{alltv} 'Boardwalk' faces so appealing

If you were to count them up, the math might say Boardwalk Empire has too many characters. Or at least, too many characters vying to be the main character.

But rarely have we seen a TV series whose top half-dozen faces are so strong, so appealing, so different. And arguably, the heart of the whole story is Margaret Schroeder, played in understated but fiery fashion by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald.

As Boardwalk Empire accelerates toward its first-season finale -- which airs Sunday, Dec. 5 on HBO Canada -- the series just keeps getting better and better.

A mixture of fact and fiction in the prohibition era of the 1920s that's set mainly in Atlantic City, N.J., Boardwalk Empire stars Steve Buscemi as the corrupt but compelling Nucky Thompson. Nucky is based on a real-life person, Enoch Johnson.

As county treasurer, Nucky runs Atlantic City like a king. But now Nucky is feeling heat from many sources: His lover, his brother, his rivals, the electorate.

Buscemi has been excellent, as usual. But he is far from alone in Boardwalk Empire. (Spolier alert: Up-to-date plot developments are discussed in the coming paragraphs.)

As stated earlier, an argument can be made that Irish widow Margaret Schroeder actually is the main character. Margaret had strong morals when we met her, but she traded those for the security and affection provided by Nucky after her abusive husband disappeared.

Margaret's ethical struggles finally erupted in the second-last episode of the season, when she confronted Nucky. Not only has Margaret come to feel like a whore, both literally and figuratively with regard to Nucky's political machine, but Nucky's role in what happened to her husband -- even though he was a Class-A jackass -- has been weighing heavily on her mind.

The argument between Margaret and Nucky was fascinating, as two people who have compromised their morals competed for the moral high ground.

Margaret: "This whole arrangement (makes me sick to my stomach)."

Nucky: "What arrangement?"

Margaret: "That I'm to accept what you tell me and ask nothing more. That I aid you in the business you conduct and pretend I don't know what that business is."

Nucky: "I don't recall you ever saying no to anything I put in front of you. You make a little noise every now and then to remind me what a good person you are. But a good person wouldn't be here right now."

Margaret: "You don't know what I am."

Nucky: "I don't?"

The episode ended with Margaret and Nucky decidedly at odds. Margaret and her kids fled the home Nucky was providing for them. But an angry Margaret on her moral high horse is a real threat to Nucky, because she knows -- or suspects -- far too much.

Other favourite characters of ours include Gretchen Mol as Gillian Darmody (who knew what evil she was capable of?), Michael Stuhlbarg as Arnold Rothstein (a cool portrayal of a classy cutthroat gangster) and Michael Shannon as Nelson Van Alden (talk about creepy!).

Season 1 of Boardwalk Empire isn't over yet and already we can't wait for Season 2.