It's Totally a Thing: Football Players with Awesome Names

Hi there.

This year I'm celebrating the fall season (the best season, for all you nay-sayers) by getting older, wrapping up my Masters, dancing and auditioning on downtime, generally being broke due to no job because of said work on Masters, andofcoursefantasyfootball. 

This is my first year playing—which means I did an excessive amount of unnecessary research consisting of ranking running backs in four different sets of tiers (it was my Mount Everest, guys, and it was called my "Wedding Cake of Running Backs"), as well as categorizing wide receivers and other players only to realize all that planning and effort goes out the proverbial window with yesterday's laundry once the draft itself actually starts.

The point of this ramble (I'm getting to it, I swear!) is that there are an excessive amount of football players who have unbelievably awesome names. Be it intentional or not—these names are gold, people. GOLD. 

Over the past five weeks I've been composing lists of players that I update just about every game day. I missed Sunday because I was drowning in lesson-planning, but never fear—I'm back! (And fully dedicated to spreading the word on football players with awesome names).

Here are my lists from the opening of the season to last Thursday's NYG vs. Washington game from most recent to earliest to tide you over until Sunday:

September 25: This is Thursday Night Football brought to you by "Football Players with Awesome Names."

Today we tip our hats to the Giants' and Washington's defense:

Prince Amukamara
Walter Thurmond III
Jackson Jeffcoat
Bashaud Breeland
E.J. Biggers
Bacarri Rambo
Courtney Bridget
DaMon Cromartie-Smith

September 22: It's Monday Night Football, y'all.
Today's edition of "Football Players with Awesome Names" is brought to you by a few of the Chicago Bears' linemen:

Jermon Bushrod
Ego Ferguson, Jr.
Cornelius Washington

September 21: Today's edition of "Football Players with Awesome Names" is brought to you by a cluster of contenders:

Bishop Sankey
DJ Swearinger
Jadaveon Clowney

Today's "Blast From the Past" edition includes:

Dick Shiner (active 1964-1974)

September 14th: Today on Sunday's edition of "Football Players with Awesome Names":

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

September 8th: Tonight's edition of "Football Players with Awesome Names" is brought to you by:
Darius Slay

That's one hell of a last name you've got there, sir.

September 4: It's football season again, which means I'll be re-editing and adding to my "Football Players with Ridiculously Awesome Names" List.

Today we'll start with a veteran from the list: 

Julius Peppers.

It's just catchy, guys.

See you Thursday, guys. 'Till then, I send peace, love, and projected points.

-Nat

Boardwalk Empire S5E3 Review: "What Jesus Said" By Greg Hernandez

An episode with a lot of Chalky in it, is always a great episode. Michael Kenneth Williams is best known for his portrayal of Omar Little on the HBO classic, "The Wire." His second best role is of course, Chalky White. The redemptive arc of this popular character was on full display this episode.

Think back to last season's finale, where Chalky lost his eldest daughter, Maybelle. The agony and soul-crushing heartache is still etched all over his face. By episode's ends, the stone is cracked.

Over the last five seasons, no other BW character has gone through more adversity than Chalky. With his beard and prison clothes on, he resembles an entirely different man. Throughout this episode we see flashes of the old Chalky. A sort of a reawakening, of the familiar fire, that burned out seven years ago, is actually a small ember.

"What Jesus Said," opens up with Milton and Chalky on the lam. The young convict leads the duo into suburbia in search of a safe place with food and in Milton's case, riches. The pair stumble upon a mother and daughter. A tense hour of back and forth drama ensues.

Fern, the 15 year old, captive daughter, unknowingly touches a nerve in Chalky. While Milton is asleep with the gun in his hands, Fern takes it upon herself to ask Chalky about his life. His connection to this hostile situation revolves around family, primarily Chalky's deceased daughter. Seeing how the predatory and unhinged Milton threatens and ultimately abuses Fern awakens something in Chalky. It compels him to murder his fellow convict and counterpart in typical brutal BW fashion.

Not to mention, his numerous, warnings and misgivings...Milton, you had it coming.

Fern figures out the essential connection without knowing all of the details: "Does she know what you are?" she snaps when Milton is put down. Now, earlier, she told Chalky, "There's forgiveness for everyone. That's what Jesus said," "Baby girl," he replies, "Jesus was wrong." Chalky cannot forgive himself for destroying his family.

Nucky, unlike Chalky has no family of his own to destroy. Hence, his reply to Joe Kennedy's meticulous probing is "I want to leave something behind." Boardwalk Empire is at its best when Nucky is being backed into a corner by a formidable opponent. This time Nucky is backed into a corner verbally and emotionally, instead of physically. Although, one could argue that it eventually turned physical when Nucky lunged for some alcohol after Joe finally left. Their meeting made me think of what would happen if Roose Bolton was transported to the 20th century. "I don't partake, it dulls the senses."

Nucky and Joe dance around a deal. Joe is dissimilar from Nucky's past political contacts. He is cunningly smooth and he simply gets it. He sees that he is antithetical to Nucky. Think of it this way, Nucky is standing in front of that Hogwarts mirror and he sees himself in Joe's shoes. Nucky is envious of Joe. Joe has a large family, a loving wife and of course lots of entrepreneurial interests. Joe is legitimate on the surface. He is not stained like Nucky. His choice of weapon is the stock-market, not a gun.

With this season being the last, the audience is learning more and more about Nucky. The flashbacks are beginning to provide more shape to the character that is Nucky. We see that he cannot wine and dine Joe. No, Joe is on a whole other level. He masterfully pushes Nucky into the proverbial corner of his own mind. Nucky is forced to confront his own fears and short-comings. Their deal will not be struck until Nucky admits a truth, or more like the truth. What does he want? The answer has not been answered in this show yet. What does he want to leave behind? What's the point of the deal? Joe is not a selfish man, he wants/knows how to get ahead, but he is providing for his family by nearly any means necessary. His white collar crime is all stealth and numbers.

We see Margaret who is on the hot seat. Her dealings with the now deceased Arnold Rothstein have come back to haunt her. The feds have all of the records with her signature. The alias, "Mr. Redstone" is tied to Rothstein. Carolyn Rothstein proves to be obstinate in her pursuit of the money. She will even go as far as to sue Margaret for what little money she has.

We're back at the epicenter of this episode. The over-arching theme is family. This leads Margaret to finally seek the help of Nucky. She turns up in his room in a stunningly creepy yet, unbelieving fashion.

Overall, this slow moving type of episode is the kind that true Boardwalk Empire fans can learn to appreciate after viewing a second time.

I found this episode to be quite predictable with the dealings of Chalky and Milton, Luciano, Sigel and Narcisse meeting and Margaret turning up at Nucky's place. That being said, this is a season. Some episodes may be easier to call than others.

-Best bits

-The use of religion was beautifully done in this episode. Milton quotes the good lord and Fern quotes Jesus. We human beings can say what we want about our beliefs, but family, money and survival come before religion any day.

My favorite was the man from the flash back scene. who says: "Would you hazard everything you hold dear - family, friends, respect, judgment in the eyes of an all-seeing God - and call it a price worth paying?"

Of course, Nucky being naive to the man's true intentions blurts out a yes. Later, it is revealed that the prostitute who that pays the real price, her life.

-The flashbacks proved to be far more significant this episode. They were tied to the present day. Mabel is a well-off traveling tourist, who toys with a young Nucky. "You were watching me," she says. She's Nucky's first crush. Mabel is privy to the differences in their economic states. She toys with Nucky, but later sends him a note, saying she would have let him kiss her.

Present day Nucky wakes up from a drunken nap and sees Margaret. Perhaps they will reconcile? I doubt it...

-Narcisse says no to Maranzano. As predictable as this episode was, that is not a bad thing. This was a set up for the rest of the season. I imagine seeing some turf wars shortly.  The consolidation of power must occur in New York City.

-The killing of the prostitutes and pimp mirrors the flashback scene where the prostitute is brutally killed. Violence does not end.

-Luciano's quote - "You know what I love about the city? Everything's close by."

-Sally and Nucky have a nice moment of listening to music over the phone together. The song is called, "Happy Days Are Here Again." Could that be an omen?

-Nucky telling Mickey Doyle to get more "roscoes" that means any type of gun. He is obviously still on high alert, after nearly being bumped off.

-Nucky to Doyle, "It's MY business, you're running."

"Those bums who hang around the rail yard?" Doyle scoffs. "I don't like them hanging around."

"You could be one of them," Nucky darts back.

Final bit: No Capone, Van Alden, Eli or Gillian this episode.

Expect them to be back next episode.

Here's the preview for this Sunday's episode: Boardwalk Empire Episode 4 Promo:

Boardwalk Empire S5E2 Review: "The Good Listener" By Greg Hernandez

Boardwalk Empire's Ear Fetish Continues in "The Good Listener."

Boardwalk Empire's second episode opens up with an extreme close-up of the inside of an ear. I recall a similar opening sequence from last season's opening episode close up of Eli's coffee. It helped to set the mood for the episode right away. At first glance, I thought it was Nucky's bodyguard murdering another would-be-assailant, I was pleasantly surprised. The ear belongs to Eli, it is attached and it is quite filthy. The brief sex filled montage  and Eli regaining consciousness is meant to clue us in on his dismal situation. The last seven years have involved (Drinking, whoring, missing his family and working for a boss who is not apart of his family). Jimmy went through a similar situation in season 1, he realized he did not fit in with the Italians in Chicago. Nucky rescued him from exile, but he won't be doing the same for his back-stabbing baby brother.

Eli awakes to a raucous drug raid by federal agents. Luckily for him, he passed out in the right place. He's able to drag his hung-over self off the floor and avoid getting pinched. Shea Whigham, gives a masterful performance in this episode. He gives us an inside perspective in to the life of a confined and unhinged outsider, who can still pull the trigger when necessary.

Can the ear be a major theme for this season? The Godfather had the ominous oranges. I like the ear imagery, especially how this episode ended, with Tonino (Remember him betraying Gyp Rosetti in Season 3 and Masseria, just last episode) finally getting his comeuppance in style. His corpse is dumped in front of the nightclub. Lansky discovers it and sees the throat has been slit and the ears are missing.

When you play both sides to the middle, you're going to lose. What's that phrase about revenge? Oh, yeah, Nucky captures Tonino and brings him to a restaurant. His bodyguard watches them, very creepy. A picture of Billie Kent is above them. You can bet Nucky, chose that seat for a reason. I wonder if Nucky's bodyguard is a hoarder of ears...or maybe he sells them on some black market..who knows?

Johnny Torrio gives Nucky some advice. "Retire," he says. Torrio, has the wisdom, along with the grievous injuries to prove it. Having survived a brush with lady death in last season's finale, Torrio is content to go to the pictures, feed the birds and eat without choking.

Nucky cannot retire yet because he is not strong enough financially. He's awaiting repeal. He has one last big score in mind, (Bacardi in Havana). The only thing is, can Nucky, live that long? "The trick is to survive long enough to cash out,"says Nucky.

I thoroughly enjoyed the scene between Nucky and his bodyguard. The way the camera panned around was exquisite. It's funny, how powerful do you have to be, to circle a bodyguard like that? Their one-sided conversation is brilliant, because it establishes not only the awesome attitude of the bodyguard, but exemplifies the loneliness of Nucky. Last season he lost his long time butler and friend, Eddie, his brother Eli and his partner Chalky. Nucky still has Sally, but she's not dependent of him. She operates in Florida and Havana. 

The meeting between Nucky and the board members was all a farce, not only was it obvious that those men were afraid of the notorious bootlegger, but their posturing only accentuated their fear of him. One man who did not scare, was Joe Kennedy. I'm happy we're finally getting to see this real life figure. He is precisely what Nucky aspires to be, a businessman who is able to get ahead without shedding blood. Mr. Kennedy was involved in many enterprises, such as film productions, real estate and bootlegging.

The boardroom meeting was a warm up for the real sit down between Nucky, Luciano, Torrio and Maranzano. "You have nothing to fear from me, Mr. Thompson," says Marazano. Nucky, keen to the art of intimidation, shoots back with, "Who said I was afraid." Nucky has gone up against Masseria's men and survived, in large part due to the assistance of  Capone and Chalky. 

Nucky does mention why exactly they are here, First, Masseria was assassinated, then Nucky almost met the same fate. The Lansky sighting in Havana, draws unwanted attention to Luciano, who claims he and Lansky have not seen each other in months. A lie obviously.

The very next scene depicts tension on the Luciano side. Their patience is beginning to wane. Their ambition is palpable. Is Marazano privy to any details? If so, their days could be numbered. Lansky suggests murdering Maranzano now, but Luciano cautions patience, their group does not have the support yet. We see the return of one of my favorite BW characters, a young Bugsy Siegel, who chides Lansky on his failure to avoid Nucky in Cuba. Tonino meets with the gang and they listen to his bumbling bits of information. Marazano is unaware of any betrayal, he's too fixated on Marco Aurelius...

Gillian has hit bottom. Her incarceration in what appears to be a woman's correctional facility, which depicts women on the verge of insanity, for not being "good-girls," is haunting. It is haunting because we see how Gillian has already discovered how to survive, by listening to the rules, not acting out and gaining favor with Dr. Cotton. It is sad to see a character continue to go through such deplorable stages, (Raped and impregnated as a 13 year old, by the Commodore, losing her son, her grandson, nearly dying of a drug overdose, murdering a man and finally being arrested and convicted). Quite the journey.

Finally, we have my favorite parts of the episode, the Capone section and the George Mueller section.

Let's begin with the big fish, Mr. Capone. Who was and still is the most famous gangster of all time. 

His interview with Variety in 1931 actually happened, in fact, many portions of the dialogue used in this episode were taken from the actual script from that interview. Don't believe me? Check out the link below.

boardwalk-empire-revisits-varietys-1931-interview-with-al-capone-1201305823/

Stephen Graham  gives us the sort of insight into the famed mobster's life like we've never seen before. Capone has never been done like this and Graham's performance is impeccable. Getting measured, running around the room and fusing threats and horseplay like it's nobody's business.

Capone is at the height of his power in 1931. He is a celebrity. People all over the world want to meet him, interview him, see him, get his picture, talk to him, get an autograph, everything. Nobody is spelling his name wrong anymore. 

I really enjoyed the shots of him of parading around, kicking his tailor and horsing around with his brother and accountant.

George Mueller is awesome in every episode, because he is played by the magnificent Michael Shannon. His trans formative acting is what keeps this show alive for me. He is the bumbling pariah, that you instantly root for. The cliche scene of his young son coming to ask him for help with his homework is precious. "Mom, said to go ask you." George's answer to the science question of where do clouds come from, is simple, "Atmosphere."

Geroge's wife is clearly not happy with being, what appears to be a house wife. She sits there, bored smoking and speaking improperly. "When you will be back?" she asks. "When WILL I be back," he corrects. Their small argument is but a mere spark of something to come later this season.

The elevator scene was the best scene of the episode for me. The taking off of the hats and avoiding the old lady's decorative hat was hilarious. I knew George and Eli would be a funny pair.

Best bits: 

-George telling Eli, he reeks of urine. Perfect.'

-Geroge saying this is "Pandemonium" after the two murders and escape.

-Torrio drinking behind his wife's back. He looks like a kid doing that. oh wait, that's married life.

-Nucky's bodyguard's facial and verbal responses to him. Awesome.

-Bugsy trolling Lansky was great, a very rare feat to instigate Meyer.

-William flirting with the pretty lady and his interview for the firm.

What I did not like:

-No Chalky, really? He was the star last season. With a condensed final season, you would think he would be featured every episode, but alas, he returns next episode of course, along with his nemesis, Narcisse.

-William got his priorities in order and went to law school...really? So no Jimmy Darmody 2.0.

-Where are the rest of Nucky's men? All he seems to have now is his Cuban bodyguard.

-No women or cocaine for Al this episode, just money and interviews.

This was a well paced episode. It was written by Terrence Winter and directed by Allen Coulter.

Here's a preview for this Sunday's episode. Boardwalk Empire S5E3 Preview

"Outrage Fatigue" By Greg Hernandez

It's been quite the year hasn't it?

Donald Sterling, Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Police Brutality, Ferguson, Sexual Assault of women in the military, colleges and throughout this country, Immigration, Student loan debt, the plethora of crises in the Middle East. The list just does not end. How much outrage can one populace take?

The news coverage of these various issues are ubiquitous. Yet, there is a major point behind all of them that is being missed.

What's the lesson behind all of this? Where are the solutions? We're outraged and disgusted. We proceed to judge, label, punish, lash out, ostracize and demand justice, but what do we learn from all of this?

Where is the progress - the change?

I still don't see it.

"We live in a post Donald Sterling and Ray Rice world." That is the phrase that we hear on the news.

Grown men articulating their frustration with domestic violence. They talk about fatherhood and what they would do to any man who hit their daughter.

Now, why solve one case of violence with another?

People who are shamming Mrs. Rice, with statements, such as, "She's still with him, for the money."

What if your worst moment was captured on video? How would you feel?

"We live in a fish bowl, Only God should be allowed to judge us." said Wide Receiver (Steve Smith) of the Baltimore Ravens.

I disagree, we should learn to judge each other efficiently, correctly.

A society where "God" only judges is a society, I want no part of. That mindset reminds me of North Korea. Only one opinion matters.

I enjoy the illusion, that my opinion matters. We have a "democracy" in place. This oligarchy is cute, I'd rather have it than the reality of being superfluous.

Moving on, we know the story of Donald Sterling and Ray Rice, but did you know that Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers was found guilty of assaulting and threatening to kill his former girlfriend? Well, now you do.

The NFL not only fumbled, they threw the ball into the stands on this issue. As they have had on many other occasions.

Here's the video of Jon Stewart on The Daily Show rhetorically eviscerating The NFL and its commissioner again. the-daily-show-skewers-the-nfl-yet-again

We all know hitting a woman is wrong, we all know racism is wrong, we all know sexually assaulting ANYONE is wrong, we all know that abandoning children at the border to starve and die or just be sent away is wrong, but where are the answers?

By "we all know," I mean most sensible human beings. This is exactly my point. We, the ones understand what is right in our hearts, must push the agenda of empathy, until it is center stage.

We need to erect change in our society. What change, you ask? A systematic change in the fundamental principles of society. Nobody is above the law. We're all equal. We cannot let issues get so bad, before we react, because once that happens we lose our humanity and suffer from "Outrage Fatigue."

Why do these issues persists with such a high volume?

Why do we blame the victims? Why is it when a black kid is shot and killed in Missouri, white people post stories about black cops shooting unarmed white men? Do they honestly believe that will solve the issue? Or do they feel they are putting things in perspective, to show that yes, a black man with a gun can kill an unarmed white man. They beseech Rev. Al Sharpton to discuss ALL manners of racism and violence. The Rev already a held a summit with the Black Caucus, on the issue of Urban Violence in Chicago, to try to put an end to black on black crime and all inner-city-violence. The groups continue to meet.

Why do colleges protect their brand, instead of the student? columbia-student-protests-universitys-response-alleged-rape-n197191


Where is the accountability?

We need to challenge ourselves as a human race.

It starts with the smaller phrases, such as, "You throw like a girl," "Be a man," "That's gay," etc.,

Our silence to these issues is maddening. When these issues erupt into cases of murder, suicide, domestic violence etc, we are only then outraged.

We must diffuse these problems at their conception. These problems that plague us, are on the forefront of our minds. We see it everywhere. It is in our faces, yet, we are all guilty of inaction.

We react one of two ways, passionately or sardonically. Why?

Are we just that fatigued by all of the wrong that has occurred this year?
Is attempting to amend things, just too hard?
Are we not up to the challenge, of drastically decreasing domestic violence, sexual assault, racism, gun violence, police brutality etc?

Why doesn't this country respect women?
kirsten_gillibrands_interview_with_jon_stewart_is_inspiring_and_refreshing/

Men, we must be better. We must treat women as equals. Ray Rice and Greg Hardy were wrong!

the-rate-of-domestic-violence-arrests-among-nfl-players/


Ray Rice's expulsion is not justified because of the league's incompetency. It's the correct decision, however it should have occurred, months ago. The NFL has muddled this issue and that of Greg Hardy's case. The fact that Mr. Hardy already faced due process, lost, yet continues to play is baffling. How is he still playing?

Parenting and general human decency needs to be improved.

The punishment of these violations needs to be swift and harsh. That way, people will fear the consequences of their actions.

I don't have the answers, but the discussion needs to start. If it does not, then we are enablers.

The challenge must be sent to the men who commit these heinous acts toward women, to our politicians who reject proposals that can significantly impact the lives of many people such as this, "senate-rejects-gillibrands-overhaul-military-sexua/?page=all."

I know my rant is an incoherent one, but I hope anyone reading this, gets the gist of it.

Thank you.

Boardwalk Empire S5E1: Review of "Golden Days for Boys and Girls" By Greg Hernandez.

The first episode of the new season is titled, “Golden Days For Boys and Girls.” There is a seven year jump from last season’s finale. We are now in the era of The Great Depression. The fun and carefree days of the roaring twenties are at an end. Nucky Thompson (Steve Buescemi) is no longer getting rich off of prohibition. The party is long gone. The Great Depression has decimated the country and the landscape has totally changed. Nucky is now looking to operate in Cuba, laying the foundation to go legitimate as the end of prohibition approaches. Alongside Sally Wheet (Patricia Arquette), Nucky meets with a U.S. Senator to forge ties with the Cuban company behind Bacardi Rum.

I’m happy Nucky and Sally are together. She’s still calling him out on his bullshit and trying to get him to lighten up. Nucky is an uptight man, who is fixated on remaining ahead. As his flashback scenes show us exactly how dirt poor his family really was. In the late 19^th century, boys would lay in wait to catch an opportunity to help out the well-off people in exchange for dollar coins. A dollar went a long way back then. Those were simpler times, indeed, however the flashback scenes were meant to show us one thing and one thing only. Nucky had gumption and he still has gumption now, however those were the golden days. As the show nears its end, there is no doubt that we are nearing the Dark Ages in Nucky’s life.

*History note – Prohibition ends on December 5^th 1933. “The 21^st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18^th Amendment and bringing an end to the era of national prohibition of alcohol in America.”

“To The Lost,” as Jimmy used to say; Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) is dead (murdered in 1928 after failing to pay a large debt resulting from a fixed poker game). In the wake of his death, his protégés, Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza) and Meyer Lansky (Anatol Yusef) —now estranged from each other— are trying to make up that lost ground.

Knowing an opportunity when he sees one, the sly Lansky conveniently turns up in Cuba. He crosses paths with Nucky. Nucky discovers that Lansky's “wife,” is a fake. Well played Lansky. Meanwhile, Luciano turns his back on former boss Joe Masseria (Ivo Nandi), selling him out to rival Italian gangs, having him killed and swearing allegiance to the opposing team in a very weird knife ritual. Does anybody have any clues on what that whole thing was about?

-          I understand that it is to seal one’s trust in alliance through blood, but anyone have a more thought out explanation. I’ll do my own research, but comment below if you have more fleshed out answers.

We get a brief cameo from Margaret (Kelly Macdonald), Nucky’s estranged wife who feels the effects of the depression when her boss kills himself in front of his entire staff two years AFTER THE CRASH…She gets herself in a bit of hot water as she is caught rummaging through the files in her former boss’s office. Is it the locksmith who catches her or someone else? Is it trouble? We’ll find out next episode.

 Our favorite African American gangster, Chalky White (Michael Kenneth Williams) is back. When we last saw Chalky, he had just survived an assassination attempt by his nemesis Valentin Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright) which claimed the life of his mentor. He fought back and with the help of Nucky and Richard met face-to-face with Narcisse one last time, only to have a botched plan that ultimately cost him his daughter’s life. Cut to seven years later, and Chalky is working on a chain gang. He is beaten and abused by his guards. When a prison riot starts on a work release trip, Chalky seizes the moment and escapes, with another convict by his side. I knew there was something up with that one prisoner. Beware of the talkers. Talking sometimes does not draw attention to yourself, as the saying goes, it’s the quiet ones need to watch out for.” The prisoner tackles Chalky and holds him at gunpoint. Their exchange was both frightening and terrifying. Imagined being held at gun point and asked if you have ever spoken over the telephone before/know how it works? I’m just happy Chalky is free.

 “Golden Days For Boys & Girls” is marked by the past, figuratively. As Nucky sets up his post-Prohibition plan in Cuba, the slow-moving episode spends much of its time in his head, flashing back to his childhood when he first met the Commodore (now played by John Ellison Conlee). With only seven episodes to go, it’s interesting that “Boardwalk Empire” is leisurely going down memory lane in prequel-like fashion when there are so many unanswered questions. At the same time, this is why I fell in love with this show in the first place. It brought me back in time, so to speak. The characters are alive. Nothing is really cliché, cough Season 2 cough*.

Many major characters were missing from this episode: Nelson Van Alden (Michael Shannon), Nucky’s brother Eli Thompson (Shea Whigham), Al Capone (Stephen Graham) although I’m used to him not being in the first episode and Chalky White’s bête noir Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright) who I’m happy is back, Chalky still needs to kill him before this show ends.

Best bits

-          Sally and Nucky dancing. Sally tells him to shut up and dance.

-          Nucky gets saved from a Cuban bodyguard. He gives Nucky’s attacker the "Manny Horvitz treatment" from Season 2 and finishes off the deal “Inglorious Basterds” style.

-          Luciano has the droopy eye. Perfect.

-          The opening swimming sequence was really nice. Kudos to the cinematography department.

Final thoughts: I dislike the flashback scenes in this episode. They served no purpose. Anyone who has been watching since season 1 knows all about Nuck: sick sister, abusive father and caught the eye of the Commodore. I guess the writer’s wanted to show us that Nucky at one point was honest. His corruption begins sweeping sand off of the Commodore’s front porch.

The trailer for the coming episodes tells us things are going to get heated in quite a hurry. As it needs to, because we only have seven episodes left in this season and so much still needs to happen. The young actor, (Marc Pickering) is a solid young Nucky, however we only truly enjoy Nucky when he’s boxed into a corner. It’s when he has to think on his feet and fight back with all he’s got is when his story is compelling. “No one goes quietly,” is the theme of this season and as slow as this episode was, the final seven episodes must be high filled with octane drama and action.

NOTES

-          Expect Elliot Ness and Joseph Kennedy this season.

-          Van Alden and Eli should be a dynamic duo.

-          Gillian is in this season. Why? What more does her character have to offer?

Here is the preview for what’s to come in the upcoming episode.

Boardwalk Empire S5E2 Preview