What I’m Watching: Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire: Season 4, Episode 4 “All In” (B+)

It’s disconcerting to see Knox actively building a case against Nucky and those associated with him, especially because he’s not likely to be stopped in his tracks the way that Esther was and distracted with a shinier deal. Taking Eddie into custody at the end of his great wild night was an unfortunate capper to a rare moment of work-free happiness for the ever-servile German, and it signals bad things to come for our beloved crew. Seeing Eddie so relaxed was a rare treat, and it was clear that Nucky missed him, for once not welcomed by him the moment he walked into his home. Nucky and Arnold have been partners in business for so long that it’s been a while since they’ve actually interacted in person. Arnold did truly overplay his hand during the game, and Meyer having to be the one to cut him off was rather humiliating. Nucky nixing the deal because of his competitive nature was cutthroat, but not as much so as Meyer’s power play, which suggests that he’s going to become a more major player after being on the sidelines up until now. Willie’s revenge play was clever in many ways, but after a horrifically embarrassing incident at the party, his prank turned fatal, which is sure to have negative implications on the bootlegging business, and Eli won’t react well at all. Nelson definitely doesn’t want to get too close with Al, but it seems that Al likes him a lot, and maybe he’s headed in a good direction if he doesn’t keep getting recognized.