The HBO period drama, Boardwalk Empire, took audiences on a thrilling journey through the Prohibition era, exploring the corrupt politics and organized crime that characterized the time. At the center of the show was Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the charming but ruthless Atlantic City kingpin whose life and times were chronicled over five seasons. In Boardwalk Empire‘s series finale, viewers were left reeling by Nucky’s sudden and violent demise, which saw the character meet his end at the hands of an unlikely source.
Over the course of Boardwalk Empire‘s run, Nucky Thompson had evolved from a likable and cunning politician to a ruthless criminal mastermind. As the show progressed, Nucky’s actions became increasingly callous and manipulative, causing him to lose the support and loyalty of those around him. By the time of the show’s finale, Nucky was a shadow of his former self, and it was clear that his reign as the king of Atlantic City was coming to an end. Read further as we explore the reasons why Nucky’s death in Boardwalk Empire‘s series finale was a fitting conclusion to his story, and how it brought closure to the show’s overarching themes.
Nucky’s Death Was A Consequence of His Past Actions
Set between April and October 1931, during the Great Depression, Boardwalk Empire‘s series finale featured flashbacks to 1884 and 1897 detailing Nucky’s childhood and young adulthood. Throughout the series, Nucky resorts to bootlegging, gambling, and bribery to gain and maintain his power and wealth on the streets. And as with many gangster bosses, the trail of the violence he left in his wake was always going to catch up with him.
One of the most significant consequences of Nucky’s past actions was the personal vendetta held against him for killing his protege James “Jimmy” Darmody (Michael Pitt). Nucky’s manipulative and selfish nature caused him to betray his allies, most of which eventually turned against him, making it more challenging for him to maintain his power and authority. In the final run of the series, it looked apparent that Nucky sensed his end was nigh, making sound financial arrangements for his brother and his wife.
Nucky’s Death In the Boardwalk Empire’s Series Finale Provided A Dramatic Conclusion To the Story
Nucky’s death in Boardwalk Empire‘s series finale provided a sense of dramatic conclusion to the story that had been unfolding over the course of the show’s five seasons. In the final season, Nucky’s previous atrocities come back to haunt him, and he is forced to confront the demons of his past. With well-deserved poetic justice, Nucky Thompson is gunned down in the same spot where, in 1897, as an ambitious young sheriff, he pimped out an innocent 13-year-old girl in exchange for assurances of job security.
The killer is the young, lost, and unassuming kid under the alias of Joe Harper who is Nucky’s latest wannabe apprentice. In reality, he is the now-teenage Tommy Darmody, son of his former protege whom he had murdered in cold blood. Nucky’s death was not only the end of his journey but also the end of an era. The world that he inhabited, the world of Prohibition-era Atlantic City, was changing rapidly. The old ways were giving way to new realities, and Nucky’s death in the series finale of Boardwalk Empire’s was ultimately a fitting conclusion to the character’s arc, and the show as a whole.
Boardwalk Empire’s Series Finale Was A Commentary on the Consequences of Pursuing Power Illegally
The series finale of Boardwalk Empire provided a powerful commentary on the futility of amassing wealth illegally without any recourse to moral standards. In his pomp, Nucky actions may have seemed glamorous and exciting, but the series finale shows the true cost of pursuing power outside the bounds of the law. In the final season, Nucky is confronted with the consequences of his actions and realizes that he had alienated everyone he cares about, and had made enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy him.
The series finale shows the consequences of Nucky’s actions in a powerful and emotional way. It highlights the toll illegal activities of the criminal underworld can take on an individual and the community. It also shows that pursuing power outside the bounds of the law is ultimately a futile endeavor. Nucky’s empire crumbles around him, and ultimately, he is left with nothing.
