Battle of the Century: Sunday, Bloody Sunday!
Welcome to Belfast!
Nucky has arrived in Ireland under the guise of burying his father in the motherland. God save his majesty (George V)? God save those who have crossed Enoch Thompson.
Poor Emily can’t move her legs. It’s polio. Though tragic, maybe this ailment will bring back Margaret’s fighting side and lessen her shrill side. That giant needle made me a bit woosy, I must admit. It doesn’t help that I’ve heard spinal taps are more painful than childbirth. One of the maids bailed. Maybe if Margaret hadn’t become so stingy with the wages, that wouldn’t have happened. Nucky is the one better at cultivating loyalty, it seems.
George Remus makes an appearance. (Side note: Don’t trust anyone who talks about themselves in the third person.) Yet another plan (#726?) by Jimmy “I’ll take care of it” Darmody. One that requires more money than he has. The plan mostly consists of “Let’s do this right.” Al Capone’s response of “So, we don’t do things wrong” does not bode well for the plan. Why are Al Capone and Lucky Luciano still following Jimmy and his “I’ll take care of it” broken record?
Dempsey. Beckett. Carpentier. Yummy! Boxing talk can really get a girl going. I like that once upon a time, calling someone a bum was considered “casting dispersions.” Nucky opens up his father’s coffin and it’s full of Tommy guns. Hell, yes, bright Jesus! Look at all of those guns. That’s way more gangster than a violin case. Nucky is going to trade lots and lots of guns for lots and lots of whiskey.
There is a kink in the plans. The Brits have offered the Irish freedom fighters a free state, so the guns might not be needed. (Take the deal!!!) Oh, well. Nucky can’t even get whiskey from a place where it’s legal. “Every battle ends.” True, but you never know how long it’ll take. When they shot McGarrigle, it broke my heart. It reminded me of when Rabin was killed. If you want to live to a ripe old age, don’t be a peacemaker.
Cut to Nucky’s father’s actual funeral being staked out by one of the ADA’s deputies.
Purnsley is out of jail and back at work in a hotel kitchen where he has to “work 12 hours a day. Six days a week.” “I’ve been in jails that don’t work you this hard. Feed you better, too.” No raises, either, apparently. Tensions are increasing. What’s a black man in that era in Atlantic City to do? Why, go see Chalky White, of course.
Great back and forth between Chalky and Purnsley. Chalky gives the go ahead to strike. People have more power than they think and those kitchen workers exerted theirs with quiet, building intensity. Guess what, boss man? Strike! Strike! Strike!
Esther Randolph, the ADA, is in bed with one of her deputies. Damn it! Why? Why? Why? Why does she have to be bedding one of her subordinates? At least it wasn’t like I called it: her sleeping with someone she was investigating. At least the writers allowed them to discuss business in a serious manner. That “good girl” at the end undid most of it, though.
That poor, deputy bastard. Halloran had no chance between the ADA and her lover. At least he kept his temper longer than Eli, but not before backtracking and changing his story about Mr. Schroeder. This never would’ve happened if Nucky were still (obviously) in charge.
The thing about Nucky is, if you beat him with fists, he comes back with a bat. You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun. And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him, because he'll keep comin' back and back until one of you is dead. Actually, that’s not Nucky at all. If you come at Nucky with anything, he’ll side step and plant his very smart foot in your very dumb ass and add to your dumbass forward momentum. Nucky will figure out a way to get what he wants. For such a controlled man to show so much displeasure is not good for those that have crossed him.
I don’t like Harrow veering into pathetic, paranoid territory. He should be paranoid, but for business, not personal reasons. It’s a little early in the game to be selling out comrades, but, once again, Jimmy is not the thinking man his fathers are. There’s no way it’s going to be wrapped up so neatly, with someone else bumping off the guy holding Jimmy’s chit. And it wasn’t. Jimmy should never be a part of an assassination plot, attempt, or even suggestion. It’s like inviting a Kardashian to your wedding. Bad juju. Manny Horvitz lives and it’s going to be bad news for Jimmy.
“Everyone knows who the new king is.” How? I guess if you ever need information, you have to go to the street . . . walker. They’re up on the latest. Jimmy still hasn’t done anything, though, except for make some bad deals and botched assassination attempts.
Definitely an episode where people get pushed to their limits. Margaret because of Emily. She became determined, but still managed to be vulnerable. Nucky because of not getting what he wants, but still keeping his cool. And eventually getting it anyways, but in a sad way. And he didn’t miss a beat with his Irish bodyguard’s questionable loyalty.
Okay, so people once paid to sit in a theater and listen to a fight. Doctors and nun nurses were gathered around a radio, too. Query: if there were a bar dedicated to boxing, how far would you go to watch fights there?
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