What I’m Watching: Boardwalk Empire (Season Premiere)

Boardwalk Empire: Season 2, Episode 1 “21” (B+)

This HBO series returns for its second season with a strong opener, introduced by a montage to see where all of the characters are at now. Things have moved along considerably since last we left them, and a few important developments set the tone for what’s sure to be another intense and powerful year. The first post-montage moments were rather dark, as Chalky’s crew got attacked by the Ku Klux Klan and he managed to shoot the man who almost killed him. Seeing Nucky’s back-to-back parallel speeches to allay the fury felt by the black church and the Klan members was a perfect reminder of just how slippery and manipulative Nucky really is. Nucky and Jimmy catching up at the funeral was a great way to see just how much business has driven them apart, and Jimmy’s managed to start his own family, taking his son hunting and starting a power struggle between his wife and mother. Nelson taking his rather religious wife around town proved to be fascinating, and she’s clearly the right choice for him, asking if he was going to arrest the waiter and then getting visibly excited by the raid, something which would upset most wives when it occurred in the middle of their thirteen anniversary celebration dinner. Her departure was unfortunate, and Nelson clearly isn’t anywhere near as happy with the situation in which he’s found himself with Lucy. Teddy is proving to be an interesting child, prompting some surprisingly gentle parenting from Nucky and eliciting some emotion from Margaret. Nucky getting arrested for election fraud should have intriguing consequences, and I’m curious to see where things go next.