What I’m Watching: Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire: Season 3, Episode 11 “Two Imposters” (A-)

This show is enjoying its best season yet, and this episode managed to top last week’s gut-wrenching finale. Nucky questioning Eddie about his knowledge of Margaret and Owen’s affair quickly turned far more serious once he realized that the phone lines had been cut and that an attack was an imminent. Gyp has never been quite so brazen before, and to see his thugs charge in to take out Nucky’s entire infrastructure was frightening. Eddie sure proved his loyalty to Nucky by reacting well in the face of violence and even continuing to offer to serve his employer when he was recovering from his rather brutal surgery. Going to Chalky was the obvious move, and it’s a good thing that he still respects Nucky after being ignored in the previous episode. Taking out Gyp’s men who stopped them with Nucky in the back of the truck was a bold declaration of war, and it’s fortunate that Nucky still has some allies left. Defending his nephew against what he thought were enemy forces turned out to be the arrival of welcome reinforcements. I liked Al’s introduction, asking for a bath and some food before they sat down to talk about who dies. Next week’s finale is going to be one hell of a showdown. Back in Atlantic City, Gillian made her displeasure both with Gyp’s men and her own people known. Her cruelty to Richard knows no bounds, and it’s probably for the best that she let him go so that he can move on with his own life, even if Tommy is still condemned to be with her.