Every Greek tragedy needs an Antigone or a Danaë. Every King Lear needs a Cordelia. Boardwalk Empire positioned itself as both a Greecian tragedy and Shakespearean, and yet forgot that key player who binds everyone together. Not a Boardwalk fan? Don't worry. If you like damaged heroes, the 1920s, Mafia stories, or tales of World War I? Knowledge of the show isn't necessary.
Clara Thompson, like everyone around her, is learning to cope in a post-World War I reality. The reality includes Prohibition, which her father (a dirty politician) sees as a chance to consolidate wealth and power. Her pseudo-brother Jimmy is physically back in Atlantic City, but his soul still seems elsewhere. After her father banishes Jimmy to Chicago, Clara chases after him and meets Richard Harrow, a young vet whose war damage isn't confined to his face. Meanwhile, her father's machinations put everyone's lives in danger and contribute to changing familial ties.