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