Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Review: 'Boardwalk Empire' - 'What Does the Bee Do?': Strokes and slaps

Chalky and Richard highlight a revenge-fueled episode

By Alan Sepinwall Sunday, Oct 16, 2011 10:00 PM

Mickey (Paul Sparks), Jimmy (Michael Pitt) and Richard (Jack Huston) visit a potential new partner on "Boardwalk Empire."

Credit: HBO

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"You're not the only one looking to settle scores." -Nucky

To borrow Fienberg's favorite current running gag, "What Does the Bee Do?" seems like the perfect episode... for REVENGE!

Now, many of this season's stories are already being driven by a desire for vengeance - particularly Jimmy seeking redress for the many ways he feels Nucky has wronged him - but the Payback-O-Meter seemed cranked up to 11 for this one. Chalky is still hot to get back at the KKK troops (who, remember, were striking back on behalf of their 9-fingered leader) and the men who sent them. Jimmy links up with Philly mobster Manny Horvitz, who conveniently wants very much to stick it to Nucky's new Philly partner, Waxy Gordon. And after the Commodore suffers a stroke that otherwise throws a giant monkey wrench into Jimmy and Eli's plans, Gillian finally has the old bastard right where she wants him, having turned his organization over to her son and now too powerless to resist her slaps and taunts about the awful, awful night they first had sex.

Gillian's assault of the Commodore is chilling and yet cathartic. She's beating up a stroke victim, but one who's a right sonuvabitch who raped her when she was a teenager, and the whole scene is a reminder that if Jimmy were really interested in avenging his mother's honor (as opposed to grabbing the biggest slice of the pie), he'd have been waging a systematic campaign against the old man and not Nucky. (Though Nucky remains far from innocent in all of this.) And it's also a reminder, along with their unsettling kiss and Eli's comments about their relationship, that something is very off about Jimmy and Gillian, and that she remains an enormous wild card in whatever's coming.

While some characters are hot for vengeance, cooler heads are largely able to prevail in this episode. Nucky puts Chalky off for the time being, and is able to fight back on multiple fronts. He teams up with Rothstein (the ultimate cool customer) to get his liquor pipeline back up and running, sends Owen Sleater to bomb Mickey's warehouse (which has the unintended consequence of solving a problem for Agent Van Alden), and even figures out a way to get the charges against him made the purview of his powerful pal Harry Daugherty. After physically confronting Jimmy and the commodore last week, Nucky is back on the offensive, and it's welcome to see.

But while Chalky's no closer to the Klansmen who shot up his warehouse and killed his people, he's at the center of one of this week's two most compelling subplots, neither of which have much to do with the ongoing Jimmy/Nucky war.

In the season's first two episodes, we got glimpses of Chalky's fancy home and family, and here we spend an extended period of time on his side of town, both at work and home. Like Nucky, he's king of his particular mountain, and like Nucky, his kingdom is a bit under siege at the moment. The Klan assault has shaken his people's faith in him, and at home he's under constant pressure to put aside his country upbringing and try to conform to the city ideals of his wife and kids. Chalky puts on the fancy clothes, admires his son's piano playing and tries to adopt the air of a cultured man, but at heart he's still the poor kid from Elgin, Texas. It doesn't take much - in this case, his daughter's young suitor making fun of the kind of food Chalky grew up eating - to make him feel like an outcast in his own home. It's not easy being Chalky White, and Michael Kenneth Williams continues to do great work with his expanded role.

And we already know that it's not easy being Richard Harrow - and that Jack Huston is mesmerizing - but his portrait session with Angela was a fantastic sequence nonetheless, and one that left me feeling like I know the man a bit more than Jimmy admits to at the end of it. I loved the way the scene was put together so that we're focusing on the same things Angela is - his hands, his eyes, his mouth - and yet always aware of the parts that we assume we're not going to see. And then after he reveals more of his inner self to Angela than he's told anyone else - with the poignant monologue about the sister he no longer feels connected to since he came back from the war - he's finally comfortable enough in showing her his outer self. And Angela doesn't flinch - nor does the camera - and just gets to work capturing the terrible beauty of that face.

I'm definitely enjoying the machinations between Nucky and Jimmy, but the Chalky and Richard scenes this week were reminders of just how much power great character-driven moments can have. We know a lot about our two male leads already, so it's not like the season's main arc involves two ciphers trying to destroy each other (though Nucky comes close at times), but it's always a tough act to balance plot and character.

A few other thoughts, revenge-based and otherwise:

• Whatever's going on between Owen, Katy and the jealous Margaret (who's back to being high-handed with the maids this week), right now it seems our friend from Ireland has taken Jimmy's place in Nucky's operation - which Nucky could use right about now. Odds that there's an actual Owen/Jimmy fight at some point this season? Or would you wager on Owen vs. Richard (as the boss's seconds)?

• Nelson Van Alden, born under a good sign: whenever he has a partner or underling who becomes concerned about what he's up to, that man winds up suffering great bodily harm or worse. Of course, the last time it was Van Alden causing the harm (and in front of a crowd powerless to speak out against him after), but his divine rescue this week was another reminder of how tangential Nelson has been so far this season, with or without Lucy involved.

• I almost did a double-take at the sight of William Forsythe as Manny. Forsythe's a familiar, hard-working character actor, but one of the first times I really noticed him was in the '90s syndicated version of "The Untouchables," where he played... Al Capone. And now I really want to see Forsythe and Stephen Graham have a scene together.

What did everybody else think?

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: Boardwalk Empire, Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Michael Shannon, Michael Kenneth Williams, Kelly MacDonald, Terence Winter

kronicfatigue

I'm not that happy that a timely stroke will prevent a commodore vs. nucky show down. Last week's episode was epic, and this week was a bit off. If Gillian was always planning on using the Commodore to get Jimmy (and herself) power, it seems a bit odd that she would always be defending him to Jimmy. She seemed too extreme in past episodes.
October 16, 2011 at 10:11PM EST Reply to Comment
- JerseyRudy She was defending him to Jimmy so that Jimmy would let the Commodore groom him, and also so that Jimmy would focus his hate on Nucky instead of the Commodore. Makes sense, and it worked pretty good so far.
  October 16, 2011 at 11:22PM EST
- Swearin Dabney Coleman is a terrific actor, but I always saw him as means to an end; this conflict was never about the Commodore, it was about Jimmy and his relationship to Nucky. In my mind, they're two sides of the same coin: Jimmy, the thug who wants to be a businessman and Nucky, the businessman who needs to become more of a thug. Gillian knew she'd need to get Jimmy power to rival Nucky's, and the Commodore fulfilled that role. She knew he'd start the road to death sooner than later, so she cozied up to him, and now her inner Lady Macbeth can come out.
  October 17, 2011 at 1:21AM EST
- webdiva Gillian is too smart to tip her hand completely to anyone, including her son; she kept up the front so that nobody would suspect her of secretly punishing the Commodore when the time came (or even causing his stroke intentionally with that little strip game of hers; wouldn't put it past her). Still, the closing scene when she slaps him the first time is both shocking -- because she's bided her time for so long, without the bitterness ebbing even a bit no matter what she said to Jimmy or others -- and revealing. She's never trusted the Commodore for a moment but has made as much use of him, if not more, as he has of her, but without him or anyone else ever suspecting how much. Now the sheer iciness and cynicism of her revenge has begun to show itself. And there's nothing convenient about that stroke, either -- not when we know that Gillian may have deliberately caused it and timed it to suit her plans. And I believe she did do it intentionally, with precise timing: revenge is a dish best served cold. Hers is now just beginning -- at a moment it best suits her, and not a second before. And Jimmy has no idea (nor does he need to) that she has maneuvered to put his birth father in a position of ultimate vulnerability in order to put Jimmy and herself (or should that be in reverse order?) in charge. She knows the commodore's men won't take orders from her, but she's betting they just might take orders from Jimmy. We have to wait at least until next week to see if she's right over the long term; her strategy might only work over the short term until someone else besides Jimmy among the Commodore's temporary allies (or enemies) steps up to take advantage of the situation, muscling Jimmy out and giving Nucky yet another competitor. That, too, may yet occur.
  October 17, 2011 at 1:56AM EST
- Umm Yeah Causing the stroke? You really think that's something you can count on? Way too much of a stretch. And no matter how you want to flip this, the stroke is bad news for her and Jimmy. She does want Jimmy to assume control, but for it to happen this early is a major problem. Even last week, with Nucky on the ropes, their grasp on the city was tenuous at best. Without the commodore, they lose countless connections, and the loyalty of the ward bosses is not guaranteed. Now with Nucky fighting back and the commodore perhaps permanently out of commission, things are looking very bad for the Darmody camp. No way did Gillian magically cause the commodore's stroke to make this all happen.
  October 17, 2011 at 9:21AM EST
- sureshore Is everyone forgetting that the commodore was poisoned almost to death in season 1 and the made was held responsible but a lot of us here suspected at the time that Gillian may have been complicit. Makes it seem all the more likely now, doesn't it?
  
  October 17, 2011 at 10:17AM EST
- Umm Yeah Hmmm, so let's just assume that Gillian is a complete wildcard. That she's putting her desire for vengeance ahead of the well-being of herself and her son. How exactly do you imagine that she brought about this stroke? Do you think she said, "I'll just strip him to death?" I hope I don't have to explain how contrived that would be.
  October 17, 2011 at 11:01AM EST
- sureshore umm no... I don't think the striptease was contrived to bring on a stroke. But Gillian's more than willing to take advantage of the situation. She's not disappointed as it's more suffering. Think about it - the poison was a slow, painful suffering and now the stroke and her abuse will be more of the same. And I don't think she's even thinking of what it did to the plan/allies of the commodore. She seemed to think Jimmy was ready with or without the commodores help.
  October 17, 2011 at 11:31AM EST
- Umm Yeah Forgive my confusion, but based on your initial post, it seemed you agreed with webdiva's version of events. If you're saying that's not the case then we have much less to disagree about.
  October 17, 2011 at 3:08PM EST
moebius

"All but raped" a drunk 13-year old?!?

Other than that, great review of a really strong episode.

I don't know that I've ever seen someone so pleased to have a federal indictment laid against him?
October 16, 2011 at 10:11PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Bad wording. Since changed. Rape.
  October 16, 2011 at 10:12PM EST
- kronicfatigue I don't see that language used. Also, with the federal indictment, it seemed a bit odd he'd up it to federal w/o first confirming he can still cash in a favor. Seemed like the guy was just using the state/federal issue as an excuse not to cash in what he owes Nucky
  October 16, 2011 at 10:15PM EST
- JerseyRudy Even if he was just using it as an excuse, there is now no excuse. Now if he still doesn't do the favor for Nucky, it will be obvious that he is screwing Nucky. Nucky still has the trump card of being able to expose President Harding and his young mistress, so Nucky is understandably confident that Daugherty won't screw him.
  October 16, 2011 at 11:26PM EST
moebius

To be a little more positive, Michael Stuhlbarg is so, so good in his limited time in this series. His scenes go down like, well, good scotch.
October 16, 2011 at 10:24PM EST Reply to Comment
chris

I think you are wrong in thinking a problem was solved for agent Van Alden. I think just the opposite. The two underlings were at the barn because they thought their boss was crooked. They seem pretty tight and I think the unharmed one will explain why they were there and that they think Van Alden is dirty
October 16, 2011 at 10:24PM EST Reply to Comment
- webdiva They're going to look like insubordinate idiots with no evidence to show for their efforts. They have no booze and no still to justify their involvement, because the explosion has destroyed both, therefore nothing to show for their insubordination but in juries and embarrassment. They'll be lucky not to be fired by Van Alden. And he doesn't know yet (and may not realize it even after this fiasco) that the explosion has saved him from a lot of trouble.
  October 17, 2011 at 2:08AM EST
Lothar

Alan, could it be possible that Chalky is illiterate? We got the hint of that in the episode when he was in jail; it SEEMED that he was reading and it SEEMED that he told the wrong title on purpose. But something seemed off. And now, after seeing his family joke about him checking his daughter's homework and his country upbringing... It adds up, doesn't it?
October 16, 2011 at 10:34PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Yes, between that, some comments by Michael K. Williams, etc., I think I have to admit to wrongness on that front.
  October 16, 2011 at 10:36PM EST
- Jim I saw the episode on HBOGO with the special features, and in a behind the scenes feature Michael K. Willaims flat out said that Chalky is illiterate.
  October 17, 2011 at 1:15AM EST
- webdiva He may well be, but he doesn't have to be illiterate to still be insecure and and violently oversensitive about his country background, especially with his wife constantly pushing him to look and behave more upwardly mobile. He was certainly good enough the way he was before for her to marry him, but apparently still not good enough for her to keep from pushing him. He could still be literate and still not be polished enough for her taste. Which would infuriate him either way, especially when his business isn't going well at the moment and his influence is wavering. he doesn't need crap at home, too.
  October 17, 2011 at 2:14AM EST
- Victorycurtis There were a lot of different things going on in the scenes taking place at Chalky's house. You would really need to be knowleagable regarding the "house negro" vs "the "field negro" dynamic that Chalky himself mentioned in that scene. Chalky White married into the kind of life that he clearly is not familiar or comfortable with. Chalky is living a lifestyle that 99.9% of all blacks living during that time would have absolutely no knowledge of. Kudos to the directors for getting such a sensitive scene that involves that particular dynamic to feel just right.
  
  I also thought the scenes involving Richard last night were brilliant too.
  October 17, 2011 at 1:46PM EST
- John I thought it was pretty clear that he's illiterate when he has the other guy read the book for him in jail (especially with the wife's weird look when she hands him the book and him telling the wrong title to Pernsley for no apparent reason)
  October 17, 2011 at 2:11PM EST
- Nick It seems to me that the show has gone to great lengths to show that Chalky is illiterate.
  October 17, 2011 at 2:32PM EST
- Adam In addition to the house/field dynamic, you had (earlier in the episode) Nucky telling Chalky, in his own house, to be "a good boy." And you KNOW all that Chalky heard was the "boy" part...
  November 25, 2011 at 1:28AM EST
Ken Scott

Maybe because I am jewish and from New York, but I think the compelling story here is Rothstein and Lanksy and Lucianno. I am more interested in seeing the development of these two mob bosses. Each time Arnold chilingly talks to anyone plus seeing meyer and lucky learn the business is to me a much more exciting story. I would more than welcome a spinoff
October 16, 2011 at 10:38PM EST Reply to Comment
- webdiva You won't get a spinoff. Either it'll all get played out here, because it's all of a piece and all due to Prohibition, or you won't see much more of it at all. One can make a good case that organized crime would never have grown into what it is today if not for Prohibition and the wealth it provided. Without that, they'd all have remained unconnected, small-time local players who managed other forms of vice -- or, at very least, their larger organization into regional groups with national connections would have been delayed for decades.
  October 17, 2011 at 2:24AM EST
- Nish Ken, I'm not Jewish nor from New York, but I wholeheartedly agree with you. The Rothstein/Lucky/Lansky trio is great. The guy playing Rothstein is in particular fantastic.
  October 17, 2011 at 4:24PM EST
- Jim H Ken - I think your heightened interest in the NY angle is because you Northeasterners don't have a dog in the World Series this year. LOL, just kidding.
  October 17, 2011 at 11:08PM EST
- Loz Agree, I think a spin-off showing Lucky's formation of the modern mafia would be great once his part in BE was done with.
  October 31, 2011 at 4:34PM EST
bogas6

Did anyone else pick up on the two-faced theme throughout the episode? We see more of Richard's face than we have up to this point. Then we have the Commodore suffering a stroke and losing the use of the right side of his face. To top it off, we see the nosey prohibition agent get half of his face brutally burnt from the untimely explosion.

And then there was Gus in the nursing home... sorry, wrong show.
October 16, 2011 at 10:40PM EST Reply to Comment
- rowan729 Oh Boga, you had to go and bring THAT up.....it does feel weird to have no Walter White to top off my Sundays......
  
  October 16, 2011 at 10:59PM EST
- Kyle Yes, I too noticed that theme. I wonder where they are going with this kind of symbolism
  October 16, 2011 at 11:18PM EST
- JerseyRudy I think the two-faced theme goes along with Angela's response to Richard about Jimmy loving her: "there is love, and then there is everything else." There is no relationship on this show (whether romantic or friends or business) that is not tainted. Every character is two-faced. Even Margaret (who clearly loves Nucky) is stashing money secretly and eyeing Owen.
  October 16, 2011 at 11:32PM EST
- Gus That Prohi got Fring-ed.
  October 17, 2011 at 1:26AM EST
chuchundra

I was mildly annoyed that the bomb went off just as the Van Alden's subordinates approached the warehouse. That kind of wild coincidence just makes my teeth ache.
October 16, 2011 at 11:50PM EST Reply to Comment
- GMil I agree. They arrived at the exact time of detonation? Please.
  October 17, 2011 at 8:46PM EST
- ChampSkins I don't know much about bombs, especially from the 20's - but is it possible that they could have triggered it. That the intent was not only to blow it up, but to do it when someone was there as collateral damage?
  October 18, 2011 at 10:30AM EST
- Crusader79 I thought the bomb went off when they opened the door. Then again what was the point of the clock.
  October 22, 2011 at 7:46AM EST
thenightstalker

Alan, you mentioned William Forsythe as Al Capone, but a more interesting role for comparison would be his role of Jewish gangster Philip "Cockeye" Stein in "Once Upon a Time in America."
October 17, 2011 at 12:04AM EST Reply to Comment
- Swearin And also (only because I caught it randomly on TV the other night) he played Flattop in "Dick Tracy". The guy plays good gangster!
  October 17, 2011 at 1:25AM EST
Swearin

I thought this was the best episode yet this season. I like that the Nucky/Jimmy war is spreading to other cities and stirring the pot on their own conflicts (IE Philadelphia), it gives it all bigger stakes. What I really liked was the focus given to Richard and Chalky in this episode; both serve other people higher in stature then themselves but have serious inferiority complexes about it - notice how quickly Richard put his mask back on and clutched his "true face" sketch when Jimmy came home, or how much unspoken rage flared in Chalky's eyes to hear Nucky call him "boy". Despite being a fountain of street smarts and a powerful man, Chalky's lack of book smarts still wounds him (notice how he passed the buck on helping his youngest with her homework, or how he reacted to hearing his oldest daughter talk about her beau studying to be a doctor). I actually feared what Chalky might do with that branch he was whittling down...

I think it was great to learn more about supporting characters like Gillian, Chalky, Richard, and the Philly mob because the conflict in Atlantic City affects more than just the two main men.
October 17, 2011 at 1:40AM EST Reply to Comment
- webdiva I don't think of the dispute between Nucky and Jimmy as being the thing that drives the other conflicts, although it certainly does affect them: it's more that there were already stresses and tensions among the other players (have we forgotten which scores were settled and how while Jimmy was in Chicago getting acquainted with Al Capone and *his* bosses?), and those tensions were always going to lead to gang war anyway because these people are all 1) competitive as it is, and 2) greedy and don't know when or where to stop. Nucky is naturally more cautious and less greedy but found himself getting pulled into the business; now he has to engage in it in earnest and fully commit because there is no other way in which to preserve his income and his influence -- but he's just about the only guy besides Rothstein who wasn't eager to go to war with the others. Now he has to, but he'll still bide his time for the right moment instead of slugging it out like a hothead and thinking later (that's Al's style and Jimmy's, when he's not being coached by Mom).
  October 17, 2011 at 2:38AM EST
Cody

Man, Jack Huston is outstanding. The monologue about his sister almost moved me to tears. It's interesting to see that despite how bonded he and Jimmy have become, it's Angela who he seems more comfortable and at ease with (notice the second Jimmy returns, Richard tries to cover his face and puts his mask back on). Was I the only one sensing potential for a possible future romance between Richard and Angela? Would certainly shake things up in an interesting way. Like Alan said, as interesting as the war between Nucky & Jimmy is, I'm more interested to see where things go with characters such as Richard.

Another moment I loved was Arnold Rothstein with his wife, in which we also got to see him with his guard down. Up to this point, we've seen him calm and collected, so to see him struggling with stomach problems and rehearsing his greeting to Nucky before answering the phone was fascinating to watch, and very well-played by Stuhlbarg.

Really loving this season.
October 17, 2011 at 1:57AM EST Reply to Comment
- Eva M. I admit it, it was very relaxing and heartbreaking to hear a bit of Harrow's personal life, and discussing the only love he has ever acknowledged. But I just couldn't picture Harrow having an affair with Angela. Jimmy's a true friend to him and all we saw was Angela's sympathies for him. I thought she could possibly be a link to reunite Richard and his sister, I don't know, it's too early to determine anything like that. But this was a very interesting episode, with a 'oh snap' at the end. Season two's getting hotter on its trail!
  October 17, 2011 at 2:58AM EST
- JerseyRudy I think an Angela-Richard romance has already begun. Only a matter of time before it gets physical. He took off his mask in part to find out if Angela would be repulsed; she was not at all repulsed; if anything she is more attracted to him now that he has totally revealed himself to her.
  
  Both Angela and Richard love Jimmy, but they also both are unfulfilled by their relationship with Jimmy
  October 17, 2011 at 9:24AM EST
berkowit28

If Nucky is pleased that the case is about to become federal, so that now he can expect Daugherty to manipulate or dismiss the case - why doesn't his pwn lawyer see it the same way? His lawyer must know all about Nucky's influence over Daugherty. Instead, the lawyer is upset and shocked that Nucky would endanger the state case the lawyer somehow thinks he has arranged in Nucky's favor (and where was that coming from?) by openly admitting to a federal whores-across-state-lines transgression. It feels like nothing but a setup of the audience. I don't understand how the lawyer gets it back-to-front, unless we're meant to think that Nucky employs stupid lawyers, or lawyers he's kept in the dark. And why would he do either?
October 17, 2011 at 4:04AM EST Reply to Comment
- berkowit28 Or was it just that when the lawyer took him aside to say "I got you out of trouble" he's speaking in implied future tense because he's suddenly see this loophole? I suppose that's possible but it didn't appear to be so when I watched it. I'll look at that part again tomorrow.
  October 17, 2011 at 4:35AM EST
- Otto Man The second explanation is how I took it. The lawyer recognized the Mann Act angle and urged Nucky to set it in motion.
  October 17, 2011 at 8:55AM EST
- doe Invoking the Mann Act automatically moved Nucky's election fraud indictment from state to federal court.
  October 17, 2011 at 11:28AM EST
- garyinfh I think "Otto Man" has it right. The lawyer said (quoting from memory), "I think I figured out a way to get your case dismissed." It stands to reason that Nucky would have told his lawyer about Herbert Daughtrey's "inability" to help quash a New Jersey state indictment; a smart lawyer would immediately have begun to think of ways to get a U.S. Attorney interested in Nucky's case, so as to get the "benefit" of federal jurisdiction (i.e., the Attorney General can pressure, if not order, a U.S. Attorney to drop a case or plead it out at substantially reduced charges). Nucky's lawyer obviously took the early 20th century version of "Federal Jurisdiction" as part of his law school curriculum. Yes, I'm a lawyer, and I have to admit, when Nucky's attorney (wasn't he the proctologist with the monicker "the Assman" in a Seinfeld episode, years ago?) asked the girls to confirm that they were from Philadelphia, you could see the light go on. Only in an atmosphere of pure corruption could a lawyer believe that getting his client indicted under the Mann Act was a good thing.
  October 17, 2011 at 11:53AM EST
- garyinfh "Herbert Daughtrey" should, of course, be "Harry Daugherty."
  October 17, 2011 at 12:15PM EST
- stm22 Legally, this plot device is a little silly. State and federal justice systems operate in parallel - they're not mutually exclusive. The feds could prosecute Nucky on a Mann Act charge at the same time the NJ Attorney General pursues state-law election fraud claims. Alternately, once the federal case gets dismissed, the NJ AG could reinstate the state-law case. (Double jeopardy only applies within the same forum; you can be tried in state and federal court on the same charges.)
  
  ... But, since the show is so damn good, I'm going to suspend disbelief.
  October 18, 2011 at 1:00PM EST
- JerseyRudy You are correct. However the political reality is that once the US Attorney takes over the case in Federal Court, the state Attorney General almost always defers to them. Also, if Nucky takes a plea in Federal Court on all the charges (small fine and/or probation with no jail time and no felony) then double jeopardy does apply.
  October 19, 2011 at 10:15AM EST
michael

I thought last week's scene between Owen and Richard was foreshadowing for what I hope will be a great chess match between Nucky and Jimmy's muscle. I would happily watch a show that was solely based on the two of them at odds with each other. I only hope that their impending showdown will be as satisfying as *** POSSIBLE 5 YEAR OLD DEADWOOD SPOILER *** Dan and the Captain's in season three of Deadwood. Not necessarily as violent or gruesome but equally befitting the two characters.
October 17, 2011 at 6:28AM EST Reply to Comment
- sangs For whatever reason, tagging a POSSIBLE 5 YEAR OLD DEADWOOD SPOILER really gave me a good laugh this morning. Thanks.
  October 17, 2011 at 7:53AM EST
- Kronicfatigue I appreciate the spoiler alert. Above, someone makes a reference to Breaking Bad w/o any warning. I suppose you could say it's only the reader's fault for not watching a show that's 5 years in the can, but it's still possible a person hasn't had the chance to watch it yet. Especially b/c it's HBO.
  October 17, 2011 at 1:08PM EST
Zoe

Loved this episode, MKW is fantastic as Chalky White, really great to watch. I'm hoping for an Owen/Richard throwdown!
October 17, 2011 at 8:26AM EST Reply to Comment
ctrlaltdelete

Is it just me, or did anyone else notice the possible funeral of the Commodore in next week's Episode 17 (a.k.a. Season 2 Episode 5)???
October 17, 2011 at 9:29AM EST Reply to Comment
Bernardo

If Gillian intentionally caused the Commodore's stroke--which I agree, is a stretch--why did she seem so shocked when he was actually having it? I for one, cannot figure out her character. She was cozying up to the old guy with her Dianna dance, seemed shocked when he stroked, then shows her hate for him with the physical assault.
October 17, 2011 at 10:15AM EST Reply to Comment
sureshore

Love all the characters on this show and acting is obviously superb. This episode just showed why Gretchen Mol gets special mention in the credits. I've been waiting for Gillian to become a bigger part of the storyline and did she ever! Said it elsewhere, but I still think she was involved in the Commodore's poisoning last season. And whoever mentioned the 2 faced angle to the storyline was spot on. This may have been my favorite episode and nobody died (yet).
October 17, 2011 at 10:32AM EST Reply to Comment
- sureshore Oh - and that kiss between Gillian and Jimmy? Did anyone catch how Jimmy seemed to step back a little and gave her a look of "What the f almost just happened?"
  
  October 17, 2011 at 10:34AM EST
thefarmerandthedell

chalky is the true wild card. Van alden could, I think, "turn" in the best pro wrestling sense, at some point. what's that stick for, chalky? who you gonna impale? oh yeah, and Richard Harrow and Nucky's new right hand man will certainly duel it out before the season's done. they already had their first encounter.
October 17, 2011 at 10:43AM EST Reply to Comment
- Caitlin i think he wants to impale the KKK.
  October 17, 2011 at 1:11PM EST
virginia

I love this show. The Nucky at dinner table scene was outstanding, as was the portrait sitting. Loved the link made between the modernist movement in art occuring at that time and the terrible disfigurements, physical and psychological, brought on by the horrors of trench warfare. And I love Margaret in witch mode. Also, I want want want Angela and Jimmy's beautiful house -- Restoration Hardware as far as the eye can see.
October 17, 2011 at 10:48AM EST Reply to Comment
Caitlin

i feel like this episode also made a huge point on how the alcohol is affecting people and causing them to make poor decisions or making the person more emotional. For instance Nucky was pictured drinking in practically every scene, at the ritz party, when owen was making the bomb he took a swig, talking to margaret. Obviously because of alcohol he is making poor decisions with his money, telling the maids they can have a raise, spending money on a party at the ritz carlton. Chalky being drunk, embarrassing his family, getting emotional about who he is, and him outside sharpening a stick. Gillian was drinking at the end when she was slapping the commodore.

My other thought was why is margaret stashing that money? To save Nucky in case his spending habits get worse OR because she has other plans....maybe it has to do with the maid asking her if her name was peggy. It seems to meet when she came to America she changed her name so her family couldn't find her. Maybe she had a completely different life and that could be why they keep showing us that shes as smart and witty as we thought.
October 17, 2011 at 1:08PM EST Reply to Comment
- JerseyRudy I don't think she changed her name. Peggy is a traditional nickname for Margaret. It makes sense that her family would have called her Peggy. She married Mr. Schroeder which is why her name is Margaret Schroeder.
  
  I think she is stashing the money because she wants an insurance policy in case something happens to Nucky. She is a smart lady.
  
  With all the poor decisions casued by alcohol, this episode makes a good argument for Prohibition!
  October 17, 2011 at 1:18PM EST
- Jim H "With all the poor decisions casued by alcohol, this episode makes a good argument for Prohibition! "
  
  Really? Seriously?
  October 17, 2011 at 11:22PM EST
- TCD Is it possible that Nucky *did* give the maids a raise, but that Margaret has been stashing the extra money in the war-chest she's assembling?
  October 18, 2011 at 8:52AM EST
- Dan3320 TCD - I had the same thought. Nucky is actually giving Margaret more money for the maids, but Margaret is pocketing it, knowing the maids would NEVER mention this to Nucky.
  October 18, 2011 at 9:22AM EST
- JerseyRudy If she hasn't been doing that up to now (she likely has been, but we don't know for sure) she is definitely going to do that going forward, which is the reason she tells the maids they will be receiving a pay cut.
  
  and to Jim H: not really and not seriously. It was an attempt at humor
  October 18, 2011 at 9:58AM EST
chuchundra

Something else that really bugged me. I can't imagine black people in the early 1920's asking their community leader to exact revenge on the KKK and/or the white establishment for the murder of their family members. I find it hard to believe that they'd think they'd get anything for their efforts except more retribution being rained down upon the African American community of Atlantic City.
October 17, 2011 at 2:18PM EST Reply to Comment
- Victorycurtis I didn't take it that they wanted Chalky to "exact revenge" on the KKK. I read the scene as being a bunch of angry "widowed" women holding him personally responsible for the death of their spouses. Now that their men are dead, they want to know who is going to take care of them and their families. It was Chalky "exacting revenge" that got him in this mess in the first place.
  October 17, 2011 at 2:42PM EST
- JerseyRudy Chalky definitely took the comments of the family members as a desire to exact revenge. Nucky tries to make it about money by assuring him that the families will be taken care of, but Chalky tells Nucky it is not about money.
  October 18, 2011 at 10:03AM EST
- Victorycurtis I don't know Jersey. You could be right but that sentiment doesn't ring true for this show nor the time period that the show takes place in. There is no way that as a black man, Chalky could do anything about the retribution that the klan (community members) took against him. In all actuality, his character should already be dead. The members of Chalky's community all know that there is no way that he could ever try to get revenge against the Klan and survive. I'm surprised that the klan didn't burn down the entire part of town where he lives.
  October 19, 2011 at 4:45PM EST
Matt

Richard's monologue about his sister is perhaps some on the greatest writing and acting that has EVER been on TV. The writers basically had a blank page (no pun intended) to paint Richard's story and they did any absolutely fenominal job adding a side to Richard just for the audience to know about. That is what great drama is all about; drawing the audience in and creating an intimate relationship between them and the characters. Jack Huston's portrayal and timing was incredible. I could hardly concentrate on the rest of the episode I was left in such awe.
October 17, 2011 at 4:32PM EST Reply to Comment
- Ben Kabak hyperbole for the win
  October 18, 2011 at 2:28PM EST
TRAV

No offense to anyone, but, I remember as a kid, maybe 10 yrs old, Mom served liver one night. Despite gagging protests, folks made me clean the plate...promised myself, never ever again.....Manny Horwitz (sp?) brought that dark memory back with one dull knife slice after another...
October 17, 2011 at 8:58PM EST Reply to Comment
Thomas

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Acteon and Diana myth and how it is referenced at the beginning, but more importantly alluded to at the end of the episode. Acteon spies the goddess of chastity and is punished by being rendered speechless, unable to defend himself because he has been turned into a helpless deer. Its as if the story told at the beginning of the episode is coming to life by the episode's end. The Commodore represents Acteon, violating the young Gillian's chastity. The stroke transforms him into a helpless figure without the ability to speak, just as Acteon is unable to cry out to his own hounds. Gillian is the vengeful and ruthless Diana, punishing the Commodore (albeit years later) for robbing her of her chastity. I just thought it was interesting, and wondered if anyone else noticed...
October 17, 2011 at 9:16PM EST Reply to Comment
- berkowit28 Very good.
  October 18, 2011 at 3:57AM EST
- Timm S Well done, Thomas. I was hoping to be able to get to that point this morning, but I figured someone would get to it before I had the opportunity. Both of those scenes were unbelievably well done by both Dabney Coleman and Gretchen Mol. He looked so shocked and injured and pitiful, and yet it what she did to him in that moment seemed very honest and just. It was chilling. Broke my heart to see that pain carried through the years pour out of a still hurting little girl. She's tried to exact her revenge by doing everything she can to ensure her son rises to prominence, and yet she still can't shake the rage and pain that's haunted her all these years. Loved it, and felt the scene for both players.
  October 18, 2011 at 11:29AM EST
TRAV

Bless my mother, but she once served Liver for dinner (circa mid 70's, I was 10 or so)...Despite gagging protests, I was told to 'clean my plate', which I did. Vowing to myself, never, ever again, I have managed to 'Liver' in the deepest part of my subconscious...
...Until Manny Horvitz brought it back into my world, one dull knife slice at a time....help!
October 17, 2011 at 9:23PM EST Reply to Comment
Bobman

Sometimes I find Dabny Coleman a little... hammy in this role, but wow did he play the crap out of the incapacitated commodore getting the snot beat out of him.

And Jack Huston deserves every award they can give him. That character is simply amazing.
October 18, 2011 at 11:39AM EST Reply to Comment
Timm S

This season keeps getting better and better. I need a little help, though. I guess I missed Van Alden's meeting with Mickey, and I can't for the life of me remember what that was about. Any help? (Sort of embarrassing, as I've watched every episode and that just washed over me for whatever reason.)

Chalky is trying to live in two worlds, and make a better way for his family. But he's not going to be mocked in his own home in the process. That scene at the dinner table was great, and rang very true. He wanted to meet that boy his daughter is dating on his terms, eating food that's comforting to him. And yet, he's made to feel less than by everybody else at the table, and he can't abide that. I can see his anger at how entitlement has creeped into his home, his family, even though he's enabled it to a large extent.

And the real battle is not between Owen/Richard, but Jimmy/Owen for Nucky's affections. That's what Jimmy's angry about, that he feels slighted, and he'll be all the more upset when he realizes how easily he's been replaced as an enforcer. I wonder of Richard told Jimmy about what happened with Owen refusing the liquor order. We have to assume he did, but there was no mention of it this week, which seems odd. I do like the skill set the new Irishman brings with him, and how competent and casual he seems to be with his newfound role. He's a strong character, and I'm interested with how he and Jimmy co-exist. I hope they do (on the show) in some way, as they're my two favorite parts of the show.

And yes, Margaret seems to be hedging her bets. She's earned Nucky's trust, but she's not going to be reliant on any man for the future of her life or those of her children, even if he's nice and doesn't beat her.

And Eli's "I have eight kids" line was very funny. I laughed a lot this week. Good writing, and DEADWOOD alum Ed Bianchi directed the hell out of this episode.

I really like this show...
October 18, 2011 at 11:46AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dan3320 I could be wrong here - but I believe Van Alden met with Mickey so that Mickey could tip him off about certain establishments that were serving alcohol as a way to get rid of the competition? He makes Van Alden pay him as a sort of informant...even though Mickey is clearly breaking the law himself.
  
  Basically Van Alden turns the other cheek because he's getting good tips from Mickey?
  
  That was my take anyway.
  October 18, 2011 at 4:52PM EST
- Timm S Thanks, Dan. For whatever reason, that whole interaction was replaced by something else. Maybe I swapped it for the energy to root my Rangers onto their first World Series win. That's what I'm going with.
  
  Thanks again.
  October 18, 2011 at 5:13PM EST
- Mango Van Alden met with Doyle because he was buying the music player for Lucy. I was surprised that Doyle would bring him there to see their operation and that he went there and did not seem too perturbed by all the alcohol. I think Van Alden is finding that in life nothing is absolute and is learning to live in the grey areas.
  October 19, 2011 at 12:43PM EST
- JerseyRudy I think Dan had it correct. There was dialogue between Doyle and Val Alden in that short scene, and Doyle talks about cases of alcohol, not the music player
  October 19, 2011 at 1:33PM EST
Ben Kabak

y would they take the Commodore off the board at this point??
October 18, 2011 at 2:23PM EST Reply to Comment
Peter

Just finished watching the episode on my DVR, and I was struck by how literally "two-faced" several characters were. Richard, of course, exposed half of his face for a good amount of screen time. Van Alden's plucky underling ended up with half of a burnt face (a la Harvey Dent), and the Commodore had half of a drooping face after his stroke. That doesn't even touch on how much figurative "two-facedness" is going on.
October 24, 2011 at 6:50PM EST Reply to Comment
Peter

Just finished watching the episode on my DVR, and I was struck by how literally "two-faced" several characters were. Richard, of course, exposed half of his face for a good amount of screen time. Van Alden's plucky underling ended up with half of a burnt face (a la Harvey Dent), and the Commodore had half of a drooping face after his stroke. That doesn't even touch on how much figurative "two-facedness" is going on.
October 24, 2011 at 6:52PM EST Reply to Comment

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Review: 'Boardwalk Empire' - 'What Does the Bee Do?': Strokes and slaps

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Comments

Option 1

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JerseyRudy She was defending him to Jimmy so that Jimmy would let the Commodore groom him, and also so that Jimmy would focus his hate on Nucky instead of the Commodore. Makes sense, and it worked pretty good so far.

sureshore Is everyone forgetting that the commodore was poisoned almost to death in season 1 and the made was held responsible but a lot of us here suspected at the time that Gillian may have been complicit. Makes it seem all the more likely now, doesn't it?

Umm Yeah Forgive my confusion, but based on your initial post, it seemed you agreed with webdiva's version of events. If you're saying that's not the case then we have much less to disagree about.

moebius "All but raped" a drunk 13-year old?!? Other than that, great review of a really strong episode. I don't know that I've ever seen someone so pleased to have a federal indictment laid against him?

sepinwall Bad wording. Since changed. Rape.

kronicfatigue I don't see that language used. Also, with the federal indictment, it seemed a bit odd he'd up it to federal w/o first confirming he can still cash in a favor. Seemed like the guy was just using the state/federal issue as an excuse not to cash in what he owes Nucky

moebius To be a little more positive, Michael Stuhlbarg is so, so good in his limited time in this series. His scenes go down like, well, good scotch.

sepinwall Yes, between that, some comments by Michael K. Williams, etc., I think I have to admit to wrongness on that front.

Jim I saw the episode on HBOGO with the special features, and in a behind the scenes feature Michael K. Willaims flat out said that Chalky is illiterate.

John I thought it was pretty clear that he's illiterate when he has the other guy read the book for him in jail (especially with the wife's weird look when she hands him the book and him telling the wrong title to Pernsley for no apparent reason)

Nick It seems to me that the show has gone to great lengths to show that Chalky is illiterate.

Adam In addition to the house/field dynamic, you had (earlier in the episode) Nucky telling Chalky, in his own house, to be "a good boy." And you KNOW all that Chalky heard was the "boy" part...

Nish Ken, I'm not Jewish nor from New York, but I wholeheartedly agree with you. The Rothstein/Lucky/Lansky trio is great. The guy playing Rothstein is in particular fantastic.

Jim H Ken - I think your heightened interest in the NY angle is because you Northeasterners don't have a dog in the World Series this year. LOL, just kidding.

Loz Agree, I think a spin-off showing Lucky's formation of the modern mafia would be great once his part in BE was done with.

rowan729 Oh Boga, you had to go and bring THAT up.....it does feel weird to have no Walter White to top off my Sundays......

Kyle Yes, I too noticed that theme. I wonder where they are going with this kind of symbolism

Gus That Prohi got Fring-ed.

chuchundra I was mildly annoyed that the bomb went off just as the Van Alden's subordinates approached the warehouse. That kind of wild coincidence just makes my teeth ache.

GMil I agree. They arrived at the exact time of detonation? Please.

ChampSkins I don't know much about bombs, especially from the 20's - but is it possible that they could have triggered it. That the intent was not only to blow it up, but to do it when someone was there as collateral damage?

Crusader79 I thought the bomb went off when they opened the door. Then again what was the point of the clock.

thenightstalker Alan, you mentioned William Forsythe as Al Capone, but a more interesting role for comparison would be his role of Jewish gangster Philip "Cockeye" Stein in "Once Upon a Time in America."

Swearin And also (only because I caught it randomly on TV the other night) he played Flattop in "Dick Tracy". The guy plays good gangster!

berkowit28 Or was it just that when the lawyer took him aside to say "I got you out of trouble" he's speaking in implied future tense because he's suddenly see this loophole? I suppose that's possible but it didn't appear to be so when I watched it. I'll look at that part again tomorrow.

Otto Man The second explanation is how I took it. The lawyer recognized the Mann Act angle and urged Nucky to set it in motion.

doe Invoking the Mann Act automatically moved Nucky's election fraud indictment from state to federal court.

garyinfh "Herbert Daughtrey" should, of course, be "Harry Daugherty."

sangs For whatever reason, tagging a POSSIBLE 5 YEAR OLD DEADWOOD SPOILER really gave me a good laugh this morning. Thanks.

Zoe Loved this episode, MKW is fantastic as Chalky White, really great to watch. I'm hoping for an Owen/Richard throwdown!

ctrlaltdelete Is it just me, or did anyone else notice the possible funeral of the Commodore in next week's Episode 17 (a.k.a. Season 2 Episode 5)???

sureshore Oh - and that kiss between Gillian and Jimmy? Did anyone catch how Jimmy seemed to step back a little and gave her a look of "What the f almost just happened?"

Caitlin i think he wants to impale the KKK.

Jim H "With all the poor decisions casued by alcohol, this episode makes a good argument for Prohibition! "Really? Seriously?

TCD Is it possible that Nucky *did* give the maids a raise, but that Margaret has been stashing the extra money in the war-chest she's assembling?

Dan3320 TCD - I had the same thought. Nucky is actually giving Margaret more money for the maids, but Margaret is pocketing it, knowing the maids would NEVER mention this to Nucky.

JerseyRudy If she hasn't been doing that up to now (she likely has been, but we don't know for sure) she is definitely going to do that going forward, which is the reason she tells the maids they will be receiving a pay cut. and to Jim H: not really and not seriously. It was an attempt at humor

JerseyRudy Chalky definitely took the comments of the family members as a desire to exact revenge. Nucky tries to make it about money by assuring him that the families will be taken care of, but Chalky tells Nucky it is not about money.

Ben Kabak hyperbole for the win

TRAV No offense to anyone, but, I remember as a kid, maybe 10 yrs old, Mom served liver one night. Despite gagging protests, folks made me clean the plate...promised myself, never ever again.....Manny Horwitz (sp?) brought that dark memory back with one dull knife slice after another...

berkowit28 Very good.

Bobman Sometimes I find Dabny Coleman a little... hammy in this role, but wow did he play the crap out of the incapacitated commodore getting the snot beat out of him.And Jack Huston deserves every award they can give him. That character is simply amazing.

Timm S Thanks, Dan. For whatever reason, that whole interaction was replaced by something else. Maybe I swapped it for the energy to root my Rangers onto their first World Series win. That's what I'm going with. Thanks again.

JerseyRudy I think Dan had it correct. There was dialogue between Doyle and Val Alden in that short scene, and Doyle talks about cases of alcohol, not the music player

Ben Kabak y would they take the Commodore off the board at this point??

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Boardwalk Empire is updated

moebius

"All but raped" a drunk 13-year old?!?

Other than that, great review of a really strong episode.

I don't know that I've ever seen someone so pleased to have a federal indictment laid against him?

moebius

To be a little more positive, Michael Stuhlbarg is so, so good in his limited time in this series. His scenes go down like, well, good scotch.

chuchundra

I was mildly annoyed that the bomb went off just as the Van Alden's subordinates approached the warehouse. That kind of wild coincidence just makes my teeth ache.

thenightstalker

Alan, you mentioned William Forsythe as Al Capone, but a more interesting role for comparison would be his role of Jewish gangster Philip "Cockeye" Stein in "Once Upon a Time in America."

Zoe

Loved this episode, MKW is fantastic as Chalky White, really great to watch. I'm hoping for an Owen/Richard throwdown!

ctrlaltdelete

Is it just me, or did anyone else notice the possible funeral of the Commodore in next week's Episode 17 (a.k.a. Season 2 Episode 5)???

Jim H "With all the poor decisions casued by alcohol, this episode makes a good argument for Prohibition! "

Really? Seriously?

TCD Is it possible that Nucky did give the maids a raise, but that Margaret has been stashing the extra money in the war-chest she's assembling?

JerseyRudy If she hasn't been doing that up to now (she likely has been, but we don't know for sure) she is definitely going to do that going forward, which is the reason she tells the maids they will be receiving a pay cut.

and to Jim H: not really and not seriously. It was an attempt at humor

TRAV

No offense to anyone, but, I remember as a kid, maybe 10 yrs old, Mom served liver one night. Despite gagging protests, folks made me clean the plate...promised myself, never ever again.....Manny Horwitz (sp?) brought that dark memory back with one dull knife slice after another...

Bobman

Sometimes I find Dabny Coleman a little... hammy in this role, but wow did he play the crap out of the incapacitated commodore getting the snot beat out of him.

And Jack Huston deserves every award they can give him. That character is simply amazing.

Timm S Thanks, Dan. For whatever reason, that whole interaction was replaced by something else. Maybe I swapped it for the energy to root my Rangers onto their first World Series win. That's what I'm going with.

Thanks again.

Ben Kabak

y would they take the Commodore off the board at this point??

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