Looking forward to the new HBO show with Steve Buscemi. The pilot is directed by Martin Scorsese.

Here's the trailer:

I'm pretty sure that's the same of anyone who's watched The Wire.

duh

The premiere was absolutely fantastic.

Ehhhh ....

I thought the premier was quick to introduce, and then discard characters, and I worry it's pacing will prove far too slow for a mass audience. It was very artsy, and is sure to receive critical acclaim, but that style may come at the expense of viewers. I thought parts were boring, and other than Nucky and Jimmy, the remaining characters were bland and lifeless.

It's too early for me to write it off, and I still have very high hopes, but I'm not ready to heap praise on it just yet.

Its not bad but yeah it does seem a little slow. If they got rid of some of the subplots like the spousal abuse story, they maybe able to pick up the pace

I don't think you can drop that subplot, very important to Nucky's character development. It was a way for them to show true compassion from him amongst all the lying, killing, etc he does.

I think this was the best pilot I've ever seen. I don't know how they'll be able to keep this up.

You could argue that it was slow a bit, but then again most of HBO's dramas are slow a bit but despite that they're among the best TV has to offer because it's not all about the pacing of the story it's about making the story feel organic and vital and almost always they succeed at that. The characters are great IMHO.

This is pretty much an instant appointment TV for me.

I read a review that says future episodes are more fast-paced than the slow pilot.

I've watched 20 minutes so far and felt it was well put-together. Great-looking all around. It feels like a movie on TV. But it was just so slow. I realize they're building a story, but it still felt long in spots.

I fail to see how it was slow at all.

I succeed to see how you're slow. At all. Sir.

Trixster on pacing how does it compare to Mad Men?

Well to be fair, Madmen has better eye candy to distract those from watching the clock.

It's basically the same, perhaps even a bit quicker. The Boardwalk pilot sucked me in and didn't let go, whereas it took me a few eps to truly get into Mad Men. Of course, Mad Men eps now go by too quickly.

It just depends on whether you prefer shows with rapid plot developments (something like Breaking Bad or Dexter) or stuff like this where not a lot happens but it's still enthralling.

Then thats fine with me. The Mad Men episodes now go too quickly for me as well. And likewise it took me about 3 episodes to get into it. Boardwalk sounds like my kind of show then.

20 minutes into the pilot, I thought Boardwalk Empire was well-acted, well-developed but ultimately slow in spots and I kind of passed off watching the rest of the show.

Two episodes in, I'm completely hooked. Love the show right now. It's not perfect, but what is?

I still fail to see how pilot was slow.

I took it back, didn't I?

I think I was expecting something else when I watched. Once I knew the tone of the show, it worked so much better.

I'm really liking the show so far on just about all levels except for one--characters I care about. At this point Nucky, Margaret, Chalky, and Jimmy are who I'd consider the more interesting/identifiable of the bunch but I'm kind of overwhelmed by the amount of psychotic, knee-jerkingly violent men around (even if it is mostly accurate, it feels like way too much, and they have mostly no opposition).

Not even just overwhelmed, but growing tired of their predictable hostility. Were people--er, men--really so prone to violence at the slightest...well, anything that incites an emotion other than satisfaction? What a bunch of nutsos...

Gretchen Mol still looks way too young to have a 26 year old son

Men are still like that ... ever been to a college bar? HS football game?

Regular bars now and again (not for me) but thankfully no college ones and I avoided all things sports in high school--the target audience and I never seemed to have much in common.

I've actually mentioned the thing about the men being so violent to some other people and they pretty much said the same thing you did, that men are still like that, so I take back that criticism of the show and redirect it towards the male half of our species

Yep, we're a buncha animals!

I have to say the show has built up pretty well. I have a feeling the annoying federal agent is going to peace out toward the end of this season.

Only two episodes left ...

Season 2 began this week and looks like this season can be even better than the last. With the Klan running riot and the growing rift between Nucky and Jimmy - we could be in for a treat.

Anyone else watch the season opening episode?