Boardwalk Empire, which has shaped up to be one of the greatest television shows ever made, is about to begin its fifth and final season in two weeks. Gone are the roaring 1920’s as season 5 begins 7 years after season four ended. This makes the year 1931, one year into the Great Depression and two years away from the end of Prohibition. Judging by the trailer, Charlie “Lucky” Luciano will be in the thick of the action this season which means Meyer Lansky is close by. This makes sense as this was around the time Meyer and Lucky took steps towards forming The Syndicate, which was essentially the blueprint for the Mafia as we know it today. The Atlantic City Conference, which was the first meeting that took steps towards forming the nationwide syndicate took place in 1929 but I have to imagine this will take place in season 5 as it’s so integral to the reality and by extension the story told on Boardwalk Empire. I also foresee gambling operations and Cuba being featured in season 5. As far as the actual characters go, it’s kind of tough to call. Nucky is retired as of the season finale of season 4 so either he stayed retired and is forced to come back or he came back at his own choosing before 1931. As far as Chalky White goes, I can honestly say this is a tough one. There are so many questions to be answered. What happened to his family? Did he stay away from Atlantic City for good? It will also be interesting to see what Dr. Narcisse’s position is and what he’s up to, especially in Atlantic City. With the year being 1931 and Chalky and Narcisse still alive I think it’s safe to say we might get a new character by the name of Bumpy Johnson but that’s just speculation on my part. One thing I found curious about season 4 was that there was not one appearance made by Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel although I think we’ll see a lot of him in season 5. One character never portrayed in Boardwalk Empire is Salvatore Maranzano, Joe Masseria’s real life rival. That exclusion made me scratch my head from season 1. I wonder if it’s too late to bring him in now or if he’ll make a showing in season 5. I’m sure we’ll see what Margaret is up to and if Gillian is out of prison which I suspect she is. As far as the Thompson clan goes it will be interesting to see what Eli is up to and if he has any connection to Van Alden/Mueller in Chicago. There is also Eli’s son Will who I suspect will have taken the reins in Atlantic City, whether in a legal or illegal fashion I can’t say for sure. Arnold Rothstein’s position will be interesting to see as in season 4 we saw him very vulnerable for the first time with a slight victory in the end. Al Capone will be Al Capone in all his glory, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre anyone? Dean O’Banion will likely be replaced by Bugs Moran in Chicago. Unfortunately, Mr. Harrow is gone. It would have been nice to see him have a happy ending, he was so close. There will, however, undoubtedly be some new names you will recognize such as Stefano Magaddino, Carlo Gambino, Joe “Joe Bananas” Bonanno, Tommy Reina, Louis “Lepke” Buchalter, Dutch Shultz, Albert Anastasia, Jacob Shapiro, Jack Diamond, Joe Adonis, Frank Costello, Santo Trafficante, and maybe a few more. Again, I’m just guessing here but if I were a betting man I’d say at least a few of those names will be heard. One thing I can guarantee and this comes straight from the trailer is that no one will go quietly.
Article By: Jon DaBove
