Copious nudity, deceitful mistresses and socio−political maneuvers that would make George W. Bush blush are standard fare on "Boardwalk Empire," HBO's wildly successful drama, which is inching its way toward the middle of its second season.
In this week's episode, Jimmy (Michael Pitt), gangster wannabe and ex−protege of Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), has planned an elaborate scheme to reclaim Atlantic City from Nucky, the show's protagonist, county treasurer and king of corruption.
Thompson's brother, Eli (Shea Whigham), gets in bed — figuratively, of course — with Jimmy's plans to undercut Nucky's liquor trafficking into New Jersey. The two strike out on their own, weaving a web of deceit and moonshine that stretches from the East Coast to Chicago.
As Jimmy and Eli are finalizing their plans for their conquest, The Commodore (Dabney Coleman), Jimmy's biological father and well−connected former ruler of the boardwalk, suffers a stroke after watching his young ex−wife perform a strip−tease of sorts — if there's one way to go, it's while watching a striptease. Eli and Jimmy were counting on the Commodore's connections to seal the deal on their power consolidation and takeover, and with the Commodore physically paralyzed, the question of who possesses power in Atlantic City remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, Jimmy's friend and protector, the perpetually secretive and extensively disfigured World War I veteran, Richard Harrow (Jack Huston), opens up to Jimmy's wife and allows her to sketch a portrait of him without his Phantom of the Opera−esque mask. In one of the show's most tender moments yet, Harrow reveals his family troubles and deep insecurities about his marred appearance.
Chalky White (Michael Kenneth Williams), an Atlantic City bootlegger and Nucky's occasional partner, faces the wrath of community members whose loved ones were murdered in a hatred−fueled rage against him. Chalky internalizes his anger and thirst for vengeance, only to take it out on his family and his daughter's boyfriend, a light−skinned"well−to−do" who comes over for dinner.
The scene wonderfully portrays Chalky's home life and his family structure. It provides viewers with insight into why he works as a bootlegger and entrepreneur: to provide a comfortable, lavish lifestyle for his family. Hopefully, the show's writers will continue to expand on White's family dynamics.
In the final scenes of the episode, Gillian (Gretchen Mol) exacts her revenge on a helpless Commodore, recounting his sexual advances on her while she was a child. Remembering her tarnished past, Gillian begins to slap the Commodore hard, filling her blows with the passion and rage of a childhood lost.
As Nucky's legal troubles in Atlantic City build up around him, he begins to lean on his friends in high places for favors and advice, securing himself a sort of amnesty. Though Nucky often comments on his financial and legal woes, the viewer never feels a sense of urgency — his character seems perpetually suspended in a state of pseudo−need. The writers appear to truly take joy in drawing out storylines and character arcs, often to such tedium that viewers lose interest or altogether forget the drama of a situation or episode.
Buscemi's expert acting appears to be an effortless extension of himself, through the lens of a 1920s gangster of sorts. He extends careful attention to his character's mannerisms and skilfully navigates Nucky's emotions and situations, reeling his character in when necessary, and never faltering.
Williams, formerly on "The Wire" (2002−2008), is no stranger to the role of a striving street−smart mover and shaker, and he lends his accomplished acting and genuine originality to the role of Chalky White. Williams successfully humanizes the character, fleshing him out as not only a family man, but also a community leader who risks his life for the security of those he loves.
Jimmy, as portrayed by Pitt, has an air of yearning and striving that never quite goes away. He is always in the shadows of other men in his life — Nucky, the Commodore, etc. — and is even upstaged by his incredibly intelligent and intuitive mother, Gillian. Jimmy's desperation to compete and succeed in the underbelly of Prohibition−era New Jersey seeps through his character's pores.
The overwhelming, overarching sense that everything is about to go haywire continues to permeate the episode and the show's numerous peripheral characters elevate its chaos levels. Finally, the legal and social web of wheelings and dealings between these charactrers and the mainstays of the cast make it difficult to know just who is on whose side.
Nevertheless, the madness is part of "Boardwalk Empire's" charm: everyone's playing the same game, but no one quite knows all the rules.
