When does it pick up?

I think it moves slow because there are so many characters in the series, and to cover Nucky's involvement with them all takes time. I would be happier with half as many characters, but I really like the series and put up with it.

Its very hard to digest sometimes in my opininion they wait to long between action scenes and i agree theres too many characters. I lost interest halfway through s 4 and finally lost interest with the intent to go back and finish the series at some point. Still never got around to it. The action scenes are very well done and the backdrop always felt authentic. True period peice

It's not that kind of show really. it's almost one huge arc.

I never had a problem with the pace. I'm usually not a fan of period pieces but I am a fan of Buscemi and mob type movies/shows so I was hooked from the beginning. After I saw it was that sort of genre, I couldn't get enough of it. Just give it time. Writing and acting is superb across the board.

The pace is pretty slow for the entire series, but it does get more interesting and you start to notice and appreciate the dry sense of humor. It is not the type of show that grabs most people from the beginning, which is probably why it didn't do better. It took me a good eight or nine episodes to start getting into it (coincidentally right around the time they introduced Richard Harrow). Before then, I fell asleep while watching most of the episodes and couldn't remember the characters' names half the time. I enjoyed Seasons 2 and 3 the most.