With last week ending with Nucky being shot, and Margaret giving in to her desires for Owen (not to mention Owen handing out some violence of his own beforehand), this week’s Boardwalk Empire episode, ‘Two Boats and a Lifeguard,’ had a lot to live up to. While it doesn’t deliver on the sex and violence of last week’s, it more than competes with its overall character development and building towards what will surely be an incredible end of this season.
The episode begins, and later revisits, a dream Nucky is having. As he’s riding in an elevator, a bellhop mentions the outcome of the Jack Dempsey fight, although Nucky realizes that it hasn’t happened yet. Nucky gets off the elevator to a room of well dressed people and several metaphorical items to Nucky’s past and present; a baseball mitt, a shot deer, and a young boy with the same gunshot wound in his hand that Nucky has. All of a sudden the boy has a gun on Nucky, pulls the trigger and Nucky’s immediately awake, having the bandages on his hand touched up by a doctor. Margaret also gets the doctor to check on Emily, her daughter, who’s been running a fever and feeling ill. The doctor seems to think it’s a passing thing, but by episodes end, the illness is still with her and seems to have even become worse.
While having breakfast with his family, Eli is visited by an agent working for the ADA, and informs him that he’s being subpoenaed for questioning in regards to Nucky’s case. Either fearing his involvement with much of Nucky’s dirty work over the years or his recent vicious murder of a prominent town figure, Eli freaks out on the agent, causing quite a ruckus amongst his children and his aging father. It proves to be too much for his father to handle, as we soon learn he passes away that morning.
This week sees Angela return with something to do rather than be ignored or put down by Jimmy. She makes a new female friend at the beach, which later on sees her exploring a side of her personality she’s been repressing since the end of Season 1. She also, at long last, gets Jimmy to have a sit down discussion with her covering their loveless marriage, their lack of communication, and the hit Jimmy placed on Nucky, which Angela had only just discovered that morning.
As welcome as it was to see Margaret get some worthwhile screen time last week, it’s just as refreshing to see Angela get the same. Angela made for quite the interesting character last season and having tried and failed to leave Jimmy behind, is now stuck married to a man she doesn’t love. This has obviously killed much of her spirit, as well as it having killed much of her character on the show. It’s wonderful to see her character not only get a few lines, but also be able to be her true self once again.
Nucky, after an inquisitive and entertaining meeting with the ADA , discovers that the hit man that tried to kill him is an associate of Al Capone’s. Nucky then calls a secret meeting with Rothstein and Torrio. The three conclude, as Nucky puts it, that “the pups have grown fangs,” and they all realize that their younger crews are in cahoots together and possibly plotting to take them all out.
Nucky questions them for advice on what move he should make next, and Rothstein suggests making no move. To him, the best thing Nucky can do is, instead of doing something rash and immediate, is to wait for the right moment and take complete advantage of it. Nucky seems to take this to heart and, at least on the surface, seems to be embracing this idea, save for one last big decision; stepping down as treasurer.
So far this season we’ve been treated to some absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking scenes between Nucky and Eli and this episode gave us yet another. Eli arrives early to his father’s wake, and, much to his surprise finds Nucky already there. The two, obviously on the worst of terms, manage to discuss things at least partially civil to each other. Eli becomes a bit emotional, while Nucky’s able to maintain a tough exterior, at least until Eli leaves. Once again alone with his father, Nucky notices his dead father’s shoelace is untied and as he goes to fix it, he breaks down and allows himself a genuine moment of sadness.
Jimmy is having an interesting turn of events. He’s obviously torn up over the hit on Nucky, having not wanted to do it in the first place. Now that it was unsuccessful, he seems even more worried. He keeps getting visits from Manya, who is always quick to point out that not only does Jimmy still owe him money, but he constantly reminds Jimmy that he’s a boy and hasn’t really earned any of the power he’s clinging to.
Later on, during a meeting with his mother, the Commodore and one of the town elders, Jimmy is visited by Nucky, who has come to tell them all that he’s done with the life. He realizes what he has with Margaret and her children, even getting to the point of wanting them to call him Dad now. He also informs them that he is stepping down as treasurer and will no longer be a thorn in their side. Jimmy seems initially mixed about this, but it’s not long before he and his gang of cronies are celebrating.
The power seems to already be getting to Jimmy, as he comes off as constantly being checked for his worth and in a surprise bit of rage throws Mickey Doyle off of the balcony at Babette’s onto the tables and patrons below. Jimmy seems to be sending a message by this action, but it more so exposes his brashness and youth.
There’s not much from my two favorite characters, Van Alden and Chalky White, but both seem to be being setup for bigger moments in the weeks to come. Van Alden has hired a full time nanny for Abigail as he, in a bit of an immediate change from last week, now seems to want nothing to do with the baby. He also is seen hiding money again, but with no background as to where he got it from or why. Hopefully time will tell.
Chalky has a brief meeting with Nucky just before Nucky gives up his title. Nucky informs him that it’s finally time for his people to get some retribution for the murders that happened to them back at the beginning of the season. Nucky suggests that Chalky get all of his people to go on strike, right in the midst of tourist season, and show all the white folks who really keeps the town running. From the previews, I have a feeling we’ll see this begin next week and I’m as anxious as ever to see what comes of it.
All in all, ‘Two Boats and a Lifeguard’ was another top notch episode, if a bit subdued compared to last weeks. This week character ran the show, and often times in different paths than many would have expected. Nucky may be stepping down, but there’s no doubt that he has a bigger plan in mind. Eli tries to warn Jimmy of this at his party, but Jimmy is to full of himself to take Eli seriously and that definitely will come back to haunt him.
Only four episodes remain. I have a feeling that some amazing storytelling awaits.
– Matt Hardeman
