by Lee Padrick, October 14, 2013WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
This episode of Boardwalk Empire established the rise of one Meyer Lansky. We see Agent Knox, Hoover, and the FBI charting the gangs that run criminal enterprises throughout the northeastern portion of the country, and we know historically that Lansky, along with Lucky Luciano, is credited as the founder of organized crime.
Lansky has always been Arnold Rothstein's Number Two, serving as a competent assistant and a cool head. We, the audience, have always seen Rothstein as omniscient and incapable of making mistakes. But, as a compulsive gambler, Rothstein's weaknesses are laid bare as he challenges Nucky to a game of poker. Nucky has invited Rothstein to town to pitch an investment deal in Tampa to him, but after seeing Rothstein's vices so prominently displayed at the card table, decides to withdraw his partnership offer. Nucky also takes Rothstein for 200 large.
Lansky, seeing an opportunity, approaches Nucky about not extending more credit to Rothstein (knowing A.R. would likely try to win back his losses and possibly get further in debt to Nucky). And he also asks Nucky to consider him as a potential partner in the Tampa deal. Nucky wants to know more about A.R.'s Number Two, so he asks Meyer to tell him something about himself. And we find out how Lansky and Luciano become friends and business partners. Also, Lansky decides to punish the anti-semitic card player, beating the guy to death in the alley outside the card game.
In other news, Dunn Purnsley lies to Chalky, telling him he must visit a sick family member. But Dunn is secretly working for Mr., er, ... Dr. Narcisse. Except that the good Dr. is not thrilled to see Dunn show up in Harlem at the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Dunn waits outside and again approaches Narcisse, and Narcisse lectures him on "duppies," or spirits that suck the blood from the community. So Dunn dispatches a local "duppy" for Narcisse. In the meantime, Chalky is falling for the girl that Narcisse has sent to work for him. So, it looks like Narcisse's plan is continuing on schedule. But I still don't know what his plan is.
William is still reeling from the embarrassment of being caught kissing a girl at college. I haven't figured out why that's embarrassing. But he decides to make up his own batch of Milk of Magnesia from ingredients from the chemistry lab. Except he creates a lethal dose instead, and Bucky craps his pants until he's bleeding from the eyes (or was that the Walking Dead?). I don't know if this means he has no competition for Doris, if he's going to be arrested, or just kicked out of school. And I really don't care.
Van Alden is now working for the Capones, who decide to make some collection rounds when their employee has a heart attack. The Capones have taken a liking to Van Alden, so I think we'll see him rise up the Capone gang.
And Eddie has been targeted as the weakest link in Nucky's organization's chain by Agent Knox. After Eddie meets up with Ralph Capone to deliver some cash, the two guys decided to go out to dinner and drinks, which turns into a funny German sing-along. Except Agent Knox is waiting to arrest Eddie as he sees Ralph Capone off at the train station. Things are not looking good for our newly promoted lieutenant. This episode stumbled a bit for me. But Boardwalk has a knack for the slow plot burn over a season, so I think that this episode will serve the season's arc well.
Random Thoughts:
- Rothstein, when he loses to Nucky, says "I figured you for a straight." So did Rothstein have a smaller flush to Nucky's queen-high flush, or was Rothstein bluffing the whole hand?
- Van Alden didn't think twice about shooting O'Bannion's guy.
- What's up with the anti-semitism this season? Or is this just a reflection of this time period?
- "Jocularity has its place."
What did you think?
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