What I’m Watching: Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire: Season 1, Episode 8 “Hold Me in Paradise” (B+)

I’ve always been impressed with the way this show has been able to incorporate actual history into its continuing storyline, and in this episode I was privy to the clever reference being made. The sudden presence of one Warren G. Harding, who would become President of the United States in 1921, enabled an appearance by his disgruntled wife, who worriedly mentioned to Nucky that a fortune teller had said he would die in office. Of course, Harding did die in office only two years later, and what’s more is that it’s suspected by some that his wife was behind his death. The fully scripted stuff was plenty compelling too, of course. Jimmy and Nucky coming face-to-face was extremely interesting, as Nucky referred to him coldly and condescendingly as James and chewed him out for not supporting his family. Their conversation following Eli’s shooting was much more intimate, and Jimmy was wise to call Nucky on turning to him in a moment of need and almost begging him to come back. Those two do have one hell of an interesting relationship, though not quite as fascinating as that of Nucky and Margaret. The fact that he calls her to move his books was very intriguing, and the fact that she looked through them in the episode’s final scene is a sign that this is one woman who’s not going to be kept in the dark, and certainly not selectively. My favorite exchange of dialogue in the episode was “you’re speaking to a U.S. senator” / “that’s all you’ll ever be.” Nucky is one tough cookie, and you do not want to cross him.