TV critic David Bianculli on the second-season finale shocker of 'Boardwalk Empire' and its upcoming third season.

(Atlantic City Weekly - By Daniel Aupperle) HBO's Boardwalk Empire has taken the country by storm since its debut in 2010 and most recently got fans buzzing about its shocking second-season finale in December.

TV critic for NPR's "Fresh Air" program and associate professor of TV and film at New Jersey's Rowan University, David Bianculli — who Atlantic City Weekly interviewed prior to the start of the HBO drama series' second season — was no exception and reacted similarly to the finale, which saw one of its main characters get killed off.

"I'm still spinning about the way that it ended," Bianculli tells Atlantic City Weekly.

"The ending caught me by surprise even though I know the history to which it's adhering. I thought it was such a bold and dramatic move. You sort of figured the series was going to be about these two characters and then one of them dies suddenly at the end of season two."

Bianculli draws a parallel to one of his other favorite series, also on HBO, Deadwood, where Wild Bill Hickok, one of the key characters initially, was killed off only a few episodes in. (more)