Sunday, October 23, 2011
Boardwalk Empire No. 17: Gimcrack & Bunkum
BLOGGER'S NOTE: This recap contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the episode yet, move along.
By Edward Copeland
The best discovery in the first season of Boardwalk Empire was Jack Huston, grandson of the great director John Huston, in the role of the fascinating character of physically and mentally disfigured WWI veteran Richard Harrow. I, as I expect many other fans of the show also were, was quite pleased to see Huston's name bumped up to the opening credits when the show returned for its second season. Since the large canvas of characters seems to be multiplying at an exponential rate, it's difficult for all the regulars to get standout moments. Until last week, when Harrow had his monologue about his twin sister while posing for Angela, Richard hadn't been given much to do yet this season. This week's episode builds on last week's showcase for Huston by giving him an unusual, standalone thread that almost plays like a short story except that it is intercut with the other storylines. It's quite good and, as always, Huston excels. The episode itself turns out to be a fast-moving and eventful one outside of Harrow's lovely, pastoral passages and runs a bit shorter than most episodes. It's an entertaining hour with a moving story plopped within it. In fact, despite a shorter running time, the events make the recap run longer. I didn’t want to split it in two again, so I’ve decide to only separate Richard’s story. Something odd about this outing though is the absence of expected repercussions from things set up last week that you’d think would need to be dealt with immediately.
We can hear Nucky's amplified voice as the episode begins, but we can't see him. At first, we get a high shot watching cars drive down the beach road to attend a Memorial Day ceremony. In the distance, we can even spot the famous Lucy the Elephant building that Agent Van Alden told his wife about during her visit. "Atlantic City was built for good times, so folks could leave
their cares behind — see a show, dance on the pier, build a castle in the sand," Thompson says. As the camera comes closer, we see Nucky at the podium on a stage with a band, Mayor Bader and many of the Commodore's old cronies behind him, while seats placed on the beach are filled with dignitaries such as Attorney General Harry Daugherty, all four ward bosses, Sheriff Thompson, regular folks such as the Darmody family, wounded veterans, even women volunteers selling red poppies for men to wear on their lapels. If it's being historically accurate, these volunteers belong to the Franco-American Children's League and are raising money nationally in 1921 for war orphans in France and Belgium. The league disbanded a year later and its head went to the VFW for help, but that group didn't start selling red poppies until Memorial Day 1922. On May 30, 1921, in France, four nameless U.S. troops who were killed in action were exhumed and one selected to be interred later that year in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. For certain, the show did change one historical fact. While the weather for the beach event proves sunny on the show, The New York Times reported the next day that rain ruined Atlantic City's outside activities for the weekend. Enough fact finding, let's get back to Nucky as he stood beneath the large banner reading
MEMORIAL to the SOLDIERS of THE GREAT WAR to be ERECTED on THIS SITE by the CITIZENS of ATLANTIC COUNTY. "Atlantic City was built to help people forget. On this day, Memorial Day, it's for remembering. Tomorrow, we will once again be able be citizens of the world's playground. Today, we are proud simply to be Americans," Nucky continues to enthusiastic applause, even from his enemies. Thompson isn't about to waste an opportunity to appear gracious in public toward those out to destroy him — Nucky doesn't know about the Commodore's stroke after all. "Let us thank the members of our memorial committee who are with us today to make this monument possible. I'm sure they
will convey our gratitude as well to Louis Kaestner, our own beloved Commodore. I know he would not miss this occasion were it not for pressing business elsewhere. He truly is this city's doting father," Nucky orates as if he means it. In the audience, Ward Boss O'Neill looks nervously at Eli when Nucky mentions the Commodore's absence. Nucky also introduces and thanks Daugherty, saying he bears President Harding's goodwill while he attends ceremonies at Arlington. Then, Nucky pulls his final card from his sleeve. "Now, to give the reading of this city's fallen heroes, I feel it fitting to bestow that honor on a young man who can speak more directly on the idea of sacrifice, service and loyalty than I ever could. James Darmody, step up here," Nucky calls to him. In the audience, Jimmy looks up shocked. "You didn't tell me you were going to speak," Angela says to her husband. "I wasn't," he replies as he hands Tommy off to her and limps toward the stage while the audience claps thunderously. As he climbs the stage, Nucky introduces him again, "Corporal James Edison Darmody, ladies and gentleman." Jimmy whispers, "Think I can't play this game?" Nucky smiles and tells him, "I don't think you even know the rules." 
With the list of the fallen on the podium in front of him, Jimmy's left hand shakes. For a moment, it looks as if he will blow his moment and be unable to speak in public, even looking around as if for help or a prompter. Finally, Darmody finds his voice. "Mr. Thompson just said some impressive things about me, but they're not true. I'm no one's idea of a hero, least of all mine," Jimmy tells the crowd. "When people ask me what I did over there, what I tell them is, 'I made it back.'" As he goes on, he becomes more assured and confident in his manner, but not at the cost of losing his humility. Nucky looks quite annoyed that Jimmy isn't falling on his face. "We fought for the idea that democracy was worth saving. We fought for our mothers, for our sons, for our wives. We fought for America. I believe it was worth it. The audience that had sat and stood in respectful silence so far as Jimmy spoke broke out in equally respectful applause. Bader claps, making Nucky sitting next to him on stage feel he must as well though he glares as he does. Jimmy holds up the list of those killed from the area. "This is a list of brave men." He begins reading the alphabetical list of those killed in action. When he gets to one name, he says, "I knew Les." He continues making his way through the reading of the names. Beginning with the next scene, the story of Richard's daylong excursion begins with the sound of Jimmy's reading able to be heard through the window of his room. If you wish, you can go read his day now by clicking here. Except for the final two scenes, it doesn't relate to any of the other storylines. Personally, I think the best approach is to read this whole entry first until it gets to the moment when Richard's story does cross back over and I'll include the link again, then cross back for the finish here.
"Hear him up there — all for democracy. What a load of bull," Nucky rules on Jimmy's speech as he changes clothes for golf with Harry Daugherty and Daugherty's longtime friend and aide without a title, Jess Smith (Ed Jewett). Nucky keeps rambling about Jimmy, saying he enlisted because he couldn't hack it at Princeton after Thompson pulled strings to get him in the university, but Daugherty's attention focuses as much on Nucky's words now as they did during that phone call seeking help when Harry paid more attention to where boxes needed to go in his White House office. Daugherty finally realizes that Nucky isn't going to stop talking on the subject so he tells Thompson that he and Smith are only there for the day. "It's a holiday — how about we play some golf?" Harry suggests. "Am I boring you, Harry?" Nucky asks. Daugherty lets Thompson know that he's gone out of his way to help him with his legal problems, picking from a list of possible federal prosecutors, though Smith must remind him of the man's name. "Charles Kenneth Thorogood," Smith says. "He's someone you can work with," Daugherty insists. "You actually enjoy golfing?" Nucky asks. "I enjoy being a man with the time to play it," Daugherty smiles as he heads to the course. As Nucky continues lacing his golf shoes, Smith approaches him. "I hear you're acquainted with Mr. George Remus," Smith says. "I'm acquainted with a lot of people," Nucky replies. Smith tells Nucky that he'll be meeting him in Cincinnati on Wednesday and wonders if Thompson considers him a reliable businessman. "I'd consider him a major bootlegger," Nucky responds. "That would be the business I'm talking about. Perhaps you could put in a word — let him know I don't bite," Smith requests.
The six old cronies of the Commodore have summoned Jimmy and Eli to see them at the estate of one of them, Jackson Parkhurst, to find out what's going on since they've financed the coup on Nucky to the tune of $70,000, none of them have been able to speak with the Commodore and the bombing took out the warehouse and all that liquor. (This seems the appropriate time to mention one of the events that occurred last week that doesn't get updated in this episode. Agent Clarkson got severely burned in that explosion, but his injury
doesn't come up and neither Van Alden nor any of the other prohibition agents appear in this episode.) Jackson Parkhurst (played by the great Richard Easton, who had a small but great role in HBO's miniseries of Mildred Pierce as Vera's piano teacher Charlie Hannen) sits on the other side of the room, so he's not pictured above. To identify the characters and actors in the scene easily, from left to right in that photo are: Mr. Ennis (Tom Toner), Mr. Darlington (Martin LaPlatney), Leander Cephas Whitlock, who we've met (Dominic Chianese), Mr. Markham (Edmond Genest) and Mr. Webber (Tom Morrissey). "You made a fine speech this morning. Quite moving," Leander compliments Jimmy. "We want this city to know how proud we are that the boys went over there," Darlington says. "Nothing is cheaper than sentiment. I'm the only one in this room who ever wore the blue," Parkhurst declares. What a surprise — nearly 100 years ago the rich and power movers and shakers tended to be chicken hawks just as today, always eager to risk other lives for their own ends but seldom willing to put on a uniform and fight themselves. Eli asks where Parkhurst served. "Fort Kearny, Wyoming Territory" Markham answers for
him. "He blew the trumpet for the 9th," Webber adds. "Thirty-two white men against two thousand Sioux. We had the latest Springfields and God damn me to Hell if we didn't cut those painted bucks to red ribbons," Parkhurst tells the story with great enthusiasm. The incident was a battle in a larger conflict that came to be known as Red Cloud's War which began — surprise — when American settlers wanted to get various Indian tribes out of their way so they could take advantage of natural resources and get their hands on some large gold deposits. "A slaughter," Jimmy comments. "That's all it ever is, boy," Parkhurst replies. "You came out of the last one rather well, didn't you Jackson?" Leander interjects. "I cleared a cool million selling chipped beef to the Army and I don't care who knows it," Parkhurst replies. Yes, the
sole soldier of the bunch became a war profiteer as well. "Smart bet there, sir. Seize an opportunity," Eli says to the old man. "Chipped beef — I had it every day for five months. I'd rather eat dog turds," Jimmy admits. The other men laugh, but not Parkhurst. "They paid me anyway," Parkhurst responds waving his arms to display the room. "As you can see." Jimmy can't hide his sarcasm, saying, "And you're a great man." That switches the tone from nostalgia to the business at hand. "What's all this horseshit anyway? We're here to discuss money," Parkhurst yells angrily. "There's concern about the recent setbacks," Leander tells Jimmy, trying to keep things civil. "We took care of your little colored problem and bought off the Coast Guard," Darlington reminds Jimmy. Webber mentions that they made a substantial investment. "With his father," Parkhurst adds. "We've yet to see a dime," Darlington complains. "Every business has its kinks, but I assure you — " Jimmy can't finish his sentence before Parkhurst leans forward and yells, "You lost seventy thousand dollars of our money in that explosion…That's not a kink. It's a torpedo hitting the Lusitania." Leander tells Jimmy that it's a matter of discretion. "Discretion and return on
capital," Markham says. "And you'll get it. We'll make good," Eli promises. Markham declares his preference for discussing the matter with the Commodore. "He's given me complete authority," Jimmy assures them. "I never heard that," Parkhurst tells him. "Then you weren't listening," Jimmy snaps at him. "Is he dead or just dying?" Ennis asks. "My father is fine," Jimmy laughs. "Listen son, you're trying to diddle the wrong man," Markham warns. "Yeah? You gonna drum me out of your yacht club?" Jimmy replies. Parkhurst's answer doesn't come with words but with a quick blow of the handle of his cane against Darmody's forehead. "It's high time you and your whole goddamn generation learned something about respect," Parkhurst sneers at him. Jimmy put his glass on the floor and stands up. "You just taught me plenty," he says as he walks out, Eli not far behind. Eli asks him in the hall what the hell he is doing. "Fuck these people," Jimmy declares. "These people are financing the entire operation," Eli reminds him. "I'm done with them." Eli claims that he brought Jimmy in on this. Darmody tells the sheriff to stay the hell out of his business and leaves the mansion while Eli watches from above. While it isn't as separate as Richard's story is, in a way, Eli's arc in this episode almost works as its own segment as well, though not a standalone one since repercussions are inevitable.
Jimmy lets Gillian tend to his wound from Parkhurst's cane as he shares with her how the meeting with the old moneymen went. "What did they say about your father?" Gillian asks her son. "They know something's wrong," Jimmy tells her. "They questioned you, berated you and then Jackson — " Jimmy interrupts his mother. "You know Parkhurst?" Gillian informs Jimmy that she knows all of them. "How well?" Jimmy wants to know. His mother ducks that question and instead says, "No one is allowed to do this to you." He reminds her that it's $70,000 that they are talking about. "That's nothing to men like that," Gillian tells him. "Plus Horvitz in Philly" keeps bugging him about his booze, Jimmy adds. Again, that's the only mention of Manny Horvitz this week, when last week he told Jimmy that people who tried to screw him over ended up cut into little pieces and put in his freezer. "You will not be disrespected and you have to make that clear," Gillian declares. "Alright, ma," Jimmy says as if he's surrendering to her. "Alright leave me alone or alright I understand what needs to be done?" she asks. Jimmy closes his eyes for a moment then re-opens them and tells her, "Both." Gillian pats him on his cheek. "John D. Rockefeller was born on a farm. His father was a bigamist and a confidence man. His mother was a saint. Now he's worth $1 billion," Gillian shares then puffs on her cigarette. "And how is he spending his Memorial Day?" Jimmy asks. "He's not pumping oil," Gillian replies, placing her cigarette in Jimmy's mouth.
Nucky comes home complaining about how much sun he got playing golf and how it makes him look like a lobster when Margaret asks him in a whisper, "Where is Owen?" "He's dropping off Harry Daugherty, why?" Nucky responds. "Your brother's here — in the conservatory," she informs him. This season, ever since Nucky and Margaret moved to the new place in Margaret, I've been referring to the part of their house with an inside greenhouse as "the covered garden" or similar names. Margaret threw me by calling it a conservatory since, having played the game Clue since a kid, I always thought a conservatory was a music room. It seems the word does also have a musical definition, but mainly as a school of music and while the Clue card I played with as a child showed a sheet of music, later editions changed it to match the meaning Margaret uses. "You let him in?" Nucky says surprised. "What else could I do?" Margaret asks him. An exasperated Nucky sighs, "Fine" and stomps into the conservatory where Eli stands with his back to him, admiring the scenery. "How many places have you lived in — since you moved out of the house?" Eli inquires. "Eight, nine — what difference does it make?" Nucky answers. "I had the upstairs apartment on Monroe, the bungalow with June and the place we've got now," Eli says. Nucky reminds Eli that he was there for Christmas. "The last time we spoke, there was an offer made," Eli brings up as softly and humbly as he can. "The offer's gone," Nucky declares coldly. "See, that's it," Eli says, making slicing motions with his hands in the air accompanied by sounds with his mouth. "No conversation. Only orders. I'm your brother, Nucky." Nucky's expression remains distant and unsympathetic, even as he tells Eli, "Then I
love you, but unless you have something to say aside from the fact that God distributes his gifts unequally, this conversation is over." Nucky turns to walk out. "I know who is going to testify against you," Eli admits. Nucky stops and looks back. Nucky almost grins when he tells Eli, "It doesn't matter. I just played golf with the attorney general of the United States. Think about what that means." Eli juts his chin out and calls Nucky "one nasty little prick." His brother returns the name-calling, saying Eli is "one frightened little boy with no place else to go. So give me something else and we can talk. Give me something else and I'll know you're my brother." Eli shifts and bounces uncomfortably for a minute or so before letting Nucky know, "The Commodore's out of the game. He's had a stroke. They're trying to
keep it under wraps." As if Nucky didn't know the answer, he asks Eli who "they" are. "The kid and his mother. They're in over their heads, Nuck. They can't see past their own — " Nucky finishes Eli's thought for him. "Resentment?" Eli pronounces that Gillian is "batty. I mean, I don't blame her. That whole situation — it was never right," Eli comments. "And that was my fault," Nucky says. "Of course not — you did what you had to do. Taking care of me, Pop," Eli defends Nucky's actions. "And Mabel," Nucky adds, recalling his late wife. "I made a mistake, Nuck. I admit it. I don't want to
say it. I don't know what to fuckin' do. Here I am," Eli expresses to his brother before he starts to break out in tears. Even that doesn't really seem to touch Nucky. "Alright, we'll sort it out. There is something I have to ask of you," Nucky tells Eli. "Anything Nuck," he replies, still trying hard not to cry. "I need you to get on your knees. Bend down on the ground and kiss my fucking shoes, you piece of shit," Nucky snarls. Nucky's continued anger confuses what appears to be a legitimately remorseful Eli. Nucky slaps Eli, then shoves him. He grabs Eli by the coat and says, "You come back here because you don't have the balls to finish what you started." Nucky slaps him again. "Fuck that little cocksucker you call a partner. Fuck his conniving cunt of a mother. Fuck that old man. I'll see his corpse
in a ditch. Fuck you brother!" Nucky finally has slapped and shoved Eli a time or two too many and Eli pushes back. The brothers' melee sends them crashing through the doors to the greenhouse as both men rather sloppily throw punches at one another until Eli grabs a flower pot and smashes it over Nucky's head. As Eli manages to get the dominant position, Lillian has heard the commotion and sees it through the window before rushing off. Eli wraps both his hands around Nucky's throat as Nucky pulls at his brother's hair. The fight is somewhat reminiscent of the final Tony-Ralphie showdown on The Sopranos, except no one will die here and neither brother fights particularly well as Tony and Ralphie could. Eli seems to be choking the life out of his brother until Nucky manages to bite his hand and flip him over. Nucky tries to stop Eli when he starts reaching for the gun in his holster. Suddenly, a 
After Nucky has changed clothes and put himself together more formally, he returns to the Ritz. "Sorry to keep you boys waiting," he apologizes to Daugherty, Jess Smith, Ginsburg and another man. Daugherty asks if he's been crawling through the underbrush because of the way Thompson's face looks. "Too much sun this morning," Nucky says. "Say hello to your new prosecutor," Harry announces as the man (T.J. Kenneally) shakes Nucky's hand. "You must be Charles," Nucky declares. "Call me Chip, Mr, Thompson," Thorogood requests. "Chip, Harry tells me you're a man I can count on," Nucky tells his "prosecutor."I'd certainly like to think so," Chip replies. "Have you talked?" Nucky asks, addressing his lawyer, Ginsburg. "Mr. Thorogood and I have begun a discussion. He's fairly new to the courtroom," Ginsburg informs his client. "I hope that's not going to be an issue," Thorogood says. "Only if you don't know where the judge sits," Daugherty smiles. "He's the one in the robe, right?" Thorogood jokes. Nucky asks how it's going to work and Ginsburg explains that the U.S. Attorney — Thorogood in this case — presents a motion to transfer to federal court. "Under the argument that the election rigging charges and the Mann Act violations constitute an ongoing criminal enterprise operating across state lines," Chip adds. Which places it under the jurisdiction of the 3rd Circuit, Ginsburg continues, "We go before our judge. He buys the humble wares which we set before him and Mr. Thorogood brings all his legal acumen and youthful energy to bear." Smith joins in, telling Nucky that the Justice Department then decides that it isn't worth the time or resources to prosecute the case and drop it. "We're swamped with Volstead as it is," Harry says while he and every lawyer in the room holds a drink in his hand. Nucky still looks nervous. "You're not saying thank you," Daugherty points out. "I need a guarantee," Nucky insists. Harry tells him that he's not going to get one. "Just remember — this was your idea," Nucky reminds Ginsburg. Nucky's lawyer excuses himself for an early train while the D.C. visitors have a free evening and seek a night's entertainment.
Eli has in his hand what appears to be the chamber for a gun, but it must be a toy one because his young son Brian (Brandon Zumsteg) says, "You can fix it, right?" Eli tells him, "Your old pop can fix anything" and takes a drink from his flask. Brian asks his dad if his throat is sore and Eli tells him that what he drank is medicine when there's a loud knock on the garage door. "I'm not eating, June," Eli shouts. "Eli, it's George. Can I talk with you," Ward Boss O'Neill calls from outside. Eli nods at Brian to let him in. "Hello there, Patrick," O'Neill greets the boy. "I'm Brian," he corrects him. O'Neill says, "Sure, OK" and pats the lad on the head. Eli tells Brian that what they need to fix his toy six shooter is a “veeblefetzer. The left-handed kind.” He sends the boy across the street to Mr. Dean's to see if he might have one. Brian runs off and George comes closer so he and Eli can talk. "We're alone, right?" O'Neill asks. "What's it look like?" Eli answers. "I don't know," an anxious-sounding O'Neill responds. "You gotta lot of kids." Eli tells him that he doesn't store them in the garage. "There's a rumor — going around — the Commodore, you know?" O'Neill spits out as if he's out of breath. ""I don't know," Eli responds after taking another big drink from his flask. "That he apoplexied — that he's
like a log or something. That he can't even take a piss by himself," O'Neill shares. "Not true, George. Saw him this morning. We had breakfast. Eggs, bacon — man loves his bacon. It's all on track," Eli lies. O'Neill doesn't seem convinced. "Maybe we should go over there," he suggests. "Bother him at this hour?" "Just to be sure. After you had breakfast — you never know," George says. "I'm with the kid now, George," Eli uses as an excuse not to go. "Right. So I'll go over," O'Neill declares. "Are you listenin' to what I'm sayin'?" Eli asks. "I heard, but think it through. If the Commodore — if he can't protect us from your brother — I have to say it. We all are in a very exposed…" O'Neill
doesn't finish his thought because Eli stands up from the work table and approaches him, leading George to back up a couple of steps. "What are you doing? You're moving towards me," he says to Eli, raising his right hand in caution. "All I want you to do is take a second … " Eli begins talking before O'Neill interrupts. "It's true, isn't it?" Eli stands by his lie, but it's too late — George definitely sees through him now. "Jesus — it is true. So now it's what — you and Jimmy?" O'Neill asks, his voice rising. "This was the plan? Son of a bitch!" Eli grabs O'Neill by the lapels of his suit jacket. Eli tries to say
something, but he can't be heard over the shouts of O'Neill telling to him to let go. "I want out! I want out!" O'Neill declares. Eli persists in trying to talks, but George has gone into full panic mode so no sentence Eli starts gets past a few words. "If you don't let go, there's going to be trouble. I'm saying it now. I'll go straight to Nucky. I will. I'll tell the world, O'Neill promises. "George, shut the fuck up!" Eli yells as he grabs a large wrench off the table and strikes O'Neill in the throat. Blood gushes from the ward boss as he struggles to breathe. Eli holds him up and mutters "fuck" quietly twice before dropping O'Neill to the floor. George continues to gasp for air and Eli decides to solve his new problem and release his frustration over the day's earlier fracas at the same time so he savagely beats O'Neill to death, standing over him with a slight grin on his face. When he's done, he hears Brian calling, "Dad" from outside the garage. He tosses the tool on the table and goes to the garage door. "He doesn't have one. Mr. Dean says he never heard of it," the little boy reports, barely able to be seen above the window. Eli tells him to go back to the house — he thinks his throat is getting worse and he doesn't want him to catch it.Jimmy and Angela sit at their table. She asks how his head is feeling. "Like I went another round with that car door," he replies. "You need to pay more attention," Angela says, obviously not knowing the true source of the injury. "That's why it's called an accident, Ange," he tells her. "The things you said at the ceremony — did you mean them?" Angela inquires. "I'm here — with you. My son's asleep in his bed. Nobody's hungry, nobody's scared. What else is there?" Jimmy answers her. "There's gotta be something. Hasn't there?" Angela says. Jimmy gets up from his seat and walks to his wife. He strokes her hair and plants a kiss on her lips, her forehead and her nose when someone knocks at the door. This would be the ideal time to click over to Richard's story since that's where this scene will conclude.
A scream awakes Margaret who gets out of bed to investigate. She looks in on Teddy and Emily, who both sleep soundly. When she turns around after closing their bedroom door, she jumps. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Margaret exclaims, but it's only Katy. "Did you hear something too?" she asks the maid. "What do you mean?" Katy replies. "Someone screaming," Margaret explains. "No, I heard you out here," Katy says. Katy asks Margaret if there is something wrong. "The children are fine. It's been a strange day. You should get back to bed," Margaret tells her. Katy bid her goodnight and returns to her room, but Margaret watches her closely. When Katy opens her bedroom door and goes inside, we see Owen shirtless in her bed. "Keep your voice down," Katy whispers. "It wasn't me who screamed," Owen reminds her. "Couldn't help it," Katy coos. "Well, I'm up to it again if that's what you prefer," Sleater offers. "She's out there snoopin' around. Probably thinks I’m pinching the silverware. I should, too, what she pays me,” Katy complains about Margaret. “Tight with a pound, is she?” Owen asks. "That's just the tip of it. She made me call her family in New York and they didn't want anything to do with her," Katy gossips. "Hard luck," Sleater shrugs. Katy tells him that he shouldn't be in her room at this hour to which Owen responds that he shouldn't be in there at all since Nucky senses when something is even half wrong. Katy disrobes anyway and pleads for him not to get her into trouble. "I'd never dare," Owen promises.
Eli takes Deputy Halloran (Adam Nucci) into the garage where O'Neill's corpse still resides. We haven't seen Halloran since last season when he was elected sheriff and served for about a minute before Nucky put Eli back in the job once the votes were cast. "I can't see anything, Eli," Halloran says about the dark garage. Eli asks Halloran what he needs to see. "Whatever it is I'm doing," he answers. Even in the dark with just Eli holding a flashlight, Halloran can figure out quickly Eli called for body disposal help. "Jesus, is it somebody I know?" Halloran whines. "It's Mary Pickford," Eli tells him. "You killed Mary Pickford?" Halloran asks both with surprise and a tone in his voice that makes you think he considers that could be an actual possibility. "Help me get this in the car, then you can go," Eli says. The two men haul the covered body of the former ward boss out of Eli's garage.
Nucky tries to work at a desk while Eddie dozes in a chair. Music from revelry in an adjoining room drifts in but grows louder as the door opens. "Eddie, right?" Thorogood, stripped to his undershirt and boxers with a hooker hanging on him asks. "Yeah," Eddie answers. Chip asks for cold champagne, ice water and oysters. As he moves from view, we can see Daugherty being serviced in a chair and Jess Smith dancing around in the back. Eddie complies and Chip returns to the party. "Shut the door, counselor," Nucky says. His prosecutor returns and does what he's told.
Crickets sing as Eli digs a hole on the side of a road near a field, George O'Neill's lifeless body on the ground next to him. The hole finished, he drags O'Neill to the hole and starts the process of burying him. Accompanying him on the soundtrack is the "Slow March" from Gaetano Donizetti's opera Belisario which continues through the credits. The piece was used in one of the rare Confederate Civil War brass band compositions A Storm in the Land. This version was arranged by Rob Morseberger.
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Labels: Boardwalk Empire, HBO, Huston, The Sopranos, TV Recap
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"Jack Huston, grandson of the great director John Huston, in the role of the fascinating character of physically and mentally disfigured WWI veteran Richard Harrow."
And great grandson of marvelous character actor Walter Huston.
And great grandson of marvelous character actor Walter Huston.
True. Also son of Oscar-nominated screenwriter Tony Huston and nephew of the great Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston. If I listed his whole family tree, the sentence would go on forever (and I'm doing him a favor by not mentioning his uncle Danny who can't act his way out of a paper bag yet still gets work).
Just noting the fact because this particular apple didn't fall far from that old tree.
I don't actually much care about JH's pedigree except for that one thing- am a huge Walter Huston fan.
I don't actually much care about JH's pedigree except for that one thing- am a huge Walter Huston fan.
Me too. Of course John wasn't just a great director and writer. He did some great acting himself as well. I don't know how the gene got so screwed up when it came to Danny.
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