Boardwalk Empire 1x04

In Chicago, young Al Capone walks into the Four Deuces brothel and shoots a blank in Jimmy Darmody’s ear, who’s lying in bed with a lovely lass named Pearl. After Capone leaves, laughing out loud, Jimmy and Pearl already talk about leaving for California together. Jimmy then joins Capone to Chicago’s Greek Town, where some speakeasy owner is informed that he is are in John Torrio’s territory now, not Sheridan’s. Capone beats up the man to bring home his point. Jimmy is visibly disturbed and tries telling Capone that violence is not only unnecessary but not gentler persuasion might be more effective. Later, at the Four Deuces, Jimmy explains that “You don’t invade a country all at once. You take it over one piece at a time.” When Sheridan drops in to express his annoyance that those Brooklynites Torrio and Capone are trying to take over Greek Town, Jimmy suggests there is room enough for all of them, but Capone insists on fifty percent of Sheridan’s take. When the latter agrees to an accommodation, Capone is convinced his bullying has worked. Jimmy tells him that’s one way of reading the situation. Later still, one of Sheridan’s goons takes Pearl to her room, sleeps with her, and then carves his knife across her face. To facilitates his exit, his buddies start shooting downstairs, while Pearl screams in pain.

Back in Atlantic City Nucky Thompson wants his sheriff brother to step up the murder investigation of Chalky White’s driver Kendall. With the upcoming elections, Nucky wants to be sure he can count on the black vote. So, brown-shirt Eli Thompson raids a Ku-Klux Klan meeting and arrest the Grand Cyclops Joseph Dinler for Kendall’s lynching. “Being a member is not against the law!” one member exclaims. “No, but stringing up darkies is,” Eli replies. Then Chalky White interrogates Dinler, building up the suspense to terrorize his into a confession. But even when he cuts off one of his fingers Dinler sticks to his story that he has no knowledge of the lynching. For his part, Lucky Luciano is looking for Jimmy, but only finds his rather assertive mother Gillian (sassy Gretchen Mol) opening the door, perhaps thinking she’s Jimmy’s wife. “I am looking for James,” he says telling her he’s a friend. “His friends call him Jimmy,” she replies. When she tells him Jimmy isn’t in, Luciano asks, “So where can I find him?” “Have you tried looking up your ass?” she retorts. Luciano follows Gillian around for days, attending her burlesque shows and waiting outside the Beaux-Arts Theater. She asks him what it is he wants from her, he tells her she must have a pretty good idea, and she replies she knows what it is she wants, and asks him to wait for her after the last show.

When Nucky throws a “surprise” birthday party for himself everyone of importance is present, including Commodore Kaestner, Senator Edge and Mayor Hague of Jersey City. The conversation turns to the topic of suffrage and the Commodore belittles Nucky’s girlfriend Lucy for not knowing anything about politics. Then there is a wonderful exchange between Margaret Schroeder and Senator Edge (Geoff Pierson, who plays Captain Matthews on Dexter) on the topic. She stands her ground very well, while the senator snaps one condescending remark after another. She tells him that if they withhold something most women want, they will always know to withhold something most men desire. She impresses Nucky, who understands he will need the female vote as much as he will need the black vote in the upcoming election. He may be Republican, but he sure isn’t dumb. He takes Margaret for a dance at great applause. And even as Lucy jumps out of the enormous birthday cake, Nucky cannot keep his eyes off Margaret. Readers of these chirps will know that this Cricket needs his time before becoming engaged in new TV series. Still, I can’t say I’m much enthralled yet by this show. I’m not much drawn to any of the characters, although Nucky and Margaret and sympathetic.