Boardwalk Empire - Recap: Chalk It Up

Episode 7 of Season 4 of Boardwalk Empire, “William Wilson,” finally shed some light on the true nature of the mysterious Dr. Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright) and his prized starlet, Daughter Maitland (Margot Bingham). Meanwhile, Willie Thompson (Ben Rosenfield) reached a breaking point at Temple, driving his father, Eli (Shea Whigham) to hit the bottle in a signature fit of rage. Back in Chicago, Al (Stephen Graham) was out for O’Banion’s (Arron Shiver) blood. Finally, someway somehow, Margaret (Kelly Macdonald) has found herself tied back up in Nucky’s (Steve Buscemi) business. Aah, Margaret… you were just so close! Here is the Recap and Review of Season 4 Episode 7 of Boardwalk Empire, “William Wilson”!

Beginning the recap with Al this week, was there any way that Capone wasn’t going to lash out following the murder of his brother, Frank? Al planted his crosshairs square between O’Banion’s eyes, leaving a trail of dead police officers out in broad daylight to make it impossibly clear that he was coming for whomever was responsible. Torrio (Greg Antonacci) refused to buy Al’s theory that O’Banion had paid off the police to open fire solely on his brother, leaving Capone furious and without an outlet with which to strike his revenge. Eventually, Torrio would meet with O’Banion in his greenhouse, completing the deal they’d struck prior in which the two would work together in order to ensure that this year’s election would result in their favor. Torrio was less than pleased with O’Banion's offer to sell a less-than-desirable brewery, a useless warehouse that Torrio “needed like a hole in his head.” Torrio refused to budge on gifting O’Banion some desired bordering territory, though, a move that might have resulted in what happened by the end of Episode 7.

In the end, Torrio would meet with O’Banion in this offered distillery to make the exchange. O’Banion would sign over the deed just prior to a raid by the local police, and both he and Torrio would be taken out in cuffs. By the evening, Torrio would make bail, but a little digging from Al would reveal that O’Banion got off scot-free as he’d already signed over any ownership of the dank distillery. We know that Torrio has been trying to steal some rest and relaxation for seasons now, apparently trying to kick the stigma solidified by The Sopranos that a life in the world of gangster crime either leads to jail or an early grave. Torrio, desperate for a shower and a nice sleep, left an elated Al with one parting order… Kill Dean O.

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Meanwhile, Charlie (Vincent Piazza) readied himself to face the firing squad in a meeting with Joe Masseria (Ivo Nandi). In truth, Masseria knew enough to know that Lucky had turned down the deal that had been concocted behind his back in Tampa; however, Masseria had a new plan to get in on the action. Charlie is now responsible for ensuring that the lucrative heroin business run by Petrucelli in Florida somehow makes its way back to their hands via the rum trucks sent north.

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While Meyer has been doing considerably well partnering with Nucky in Tampa, Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) had been noticeably absent since his unfortunate showing during his devastating poker loss a few episodes back. Rothstein would pop up in a most convenient location. Well, at least for us. I can’t say the same for poor Margaret, who’d been doing everything in her power to earn a decent living away from Nucky and his world of crime in Atlantic City. Margaret has apparently been doing very well working as a secretary for a man in the real estate business. When the going gets tough in a deal for some sort of investment, Margaret is called into her boss’ office to play the role of the foolish woman who’d previously convinced her husband to turn down a similar deal, leaving them without the fortune they surely would have earned. Basically, she helps her boss to swindle investors for a cut. Unfortunately, when Arnold Rothstein unexpectedly popped in looking to purchase real estate, she’d find her charm was nowhere to be found. She’d been exposed to one of Nucky’s closest business associates/ rivals, and word would surely get back to her ex of her new life that she’d worked so terribly hard to keep concealed. Later, Rothstein would send over $100 worth of hush money along with a phone call. The two would agree to keep things mutually private, and not a word would get back to the others regarding their dealings. Is Arnold Rothstein looking to move in on Nucky’s territory in Tampa now that he’s been shut out of the latest business scheme?

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We’ve witnessed a new side of Gillian (Gretchen Mol) during Season 4, haven’t we? Gillian’s has committed some truly dastardly deeds over the course of her run on Boardwalk Empire, yet sometimes it seems we do hold her overly accountable while these men get away with perpetually murdering whoever ever-so-slightly gets in their way. Still, I’ve been one of Gillian’s biggest detractors, and by that, I mean, I’ve always loved watching Gillian as a character. Gretchen Mol is way underrated as an added spice to Boardwalk Empire, especially now that she’s not necessarily a part of the central action any longer. This week, Roy (Ron Livingston) put in the time and effort to detoxify Gillian of her heroin addiction. The first portion of the process was grueling to watch, as Gillian twisted in agony of the crippling pain; however, by the close of Episode 7, Gillian was thanking Roy for his kindness, and Roy was reciprocating her gratitude with a bit of vulnerability. He’s been smitten by Gillian since the moment he met her, secretly filing for divorce from his wife, as the two have grown closer. For the first time since we’ve known her, it seems Gillian has a piece of happiness. Still, it seems Gillian is desperate to confess something, yet none of Roy’s mysteries, even as he begins to reveal them, seem to match anything that she’s done. He’ll, for example, attempt to appease her suffering by reminding her that we all, in truth, carry some sort of burden. Divorcing your wife is one thing. Murdering an innocent one-night-stand and seducing your own child are other burdens entirely.

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The guilt of Willie’s unfortunate bout with manslaughter has begun to weigh on him. It seemed everywhere he’d turn during Episode 7, there’d be some sort of reminder of the fact that he’d killed a boy and that his roommate had taken the fall. First, he’d find out through his crush that Clayton, his only college friend, would most likely be going away for a very long time. His parents had donated his possessions to the Salvation Army. Next, a lecture on Poe’s short story, “William Wilson,” seemed to fit the unfortunate situation all to well. Wilson murders his rival, a man he’d once admired only to see that admiration turn to seething hatred. In the end, a murder of his doppelganger is, in truth, a “suicide.” You can learn more about “William Wilson” HERE.

Buckling under the pressure of living a lie, Willie dropped out of school abruptly and returned home. Eli, needless to say, was absolutely enraged by his son’s rash decision, as he’d been left completely in the dark by both Willie and Nucky, who’d helped his nephew cover up the crime. Willie seemed nothing but negligent and disrespectful, leading Eli to eventually, in his blind anger, leap into a physical assault of the boy. Nucky would eventually break the two apart, driving Willie to leave his home, seemingly for good. Eli would, in turn, hit the bottle as we’ve become accustomed to expect from him once family matters get to be too much. A drunken and devastated Eli would eventually have a one-on-one moment with Nucky on his porch, a talk that would devolve very quickly into an attack on Nucky’s lack of understanding, rather than Eli’s. Eli drudged up memories of Nucky’s deceased wife who’d died giving birth to their first child. Nucky, taking the high road and chalking his brother's tirade up to alcohol, let Eli harp on his own possessiveness of his household, realizing that the situation was never truly in his brother’s hands. Later, Nucky would arrive home to find Willie on his front steps. He’d agree to spend the night at his uncle’s beachside home, and it seems he’s grown that much closer to a life working alongside his family in the bootlegging business.

In Washington, the man we’d been introduced to as Agent Knox (Brian Geraghty) nearly found himself rewarded for all of his hard work in uncovering the inner workings of Nucky’s net of crime. Remus reappeared this week for a brief moment to confirm to Knox/ Tolliver, alongside Hoover and Esther Randolph (Julianne Nicholson), that Nucky has, indeed, been at the center of a national crime network. Still, Remus would do anything for a night off from jail time, so this didn’t seem to be good enough knowledge. Tolliver had promised Hoover a solid piece of evidence, yet couldn’t offer anything too incriminating. Randolph, on the other hand, privately convinced Hoover to hop on the bandwagon, as it would surely please the higher-ups to make such a discovery.

By the close of Tolliver's arc this week, I almost felt sorry for the guy! J. Edgar Hoover was appointed as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, taking credit for all that Tolliver had worked to uncover during his first speech in front of their peers. Tolliver would storm out in a huff, leading me to believe that this wacky wildcard might just end up playing a key role in Nucky’s future escape from the government’s grasp.

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It’s also important to note that Nucky had previously gone to Mr. Means (Stephen Root), his old mole friend in Washington, for information on Knox, yet nothing had come up. This could possibly be because Means and Tolliver have some sort of a connection we were unaware of, as we last saw Tolliver during Episode 7 angrily complaining to the man regarding Hoover’s betrayal. We’re not entirely sure who Means would favor in any case (Probably Tolliver.), but Tolliver and Nucky could end up working towards the same cause soon enough.

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To close out this week’s Recap and Review, we have to cover all of the recent twists and turns in Chalky White’s (Michael Kenneth Williams) Season 4 plot. Chalky White has always been quite the straight shooter, yet watching him get caught up with some pretty crazy characters has offered a nice change of pace. First, Dr. Narcisse and Dunn (Erik LaRay Harvey) rolled back into town together in an attempt to further their scheme. Narcisse would agree to let Daughter Maitland continue her run at Chalky’s club for another month so long as White would agree to allow him to open a chapter of his U.N.I.A. association in the area. Narcisse, in turn, would venture to Chalky’s church behind his back to speak with the African American members of the community Chalky had begun to neglect since opening his club. If you recall, Chalky has always been the leader of the local community, making sure the African American people in need were taken care of and safe. Now, heroin overdoses across the boardwalk have left his community outraged and looking for someone to blame. Narcisse would, of course, swoop in to point the finger at Chalky, leaving Dunn to scan the room behind him. It seemed the church deacon was skeptical of Narcisse’s plan to take over as their leader. That evening, Dunn would return to the church, murdering the man in cold blood. Did he murder the deacon to keep word from getting back to Chalky, who’s been oblivious to Narcisse’s heroin workings with Dunn? Most likely. More light will surely be shed next week.

Meanwhile, Chalky and Daughter Maitland continued to keep things hot and heavy, eventually prompting Daughter to open up to White in a vulnerable post-sex moment in bed. Her mother was a prostitute who’d been murdered in cold blood during a job. The man had gotten rough with her, prompting her to attack back with a hidden boiling pot. The man would be left scarred, but it was Maitland’s mother who’d end up strangled to death. From the closet, Daughter watched.

Episode 7 closed this week with Daughter Maitland tending to the scars of Dr. Narcisse, the man who’d strangled her mother to death, only to raise her under his wing as a little girl. It is clear that Maitland might have feelings for Mr. White, whom she’d mistakenly referred to as “Chalky” to Dr. Narcisse, yet it seems this man has too much of a grip on her. Chalky has found himself caught up in some seriously bizarre happenings down at his Onyx Club. I’m just hoping he can nip this all in the bud and learn from his missteps by finale time! I don't think, for the record, that Chalky is in true jeopardy. So much has gone on behind his back during Season 4 that I think redemption is in the cards for him. This all began with him helping Dunn out of a pretty sticky situation, yet he's been seemingly betrayed. It's time for Dunn to pay the piper and for Narcisse to get taken down a peg. Many times prior on this show, those who conspire end up dead and those who're conspired against rise up. Chalky, make it happen.

What did you think of Boardwalk Empire Season 4 Episode 7, “William Wilson”? Did you appreciate an episode full on twists and turns? Are you appreciating this new side of Gillian? Is Margaret officially back in the game? Will Eli ever learn the truth? Is Chalky doomed or will he prevail? How will Nucky escape the clutches of the government yet again?

Thanks for reading my Recap and Review of Boardwalk Empire Season 4 Episode 7, “William Wilson”!