HBO has released the first teaser for the fifth and final season of "Boardwalk Empire." It's blink-and-you'll-miss-it short but juicy, hinting strongly at the demise of Nucky Thompson's mob empire in Atlantic City. Reinforcing this sense is the tagline for Season Five: "All Empires Fall."
Though there have been few spoilers to escape the set regarding the forthcoming season, one fact that is known is that Season Five will pick up after a time jump of seven years. Season Four took place in 1924; Season Five is set in 1931. If you know your history, then you already know the significance of this setting, as it sets the final season's events about a year into the Great Depression, but with prohibition still in full swing (prohibition wasn't repealed until the end of 1933). No wonder the trailer finds Steve Buscemi's mob boss musing about his organization's longevity.
The series has already killed off a number of major characters, including several fan favorites, so viewers are already worried that the show could go out with a major bloodbath. While the period drama is based on real historical figures and events, it's always taken plenty of artistic license to dramatize history and surprise viewers. Who knows how far they'll take that mandate in the final season? The smart assumption is that no one is safe — not even real-life figures known to have survived beyond 1931 and Great Depression, such as Al Capone.
"Boardwalk Empire" has never been a giant ratings hit for HBO on the level of "The Sopranos" or "Game of Thrones," but it's maintained a consistent (and passionate) viewership and earned praise from critics that's only gotten stronger as it's gone on. Season Four in particular seemed to hit a new creative high for the show, so producers are probably smart for wanting to go out on their own terms.
Are you ready to say goodbye to Nucky and the gang? "The trick is to stay alive long enough to cash out," he tells viewers in the trailer. You'll have to watch to see if he's able to fulfill his own prophecy. For what it's worth, the real-life man that Buscemi's character is based on, Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, survived the Depression and died at the ripe old age of 85 in 1968.
The fifth season of "Boardwalk Empire" premieres in September 2014 on HBO. Like the four preceding seasons, Season Five is expected to run for 12 episodes. "Boardwalk Empire" stars Buscemi, Kelly MacDonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham, Vincent Piazza, Anatol Yusef and Michael Stuhlbarg. It was created by Terence Winter.
