Boardwalk Empire: Past & Future

As I begin reviewing Season 2 of Boardwalk Empire, I thought it would be a good idea to pause and discuss the series as a whole. Reviewing the background of the show might prove beneficial for those who are either newcomers to my blog or just beginning to watch the series in its entirety before Season 4 begins next September. Plus, you may learn some interesting facts you never knew before.

As a refresher, Boardwalk Empire has run for three seasons on HBO, its first premiering in September of 2010. Back in 2008, Terence Winter, who had much success producing and writing for The Sopranos was interested in another gangster-based series, only this time he wanted it to be set in the 1920s – an era that had not been deeply explored before on television. Thus, he accepted an offer to adapt the non-fiction book Boardwalk Empire to the small screen.

The book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson outlined the political history of Atlantic City, especially focusing on its transition from a small and humble beach town to a full-fledged seaside city full of corruption, gambling, and entertainment. A Republican named Enoch “Nucky” Johnson (no relation to Nelson Johnson) was one of the most powerful politicians during the city’s transformation during the 1920s. This is whom Nucky Thompson is based off of. Several other characters are based off real-life people as well, such as Al Capone, Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lanksky and Johnny Torrio. I’ve touched upon a couple of these historical characters in a previous blog post: https://boardwalkblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/episode-8-hold-me-in-paradise/ 

Though the era and characters of Boardwalk Empire differ greatly from the mobsters of The Sopranos (let’s face it, Nucky Thompson and Tony Soprano are two VERY different gangsters), I think Winter’s background in the genre really contributed to his success in creating Boardwalk Empire. Winter also received help from others who have extensive experience in gangster-related productions. Most notably is Martin Scorsese, who directed the pilot episode of Boardwalk Empire and is now an executive producer, setting the stage for how the rest of the series would be directed. Scorsese has a great track record of gangster films, including Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, and The Departed. Mark Wahlberg, another executive producer of Boardwalk Empire actually started in The Departed. Finally, Winter brought on former Sopranos collaborator Tim Van Patten for the show as well.

2011 SAG Awards

The series’ all-star line-up of both cast and production team has obviously contributed to its outstanding success with HBO and the public. Boardwalk Empire received 18 Emmy Award nominations for its very first season, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Steve Buscemi as Nucky) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Kelly Macdonald as Margaret). At the Golden Globes, the show as won Best Dramatic Series while Buscemi won Best Actor in a Dramatic series and Macdonald was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a series. The show has also received awards from the Writers Guild of America, the Screen Actor’s Guild and Director’s Guild, not to mention winning a Grammy for the Season 1 soundtrack.

Though television viewership has gradually declined from the original season, I think this is partially due to an increase in online viewership, especially through HBO Go (where I personally watch the show). HBO will also be adding new characters to Season 4, which will certainly make things more interesting and perhaps draw more people. Patricia Arquette will join the cast as a speakeasy owner at odds with Nucky (surprising for a woman during the 1920s!) while actors Jeffery Wright and Ron Livingston will also have recurring roles. Arquette is known for her starring role in the NBC series Medium, Livingston played in the film Office Space and the series Sex and the City, and Wright landed roles in more recent films such as Ides of March and The Hunger Games.

All in all, the series has definitely had a successful past track record and looks to be headed in the right direction in the future. I look forward to the upcoming season, but will continue to keep myself busy reviewing former episodes! Stay tuned.

(sources for this post: Wikipedia and IMDB)

Episode 13: 21

As Season 2 of Boardwalk Empire begins, we quickly realize that some amount of time has passed since we last saw Nucky, Margaret, and the show’s other characters. A lot has changed – some for better and some for worse.

First off, Margaret and the children certainly seem settled in their Atlantic City home. Margaret’s clothes seem more expensive and she cares much more about her appearance. Wearing makeup is a look that definitely becomes her. She’s clearly blossomed under Nucky’s care, especially now that she has maids and servants waiting on her as soon as she awakes. We observe her giving orders as she sits in the lavishly decorated dining room and it seems as though she has lived this way her whole life. Although she is clearly enjoying the lifestyle (and I don’t blame her), I hope that she is still able to remember her humble beginnings and where she came from. Her single worry in life is Nucky’s late-night escapades. Now living full-time with her and the children, he often returns home at all hours of the morning. I think that deep down, Margaret knows he is drinking, gambling, and possibly sleeping around, but I believe she chooses to ignore it since she would rather keep her lifestyle than put up a big fight about it. She softly scolds him once, and then proceeds to keep her mouth shut. It will be interesting to see how long she can do this for.

Jimmy and Angela’s situation has progressed as well. Now officially married, they’ve moved into a large and beautiful home on the beach. Jimmy, who realized at the end of last season that he needed to be a better father, has finally seemed to break through to Tommy. Tommy appears much less afraid of his dad, and is ecstatic when he offers to take him to shoot seagulls on the beach. Though Angela forbids it, Jimmy ignores her orders. His disregard of her wants and needs is definitely something that hasn’t changed. It doesn’t help that sly Gillian is still hanging around, constantly undermining Angela’s authority in the house. Though I took a liking to Gillian in the first season, her blatant disrespect towards Angela is frustrating and rude. The fact that she clearly fights for Jimmy’s attention over his own wife is also just plain weird and out of line. I like Jimmy and Angela as individuals, but together they may just have one too many obstacles to overcome in order for their marriage to succeed. I wonder if Angela will ever leave Jimmy to escape to Paris to find her former lover Mary again.

Meanwhile, Agent Van Alden is surprisingly still in town. Clearly, he was convinced to stay in the city despite his original arrangement to take up another position somewhere else. I guess his plan to escape his sins, such as murdering Sebso and impregnating Lucy, fell through. Or perhaps he felt obligated to stick around for Lucy’s sake. (Is it possible that he has a heart??) Nevertheless, he brings his wife Rose to AC for a honeymooning weekend. Last season, he was quite cold towards her, denying her a fertility doctor when she wanted to have children and displaying almost no emotion when he came home. But things have changed. Now, we actually see him smile with her and treat her to a nice romantic dinner. Has his experiences in Atlantic City changed him and brought him actual feelings? After Van Alden shows off to her by flashing his authority and raiding the very restaurant in which they are dining, they go back to the hotel room and have sex. But Van Alden’s image of a loyal and loving husband is soon diminished when he returns to his place alone in the morning and a now very pregnant Lucy is there. He hands her the cash he picked up from the raid and coldly orders her to leave. There are many unanswered questions about their relationship here. Does she live with him? How far along is she? What will happen when the baby is born? I hope Season 2 will satisfy these ponderings.

Lastly, one significant change happens at the end of this episode – and a cliffhanger at that. Nucky, ditching family movie night for an urgent call from the office, arrives at his Ritz apartment only to be arrested on the spot for election fraud. Is this the Commodore’s doing? After all, Jimmy, Eli and him have all had some time to plan their inside attack on Nucky, even enlisting Bader and Nucky’s own ward bosses to help. This could be the beginning of one complex and corrupt Atlantic City civil war.

Episode 12: A Return to Normalcy

Ah, the season finale. After the previous episode, I couldn’t wait to see what this one had in store. The writers left us with feelings of shock and surprise, as Margaret leaves Nucky, Van Alden murders Sebso, and we discover that the Commodore is Jimmy’s father. But as this piece’s title suggests, the plot in this episode is simply a gradual return to normalcy.

We begin with the Atlantic City election matters. Nucky and his men have had a tough time countering the Democrats’ accusations of corruption and crime. Even Chalky is on the fence, since opposing mayoral candidate Fletcher has approached him for the black vote. Nucky must pay Chalky $10,000 and offer an invitation to the victory party in order to bring him back to the Republican side.

Nucky is not the only desperate one though. Rothstein, about it be indicted for fixing the World Series, will seemingly do anything to clear his name. He reaches out to Torrio for a connection to his archenemy. Nucky is the only one who can properly quash the indictment. Though the two have been a “war” for quite some time now, Torrio arranges their meeting and the two make some peace. In exchange for Rothstein’s clearance, Nucky is paid a million dollars and given the location of the remaining D’Alessio brothers. Only time will tell if these two gangster lords can truly put their past behind them.

But the power is now completely in Nucky’s hands. Calling a press conference, he reveals that the D’Alessio brothers were responsible for the massacre in the woods and the death of Hans Schroeder. Even though we know this information is false, it satisfies the public and quells the previous accusations of internal corruption and responsibility for the murders. This was a smart move by Nucky, and just in time. He is re-elected and Bader wins as mayor. All has unfolded according to plan, setting the stage for a return to normalcy. In this case, “normalcy” is Nucky’s complete control over Atlantic City’s operations.

The Commodore, Jimmy and Eli discuss Atlantic City’s future.

But not all would agree with him. We now observe the Commodore in recovery after the poison was discovered in his body. The blame was placed on his maid rather than Gillian, but I am still not sure how true this is. Regardless, the Commodore is determined to establish a new and close relationship with Jimmy and begins by informing him of his past with Nucky. Nucky worked for the Commodore and the two were caught election-rigging years ago. Nuck convinced the Commodore to take the blame and go to jail while he kept the city up and running until the Commodore’s release. But by the time this happened, Nucky had taken full control with no plans to give his power back. Now, the Commodore has planned to enlist the help of both Jimmy and Eli to take him down and re-establish the balance of power. This is their return to normalcy. This will certainly be difficult to do and will most likely cause Nucky a big headache in the seasons to come. In the meantime, he revels in his election victory, and President Harding’s victory as well. Contributing to his bliss is Margaret, who returns to congratulate him and share a forgiving toast. We find that Nucky has come to need Margaret in order to feel “normal.” He is able to confide in her, trust her, and also have a good time with her free of stress. He opens up and tells her about his deceased son and wife, and reveals that he is at his happiest when he spends time with her and her children. As change looms on the horizon, I can only hope that this normalcy is meant to last for both of them.

Episode 11: Paris Green

Whoa. I knew that Boardwalk Empire had complicated plot lines (it is, after all, about gangsters), but I was NOT prepared for what happened in this episode. So many important things were revealed, definitely setting the stage for a dramatic finale of Season 1. Let’s tackle these huge issues one at a time…

First of all, the Commodore is Jimmy’s father! All season, we watched as Nucky paid visits to the commodore of Atlantic City. We get a sense that he had once been what Nucky is now: powerful, influential, and corrupt. The commodore is an older man who has settled down into his lavish lifestyle, often reminding Nucky that he was the one who put Atlantic City on the map in the first place. There are several brief scenes throughout the season where the two discuss the city’s political future together, and the Commodore actually seems to have more authority. Yet, we’ve also observed him gradually getting sicker with some sort of disease, preparing Nucky for his eventual absence and death.

Listen to what Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter has to say about this important part of the episode here.

I should have figured out that the Commodore was Jimmy’s father when Gillian calls and informs her son that his father is sick and he must visit him on his deathbed. But I only finally made the connection when Jimmy physically walks into the Commodore’s bedroom. Prior to this episode, we knew nothing about Jimmy’s past family life, only that his mother was young when she had him and raised him alone. Little did we know that she was the Commodore’s prostitute as a teenager, making him Jimmy’s (much older) dad.

To make matters even more shocking, we find out that Gillian has been poisoning the Commodore! When Jimmy goes to visit his father’s deathbed, he eats a biscuit and vomits soon after. Thinking it was the result of the emotional and heated discourse between the two (they certainly have a strained relationship), Jimmy thinks nothing of it. However, the Commodore’s doctor runs several medical tests and finds arsenic in his system, while Jimmy finds a can of the poison hidden in the trash bin. No wonder Gillian has been paying regular visits to the Commodore, she was killing him slowly in order to get his inheritance. But keep in mind- he is not dead quite yet.

Meanwhile, Agent Sebso is working with Nucky! We know that Sebso purposely killed the only witness to Jimmy’s murder and then lied about it to Agent Van Alden, but we weren’t exactly sure why up until this point. Our suspicions are confirmed when we see him calling Nucky from a telephone booth- he is concerned that Van Alden will find out the truth. Nucky assures him that the deal has been finished and no one will know, meanwhile urging him to take up a federal post in another location.

But Sebso never gets the chance to do this. Filled with overwhelming anger and distrust towards him, Van Alden actually murders Sebso by drowning him in a river, all while a church group watches in horror. They were under the pretense that Van Alden was baptizing him, not killing him. It’s official- Van Alden has gone off the deep end. He has become completely obsessed with destroying Nucky’s empire, becoming crazier and more desperate with each episode. The writers of Boardwalk Empire certainly know how to get us to side with the criminals in this series; they simply make the “good guys” detestable.

And finally, in the most surprising move yet, Margaret leaves Nucky! Discovering that Annabelle, her friend and neighbor, once had an intimate relationship with him has set her over the edge. It seems as though all of her insecurities about her arrangement have finally spilled over, leading her to reveal to Nucky that she knows Eli killed her husband and that they are heavily involved in the liquor business and other illegal activities. The two have a major fight and Nucky storms out of the apartment. Fuming, Margaret collects her belongings and the children. The next time we see the apartment, it is empty along with Nucky’s heart.

Episode 10: The Emerald City

You can leave Atlantic City physically, but you can never truly escape its influence. This episode just goes to show how once you enter into a world of corruption and sin, there’s no turning back. Appropriately named “The Emerald City,” Atlantic City is similar to this grand idea of Oz, present in the book that Margaret reads to her children. Though the glitz, glamour, and luxury are indeed enticing to outsiders, there is much more going on below the surface. Nucky is like the wonderful wizard of Oz, controlling the city behind the scenes, while his each of his moves affect all of the other characters individually.

Just like Dorothy believes that the Wizard is the means to her end, Margaret and Nucky have a similar relationship. Though they may actually be in love, they still use each other for their own personal gain to at least some extent. In this particular episode, we see Margaret finally becoming more at ease in her new lavish home, clearly enjoying the wealth that Nucky has given her and her children. After all, she was pretty destitute when we met her in the beginning of the series. On the other hand, Nucky uses Margaret to intervene on his behalf with the local League of Women- she must convince them to vote for Bader for mayor (since the 19th Amendment has just been passed), even though deep down she knows full well that he is not qualified. Nucky simply wants Bader to win so that he can continue to “guide the hand of government.”

The discussion of this matter happens over champagne, something that Margaret would never have indulged in previously. Her claimed temperance has seemingly been halted, perhaps as a result of her relationship with Nuck. Furthermore, she eventually consents to delivering a speech to the League of Women in favor of Bader. Though the address is flawless and quite eloquent, I sense that she still feels very uncomfortable. She has officially stepped into the world of lying and corruption.
We even Atlantic City take a toll on the ever-pious Agent Van Alden. He is angered by two major events in this episode, eventually leading him to his downfall and sin. The first is that his FBI boss has given him a final warning. Now that the last witness to Jimmy’s crime has been killed off, Van Alden has no evidence to prosecute him with. Supervisor Elliot is clearly fed up with Van Alden continuing to botch the case, and thus gives him only one final chance to come up with something substantial. Furious and desperate, Van Alden goes to see Margaret in a last-ditch effort to save himself and catch Nucky Thompson. However, Margaret is not willing to comply, especially after Van Alden makes personal advances towards her, all the while trying to convince her to “escape the wrath of hell.” Clearly disgusted with Van Alden, she orders him out of the house. Now Van Alden has reached a tipping point. Leaving his religious beliefs behind, he goes to an illegal speakeasy, gets drunk with Lucy, and ends up taking her home to have sex with him. The score is Atlantic City: 1, Van Alden: 0.

Click to hear what series creator Terence Winter has to say about Van Alden’s descent into sin.

Meanwhile, things are heating up in the gangster war between Nucky’s men and Rothstein’s. Mickey Doyle has changed sides. Rothstein and Lucky, still fuming that the D’Alessio brothers failed to assassinate Nucky, tell them and Mickey that there will be a price to pay. Being the typical self-centered snake that he is, Mickey fears for his life and gives himself over to Nucky and Jimmy, confessing everything to them and helping them to come up with a plan to catch the D’Alessios. They set up a complicated but brilliant scheme in which Chalky will pretend to do business with them and thus lure them all to the same place, but the plan goes horribly wrong when he learns that they were the ones who lynched his driver. Thus, before all of the brothers are even there, Chalky ties the three men up and him and Jimmy end up killing two of them. They let the last man, Lanksy, return to New York to inform Rothstein and Lucky of the horrors that he witnessed.

With all of these complex loyalties, lies, and indulgences, Atlantic City is anything but enticing underneath all the emeralds.

Episode 9: Belle Femme

We’ve reached a major turning point in Boardwalk Empire. There is no light-heartedness in this episode, and all of the characters mean business. The first major plot point is Jimmy’s return to Atlantic City from Chicago. Nucky’s order for his homecoming was surprisingly successful despite all of Jimmy’s profits in Chi-city (as we see embodied in his expensive suit and new suave demeanor). Nucky finally notices this newfound confidence too when Jimmy doesn’t simply take his orders right off the bat like he used to, but rather begins to negotiate with him. They conclude that Jimmy will stay in Atlantic City to help defend Nucky’s hard-won empire against the recent attacks from the D’Alessio brothers and other opposing gangsters. He will also return to Angela and their son, while Nuck agrees to take care of the federal agents attempting to hunt Jimmy down for the murder in the beginning of the season.

It’s now been made very clear that Rothstein and Lucky are working with the D’Alessio brothers and Mickey Doyle to bring down Nucky. They have robbed his ward boss, raided his casino, and have shot Eli. There’s no telling what they will do next. In this episode, we see them in New York City, devising an even thornier plan to win this gangster war. Rothstein proposes that they import quality liquor from Europe, charge high prices, and use Atlantic City’s port. In order to do this though, Nucky will have to be murdered so that there’s no competition.

Back in Atlantic City, Jimmy devises his own scheme to capture Lucky and get information out of him. Gillian helps her son in this plan when she gives Lucky up after one of their rendezvous together. I was actually pretty surprised that she turned him over, especially since she seemed to genuinely like him. I guess family will always come first.

Jimmy finally has Lucky in his control, but not for long. They don’t even make it outside Gillian’s apartment before Van Alden storms in, arresting them both (but clearly more thrilled that he has finally captured the elusive Jimmy). At last, he has progressive results to report back to his FBI boss with.

I’m pretty astonished and disappointed in Nucky for not doing enough to keep the feds off of Jimmy’s back. Equally astonishing is the fact that I’m actually rooting for the criminals, but more on that later. Anyways, Jimmy is thrown in a jail cell after he gives Van Alden and Sebso zero information regarding the murders or Nucky’s illegal empire, not to mention completely disrespecting the agents. Part of me doesn’t blame him- Van Alden is clearly obsessed with Margaret and Nucky’s relationship. It’s not long before Nucky himself shows up to the cell, privately assuring Jimmy that they’ll figure out a way to rescue him, though not through the legal system, since there’s no escaping the five counts of murder on his head. I can only wonder what he’s implying by this…

Nearing the end of the episode, we finally get to see some relaxation and normalcy. Margaret, looking more attractive and young with every week, attends a dinner with Nucky, where he is attempting to persuade Edward Bayer, a prominent and successful Atlantic City citizen, to run for Mayor. Nucky assures him that it will be a great benefit to his construction business, and suggests that he won’t even necessarily have to worry about running the city, since Nucky and his comrades do all that behind the scenes anyway. Leaving Bayer to maul this over, he and Margaret leave to take a leisurely stroll in the warmer weather on the busy boardwalk, arm in arm.

Sixtus D’Alessio before he steps out from the shadows to shoot Nucky.

The peace is suddenly disrupted though, when out of nowhere, one of the D’Alessio brothers steps out of the crowd to take a shot at Nucky, attempting to kill him. Luckily, Eddie, Nucky’s loyal butler and assistant, knocks the gun out of his hand, but not before a stray bullet hits a woman in the crowd. She screams and falls onto Nucky and Margaret, bleeding on Margaret’s new expensive dress, as if to suggest to the audience that nothing can stay beautiful and peaceful for long in this place.

Like I mentioned earlier, it’s crazy how the writers and directors of these crime television shows get the audience to root for the guys who would otherwise be considered “bad” in real-life society. We know full well that Jimmy is a murderer and Nucky is a corrupted politician, but we nevertheless find ourselves hoping for their success. This might be because the gangster world is presented as a lot more complicated than we usually perceive it to be- there are essentially good gangsters and bad gangsters, such as Rothstein and the D’Alessio brothers. Boardwalk Empire especially reminds me of the earlier television show The Sopranos (which Steve Buschemi also acted in) and also the movie The Departed. In both stories, there exist the same deep complexities where there is no such thing as an ordinary black-and-white or good-versus-evil story. In these stories, everyone is a sinner, just some more than others.

Steve Buscemi in The Sopranos. Click for more info.

Episode 8: Hold Me in Paradise

As I’ve said before, one thing I have really enjoyed about Boardwalk Empire is how it gives the audience such large glimpses into the past when it comes to major cities like AC and Chicago during the 1920s, the Prohibition Era, and even the politics of the time.

In this particular episode Nucky Thompson travels to Chicago to attend the Republican Convention that takes place before the big presidential election year. We quickly learn that General Leonard Wood is the presumed Republican candidate (someone who Nucky obviously has no respect for when he bumps him out of the Presidential Suite at the hotel), though from our real-life historical knowledge we know that he does not end up as the actual Republican nominee. During a campaign party that Nucky attends to fill in for New Jersey Senator Edge (who Nucky also has some animosity for regarding the roads negotiations that turned sour earlier in the season), he meets Warren Harding, another Republican contestant and his campaign manager Harry Daugherty. Harding is portrayed as slightly scatter-brained (though still well-spoken), and both Nucky and Daugherty agree that “the field has no first-raters and Harding’s the best of the second-raters.” Nucky comes to like Daugherty and realizes that Harding is simply his political puppet. Meanwhile, the audience knows that it is Harding who eventually gets elected president in 1920.

Later, Nucky makes a deal with Daugherty. He’ll swing New Jersey’s vote for Harding if Daugherty makes sure that Senator Edge is not on the Vice Presidential ticket. He also learns that he and Harding have something in common- their love of women. Harding has mistresses just as Nucky does, and one in particular, Nan, has had Harding’s child unbeknownst to the public. Obviously, this is hurtful to the candidate, so Nucky offers to take her back to Atlantic City with him in order to remove her from any potential trouble or complexities she might cause. I can only help but wonder what Nucky’s true intentions are here.

Personally, I love this intertwining of fiction and history. So much so, that I occasionally look up the facts of the era in order to determine its accuracy in the show. Nan Britton, Harding’s young mistress, actually did exist, claiming that she had indeed had Harding’s illegitimate child (though it was after the election and not before). Obviously, most of the details portrayed on Boardwalk Empire are mostly fictitious, but the general events, people and places are not, which make the show really interesting. Al Capone and Jimmy Darmondy, for example, were also real gangsters, though some aspects of their lives were exaggerated for the show. I have especially read up on the character of Nucky Thompson, who is based on the real-life Nucky Johnson of 1920s Atlantic City. Apparently, Johnson did not actually kill anyone himself or even run his own distillery as he does in the series, but it is widely understood that he was still heavily involved in the bootlegging industry and closed-door politics nonetheless, even spending some time in jail for tax evasion and other small crimes.

Surprisingly, even some of the show’s details about Nucky are in line with the true man, such as his deceased beloved wife Mabel and the read carnation constantly tucked in his suit lapel. But that said, Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter purposely points out that the character is “loosely” based on the real man, so as to keep the show interesting and allowing him to bring in completely fictional characters such as Margaret.

(via GallowayPatch.com)

Speaking of, her part in this particular episode is crucial. It is here where she finally realizes the full extent to which Nucky is involved in the organized crime of Atlantic City. While Nucky is out of town, Eli takes over the money-collecting responsibilities and ends up being shot (though not fatally) by one of the D’Alessio brothers, who promptly takes the funds from one of their most important casinos. When Nucky hears word, he realizes that this is just the beginning of a war between gangsters. Fearing for his secret private documents at his apartment back home, he asks Margaret to go and collect them, but stressing to her not to open his ledger. Though she resists the temptation at first, she finally begins to read it by the end of the episode, thus figuring out that not only is Nucky involved in the bootlegging industry as she knew previously, but that he is the leading distributor of it. Despite her discovery of all of Nucky’s crimes and dealings, I still hope that she doesn’t leave him. Nucky has shown us thus far that not all “bad guys” in society are evil. Most of them have hearts too. Perhaps that red carnation, which Nucky Johnson wore in real life, is a constant reminder of this for the audience.

Episode 7: Home

Aptly entitled “Home,” this episode is a bit more intimate than previous ones. Up until this point, we have seen glimpses into each character’s background and family life, but none so private as those we observe here. In one of the first scenes of “Home”, we observe a very old man, revealed to be Nucky and Eli’s father, Ethan Thompson, living in a filthy old house outside of town. Cats and mice are rampant as he grumpily shuffles around the kitchen, eventually losing his balance, falling and breaking his leg. As the two brothers move their father out of the house for good and into Eli’s home, Eli is clearly nostalgic he looks around the place they grew up in. On the other hand, we sense anger and resentment in Nucky, later finding out through his private confessions to Margaret that his father was extremely harsh to him as a child, both verbally and physically abusive (which Margaret can definitely relate to during her previous marriage).

Here’s a clip from this part of the episode to illustrate Nucky’s bitterness towards his father and his childhood: Ep. 7: Clip – Nucky and Eli and Dad’s Dilemma

Though this wasn’t the happiest of tales, I am appreciative in seeing a more emotional side of Nucky. Perhaps his previous condition helps to explain some of his mannerisms in the present. I believe that Margaret would agree with me here. We see her chatting with her neighbor, Annabelle, who we met in the last episode. Annabelle is apparently in a similar situation as Margaret, living off of a wealthy business man as his “concubine” in her terms, but is not his wife. She warns Margaret not to learn all of Nucky’s secrets, but Margaret ultimately ignores this piece of advice, instead opening herself up to Nucky to confide in. Once again, Margaret has shown herself to be a smart and calculating woman, and I believe this will eventually convince Nucky to settle down with her. After all, we see a sense of enjoyment in him as he listens to Ward Boss Fleming talk about his family and his increased annoyance and disrespect for the bratty and childish Lucy, who has now found out about his relationship with Margaret. Things sure seem to be headed in the right direction! It’s funny how Margaret kind of stumbled upon the opportunities presented to her by Nucky. She definitely never intended to end up with him romantically.

Kelly Macdonald

Just out of curiosity, I recently read about several of Boardwalk Empire’s main cast members online and their personal lives outside of the show. Just like the character Margaret seemed to receive this new life of hers by happenstance, so too did Kelly Macdonald (who plays her) stumble upon the world of acting. According to her Wikipedia page, Macdonald was initially a barmaid in Scotland when she randomly saw a flyer for open auditions for the 1996 British film Trainspotting. She scored the part of Diane, and then her acting career blossomed soon after.

Steve Buscemi, too, also came from humble beginnings, growing up in Brooklyn and even serving as a local firefighter while enrolling in acting school. He has three additional brothers, and heavy Italian roots. It certainly sounds like Buscemi would make an excellent D’Alessio brother!

Speaking of which, those Italian characters also make an appearance in this episode. Lucky Luciano pays a visit to them, and they all make a deal against Nucky. In the previous episode, the D’Alessio brothers had stolen a moderate amount of cash from Nucky, but Lucky suggests they work together to score even bigger funds from the man by targeting one of Nucky’s Atlantic City casinos.

Other noteworthy and intimate events of this episode include:

Our shocking discovery that Angela, Jimmy’s wife and mother of his child, is in fact a lesbian. It as not Mr. Dittrich that she had been romantically involved with as previously thought, but rather, his wife Mary. Mary promises to find Angela a good job in New York City and to get her career as a painter off of the ground. (Interestingly enough, in real life, Aleksa Palladino, who plays Angela, is a musical artist).

Meanwhile, throughout the episode, Jimmy has developed a friendship with a man he meets in the hospital during a check-up. Like Jimmy, Richard Harrow was also in the army, but as a skilled marksman. Though he seems ashamed of his facial disfigurement at first, Jimmy seems to make him feel normal again. They chat about the war, share drinks, and Jimmy even hooks him up with one of his prostitute friends at the Four Dueces. By the end of the episode, the two have become allies, and Harrow snipes the man who disfigured Pearl, killing him just as Jimmy wanted.

Episode 6: Family Limitation (Part 4)

Jimmy, Torrio, and Capone have all just arrived at a meeting with Sheridan and his men to discuss the recent events and make a new deal. It is clear that Sheridan now thinks he has the upper hand in Greektown, and for a moment there I believed him. I really thought that Jimmy and the gang had truly lost this battle. But I should’ve known that Jimmy would never let these men get away with Pearl’s death and control of Greektown. The meeting comes to a close with a dramatic plan concocted by Jimmy himself. Even though they were frisked upon entrance, he manages to get Kitty, another prostitute, to bring them their guns to kill Sheridan and every single one of his men. I’m still reeling from how quickly it all happened! Casual small talk in one second, blood and murder the next!

As the new head gangster of Greektown, Torrio and his men celebrate, praising Jimmy for his smart strategy. Amongst the merriment sits Capone, clearly jealous of Jimmy’s quick rise in Torrio’s ranks while he remains Torrio’s “driver” by name. The mean look on his face is still resonating with me. I sense the beginnings of hostility between Jimmy and Capone.

The feelings of joy and celebration are soon subdued as the scene cuts to Margaret who is waiting to be picked up for a date with Nucky. He had planned to take her to a magic show and treat her to dinner afterwards. Clearly excited for the night, Margaret’s mood descends rapidly as she first receives a call from Nucky’s butler, Eddie, that Nucky must cancel the event due to “business” and then when a neighbor arrives to introduce herself as a fellow “mistress” on the street. “Us concubines always help each other out,” the woman says cheerily. To Margaret (and to me!), things are definitely no longer cheery as they were earlier that day. A new house, new clothes, and a new beau may change one’s life, but perhaps not for the better as Margaret once thought.

Watch a recap of the whole episode.

Episode 6: Family Limitation (Part 3)

As if to confirm our confidence in Margaret and our disdain for Lucy, the next important scene takes place at Belle Femme where Margaret works. Like a character straight out of Mean Girls, Lucy orders Margaret to model some lingerie for her, knowing full well that Margaret does not have the same body type. As soon as she undresses, Lucy quickly points out her flaws, reminding her who Nucky is most physically attracted to. However, Margaret is cunning in her retorts, insulting Lucy and her lack of wits. Before Lucy can even respond, Margaret leaves the dressing room and promptly quits her job.

Watch a clip of the dramatic scene here!

It looks like Margaret won’t be needing her job at the store anymore anyway, as we just observed her and her two children walking into her beautiful new home! I still can’t believe that all Margaret had to do was sleep with Nucky a couple times to get him to buy her a house in a nice neighborhood. That’s quite the gesture if you ask me.

And meanwhile, Agent Van Alden arrives at Margaret’s old home only to find that she is no longer there from her next-door neighbor. The neighbor, Edith, tells him that the family was picked up in a Rolls Royce and moved out, adding that Margaret is a “whore” (which makes me pretty angry!) I can only imagine how confused Van Alden must be, especially since Margaret came directly to him in the last episode regarding Nucky’s alcohol business crimes. Plus, we know that he is secretly mesmerized with Margaret anyway. Poor guy.