Boardwalk Empire on HBO (pt2)

Excellent episode

 

On HBO, after the episode, the creater discusses the sanatoriam doctor and states that he really existed and cut organs out of the women because he thought it would help them. He was a quack. Gillian now knows that she could be next.

Also, those are obviously prosthetic teeth on young Nucky. They are awful. The actor may have a bit of an overbite already, but those teeth are not real. I'm good with it though. He does a great Nucky imitation, and you knew who it was the minute you first saw him.

 

Did they ever explain why Chalky was in prison?

 

I don't believe so. Could it have been for something that happened at the end of the previous season? I can't recall.

 

No , they never explained it, because at the end of last season Chalky was sitting on a porch in a depressed state after the death of his daughter. Anything could have happened in the 7 years that elapsed since that last episode

 

Was there anything he specifically did - besides just general illegalities - that could have put him jail? Was he there when they shot up Narcisse's place? Could part of Narcisse' "understanding" with the Feds eventually include a quid pro quo to put Chalky away? I guess we'll never know.

 

Yeah, I kept thinking I'd missed something. Turns out there was no explanation for why Chalky was in prison. I guess we'll probably never know.

Big question now is: who's next?

 

Don't know, but I'll bet Mickey Doyle survives somehow. He's the one guy that annoyed just about everyone and seemed like he would get one between the eyes by somebody for something. Like a cockroach, he'll survive the apocalypse...

There's gotta be more to the Margaret story. Maybe her?

 

I'm feeling the same melancholy I felt at the demise of The Sopranos. Two episodes left.... Two amazing television events. Oh well, hopefully the next season of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo will lift my spirits.

 

At the club, during Chalky's discuss with Nucky, he mentioned he had done some things and, I think, talked about being in prison. He didn't mention anything specific, though.

 

Apparently anybody and everybody who isn't a historical figure who makes it to 1932. Not a fan of the "kill 'em all" road the show is hurtling down. Nor of the self-referential stuff like having Van Alden's face become a copy of Harrow's.

Obviously the latest flashback and the "Nellie Bly" letter are setting up something between Gillian and Nucky. What does the letter say (one assumes it was censored or at least monitored by the sanitarium staff). Does Nucky redeem himself by springing Gillian from the nuthouse, or does she escape on her own, only to plant a slug in his ear as the ghost of Michael Pitt smiles Hayden Christiansen-style over the closing credits?

[historical spoilers follow]
They've setup Capone for his tax evasion arrest, and we know that Lucky & Meyer kill off Maranzano and form The Commission. The Luciano/Lansky/Narcisse meeting a few episodes again echoes the real-life ties and tensions between The Commission and Casper Holstein (upon whom Narcisse is based), but that relationship primarily ran through Dutch Schultz, who hasn't been seen on BE.

 

Do we HAVE to know what landed Chalky in prison? Must we have every hole filled in? These are all criminals...surely he did SOMETHING that landed him in prison. If it involved one of the main characters, I'm sure we'll learn about it.

 

obviously you don't, but yes, i would like to know.

 

Plus it's been 7 years since the last season. Chalky wasn't an angel.

 

So you wonder why we want to know what happened and then in the same paragraph say if it involved a main character, we'll learn about it...???

Nevertheless, the answer to your question is NO. We don't HAVE to know. It's not the end all, be all and it may be insignificant. But part of the enjoyment of this series -- at least for some -- are the subtleties and foreshadowing which are easy to miss or forget...of which perhaps Chalky being in prison was one. Is that such a problem?

 

When Chalky was discussing it with Nucky he talked about running around with a gang. I think he said something about doing a robbery and getting left behind and getting caught. I got the feeling he wasn't particularly proud of what happened to him over the last seven years and Nucky wasn't going to pry.

 

Which is why I wondered if it was something specific or just general criminal activity? The former could be interesting; the latter not so much.

 

Thanks. That's probably all there is to it.

 

I didn't imply wondering why you'd want to know what happened to Chalky, just that the producers don't OWE us that explanation unless it involved another character(s) we are already familiar with, in which case we'd likely find out about it.

 

Which is why I said this...

And it sounds like it was the former (the details which I -- and at least couple others -- had forgotten).

 

Guys, help - what was the last thing that Chalky said to Narcisse before the final walk-away? It affected Narcisse, obviously, but no matter how many times I rewind, I cannot HEAR what he said.

Thanks - great episode, but with two episodes left, certain extreme exists (Van Alden) are expected and not as surprising unfortunately. I'm enjoying these "final acts" - almost of suicide with getting the "last word in"... but, the flies have to drop now. 2 episodes left.

This show deserved a better fate than 8 originally unplanned final episodes... we know Capone goes on to own Chicago, and Lucky sets up the 5 families (organization) and has a lifelong relationship with Lansky... so I'm most looking forward to seeing what happens with Nucky, Gillian, Eli... who will live, prosper and who will live and not prosper, and who will die?

Can't say I didn't enjoy the interactions between Van Alden and Eli...

My wife loves Mickey, because she thinks he's funny, but smart, not annoying - and a survivor despite constantly pissing people off for years. I'm impartial to the character.

I love Torrio. As we know, "retiring" (Lucky, Meyer, etc. in the distant future) sometimes means surviving. I thought he made the perfect decision to retire/defer to Capone even though he knew who went to kill him. Is Capone allowing him to "retire"? He made a big move this last episode (6), even if it was just a call and a broken promise to an old "friend".

I think the young adult playing young Nucky is terrific... the teeth are not his fault.

Jeff

 

From memory, something like: "It's all a dream to begin with. Ain't nobody ever been free".

 

You're spot on R Totale - I have the subtitle file here - "All a dream to begin with, Ain't nobody ever been free."

 

Haven't watched last night's yet, but I have a comment about last week's...

Spoiler: No matter what type of criminal he plays...

No matter what type of criminal he plays, I always mourn the death of a character portrayed by Michael Kenneth Williams. Both Omar and Chalky were pretty horrible people, but he made me feel for them in some way. What a gifted actor.

 

Time to cash in somebody's life insurance policy...