Boardwalk Empire's Series Finale: How Did It All End?

Steve Buscemi | Photo Credits: Christopher T. Saunders/HBO
Steve Buscemi | Photo Credits: Christopher T. Saunders/HBO

[WARNING: The following story contains spoilers from Sunday's series finale of HBO's Boardwalk Empire. Read at your own risk.]

After five beautifully crafted seasons, the lights finally went out on HBO's Boardwalk Empire Sunday night. And as promised by creator and executive producer Terence Winter, who worked with the team that crafted the maddening and still-debated ending of The Sopranos, there was nothing ambiguous about it.

The show arguably reached its emotional climax in the penultimate episode, when Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) agreed to give up his Atlantic City empire to New York rival Charlie Luciano (Vincent Piazza) in order to save his nephew Willie. As such, the finale became a flashback-heavy exploration of Nucky's soul as he tied up loose ends with his brother Eli (Shea Whigam) and made plans to move to New York and live quietly, thanks to the cool $2 million he made manipulating the stock market with his former wife Margaret (Kelly Macdonald).

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But as the Season 5 promotional posters promised...

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