Recap
Tonight we begin with Eli Thompson enjoying some coffee with the amicable Warren Knox. (Liar!) Okay, Warren is making Eli spill some info while Eli tries to enjoy his coffee, so I wasn't completely off. Eli tries to get off by giving Warren some faulty information. Meanwhile Sally is overseeing Nucky's operation in Tampa when she stumbles upon a shady transaction. As Masseria requested Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky are loading Nucky's booze-filled crates with heroin. (I still don't see the appeal in doing heroin. It just doesn't seem fun.) Sally immediately tells Nuck who isn't too happy with the idea. The next morning Eli is surprised to see Warren Knox at his breakfast table enjoying coffee with his son and wife. Warren is posing as an insurance agent (double secret identity!) and wants a chat alone with Eli. Turns out the info Eli gave Warren was bullshit and darn it to heck if Warren is going to just let this go. Moving along, Nucky meets with Eli and Mickey at the warehouse to discuss the whole heroin thing. Nucky wants Eli to take Warren and his men to intercept the cargo on its way to Atlantic City. Well, intercept the cargo they did and who is there but Nucky's new partner in the Tampa deal, Meyer Lansky. Eli, Warren and his men find the heroin and Meyer has some 'splainin' to do. Now Nucky has to take precious time out of an already stressful day (we'll get to that later) and meet with Eli and Warren who have Lansky detained. This ain't the first time Nucky has Meyer on his knees. (Pause.) In season one Nucky, Chalky and Jimmy had Meyer detained along with two of the D'Alessio brothers and Meyer was the lone man allowed to survive. The difference is Meyer breaks down this time when he has the tool pressed against this noggin. (Come on dude! I'm out here vouching for you on the "Power Rankings" and you're just gonna start sobbing and shit?!?) Nucky lets him live and tells Meyer to tell Masseria to get his creepy Italian-accent-having ass down to the AC. Warren also goes to Hoover to tell him that he has leverage over Nucky like a school boy coming home with an "A" on his math test to show his rarely impressed father. (Why can't you be proud of me, dad!) Hoover has bigger fish to fry and disinterested.
Let's do some traveling around the country before we finish the recap in Atlantic City. Our first stop, Chiraq! With Van Alden finally allowed to sit at the cool table with Al and Bottles Capone, it appears life is good. Al is a little ambitious and is going to have Nelson do his routes while Al tries to expand. That's not going to be easy with Torrio still around. There seems to be some kind of power struggle between Al and Johnny and Johnny Torrio doesn't want to retire anytime soon. Later at the cat house Nelson is serving drinks to the guys who are certainly having a good time. Torrio leaves the crib and that's when Al gets a phone call. Al brings his fatty girl (to each his own, I guess) and receives a very peculiar message. That's when Nelson notices men from across the street and pulls Al to the ground. Tommy gun shells riddle the cat house and mayhem ensues. Bullets scatter while men and women try to find a safe spot close to the ground. The shooting ceases and Al & Co. live to see another day.
New York, New York and we are back to see Margaret who I surprisingly no longer hate. Arnold Rothstein pays Margaret a visit who is currently looking for places to live way out of her price range. AR can help her out but she has to do something for him. (No, not that.) Arnold knows that her boss is driving down the prices of a stock he's invested in. He wants Margaret to give him the inside scoop on her boss' dealings and in exchange Arnold could fix her up with a better housing situation. Later they meet at Margaret's and Margaret lets Arnold know that her boss is buying up shares and that he should be doing the same. She'll tell Arnold when to sell if Arnold gives her an apartment in a safe neighborhood and room for her kids rent-free for five years. The two agree to the deal and a new partnership begins.
Atlantic City. Exterior. Alleyway behind Onyx Club. Chalky has his men rounded up and they are ready to do some damage. One of his men gets upset at the sight of Richard Harrow who is merely doing his job throwing away lettuce or some shit. But Chalky ain't mad at it at all. He extends his greetings to his Richard and offers him help if he'd ever need it. (I wouldn't say he's in much position to help out much.) Chalky takes his men to Narcisse and they shoot up the joint with pistols and kill everyone except their intended target, the doctor. (That's why you always double check before you turn around.) Narcisse gets up and fires at Chalky and his guys and ends up getting Chalky in the shoulder. Chalky goes to hide out with Daughter at the American Legion spot via Richard Harrow who is tending to Chalky's wounds. Meanwhile Narcisse approaches Nucky demanding he tells him where Chalky is. Being the good friend that Nucky is, Nucky doesn't tell Narcisse shit. Motherfucker has other shit to deal with anyway. Nuck meets with Chalky first and basically tells him that he has his back. But before he leaves he drops this gem of a quote on Chalky. (I love Nucky's quotes!) "Someone once told me, all a man's problems comes from his inability to just sit in a room." Thank you Nucky. I won't apply it in real life but I appreciate it. Later on Narcisse meets Maybelle White and we learn that the family is in ruins and her fiance never showed up. (Bummer.)
Nucky goes to the Onyx to meet with Joe Masseria who apparently does not know how to say flaws. (Seriously?) But there's more; Masseria has a business partner and it happens to be none other than Dr. Narcisse. The three make a deal to give Nucky a third of the dividends in the heroin business in exchange for Chalky White and the north side. But Nucky isn't going to sell out his good old friend Chalky just like that. Nucky calls the mayor, who is already under stress because of the election and all the shootings, and tells him to have some sheriffs escort Chalky out of the city. However, Willy Thompson, who is working in the mayor's office, has inside knowledge that Dr. Narcisse has Mayor Bader in his back pocket. Before Nucky can warn Chalky the sheriffs have already picked Chalky and Daughter up. Chalky senses something is up when they go off route. He pretends to fall asleep and when one of the sheriffs pulls his gun on him, Chalky commandeers his gun, shoots the sheriff and then strangles the other one. The final scene of the episode in Eli showing up at Nucky's house where Willy is posted. Eli realizes that his son is heavily involved in this and the three start talking about how to resolve this problem.
Power Rankings
1. Joe Masseria (Last Week: NA)
Despite his stupid accent Masseria makes this list for the first time this season, or ever. The heroin deal seems like it's going good for him and Nucky will probably go after Narcisse before going after him.
2. Margaret Thompson (Last Week: NA)
She's getting a place for her family rent-free for the next five years and all she has to do is be an informant for Arnold Rothstein. Plus she's finally relevant again.
3. Warren Knox (Last Week: NA)
He's in a good spot with the Thompsons where he can get all the info he wants. He basically has Eli by the balls. If only he can make J. Edgar love him.
4. Arnold Rothstein (Last Week: NA)
Just when you think he is slipping into irrelevance he bounces back with a big time deal with Margaret that could potentially take him back to the promised land. (Again, not like that.)
5. Nelson Van Alden (Last Week: #2)
All he did was save Al Capone's life, but in Boardwalk, something like that can keep you alive. Good shit, Van Alden! Way to stay active!
Historical Fun Facts
I mentioned a quote by Nucky Thompson earlier and it's the second time we've heard that quote this season. The first time was said by Arnold Rothstein to Nucky Thompson in the premiere of season four. Who said it best? I'll give it to Nucky; Arnold tried too hard to sound cool. But that's neither here nor there. The quote comes from a philosopher named Blaise Pascal. The actual quote is, "All of humanity's problems stem from humanity's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." I don't know about you, but I can't sit alone in a room quietly for more than 5 minutes. (I get lonely.) Pascal was a French Christian philosopher who wrote the book Pensees which translates into "thoughts" and served as a defense of Christianity.
Closing Thoughts
Who could have shot at Al Capone? The dude has a lot of enemies so it's a little tough. Common sense dictates that it was Dean O' Banion's men, but that's too easy. Am I the only one who thinks it was Torrio? It's good to see AR back on his feet and it feels refreshingly good to not be actively rooting against Margaret anymore. Still, unless something big happens, this story line is pretty dull. So much going on against Nucky that I just don't know what's going to happen. Will Eli commit to betraying his brother? Will I ever gain respect for Meyer Lansky? (Give it a few days.) The relationship between Nucky and Chalky White is one of my favorites of the series. Out of all the bonds in this show, none have been as strong as the one these two had. Jimmy betrayed Nucky and so has Eli. Chalky on the other hand has never wavered. I hope it works out for these two.
We only have two episodes left in the season so we are in the final stretch! What do you think is going to happen? Leave a comment in the section below and be sure to check out my main blog Infinite Wisdom From El Guapo's Brain. The link is on the right. Check out any of my past recaps if you are behind or you just want to relive the moment. (Though if you were you I'd just re-watch the episode.) Follow me on Twitter @ELGUAPO3 and Instagram
@CAPTAINCRUNCHTIME and I’m on Tumblr at sirelguapo.tumblr.com. See you guys next week. Stay Guapo out there!
No comments:
Post a Comment