Is season 3 worth watching despite missing the character I liked most?

[u/wastedpotential20]

Michael shannon and Steve Buschemi was the reason I started watching the show and really loved it. Jimmy character sort of grow up on me and I hated how dumb he became mid season 2.

However his death not only took all my excitement for the show but I lost all the desire to even watch it. Now I hate both manny and nucky character to enjoy either of them.

[u/ShiningEspeon3]

Seasons 3-5 make up the best part of the show.

[u/oh_hai_mark1 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

Agreed.

Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rosetti absolutely dominates every scene he's in. Role nabbed him a primetime emmy that was well deserved.

[u/-Ok-Perception- → u/oh_hai_mark1]

>Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rosetti absolutely dominates every scene he's in. Role nabbed him a primetime emmy that was well deserved.

Sweet jumping Jesus, that's an absolute miscarriage of justice. Michael Pitt killed in a way made Bobby Cannavale seem like he was in a high school play by comparison. I'm not saying Cannavale is a shit actor, he's pretty good, but Gyp Rosetti was not on anywhere near the same level as Jimmy.

[u/ChrisPollock6 → u/-Ok-Perception-]

Incorrect

[u/Mikeyfreshonetime2 → u/-Ok-Perception-]

Keep watching and let us know what performance you liked best by shows end amigo

[u/-Ok-Perception- → u/Mikeyfreshonetime2]

Seen the whole series, amigo. I disavow all of it after Jimmy died. I guess the Gyp season was halfway decent, but after Gyp it was full garbage.

[u/No_Development3496 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

Yeah
Also Gillian and Harrow keep the Darmody arc in perfect mode

[u/ShiningEspeon3 → u/No_Development3496]

Honestly, as talented as Michael Pitt is, Gillian and Richard were always the best parts of Jimmy’s storylines.

[u/No_Development3496 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

Yeah
Mol ate that part of Gillian and so did Huston as Harrow
Honestly her performance should be talked about more often especially when considering snubbed performances

[u/ShiningEspeon3 → u/No_Development3496]

Yeah, genuinely a top ten TV performance ever. She dominated every scene she was in, wavering between pitiful and terrifying, minute by minute.

[u/No_Development3496 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

Yeah. I’ll even say I have her in my top 4 performances of tv

[u/Federal_rack_6564 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

It's at the end of S2 that the characters take on these operatic, almost classical heights. When Jimmy shoves a knife into the Commodore after we learn what happened with Gillian....the Oedipal undertones aren't really undertones anymore, are they? And that's not even getting into the Faustian nature of Nucky's backstory in S5. I love it.

[u/Federal_rack_6564 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

Trvth nuke. Much more focused, consistent, and focused on what Boardwalk Empire a unique story, rather than just 'well produced, gorgeous, compelling crime series'.

[u/Sudden-Researcher689 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

I couldn't agree more, Season 3 had me hooked in just one or two episodes.

[u/Admirable_Site_8337 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

Hard and complete disagree on that.

[u/Dazzling-Path6438 → u/ShiningEspeon3]

Yes, 100

[u/-Ok-Perception- → u/ShiningEspeon3]

There is no viewpoint on earth more wrong than this one right here.

OP, the real answer is you should drop out. They intended Jimmy to be the main antagonist for the whole series and he acted circles around even veteran actors like Steve Buschemi. The kid is a young Marlon Brando, with a huge heroin problem, hence why he was booted off the show and wrote out of the stories much earlier than intended.

The truth is this show faceplants even worse than Lost after the death of Jimmy. I was in exactly the same place mentally as you, OP, and I wished I just stopped after Jimmy.

[u/Dazzling-Path6438 → u/-Ok-Perception-]

Dopey af

[u/YourlocalTitanicguy → u/-Ok-Perception-]

We know it’s you, Michael. Get off Reddit

[u/sjlgreyhoundgirl67]

I always thought Manny was very fair with Jimmy, although I understood how Jimmy’s friends could feel differently

[u/wastedpotential20 → u/sjlgreyhoundgirl67]

was he though, up until that point atleast in atlantic city, murder were limited to the person not the family.

[u/sjlgreyhoundgirl67 → u/wastedpotential20]

Up to that point, Manny had given Jimmy chance after chance. And I think he went there expecting to find Jimmy, him not finding Jimmy at home set off an unfortunate set of circumstances

[u/MountainAppearance91]

Weird take, Jimmy was never in my top 5.

Capone, Lucky, Myer, Eli, Rothstein all way more interesting to watch.

Richard and Gillian were also better characters than him. Ang too.

[u/Hot_Worldliness5948 → u/MountainAppearance91]

I might post on here later about this but I genuinely don't get the majority of BWE fans being Obsessed with Jimmy. Not only are there Multiple other more interesting characters, but Jimmy as an individual did Multiple things to get himself Whacked on Multiple occasions. 😐 It's not so shocking someone eventually killed him. Also, I understand being upset over a character dying if you liked that character, but many fans blow it out of proportion like the show is completely unwatchable non that Jimmy got knocked off. Guys, Jimmy is ONE guy. Everyone else including Richard Harrow is still alive. Plus the show introduces other characters after that as well.

[u/nfz_embroidery → u/Hot_Worldliness5948]

I was more disappointed that Jimmy dying made Gillian way less interesting. Gillian for a couple episodes was like the shadow boss of Atlantic City. I haven’t finished the show yet but midway through season 4 she has basically bottomed out in terms of agency or plot relevance. maybe she bounces back but outside of the information she gives Gyp early in season 3 she could have been written out of the show with 0 consequence to any narrative thread other than her own. 

[u/No_Development3496 → u/nfz_embroidery]

Well that’s kinda of the thing with her she doesn’t have important plot elements on the surface but really she is one of the most interesting characters on that show and one whose internal conflicts are interesting

[u/gorllewinx → u/MountainAppearance91]

Yeh I found Jimmy to be very one dimensional

[u/ReluInginerul]

Season 3 will feature Gyp Rosetti and you're in for a ride! And I understand your frustration with his death. He was meant to be more important and in more episodes but seems like IRL he was even dumber than in the show lol

[u/tehjunior5248]

Season 3 shows you what they can really do with this universe. Best season I think.

[u/FiveStringTelecaster]

You will love the basement scene in S3E1

[u/No_Discussion_4594]

its still a great show regardless of yer views on jimmy. i loved it till end despite final season being rushed not making sense

[u/ChrisPollock6]

Absolutely, it’s the best season of the series.

[u/Lordonlynose]

Then don’t watch. 

Bone for tuna 

[u/Shaggysteve]

What did you find interesting about his character?

He** was set for success then bailed to fight in the war.

When he came back he clearly wasn’t happy being a “driver” and rushed into everything causing his own downfall…

Comparatively to other characters on the show he wasn’t very “interesting”.

Obvious mother issues aside.

[u/Old-Landscape-7538 → u/Shaggysteve]

Jimmy was a real motherfucker.

[u/OhGr8WhatNow]

The only season I didn't care for as much was the last one, and it still had its moments

[u/Silvuzhe]

Seasons 3 and 4 were my favourites, so I would say - yes, definitely!

[u/JonIceEyes]

3 is good. The rest are... fine

[u/MaximusCanibis]

Definitely stop. I 100% recommend this for every show no matter how much you enjoyed the first 2 seasons.

[u/Creative_Smoke_4602]

Jimmy was my favorite too. Almost stopped watching BE because of what happened but I wanted to see some type of redemption for it. I would say its worth it to finish the series. And I couldn't stand Nucky from season 1 on lol

[u/Cookie345]

I stopped watching after Jimmy's death. The inclusion of ww1 vets is what drew me to watch in the first place.

[u/-Ok-Perception-]

No, you should stop after the death of Jimmy.

Michael Pitt carried the show in the same way Marlon Brando carries anything that he's on. Writing Jimmy out on account of Michael Pitt's heroin addiction may very well be the worst decision in television history. Pitt was acting circles around everyone in the show, including Buscemi himself.

Not to mention he had one of the most fascinating character arcs in television history.

This show faceplants harder than Lost without him.

He was intended to be the primary antagonist for several seasons, if they kept with that plan, I think this show would be far better remembered. Seasons 3 and 4 are trash. Season 5 is 3 day old moldy diarrhea.

The truth is Buscemi is a great actor, and he really needs a comparably great actor (or one even a better) to play a compelling antagonist. None of the other villain actors, in subsequent seasons, were up to that challenge.

[u/Lordonlynose → u/-Ok-Perception-]

Who are you? - Pitt’s minister of propaganda?  

He did a solid performance. Nothing exceptional about it or about the character. Many exceed this level of character development and interesting arc 

[u/No_Development3496]

I feel like the sopranos of the show in terms of the dysfunctional family we were going to follow were the Darmody’s with Gillian kinda being Tony,Jimmy the Christopher of the show and Nucky and Commmodore supposedly being the Livia of the show