Boardwalk Empire 1x02

We’re in Chicago, at a funeral. A large crowd has gathered in front of the church. There are even reporters on the scene. Big Jim Colosimo was murdered upon his return from New Jersey. Al Capone is walking behind the coffin bearers brushing off the journalists. Back in Atlantic City, County Treasurer Nucky Thompson gets a visit by Probation Agent Nelson Van Alden investigating the death of Hans Schroeder, who got pinned for Jimmy Darmody’s shooting of Arnold Rothstein’s men. After some back and forth, Nucky delicately points out that as a Probation Agent he should be raiding stills, rather than investigating a case of homicide. Nucky’s brother Sheriff Eli Thompson soon pays Margaret Schroeder (an angelic Kelly Macdonald) a visit in the hospital. She just had a miscarriage after Hans physically abused her. Eli implies she didn’t really know her husband, what he was up to at night, or who he associated with, and so he could well have been involved in the shootings – and she wouldn’t want her children ending up in custody, would she. He also hands her an envelope stashed with cash from his brother. The moment she gets home from the hospital Van Alden is at her door asking questions about her husband and Nucky Thompson. The uptight evangelist even steals her ribbon, which he’ll later clutch and sniff. Margaret decides to return the money to Nucky, offering to work for him rather than demean herself to his charity.

Over in New York, big time gangsters Arnold Rothberg and Lucky Luciano send for Frankie Yale, demanding to know who ordered the hit on Colosimo. Rothstein calls Nucky to complain about the missing cargo that ended up in Chicago and demands $100,000 for damages. Nucky warns Rothstein not to show his face in Atlantic City and hangs up. When Jimmy clocks in for work, but Nucky tells him he can go and be a gangster, but will owe him the privilege if it’s in his town. And he still owes Nucky $3,000, too, for the hijacked booze. That night he brings the money, but Nucky teaches him a lesson by placing it on the crabs table and lose it in one game. So, the stage has been set, and the various subplots are slowly introduced. There are quite a few characters, which make it a little difficult to keep up with. The tone is decidedly different from the Martin Scorsese’s pilot – not as grandiosely operatic, without onscreen violence, and a greater focus on the characters and their relations. The story remains engaging, though I am keeping a wait-and-see attitude, as this episode has the feel of something of filler. Still, a good show, with cinematic aspirations. No doubt it will take awhile for the plots and subplots to unravel. I’ll keep you posted.