Boardwalk Empire

[noam]

its pretty much unrivalled for character depth.

lol i think the characters in sopranos are paper thin tbh, no depth at all. tony is just a dick, there's nothing more to him than the occasional pretence of not being a dick, also massive LOLZ@it going over my head.

...

lololol

the reason you didn't get what i just said is the reason you dont get the soprano's

[symmetricalsounds]

or you just think it's deeper than it is and it is I who really understand the wholeness of all things

[noam]

nonononononono

you mistook the shallowness of the characters, for their being no writing depth to them

in terms of fully developed characters, name a character who's been opened up as much to the audience as Tony Soprano?? i mean the show wrote in a psychiatrist as a tool in which to get into the main characters head for a start. The dream sequences are chock full of symbolism, are as spooky and surreal as Lynch, the references to psychology and philosophy alone are enough to credit the show as generally more intellectual than 99% of the rest.

[symmetricalsounds]

yeah i totally get the use of the psychiatrist and symbolism of it all, the thing is what is the point when a character opens up so much yet there's nothing there. if the conclusion of the post-freud america sopranos is looking at is WYSIWYG then fair enough.

also i'm not saying sopranos isn't better than 99% of what else is out there but i see the wire in that top 0.1% so still see it quite far above sopranos.

also FWIW i rate oz higher than sopranos.

[noam]

i dont believe the point behind it is to open up a character revealing the most intricate and complex person alive, with the twist in the premise being that OMG HE'S ACTUALLY A MOB BOSS I DONT BELIEVE HE CAN FEEL>?!?!

its about creating the most transparent portrait of a character as possible, something you dont get in any other show

The Wire is more about the story and fitting the pieces of the puzzle together, thats why its set out in the 5 seasons as it is, The Soprano's is set out over its 6 seasons with the same purpose, but is about the characters in the show as opposed to the story as a whole - for example the ending of the Soprano's basically tells you what you already know, a mob boss, who's friends have all been whacked, more than likely is gona get whacked. great. its the journey and what you are shown along the way which is important. The Wire is different, its characters are important in as much as they tell the story - whats great about it is the characters are complex and fulfilling when you watch, in terms of film making its not particularly stand out, in terms of story-telling and complexity it is.

The Soprano's pretty much doesn't have one duff episode, it paints the bizarre into a palatable format, it mixes humour into the grimest circumstances and because of what the show does it never seems out of place; the reason i put it above the Wire is because the Wire went down the utterly bizarre route in order to finish something that really wasn't quite ready to be finished - you trying to tell me the best show ever written would have 4 series of a serious, gritty socio-political drama about corruption and human despair in a city then finish it with two cops faking murders of homeless people and getting away with it??

the last series of The Wire kind of flopped for me, thats why it cant touch soprano's imo

[symmetricalsounds]

woah...not one duff episode...

i get your points about the way they portay the character and its about the journey etc... but if you don't think the characters are any good to begin with and that the journey is mostly self-indulgent bollox, well then you see where i'm coming from.

[Jizz]

just finished Season 2... not bad at all love how darmody's character has just switched up all of a sudden now that we know his true past. very well written

[SCope13]

Def gonna watch this once I'm done with The Shield.

[NickUndercover]

finished season 3. Some prime acting from the guy who plays Rosetti and definitely more violent than the 2 previous one. Loved it, Michael K Williams is amazing. Only downside was the whole Gilian side of the story. I feel like they could have found a much better for Harrow in this season

[sirjonnyp]

finished season 3. Some prime acting from the guy who plays Rosetti and definitely more violent than the 2 previous one. Loved it, Michael K Williams is amazing. Only downside was the whole Gilian side of the story. I feel like they could have found a much better for Harrow in this season

Harrow's storyline was great for me, and then you had THAT scene in the finale with him.

[nowaysj]

No mention of deadwood?

Just watched like 4 episodes of boardwalk, 3 of 2, and first of 3. Definitely in a lower tier of show than those mentioned. Feel it is slow without substance, the acting is forced and rushed, and the murders are gratuitous. Leads me to the obvious conclusion that people like to see people murdered in horrific ways. Not for me.