What I’m Watching: Boardwalk Empire (Penultimate Episode)

Boardwalk Empire: Season 5, Episode 7 “Friendless Child” (B)

It’s hard to believe this show only has one episode left, though it certainly feels like it’s ready to sign off. Its style has become much more theatrical and dramatic, and it’s clear that loose ends are being tied up in a way that doesn’t necessarily feel linear. The opening radio broadcast-narrated montage emphasized the grand nature of the mob, and the big hostage exchange scene only further embellished that idea. It didn’t take much for Nucky to hand over the keys to his empire, but that’s what always made him this show’s protagonist. He’s not a bad guy, and he really is loyal to those he cares about. It’s good to at least see him standing side-by-side with Eli at the end of it, with his second closest ally, Mickey, outliving expectations by surviving almost the entire series before being shot. With no sign of Al, this episode featured another famous up-and-coming mobster – Bugsy Siegel – who’s still playing second fiddle but is surely on his way up, just as soon as he evades his captors and gets back to his wife to celebrate Lag Ba’omer. The only question now is whether Nucky can successfully withdraw himself from his business or if he won’t be able to get out clean. The flashbacks also brought up another outstanding storyline, which is Gillian’s fate, as she was humanized after seasons of murderous incestuous misery as yet another lost soul that Nucky saw fit to pluck from obscurity and help turn into something respectable. Let’s hope for a memorable and fitting finale next week.