@@mcrichton46I’ve never even seen boardwalk empire but I’ve watched this yt clip nearly a dozen times lol. I find the writing of this scene so captivating; it has so many brilliant touches that give it all these ‘hidden’ thematic layers like the one you just mentioned.
@@mu0FFpu0FF So this line is actually so surface-level in terms of depth that I've been trying to search for a deeper meaning for some time. On the surface he's saying that fictional stories are carefully crafted by a writer who creates characters and connections between them. Richard is trying to say that, in reality, these connections only exist in our heads and are not real like how they are in books. But almost immediately after he says this, he is proved wrong bc Jimmy helps him so he start to make real connections with people again. But in a high level explanation, his line is more existential or absurdist in nature, alluding to the meaningless of life and reality. It could almost be interpreted as a form of social nihilism if you overthink it like I am lol
Amazing scene, i love how richard can only make brief eye contact with someone, as if he feels he's not worthy enough to have someone look him in the eye when they speak to him.
Feeling not worthy enough isnt the reason he doesnt look into someone's eyes. The reason he doesnt look into someone's eyes is because he doesnt want to show the world to see what kind of pain he really is suffering from. Since through the eyes one can look into someone's soul.
I always liked the breakfast scene where Jimmy told Richard "you don't have to be afraid to eat around us" like Jimmy was breaking down Richard's insecurities and it only brought them closer
@kurtadams9740 except when he tells you a man's death is no laughing matter and then stares you in the eye for a minute straight while holding a gun to another guy's head
I dont think the second part is what happened here tho, if thats what you’re implying. Richard said he didn’t believe fiction could work because people dont have a connection. By lying for him and saving him the embarrassment of the exam Jimmy showed that people CAN have a connection, and hopefully eased his sorrow. Tell me if I’m overanalyzing, but I think that was the message of the scene.
In all honesty, Harrow was arguably smarter than Jimmy, although probably also more emotionally unstable, as evidenced by his attempted suicide, so it is kinda up in the air.
Not even if this show went to another series and jimmy managed to survive the events of Boardwalk Empire, he can play a good role as a founding member of Murder Inc.
That line always stood out for me. This series was nothing less than an absolute masterpiece in every sense of the word. The most underrated and underappreciated series in the history of television, 2nd only to another HBO original 'The Leftovers' (imho)
@@yettiluch1 The scene I remember most was when he was waiting in the trenches, counting down, then the whistle, and he climbs out of the trench to charge the enemy for the 100th time or whatever. Death is waiting for him and his comrades, death is out on that open ground. No words, very brief, but very powerful. No wonder his character was so fucked up. His memories are all nightmares.
Nah, Richard and that psycho nut Gyp were the best easily, followed by Nelson. There was summut about Jimmy that I wanted him to get whacked sooner but the 3 guys I mentioned could easily have their own spin offs, much more meat with their characters.
Jimmy’s death was such a damn tragedy, was one of my favourite characters and I couldn’t believe he was killed so early. Seeing Jimmy and Richards friendship and respect for each other even after one of them was gone was so endearing
nah fuck jimmy. when someone takes you under their wing like nucky did you dont try to make a move on them. nucky is an asshole yes, but if you're straight with him hes straight with you.
I stopped watching when Jimmy died. I felt he was such a great foil to Nucky who was beginning to fall in the list of characters I like. Picked it back up again a few months later hahaha.
The real therapy is the vets talking sharing their experiences as only they can relate. Society will never understand the horrors of war though they benefit from these men's bravery and sacrafice.
@@80sOutrunFan feds are too busy insuring illegals get enough govt subsidies to worry about those who served their country and were promised they'd never be forgotten.
@@edmonddantes3640 I agree, it's a shame, Trump had a majority in the house and in the senate for over a year and he cant be bothered to start fixing the VA nor can Trump get his party in line to secure funding for the wall to protect Americans.
Actually a Tin Soldier was someone who hasn't saw combat, they were military but not a combat vet. I believe the look Jimmy gives when he shows him the book is because among combat vets tin soldiers are considered in large part those who avoided combat while they fought and paid the price (and Richard paid a great one)
"..I put a bullet..one inch..below his eye.." and that's where Jimmy got shot by Nucky as well, and just like the german sniper, Jimmy took off his protection, leaving his guns at home
I love the moment where Jimmy whispers "Jesus.." when Richard, who is wearing a tin mask asks him what book he's reading, and Jimmy checks the book and it's titled: "The Tin Soldier" Just one of the more lesser noticed details in this scene.
Jimmy knew the best therapy this man needed was a friend who would not only die for him but could relate to him in a manner only veterans can and understand his pain! Beautiful series.
A difference between American WW and Vietnam/Gulf vets: American WW vets came back in ships, crammed into bunks, sometimes taking weeks to get home. This gave them time to talk and share stories -- as one soldier put it, "debrief each other" -- about what they experienced. It allowed them to put what they went through into words, to make sense of it, to contextualize their trauma. Basically giant group therapy sessions. Vietnam and more recent vets were flown home, sometimes in a group but sometimes alone, in a few days, and chucked right back into society and were simply expected to cope.
He's a completely broken man. Feels anxious without the mask of the man he killed, keeps reciting weaponry statistics, constantly oscillates between loyal, warm, and ghoulish. An amazing character study.
I just realized that with Richards excitement talking about getting the kill on the German after 3 days that he saw his only joy or purpose was killing. That’s what makes his character so interesting. The man Richard Harlow would of likely lived a completely normal life. But the soldier Richard Harlow was turned into a man who was only comfortable at war. A hit man was a perfect life for him, he saw his only purpose as killing. When you devote 3 days and a whole war on top of killing, it becomes your only priority. He was wounded too badly to live a normal life. This was literally his only option to live “normally”. Beautifully conceived character. Picking a post WW1 era and mobster prohibition setting was so smart.
WWI was beyond horrific with thousands of men dying in a single day getting mowed down by machine gun fire while getting tangled up in barbed wire across no-man's land. Corpses were so common and men so hardened that a corpse with outstretched arm became a convenient place to hang a canteen with no one thinking twice about it. This one British soldier remembered a horrible night after a failed attack in which wounded men that couldn't move were trapped in shell craters in no-man's land. It began to rain and the shell craters slowly filled with water, with the wounded yelling for help, and becoming increasingly more frantic finally turning to crying and screams as the hours passed while both sides were forced to listen. By early morning complete silence...
And the stupid ass, old school, unadaptable higher ups just kept sending them up, out, and over the trenches, into NML, right to their guaranteed deaths. Over, and over, and over again.
@@chriscraven9335 WW2 warfare was also horrific. All warfare is. The wars in the Middle East are horrific, we just aren't the primary victims so we don't care. Vietnam was truly horrific. For the Vietnamese. They're still suffering from the effects now. Babies being born deformed due to Agent Orange.
Richard's scars were on his outside, Jimmy's were on the inside. I think they both envied each other in a way. But Jimmy saw that society would accept him, and not Richard because of looks alone, even though they were very much the same.
This entire show is a masterpiece but this one scene let alone is a whole character study within itself. Two veterans who reflect the brutality of war in their own subtle ways. Jimmy’s PTSD, reflection after Richard unravels the German Sniper Mask... the hunch forward and rubbing his eyes to both men realizing they are still soldiers by nature. Richard Harrow is one of the greatest tv characters for sure.
As an Iraq war vet, this hits me pretty close to home. I have no disfigurements or missing limbs but I'll always feel the outsider. Different. Each veteran handles it in their own way. Some are quiet. Some put on a smile and pretend they're okay to fit in. Some are gruff and distant. Put two of any kind in a room together. They'll feel it. Even if from different branches, different wars, different eras, there is that connection. IT's unspoken. "You understand me. I understand you. We're not lonely for human companionship. We're lonely for people to understand us. Not respect us or appreciate is or sympathize with us, UNDERSTAND US."
Amen brother. Your spot on. My fellow vets understand me far better than my own family. They call me a loner. I'm not, I just don't fit in with society anymore. 2-8 marines. Afghanistan vet.
Vets are like this. You got guys like James who look fine but are emotionally and mentally disturbed. Then you have guys like Richard. Men who came out with serious scars but were still there mentally. In a lot of ways it's worse to be James. Mainly because when you have no scars people aren't willing to listen or even feel sympathy. All your scars are on the inside. And when you are like that it's really hard to talk to someone who isn't going through the same thing. It's even harder to explain why you are having the thoughts you are having when your brain is misfiring. Trying to explain why you literally wanted to kill the guy who cut you off in traffic because you know you can and because you feel like it to someone who is payed to sit there and listen to you talk and never seen a damm thing in his life is infuriating. They drop a lable on you and they give you medication to take you don't feel you need. Yeah just drug the guy. Everything will be ok. Meanwhile your starting to lose hope in everything and everyone around you. And you start to think maybe you would be better off shooting the brain that is triggering all these thoughts in your everyday life. Thoughts you know are wrong and shouldn't be having. But who do you turn to? All vets are like James and Richard. We have been places and seen things and we are old men now because of it even if we are still young. And we struggle internally until we fade away.
@@drugl0rd he isn't killing for fun like a serial killer. He isn't drooling like a vegetable. And as far as suicide goes if you look like Richard did after the war and didn't think at some point you might be better off calling it a day and checking out that would be crazy. The fact that Richard rejected suicide shows he isn't crazy. Mentally scarred? Absolutely Richard is mentally scarred. But he is still functioning dispite the damage to his face and that says something about how strong he actually is mentally.
There are many of us civilians out there that fully love and respect you for your sacrifices. I have volunteered both my limited time and limited financial resources trying to help out veterans the best I could. Every veteran I've ever met had tremendous character and was a man I had complete respect for. I only do tree work but it seems men that have faced real shit have a mutual respect for one another. You're the man
So what. You're disregarding civilians who have been trauma just as bad if not worse. Do you have any idea what it's like being abused as a child by people who should be looking after you and preparing you to deal with the world? Or mental and emotional neglect and how that fucks people up?
All Jimmy wanted was someone who understood, not just the experiences of war but how it had opened a floodgate making him want to continue to fight and kill. None of his friends or even his wife could do that. That's why he connected so well to Harrow, a true killer who needed to make a connection to the world.
@@TheDrunkHamster I used to think it was because game of thrones was out at the same time and pretty much built itself off of killing characters abruptly. If the sopranos came out at the time Tony wouldn't have survived season 1
It's all bullshit. It was an anonymous source who spewed that shit. And even the showrunner himself confirmed it. The actor was late and such. But actors and staff. Even William Forsythe. Have said that he was a funny guy. They liked him.
Most veterans understand the friendship these two had. That’s why they tend to be happier around other vets. The brotherhood is what most vets miss about their time in service. It doesn’t really exist in civilian world. A lot also miss that life was just so much more simpler when they were deployed.
Plenty of jobs with comaradary. For instance the two most dangerous jobs on the planet. Logging and commercial fishing. No one who actually fought comments on TH-cam lol. Most are kids exaggerating online for attention.
@@bcreech17 Do you mean was I a logger or fisherman? Yes I guess. I just wasn't tough enough to do for more than a couple years. If you meant did I fight a war? Then no. If you mean am I an exaggerating kid? No. I'm old and under exaggerate to make stories believable lol. I don't fit many "demographics" lol
@@joem3999I’m a scaffolder . I have fought in wars and been injured in combat. The bond from war is a strong bond with other similar soldiers with similar experience.
@ronaldlymm7248 My last two days logging we spent hauling a 20 year old kids' bodies off the mountain. In the rigging, the forest tried to kill us every day. 1 in 20 loggers dies a year. Most dangerous job on earth. There is no sitting around waiting for shit to happen. It happens all day. NONSTOP adrenaline and terror. Same for fishing on the Bering. Was 24 hours a day of terror for 90 days at a time. Loggers get the bond better than most soldiers. We didn't get to sit around at a base. LOL.
“Well.....fuck him, right.?” (that grin) 😂 Michael Pitt was PERFECT as Jimmy Darmody. As was Jack Huston as Richard. Such a phenomenal scene! Remarkable chemistry between these two for a first encounter
At 1:20 Jimmy asks “you don’t enjoy reading anymore?” and you see the flame reflect in Richard’s glasses. I feel the reflection was ABSOLUTELY intentional and is metaphoric for what he saw during the war. Maybe I’m just clutching at straws, but it strikes me as incredibly evocative. I love it.
That’s amazing. The reflection specifically might be too perfect to have been planned, but I think lighting the cigarette at that comment was intentional, and they may have selected this particular take for the reflection.
Harrow talking about how he killed the German sniper waiting three days for him to remove his metallic sniper mask and shooting the dude on the cheek and there he was in vet counseling after the war, also disfigured and wearing a mask. How ironic.
3:12 idk why I love that response so much. I guess it sounds more realistic to what a solider who’d been through hell would say. “Welp, fuck him. Right?”
@@cockoffgewgle4993 I'm not sure that's quite it; though it may be for some. I think it's just an easier way of dismissing what had to be done. Better to say "fuck him" than dwell on the fact that you killed a stranger. Nobody really wanted to kill anyone, but people deal with it in different ways.
I broke my ankle the week before Halloween 2015. Bike messenger. I got hit by a truck. I loved Sopranos, loved The Wire. I never had time to watch Empire Boardwalk. Always out grinding. With nothing else to do, I allowed Verizon to install a bundle package in my home. I laid up for four months. Having said all this .... Jimmy is one of the best characters I've ever seen .... that man played that part ..... mad depth .... official gangster .... did it for the love ....
After several attempts at trying to explain this haircut, and several salons failing to get what I wanted I finally looked up WW2 German, 20's and 30's haircuts. Finally found a lady that loved the movie 'Lawless' and knew what I wanted. A 'high and low undercut' is what she calls it and I've gotten several compliments on it. Too many men shave their heads-grow that shit out a little.
@@rokanza2293 by all means if it suits the man wear it. I had that style for a few years too. But my message was in response to someone saying its very popular NOW which is false. This haircut isnt popular anymore its been outdated for a few years. I wasnt having a go at the hairstyle itself just correcting the statement that its currently popular
Had such a weird experience. Never watched this show. Only recently started watching the shorts on TH-cam. Learned about Richard and Jimmy’s characters, but in reverse. Saw their entire plot lines, but only just now saw how they met, and it brought me honestly to tears, after seeing the understanding and events they go through, alone and together after this.
1:32 I love how the shot changes to the other side Richards face when He says "have some sort of connection." almost like the scene and the line is telling us we can understand Richard, but We can't fully connect to His pain from the war.
This is a good illustration of veterans relating to one another. You hear the stories but never can we non-combatants comprehend the experience of someone who fought for their country and suffered for it. It saddens me when these brave heroes get treated like aliens by their own; and I can only hope we can show them how much we care and love them.
Its crazy to think that we live in a world where this is not fiction this actually exists... And to be honest its even sadder to see people who have fought for their country struggle to pay their bills and have difficulty finding help. These are the people that should be taken care of for the rest of their lives financially and mentally if you ask me
@ Alex Ander me too. I think I like it better than the sopranos. The tragedy, the characters, the costumes, the music esp daughters singing, the acting, its all so good.
NEVER have, I seen a series quite like this. The acting… The characters and most of all the writers. Brilliant is the only word I can use for this remarkable series which I am just now watching on demand.
2:20 - "There’s a condition in combat that occurs when a soldier is completely stressed out and is on the verge of a nervous collapse. In World War I it was called 'shell shock.' Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables. Shell shock. It almost sounds like the guns themselves." - George Carlin
This show how easy it is to join a gang. After all the hard work and pain you did, this is how people repay you. Thinking your nuts, something wrong with you. You go somewhere to get that power, sense of friendship and teamwork, meanwhile everyone else around you is just as unhinged or worse
If Jimmy had Richard Harrow and Owen Sleater as his two best friends, he could have taken over the world. Richard and Owen were the two baddest ass characters ever.
Ah, so he probably knows all about thousand-yard stares, empty eyes, and broken minds and bodies. After all, he likely sees it all the time in the Gentile children they play with.
Poor Richard. Initially introduced to the character via a TH-cam montage of blood and guts I now feel rather terrible for him and would not cast him as one of Nucky’s “Easy-money thugs”.
"It occurred to me: The basis of fiction is that people have some sort of connection with each other. But they don't." This line hits hard
Ironically, the two of them had an immediate connection based on shared PTSD from the war. Incredibly well written storyline between the two
@@mcrichton46I’ve never even seen boardwalk empire but I’ve watched this yt clip nearly a dozen times lol. I find the writing of this scene so captivating; it has so many brilliant touches that give it all these ‘hidden’ thematic layers like the one you just mentioned.
I'm actually interested, please explain it to me, slowly. Like explaining it to a child lol because I don't understand
@@mu0FFpu0FF So this line is actually so surface-level in terms of depth that I've been trying to search for a deeper meaning for some time. On the surface he's saying that fictional stories are carefully crafted by a writer who creates characters and connections between them. Richard is trying to say that, in reality, these connections only exist in our heads and are not real like how they are in books. But almost immediately after he says this, he is proved wrong bc Jimmy helps him so he start to make real connections with people again. But in a high level explanation, his line is more existential or absurdist in nature, alluding to the meaningless of life and reality. It could almost be interpreted as a form of social nihilism if you overthink it like I am lol
@@pyrotechnick420 thank you! I knew it sounded like something Nietzsche could have said.
Amazing scene, i love how richard can only make brief eye contact with someone, as if he feels he's not worthy enough to have someone look him in the eye when they speak to him.
Exactly. Up until the very last shot, where he looks Jimmy directly eye-to-eye 😢
I loved these they really had love for eachother and respected eachother
Feeling not worthy enough isnt the reason he doesnt look into someone's eyes.
The reason he doesnt look into someone's eyes is because he doesnt want to show the world to see what kind of pain he really is suffering from.
Since through the eyes one can look into someone's soul.
I always liked the breakfast scene where Jimmy told Richard "you don't have to be afraid to eat around us" like Jimmy was breaking down Richard's insecurities and it only brought them closer
@kurtadams9740 except when he tells you a man's death is no laughing matter and then stares you in the eye for a minute straight while holding a gun to another guy's head
Richard Harrow is SUCH a well written character.
Literally is my favorite character from anything (movie, series, book) he’s the best character ever.
He conveyed so much emotion and heart in this character while literally having half his face
Sometimes two broken people meet, and they seem to complete each other.
Other times, their deficits only serve to deepen each others sorrow.
I dont think the second part is what happened here tho, if thats what you’re implying. Richard said he didn’t believe fiction could work because people dont have a connection. By lying for him and saving him the embarrassment of the exam Jimmy showed that people CAN have a connection, and hopefully eased his sorrow. Tell me if I’m overanalyzing, but I think that was the message of the scene.
@@luffyd.monkey7171 Yeah that's a good analysis. Spot on
Or, paradoxically, both.
Very well put.
Well said
If Jimmy spent more time recruiting Veterans like Harrow, he would have been the one on top and the Series would have been over in half the time.
Snow White well muscle isn’t everything and if so he wouldn’t have suffered the consequences of his doing and his own death
But we all fall someday
In all honesty, Harrow was arguably smarter than Jimmy, although probably also more emotionally unstable, as evidenced by his attempted suicide, so it is kinda up in the air.
Not even if this show went to another series and jimmy managed to survive the events of Boardwalk Empire, he can play a good role as a founding member of Murder Inc.
george How would he be a founding member of murder inc when he isnt jewish?
Jimmy wasnt suppose to die when he did, he was killed off bc he was unprofessional and a heroin addict
"They're interested in what's in our heads, so next time we'll fight better."
Damn, even Richard knew another war was inevitable.
There is always the next war
To be fair, every veteran knows another war is inevitable.
as a combat veteran this hits hard.
That line always stood out for me. This series was nothing less than an absolute masterpiece in every sense of the word.
The most underrated and underappreciated series in the history of television, 2nd only to another HBO original 'The Leftovers' (imho)
@@guldcat1619 War is always inevitable.
The 2 best characters in this series.
Hands down
Really??? He banged his Ma.
@@yettiluch1 The scene I remember most was when he was waiting in the trenches, counting down, then the whistle, and he climbs out of the trench to charge the enemy for the 100th time or whatever.
Death is waiting for him and his comrades, death is out on that open ground.
No words, very brief, but very powerful.
No wonder his character was so fucked up. His memories are all nightmares.
Agree
Nah, Richard and that psycho nut Gyp were the best easily, followed by Nelson.
There was summut about Jimmy that I wanted him to get whacked sooner but the 3 guys I mentioned could easily have their own spin offs, much more meat with their characters.
Richard just wanted to escape the horror of war. But the only friend he made kept him from escaping violence
On the other hand he gave a kindred spirit a purpose to live again, it’s all about perspective
@@ulysses1320
This is also true. Although that purpose might not be the ideal solution. 😅
It was probably the only solution.
Jimmy’s death was such a damn tragedy, was one of my favourite characters and I couldn’t believe he was killed so early. Seeing Jimmy and Richards friendship and respect for each other even after one of them was gone was so endearing
nah fuck jimmy. when someone takes you under their wing like nucky did you dont try to make a move on them. nucky is an asshole yes, but if you're straight with him hes straight with you.
Yeah - Jimmy had so much potential. Really wish they did more with his character. Damn shame.
He was difficult to work with on set, so that's why they cut it short.
Yeah, these two and their relationship carried the show for me. I did not have much interest once they died.
I stopped watching when Jimmy died. I felt he was such a great foil to Nucky who was beginning to fall in the list of characters I like. Picked it back up again a few months later hahaha.
The real therapy is the vets talking sharing their experiences as only they can relate. Society will never understand the horrors of war though they benefit from these men's bravery and sacrafice.
Yeah, tell that to the US veterans living under bridges.
@@80sOutrunFan feds are too busy insuring illegals get enough govt subsidies to worry about those who served their country and were promised they'd never be forgotten.
@@edmonddantes3640 I agree, it's a shame, Trump had a majority in the house and in the senate for over a year and he cant be bothered to start fixing the VA nor can Trump get his party in line to secure funding for the wall to protect Americans.
80sOutrunFan Tell them to get a job.
So true. I'm fascinated by WW1; I can't imagine serving in that war, or any war for that matter. A true living hell.
Notice how jimmy was uncomfortable to tell the title was because the veterans that had tin mask prosthetics were commonly referred to as tin soldiers
Thanks Captain Obvious, way to ruin the subtlety 😂
I didn't know that actually. Thanks man
Which is where the title of the song actually comes from.
Thanks, I didn't know that
Actually a Tin Soldier was someone who hasn't saw combat, they were military but not a combat vet. I believe the look Jimmy gives when he shows him the book is because among combat vets tin soldiers are considered in large part those who avoided combat while they fought and paid the price (and Richard paid a great one)
Richard always wipes his hand before he shakes. He wants to give his cleanest, best self to people
I thought most men did that, it also indicates the level of constant anxiety he lives with daily with palms sweating
"..I put a bullet..one inch..below his eye.." and that's where Jimmy got shot by Nucky as well, and just like the german sniper, Jimmy took off his protection, leaving his guns at home
Because he knew he was gonna die
I've been binging this show recently. I just saw that part
...and that is also the same way Jimmy's son killed Nucky at the entrance of the theater with a shot 1 inch below the left eye.
@@7lostbandit68 He knew and wanted it, he was never the same after serving in the trenches.
@@MyVaultboy101 true, he was my favorite character
I love the moment where Jimmy whispers "Jesus.." when Richard, who is wearing a tin mask asks him what book he's reading, and Jimmy checks the book and it's titled: "The Tin Soldier"
Just one of the more lesser noticed details in this scene.
He's sitting there like "fuck me. Worse timing"
OOOOOHHHH I thought it was because he was just awkward at conversation. Nice.
Yeah I had no idea those masks were made of tin.
@@ChillsWithSloths its not its porcelain
@@PeacefulJoint now i don’t know who to believe and i don’t care enough to google it 😩
Jimmy knew the best therapy this man needed was a friend who would not only die for him but could relate to him in a manner only veterans can and understand his pain! Beautiful series.
A difference between American WW and Vietnam/Gulf vets:
American WW vets came back in ships, crammed into bunks, sometimes taking weeks to get home. This gave them time to talk and share stories -- as one soldier put it, "debrief each other" -- about what they experienced. It allowed them to put what they went through into words, to make sense of it, to contextualize their trauma. Basically giant group therapy sessions.
Vietnam and more recent vets were flown home, sometimes in a group but sometimes alone, in a few days, and chucked right back into society and were simply expected to cope.
And we're spit on by their fellow Americans simply for doing their jobs.
Great point.
3:09 The smile on his face when he says that was absolutely chilling, despite how small it was.
He's a completely broken man. Feels anxious without the mask of the man he killed, keeps reciting weaponry statistics, constantly oscillates between loyal, warm, and ghoulish. An amazing character study.
Richard's character is one of the best to come out western cinema in decades.
This show is full of deep characters. I think Jimmy and Knucky are very interesting characters and they way they are developed is pretty thorough.
Cinema relates to movies
I just realized that with Richards excitement talking about getting the kill on the German after 3 days that he saw his only joy or purpose was killing. That’s what makes his character so interesting. The man Richard Harlow would of likely lived a completely normal life. But the soldier Richard Harlow was turned into a man who was only comfortable at war. A hit man was a perfect life for him, he saw his only purpose as killing. When you devote 3 days and a whole war on top of killing, it becomes your only priority. He was wounded too badly to live a normal life. This was literally his only option to live “normally”. Beautifully conceived character. Picking a post WW1 era and mobster prohibition setting was so smart.
his brain couldnt go back to civilian mode
It's been done before. Especially in Russian cinema.
Harrow
It’s not that deep bro 😆
@ it most certainly is watch the DVD extras the creator explains it
These two actors did a fantastic job. They played ghosts, men who were there, but not really there.
The way jimmy stopped Richard from goin to take the test was like.. damn dude.. deep. Just met him like 2 minutes ago and already formed a friendship.
WWI was beyond horrific with thousands of men dying in a single day getting mowed down by machine gun fire while getting tangled up in barbed wire across no-man's land. Corpses were so common and men so hardened that a corpse with outstretched arm became a convenient place to hang a canteen with no one thinking twice about it. This one British soldier remembered a horrible night after a failed attack in which wounded men that couldn't move were trapped in shell craters in no-man's land. It began to rain and the shell craters slowly filled with water, with the wounded yelling for help, and becoming increasingly more frantic finally turning to crying and screams as the hours passed while both sides were forced to listen. By early morning complete silence...
Even our wars today arent like that anymore..
And the stupid ass, old school, unadaptable higher ups just kept sending them up, out, and over the trenches, into NML, right to their guaranteed deaths. Over, and over, and over again.
@@blakolawton5205 even a mere 20 years later in WWII, it was nothing like WWI. Trench fighting broke out sporadically in WWII, but in very few spots.
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but with a whimper
@@chriscraven9335 WW2 warfare was also horrific. All warfare is. The wars in the Middle East are horrific, we just aren't the primary victims so we don't care.
Vietnam was truly horrific. For the Vietnamese. They're still suffering from the effects now. Babies being born deformed due to Agent Orange.
This is as relevant today as it was then. Veterans always can understand one another when civilians and even family can't.
Richard's scars were on his outside, Jimmy's were on the inside. I think they both envied each other in a way. But Jimmy saw that society would accept him, and not Richard because of looks alone, even though they were very much the same.
Jimmy and Richard made a great team. They were a deadly duo.
"They're interested in what's in our heads, so next time, we'll fight better..." === the 10001% TRUTH, FACTS OF LIFE .
@@williampacult9431 You're a fucking piece of shit , FYI.
@@williampacult9431 My Light Infantry company sure did kill many on OEF and OIF... Your wish ws granted, many times over. Save it.
This entire show is a masterpiece but this one scene let alone is a whole character study within itself. Two veterans who reflect the brutality of war in their own subtle ways. Jimmy’s PTSD, reflection after Richard unravels the German Sniper Mask... the hunch forward and rubbing his eyes to both men realizing they are still soldiers by nature. Richard Harrow is one of the greatest tv characters for sure.
These two guys shared something these other gangsters on the show couldn’t never understand brotherhood and genuine loyalty.
As an Iraq war vet, this hits me pretty close to home. I have no disfigurements or missing limbs but I'll always feel the outsider. Different. Each veteran handles it in their own way. Some are quiet. Some put on a smile and pretend they're okay to fit in. Some are gruff and distant. Put two of any kind in a room together. They'll feel it. Even if from different branches, different wars, different eras, there is that connection. IT's unspoken. "You understand me. I understand you. We're not lonely for human companionship. We're lonely for people to understand us. Not respect us or appreciate is or sympathize with us, UNDERSTAND US."
I know how you feel bro.
(Infantry)
Thank You for your service 👏🏽
This is why National Service should make a comeback.
@@Screwby_Jones6200 I’m trying. Mad respect to you, bro. You deserve to be happy.
Amen brother. Your spot on. My fellow vets understand me far better than my own family. They call me a loner. I'm not, I just don't fit in with society anymore. 2-8 marines. Afghanistan vet.
"He left". These guys left society at this moment.
Vets are like this. You got guys like James who look fine but are emotionally and mentally disturbed. Then you have guys like Richard. Men who came out with serious scars but were still there mentally. In a lot of ways it's worse to be James. Mainly because when you have no scars people aren't willing to listen or even feel sympathy. All your scars are on the inside. And when you are like that it's really hard to talk to someone who isn't going through the same thing. It's even harder to explain why you are having the thoughts you are having when your brain is misfiring. Trying to explain why you literally wanted to kill the guy who cut you off in traffic because you know you can and because you feel like it to someone who is payed to sit there and listen to you talk and never seen a damm thing in his life is infuriating. They drop a lable on you and they give you medication to take you don't feel you need. Yeah just drug the guy. Everything will be ok. Meanwhile your starting to lose hope in everything and everyone around you. And you start to think maybe you would be better off shooting the brain that is triggering all these thoughts in your everyday life. Thoughts you know are wrong and shouldn't be having. But who do you turn to? All vets are like James and Richard. We have been places and seen things and we are old men now because of it even if we are still young. And we struggle internally until we fade away.
@@williamshelton4318 I think you are missing the point.
“Were still there mentally”? If i remember correctly, Richard tried to off himself in the woods. So I don’t think he was there mentally.
@@drugl0rd he isn't killing for fun like a serial killer. He isn't drooling like a vegetable. And as far as suicide goes if you look like Richard did after the war and didn't think at some point you might be better off calling it a day and checking out that would be crazy. The fact that Richard rejected suicide shows he isn't crazy. Mentally scarred? Absolutely Richard is mentally scarred. But he is still functioning dispite the damage to his face and that says something about how strong he actually is mentally.
There are many of us civilians out there that fully love and respect you for your sacrifices. I have volunteered both my limited time and limited financial resources trying to help out veterans the best I could. Every veteran I've ever met had tremendous character and was a man I had complete respect for. I only do tree work but it seems men that have faced real shit have a mutual respect for one another. You're the man
So what. You're disregarding civilians who have been trauma just as bad if not worse. Do you have any idea what it's like being abused as a child by people who should be looking after you and preparing you to deal with the world? Or mental and emotional neglect and how that fucks people up?
All Jimmy wanted was someone who understood, not just the experiences of war but how it had opened a floodgate making him want to continue to fight and kill. None of his friends or even his wife could do that. That's why he connected so well to Harrow, a true killer who needed to make a connection to the world.
Easily the 2 most interesting characters in the series. Great scene.
Such a shame the actor playing Jimmy was so difficult they wrote him off early
"Well, fuck HIM, right??" lol
They did seem to kill him off quite abruptly.
@@TheDrunkHamster I used to think it was because game of thrones was out at the same time and pretty much built itself off of killing characters abruptly. If the sopranos came out at the time Tony wouldn't have survived season 1
It's all bullshit. It was an anonymous source who spewed that shit.
And even the showrunner himself confirmed it. The actor was late and such. But actors and staff. Even William Forsythe. Have said that he was a funny guy. They liked him.
Apparently his was always going to be killed off early but Jimmy didn't realize till later. He was not happy about that.
Most veterans understand the friendship these two had. That’s why they tend to be happier around other vets. The brotherhood is what most vets miss about their time in service. It doesn’t really exist in civilian world.
A lot also miss that life was just so much more simpler when they were deployed.
Plenty of jobs with comaradary. For instance the two most dangerous jobs on the planet. Logging and commercial fishing.
No one who actually fought comments on TH-cam lol. Most are kids exaggerating online for attention.
@@joem3999Does that stated demographic include yourself?
@@bcreech17 Do you mean was I a logger or fisherman? Yes I guess. I just wasn't tough enough to do for more than a couple years.
If you meant did I fight a war? Then no. If you mean am I an exaggerating kid? No. I'm old and under exaggerate to make stories believable lol. I don't fit many "demographics" lol
@@joem3999I’m a scaffolder . I have fought in wars and been injured in combat. The bond from war is a strong bond with other similar soldiers with similar experience.
@ronaldlymm7248 My last two days logging we spent hauling a 20 year old kids' bodies off the mountain. In the rigging, the forest tried to kill us every day. 1 in 20 loggers dies a year. Most dangerous job on earth. There is no sitting around waiting for shit to happen. It happens all day. NONSTOP adrenaline and terror. Same for fishing on the Bering. Was 24 hours a day of terror for 90 days at a time. Loggers get the bond better than most soldiers. We didn't get to sit around at a base. LOL.
The friendship between Jimmy and Richard was my favorite thing about Boardwalk Empire. They killed Jimmy off way too early.
Well they weren't going to, but he kinda talked 'em into it.
I guess this was the best "bro" scene ever.
Men Going Abroad Tony & Christopher robbing The Vipers was a better bro scene imo.
Jimmy reminds me of Dicaprios character in the departed
I've gotten DiCaprio vibes from him the whole series
“Well.....fuck him, right.?” (that grin) 😂 Michael Pitt was PERFECT as Jimmy Darmody. As was Jack Huston as Richard. Such a phenomenal scene! Remarkable chemistry between these two for a first encounter
At 1:20 Jimmy asks “you don’t enjoy reading anymore?” and you see the flame reflect in Richard’s glasses. I feel the reflection was ABSOLUTELY intentional and is metaphoric for what he saw during the war. Maybe I’m just clutching at straws, but it strikes me as incredibly evocative. I love it.
That’s amazing. The reflection specifically might be too perfect to have been planned, but I think lighting the cigarette at that comment was intentional, and they may have selected this particular take for the reflection.
Jimmy: Smoke?
Richard: Not possible.
Jimmy doesn’t even blink. He understood how scars work.
I'm so enamoured by Richard Harrow. He's a awesome character.
Harrow talking about how he killed the German sniper waiting three days for him to remove his metallic sniper mask and shooting the dude on the cheek and there he was in vet counseling after the war, also disfigured and wearing a mask. How ironic.
Its crazy, the reason Richard dismisses the basis of fiction is actually what he has with Jimmy, an inexplicable connection.
One of the best and most tragic characters in history IMO.
Man, he instantly feels where he's coming from.
Two sick hit man side to side talking
Tommy Lee two Veterans at the VA Hospital😉
3:12 idk why I love that response so much. I guess it sounds more realistic to what a solider who’d been through hell would say. “Welp, fuck him. Right?”
More the attitude they've been trained to have as soldiers. To hate their enemy and not value their life.
@@cockoffgewgle4993 I'm not sure that's quite it; though it may be for some. I think it's just an easier way of dismissing what had to be done. Better to say "fuck him" than dwell on the fact that you killed a stranger. Nobody really wanted to kill anyone, but people deal with it in different ways.
Richard’s story on how he got that German sniper helmet is one of the most badass things I’ve seen on TV
These two......simply the best
I broke my ankle the week before Halloween 2015. Bike messenger. I got hit by a truck. I loved Sopranos, loved The Wire. I never had time to watch Empire Boardwalk. Always out grinding. With nothing else to do, I allowed Verizon to install a bundle package in my home. I laid up for four months. Having said all this .... Jimmy is one of the best characters I've ever seen .... that man played that part ..... mad depth .... official gangster .... did it for the love ....
Boardwalk Empire*
My two FAVORITE characters by far.
Such a powerful scene to introduce their relationship. Masterful writing.
This was Boardwalk Empire’s greatest relationship
The hair that started the craze. Imitated never duplicated. The spider legs in the back make it
Jimmy. It's so popular now. It looks awesome when aced. Helps if you're good looking like Pitt.
After several attempts at trying to explain this haircut, and several salons failing to get what I wanted I finally looked up WW2 German, 20's and 30's haircuts. Finally found a lady that loved the movie 'Lawless' and knew what I wanted. A 'high and low undercut' is what she calls it and I've gotten several compliments on it. Too many men shave their heads-grow that shit out a little.
Its incredibly outdated now.
Shamshir Hussain that's extremely irrelevant as long as it suits a man well enough
@@rokanza2293 by all means if it suits the man wear it. I had that style for a few years too. But my message was in response to someone saying its very popular NOW which is false. This haircut isnt popular anymore its been outdated for a few years. I wasnt having a go at the hairstyle itself just correcting the statement that its currently popular
Richard was the best character in the show. I loved every scene he was in.
Said it before ill say it again. Richard harrow my favorite character in the whole series.
The best
Had such a weird experience. Never watched this show. Only recently started watching the shorts on TH-cam. Learned about Richard and Jimmy’s characters, but in reverse. Saw their entire plot lines, but only just now saw how they met, and it brought me honestly to tears, after seeing the understanding and events they go through, alone and together after this.
“They’re interested in what’s in our heads so that the next time, we’ll fight better.” 😔 This guy has lost all faith in humanity
This scene is beyond tragic. The hidden thoughts and endless visions are there, behind their eyes. I've seen it much in the mirror.
1:32 I love how the shot changes to the other side Richards face when He says "have some sort of connection." almost like the scene and the line is telling us we can understand Richard, but We can't fully connect to His pain from the war.
hands down one of the best TV show scenes Ive ever seen my god.
This is a good illustration of veterans relating to one another. You hear the stories but never can we non-combatants comprehend the experience of someone who fought for their country and suffered for it. It saddens me when these brave heroes get treated like aliens by their own; and I can only hope we can show them how much we care and love them.
Its crazy to think that we live in a world where this is not fiction this actually exists...
And to be honest its even sadder to see people who have fought for their country struggle to pay their bills and have difficulty finding help.
These are the people that should be taken care of for the rest of their lives financially and mentally if you ask me
This scene was epic
Damni forgot how good this series was, need to watch it again!
@ Alex Ander me too. I think I like it better than the sopranos. The tragedy, the characters, the costumes, the music esp daughters singing, the acting, its all so good.
Richard is my favourite character.
Jimmy and Richard are the two best characters, I think their endings were good but too soon... at least for Jimmy
Michael Pitt is such a good actor, what happened to that dude
drugs
No he's still in good movies. Still alive and kicking.
He’s not very professional to put it mildly.
Richard is the intense 20s mobster version of Spock.
Richard was the best friend anyone could ever have. Watch the series and see
Jimmy could have played Johnny Sack in a Sopranos prequel.
I would have never considered this I like it.
Speak.
Отоја Јамагучи Michael Pitt I think Michael Pitt is part Italian
He would have made a great character on Peaky Blinders!
@@CousinCreepy Blinders ripped off B.E
I really believe this was the only time Richard didn’t struggle to speak to somebody else.
NEVER have, I seen a series quite like this. The acting… The characters and most of all the writers. Brilliant is the only word I can use for this remarkable series which I am just now watching on demand.
A friendship was born.
Think it’s time for me to rewatch this masterpiece.
Richard and Jimmy were my favorite parts of this show - that says alot considering we also had characters like Rothstein, Luciano, Maranzano, etc.
The dialogue was much more subtle in the early episodes. Past season 3 people started finishing each other's sentences with unrealistic witty replies.
believe it was this moment that this became my favourite show of all time.
Richard might be the best character in this shows existence
It looks like back in the day the waiting room was a very fast deal
in this scene their saying it's just real recognize real
go to bed kid
2:20 - "There’s a condition in combat that occurs when a soldier is completely stressed out and is on the verge of a nervous collapse. In World War I it was called 'shell shock.' Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables. Shell shock. It almost sounds like the guns themselves." - George Carlin
One of the most well written scenes ever..
I never cried for a characters dead in a series like i did for richard…
Two veterans with chips on there shoulders. My favorites ♠️
Such a great character Richard Harrow is
This show how easy it is to join a gang. After all the hard work and pain you did, this is how people repay you. Thinking your nuts, something wrong with you. You go somewhere to get that power, sense of friendship and teamwork, meanwhile everyone else around you is just as unhinged or worse
If Jimmy had Richard Harrow and Owen Sleater as his two best friends, he could have taken over the world. Richard and Owen were the two baddest ass characters ever.
I loved these 2 they really cared for and had love for each other and respected each other
Richards doing his best “Slingblade” impression
Richard was loyal to Jimmy , right down to the last bullet .
Two WW1 vets talking. Both deeply traumatitized men in a time when that was frownd upon.
In walks the greatest character in this show.
The actor that plays Richard Harrow is a cousin of the Rothschilds family dynasty.
Ah, so he probably knows all about thousand-yard stares, empty eyes, and broken minds and bodies. After all, he likely sees it all the time in the Gentile children they play with.
Super high quality. Thanks for this.
I'm gonna start watching this show for these two. I know they both die and that's where I'll stop. I've been enjoying these clips
Amazing show. Nucky is also a complicated and fascinating character
You'll watch most of the show then
jack sammy by far the best 2 characters on the show.
do your self a favor watch.
The worst type of show fan lol
A German "Sniper" mask (also used by machine gunners) weighs almost 14 pounds. Dude is casually carrying around a bowling ball
Poor Richard.
Initially introduced to the character via a TH-cam montage of blood and guts I now feel rather terrible for him and would not cast him as one of Nucky’s “Easy-money thugs”.
Is it cliche to say Richard is my favorite character? Second is Torreo. Either way, idc
Two of the Most Amazing characters ever Created , Especially Richard , MUCH Respect to all those Young men
My two fave characters.
"you don't anymore?"
First question he asked, takes one to know one.
Jimmy knew what to ask.
Interesting how Jimmy looks to be wearing combat boots....