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Ok, just finished season 2, and here's my thoughts:
- They made Jimmy's killing pretty damn transparent. The moment he told Richard to stay, you could tell the torch was being passed. Even Richard seemed to sense what was coming when he volunteered, "I could do this for you." Richard's been one of my favorite characters since he's come along, and I really hope they don't waste him like they've wasted Chalky White. I'll talk more about both characters in a minute.
- I'm getting seriously tired of Margaret. I think everyone has. She's been poorly written and her motives are exhausting to solve, to say the least. Moral ambiguity is frustrating, and while it's become quite evident that she's more than just the "beaten woman coming into her own," her reversions into bullheaded faith and subsequent scheming are smacking of producers/writers running out of ideas of how to keep a character interesting.
- The overall plots of both season 1 and 2 were how nobody should underestimate Nucky Thompson. As Nucky pulled the trigger to kill Jimmy his line of "You don't know me, James. You never did. I am not seeking forgiveness" held multiple layers that resonated moreso on the Margaret front than the Jimmy front, but it was one of the rare times in the series we get to hear the real Nuck speak: he's beholden to noone, and if he has to risk selling his soul to protect himself and the few people he truly protects, he'll do it. Nucky's not my favorite character in the series, but he's one of the few who I as a viewer can count on to stay dynamic, as he's rarely ever not hatching something, and with good purpose.
- Speaking of religious oddities, Van Alden's arc is heading in a strange direction. The incorruptible gets one taste of sin and it destroys his marriage, his profession, and his faith. The scene where him and a fellow agent are offered a free meal is the ultimate transition, as he accepts the war against liquor is unwinnable and begins taking some of the graft for his own purposes. Going to Chicago will obviously tie him into what's hopefully going to be the true star of season 3, Al Capone. It would make sense, considering they offed Jimmy and left much of Van Alden's arc off to the side the last handful of episodes, giving only glimpses of his retreat.
- I really was hoping to see Angela find some semblance of peace, since she provided a rare glimpse into the bohemian libertine movement. Her dynamic with Jimmy's mom is interesting, since they're both cut from the same cloth. Angela may have never truly loved Jimmy, and definitely doesn't love him like Gillian does, but she wanted to get away from the fucked up world and make something better for herself. In the end, sadly, she and Jimmy both are dead and Gillian's got another son to mold in her own image. *shiver*
- One final note on Jimmy, since his part to play is overwith. Killing him made sense for both the show and the storyline - we learned basically everything there is to know about his fucked up life and how everything he touches basically turns to tragedy. He killed too many people and clearly he would never have been able to work the crowd with Nucky's grace nor live up to his biological father's imposing dominance. The affair with his mom broke him of whatever shred of joy he had left, and in joining the military he was hoping death would find him. When it didn't during the war, he returned with death hanging over his shoulder, seeming to punish Jimmy for what he did with his mother before ultimately letting Nuck pull the trigger. A sad end to a captivating character.
- Chalky White still holds the title for best scene of the series with the "I ain't buildin' no bookcase," sequence, but he also is champion of Least Developed Character. The black community's involvement in the history of Atlantic City is paramount, and yet we've barely gotten to know it's primary representative in the cast. He's had a few chilling scenes, sure, but he has neither regressed nor improved. He simply seems content to maintain the status quo (which is fair, in his situation), but as far as the show is concerned, I'd like to know more about him. I hope they give him an episode like they did with Jimmy in season 2, highlighting his past and showing how he got to where he is, and maybe shed some light on where he could be going.
- And finally I'm gonna conclude with Richard Harrow. I talked about him earlier, and it appears his role will be getting substantially magnified in season 3. I say that because he's the most obvious character to give that look to, and he's earned it. From the botched suicide in the woods to Angela's sketch, to the quiet looks through his patchwork book of happiness, to the singular lines he's uttered throughout the series, Richard is the personification of the entire moral and spiritual war that's affected nearly every character. He literally wears a mask to hide the horror that's underneath it, but we get a sense that there is some good in him despite all the blood he's spilled. We haven't learned much at all about his past, and I have a feeling that the contempt he's been treated with by Gillian and others will come back to haunt them all. He could be Jimmy's wrath, but he could also save Tommy from Jimmy's fate. Richard may have to be the hero that nobody else can be.
_________________ Quote: When it comes to the Bears, America is just a slobbering shitwagon. Every single opinion of his regarding this team is the most pristine of doomsday horseshit.
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