BOARDWALK EMPIRE Goes For Six Seasons?

Man, we sure hope so.

Summer has finally arrived and the weather is fine, but for once, I am eager for fall to arrive with its chill in the air and a new season of Boardwalk Empire. HBO’s latest triumph is to enter its third season this year, after avoiding any kind of sophomore slump with great aplomb in 2012. And if creator Terence Winter has his way, Boardwalk will be here to greet the autumn of 2015.

In a recent interview, Winter said, “God willing, we could run six years, that would be wonderful for me.” Ever the canny writer, he was quick to add, “But I take it one season at a time.”

And this right here is what helps make the show so great: A keen eye on the future, yet it never forsakes the present. If you, like my sister, have read this far without seeing season 2, you might wanna turn back now (she was all bummed that a piece I wrote the other day spoiled last year’s finale, but ha ha, that’s what you get for being our parents’ favorite). I have been an affirmed TV addict since I realized at a tender young age that it loved me more than any living person could, but I have never in my life seen a show with the brass balls to ice one of its main characters. We’ve discussed before how the death of Jimmy Darmody sent shockwaves throughout the medium, but really, there is no danger of overstressing what this means to Boardwalk Empire as a show and as a cultural touchstone.

Nobody wanted to see Jimmy die, even those of us who realize there was no other way for Boardwalk Empire season 2 to end, up to and including Michael Pitt himself. But for the show to maintain its integrity, in order to continue to be one of the finest written dramas on television, it had to happen. And while this move certainly set in solid stone the foundation for the rest of the series, it also provided one of the most intense and entertaining seasons of any show, especially as it careened towards its now infamous conclusion.

And if this behind-the-scenes teaser is any indication, Boardwalk Empire season 3 will not be resting on its laurels. I’m thrilled to see that Jack Huston’s character, Richard Harrow, will continue to play a major role, despite the death of his patron saint, James Darmody. I wish they had discussed Agent Van Alden, as played by Michael Shannon, a bit more, but mostly I wish it were goddamn fall already! C’mon, you leaves, turn! Turn, damn you!