010 debut season, extras include audio commentaries with cast and crew, behind-the-scenes and historical background featurettes, and a character guide. Exclusive to the Blu-ray version is an enhanced interactive picture-in-picture viewing mode. Highly recommended. (K. Fennessy)