What I’m Watching: Boardwalk Empire (Season Finale)

Boardwalk Empire: Season 3, Episode 12 “Margate Sands” (B+)

Last week’s episode was so terrific that this installment, which still quite good, was bound to be less entirely exciting. Opening with all the lawlessness around town was a brutal way to indicate just how bad things had gotten, and, as always, conversation and compromise was what put it all to an end. Mickey is such a fantastically obnoxious character, and calling Rothstein to make sure that he was relevant was actually a brilliant plan. I doubt that Nucky had fully concocted his revenge plan against Rothstein when he agreed to give him 99% of the distillery, but that was equally magnificent. It was tough enough for Nucky to keep Chalky and Al from killing each other, and I enjoyed their moment of bonding after they took out all of Masseria’s men. Richard wins the award for most efficient executioner, shooting his way through all of Rosetti’s men to go get Tommy. Leaving her with Julia is probably the best plan, though I suspect that he might stick around too now that Nucky is back in power. I didn’t expect that Gillian’s newest relationship would be more disturbing than what she had with Jimmy, but that foreplay scene with Gyp was quite off-putting. It would have been too easy to have Gillian be the one to kill Gyp, and it was more satisfying to see him stabbed while relieving himself after babbling like a madman on the beach. Nucky going to see Margaret and then trying not to be recognized on the boardwalk was a powerful ending, and I have no idea where this show is going next. This was the show’s best season yet, and I’m eager to see season four next year.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rosetti