Boardwalk Empire: To the Lost

How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again. 
It's always been the same, same old story. 
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen. 
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away. 

-Cat Stevens

Jimmy and Harrow fulfill one of Jimmy’s promises: They show up to a Klan meeting and get the 3 KKK members that shot up Chalky’s “boys.” Jimmy can’t deliver booze or plan an assassination, but he’s able to kill some clansmen and bring the guilty parties to Chalky’s doorstep. It makes sense when Jimmy asks Chalky to set up a meeting with Nucky. That boy will do anything for his father. Also, TO his father. See last episode.

Being screwed over, almost assassinated, and having killed two women has sent Horvitz to a weird, almost Apocalypse Now place.  He’s hiding in a basement of a synagogue. Mickey Doyle went back to Nucky. He keeps getting smarter. Horvitz wants to trade Waxy Gordon for Darmody. Nucky is making his comeback and he has a little bit of time to get his throne in order. Like Mikey said, “He ain’t in jail, yet.”

Emily has made progress. She’s walking with her braces and crutches. Margaret is at Rudolph’s office and has brought along her priest. That priest is no match for these two broads. Rudolph’s not pulling any punches and Margaret looks intense. She manages to rile up Rudolph. Margaret playing the Eva Braun card is not going to help her with Rudolph. “He hasn’t been cruel to me.” Is that like the Ginger from Casino version of “Nobody’s ever been so nice to me”? Rudolph tells Margaret that she can be a free woman. I think Margaret knows better than most that there’s no such thing as a free woman.

Eddie is cracking wise. Nucky does NOT appreciate it. Nucky’s lawyer keeps telling him what’s up. If Margaret testifies, it would be beyond independent corroboration. And then Chalky calls . . .

Nucky doesn’t hesitate to meet with Jimmy, but takes Owen just in case. He’s dismissed by Jimmy and Nucky. Good. I can’t STAND to look at that smug bastard’s face. Jimmy pours a little out for his wifey. Touching. Then Jimmy drops the bomb on Nucky about killing The Commodore. “He was your father. Nothing looms larger.” Nucky could’ve been talking about his own relationship with Jimmy. Jimmy plays the don’t-blame-me-I-had-a-hard-life card. Then he dumps it all on Eli. I really don’t see what Jimmy could do to make things okay between him and Nuck.  Of course, I’m no wartime consigliere.

Whether he’s being honest or manipulative (probably both), who knows, but Nucky lays it on the line with Margaret and proposes. He’s contrite, humble, and vulnerable. But, unlike Margaret, I don’t find it or him surprising. He’s the smartest character on television since Jeb Bartlett. Margaret needs to sleep on it, I guess, and wakes up to a lovely, but maggot riddled, home life scene: Nucky playing in the yard with her kids. Everyone loves a wedding, but I don’t think it bodes well that Owen and his former lover/Margaret’s maid are the witnesses. Kind of a weird homage to the baptism/murder scene from the Godfather, though. And, right after they’re married, Nucky lies to Margaret.  Ahhhhhhhhh, married life.

The Commodore’s official cause of death: car wreck. His will had bequeathed his property to the maid that tried to kill him. Legal hawk Jimmy tears up the will. Um, okay. I think Gillian will be lucky if she’s relegated to a mere hostess and maid. Jimmy asks his associates to turn against Eli and blame everything on him. They aren’t as keen on the idea.

But it magically happens.

I feel horrible for Randolph. She had such a great case for which she had worked so, so hard. One of the few times I haven’t liked Nucky. Poor Hallorahn is the only one that gets punished for anything. I guess he wasn’t that smart after all.

I miss Angela. My heart breaks for that little boy who has to grow up with that family. Angela wasn’t a saint, but damn.

Eli is working hard on becoming an alcoholic while sweating it out on his porch. Eli is a really good liar, but is Nucky convinced? Eli is going to have to eat it. Two year sentence, probably with time served or time off for good behavior, but Eli, a former sheriff, is going to jail.

Luciano and Rothstein are going into the heroin business together. Nucky calls and advises that Horvitz might no longer be with us. Luciano doesn’t care, so Rothstein doesn’t care. Nucky’s going to have to make a decision.

Van Alden, his Swedish nanny, and the baby are in the Midwest. What does this guy think he’s going to do?

Jimmy looks like the help in that big house. Harrow looks more like he belongs. Jimmy gets a call summoning him to Nucky. Harrow offers to go with him, but Jimmy brushes him off. He keeps getting sidelined. Lame. And a big mistake. I guess Eli did convince Nucky or blood is thicker than water. Jimmy gets set up by Nucky and the heavens weep. Jimmy was ready to die, but I can’t believe he would leave his son to Gillian.  I blame The Commodore for all of this. At least Jimmy killed him before he was offed himself.

I wish I were a better writer so I could describe how cold and intense and cruel Nucky was in that scene. I know and have always known he's a bad man, but I was horrified. 

But Nucky gets a big F-U courtesy of Margaret and the Church gets their future legal defense fund. Evil begets evil begets evil.