What I’m Watching: Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire: Season 4, Episode 11 “Havre De Grace” (B+)

This episode moved at a relatively slow pace, but there was plenty happening, which sets the stage for an eventful season finale. Chalky sure knows how to talk, and simple conversation is one of the show’s best assets. His host was particularly compelling, though his behavior towards Daughter was especially deplorable. Chalky definitely thought that he was crazy at the end of the episode, and the presentation of a very real threat clearly shook Chalky, who might survive past the finale but likely at a high personal cost. Means calling Nucky and offering him information for a wild price was a worrisome moment, and it’s another sign that the walls are closing in on Nucky, who caught on quickly to the fact that Eli was trying to cover up his off-the-books meeting with Knox. Getting out is a smart idea, but I think he’s not going to be able to do it fast enough. Nothing could be quite as devastating, however, as Gillian’s fate. Going to see Tommy only to have Harrow tell her to leave him alone seemed to provide her some closure, and her evening out with Roy was nothing short of serene. Happiness like that rarely goes unpunished, and Roy shooting someone and not being able to forgive himself for it would have been nothing compared to what he actually had in store for her. “You can make yourself live with anything” was a great line with horrible consequences, and Gillian’s arrest is sure to be the final thing to unravel her and something from which she surely won’t be able to recover.