"Golden Days for Boys and Girls" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire.
The series follows Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, a political figure who rises to prominence and interacts with mobsters, politicians, government agents, and the common folk who look up to him.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.37 million household viewers and gained a 0.9 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
The seven-year time jump, however, polarized critics; some felt it would allow more progress in the characters' arcs, while others expressed disappointment over the events skipped.
In Coney Island, Luciano meets with Masseria, discussing a potential end in their war against Salvatore Maranzano.
[1] In its original American broadcast, "Golden Days for Boys and Girls" was seen by an estimated 2.37 million household viewers with a 0.9 in the 18-49 demographics.
The site's consensus states: "The flashbacks in 'Golden Days for Boys and Girls' provide poignant, intriguing glimpses into Nucky Thompson's formative years.
Which is probably why the moments where he reminisced back to a time when he actually endured strife and molded those experiences into a character arc was so compelling.
But after the previous four seasons all ended so well – and almost always made the slow early parts of those years feel rewarding in hindsight – I've learned not to bet against this show.
"[7] Sarene Leeds of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "If anything, skipping over the rest of the 1920s merely proves that people don't change that much — which suggests that Nucky will never be able to really leave his criminal past behind.
"[9] Rodrigo Perez of IndieWire wrote, "Perhaps it'll pick up, but as a first episode of the final season, anyone who's griped about the pace of the show's narrative won't find much reprieve here.
"[10] Chris O'Hara of TV Fanatic gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "It's interesting to note that Nucky's plan depends on a Democrat taking office.
"[11] Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Nucky's come a long way since sharing sour balls with his dying sister and sweeping up for the Commodore, who is played by a Dabney Coleman look.