Boardwalk Empire - "Acres of Diamonds"

by Lee Padrick, September 27, 2013

WARNING - This review contains spoilers

Change of venue!  We're in Tampa this week.

Our anti-hero, Nucky, goes down to Tampa to hear a proposition about expanding his empire, without newly minted consigliere, Eddie.  Nuck meets up with Bill McCoy, who has set up a meeting with Gus Tucker, the local Tampa crime boss.  While he's enjoying a drink, he overhears Skeeter, a young real estate hustler, closing a deal on a lot in a new subdivision.  He strikes up a conversation with Skeeter and finds out about the residential development that's happening in 1920's Tampa ($1,000 lots, I'll take 10!).  Armed with this information, he attends his meeting with Tucker, a rather unsophisticated (i.e. redneck) gentleman.  The plan is to bring in the liquor by boat, and ship it via trucks to distribution points.  Nucky's concerned about the influx of new residents flocking to the area, and turns the deal down.  


McCoy is on the hook with Tucker for a $200,000 liquor shipment that was lost.  He's distraught at the prospect of the deal with Nucky and Tucker falling through, because of his debt to Tucker.  Nucky coldy declines to help out McCoy.  But while waiting to leave town, Nuck meets Sally Wheet (Patricia Arquette, looks like a great addition to the cast this season!) and discovers he and Sally have some chemistry.  And he has a tad of melancholy.  Thank goodness he gets past it by the time he has a role in Con Air.  So he calls McCoy up to tell him that he wants to pursue the deal.  Only thing is, McCoy has put a machete in the head of an irate Tucker.

Richard Harrow is still at his sister's house, where Hugh, an old single friend, is hanging around the homestead in hopes of scoring with Sis.  Harrow is still on his "I'm over killing" kick.  Except that Carl Billings, the man Harrow contracted with over the Old Mission killings, wants to extract some payback for Harrow not following through on the contract.  Billings and his associate pull a gun on Harrow, but Richard knifes the associate, killing him.  Billings is about to shoot Harrow when Sis dispatches the threat via shotgun.  Those Harrows are quite skilled with firearms.  Richard has to leave, and Sis gives him a goodbye hug, reminding him that he "needs to call yourself account."  

Not sure where Richard Harrow is headed this season and how he's going to get back into the Boardwalk world, but I suspect he'll end up in Chicago (since he's in Wisconsin).  A Harrow/Van Alden pairing would be awesome!

Our silver-tongued antagonist is back this week.  Dr. Narcisse is still channeling Marcus Garvey and leading a meeting of young black men.  He has a meeting with Arnold Rothstein and works out a deal to purchase some heroin to distribute, displaying his anti-semitism in the process.  He borrows a performer from the Cotton Club and heads to the Onyx Club to meet up with Chalky.  Who appears to be smitten with the beautiful performer.  Narcisse takes this opportunity to continue to accuse Chalky of being an Uncle Tom.  Then he proposes a deal to Dunn Purnsley to distribute heroin for him.  There's going to be fireworks between Narcisse and Chalky, and my money's on the non-Libyan.

Young Willie Thompson is trying to fit in at Temple University, and he's sweet on a girl named Doris.  The school bully (I forget his name, let's call him Chet from Weird Science), Chet, has eyes on Doris as well.  Willie tells the kids he can score some booze, and drives back home to get it, where he has an amusing encounter with Mickey (who slings another anti-semitic reference, two in one show, what's up with that?).  Mickey slaps the young Thompson when Willie tries to steal a case of liquor, then gives him the booze.  Willie is the BMOC and even gets an intimate moment with Doris in the library.  Except that Chet busts in on their makeout scene and taunts Willie, who runs off, embarrassed.  I'm not sure what was embarrassing about getting caught kissing a girl, but we'll have to see what role Willie will play this season.

Then there's Gillian and Roy Powers.  Roy, the Piggly Wiggly exec, has a meeting with an A&P manager.  Only problem is the A&P guy thinks that Roy is married.  So Roy asks Gillian to pretend to be his wife.  Gillian plays her role well, but while her and Roy are having coffee afterward, a friend of Roger's (remember the guy she drowned last season?) approaches her, inquiring about his friend.  Gillian plays dumb, and Roy runs the dude off.  But Gillian is shaken up, so she goes to the ladies' room for her heroin fix.  Its going to be interesting to find out how Roy reacts when he finds out about Gillian's vices.

Hopefully, Ron Livingston will move past this pairing in time for World War II and Band of Brothers.  And Matt Damon must love seeing that his former girlfriend from Rounders is now an incestuous junkie.  

Boardwalk is slowly developing this season's story.  And I like what I see thus far.


Random Thoughts:

- Hugh's a gravel dealer!

- Tucker's southern accent was horrible.  C'mon, I haven't heard worse Southern accents since Nic Cage in Con Air!

- I hope we get some more dealings with Skeeter.

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