Power Quotes in Boardwalk Empire

In Atlantic City, the boss always knows best. It's actually pretty crazy that a modern American city functioned like this; Kuehnle must have been in meetings all day, every day. Still, if he's going to gain the power he so desperately wants, he'll need to create a giant political machine with one sole purpose—making the Commodore a king.

Kuehnle is the first man to hold ultimate power over Atlantic City. Although you can have beef with the dude over the way that he wielded that power, you can't deny the monumental effect he had on the history of Atlantic City.

Unlike Kuehnle, Nucky didn't become boss to become popular—he did it to become powerful. That's a big difference. No matter what, Kuehnle was always concerned first and foremost with gaining the support of his community. Although Nucky loved Atlantic City, he didn't love it half as much as he loved himself.

See what we mean? Nucky becomes the King of Atlantic City, wielding his political and social power like a lightsaber. You know what they say: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. When the guy in question is already pretty corrupt, however, things are going to get nasty.

Of course more power leads to more problems… or something like that. Although no one is going to be able to take a swipe at Nucky's throne for some time, it's clear that a big storm is brewing. Like moths attracted to a lamp, power-hungry people are starting to gather around Nucky in the hopes of taking a piece of him with them. It's tough out there for a boss, huh?

At this point, Nucky is beyond politics altogether. That doesn't mean that he doesn't have his hands in the political game, however—no matter what happens, you can bet that Nucky is pulling the strings. That being said, Nucky realizes that it's much wiser to wield power from the shadows, as it protects him and his organization from prying eyes.

Contrary to our expectations, the residents of Atlantic City have no issue with someone like Nucky having power over their lives. They're just happy to have someone who listens to their concerns. That's all well and good, but what do you think will happen when things start going south?

Nucky had a darn good run at the top. To be honest, we were surprised that Nucky accepted his fate so quickly, going from the wealthiest person in town to a pariah seemingly overnight. It almost makes us admire him—or more than we did before, at least.

Do you think you would be able to let go of that kind of power so easily? Do you think you could go from being the most powerful person in your town to being an average Joe? We doubt we'd give it up so easily. That would be like Drake quitting music to work at Taco Bell.

Mayor Mike Matthews represents the declining fate of Atlantic City. No matter how powerful they became, Matthews's predecessors knew they only reached such heights because of their support system. Matthews forgets this lesson and pays for it big-time.