'Boardwalk Empire' back Sunday
Steve Buscemi: "There really was a Trees Lounge. The owner was a woman named Ann Mitchell and there used to be a tree in front of the bar. That's why she named it Trees Lounge." -- Buscemi, best known for his roles on HBO's "The Sopranos" and "Boardwalk Empire," talking to the Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) about directing, writing and starring in the 1997 indie flick "Trees Lounge." Buscemi's character, Tommy Basilio, was based on the actor's upbringing in the village, including time spent at the former North Central Avenue speak-easy. The film was set in Valley Stream and some scenes were shot there, although the real Trees Lounge was gone by then. Credit: AP
"Boardwalk Empire," one of TV's best, returns Sunday, and if you missed my review in today's (Friday) paper, a rewind. Basically, I loved most of the first five episodes - not the opener Sunday, however, for reasons that I get into below. But get past that, and especially into the third week, and "Empire" is back in all its glory. And the series gets better from there.
The review:
You will (believe me, you will) but just gird yourself for something new, and in surprising ways, something better. "Empire" is richer, deeper, and -- if possible -- even more beautiful. And this does remain very much a thing of beauty and craftsmanship.
The huge creative challenge for "Empire's" fourth season is escaping the long shadow cast by the third -- a crowd-pleaser with archetypical villain, Bobby Cannavale's Gyp Rosetti, who tended to suck up so much oxygen there wasn't all that much left for most of the other characters. The series takes its time doing that, and probably needs to.
What happens after the extraordinary fifth episode, "Erlkönig," on Oct. 6? Guess we'll all find out together.
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