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Some Italian bootleggers just wanted to watch the world burn in last week’s episode. Watch “The Milkmaid’s Lot” along with us in our Boardwalk Empire Winners and Losers recap.
LOSER: Margaret’s annoyed face
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Nucky’s got a concussion after last week’s Gyp Rosetti-coordinated explosion. We know this because Nucky is making really stupid brainfarts, like calling his brother Eli “Eddie” and wandering around in his bathrobe like a senile old man. It’s a vivid picture being painted.
Nucky not being available makes Margaret’s life even harder, leading to many annoyed expressions throughout the episode. You really add so much, Margaret.
WINNER: Gyp Rosetti’s smug face
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In stark contrast to Margaret’s annoyed face is Gyp’s smug face. In fact, it’s so good, I felt like I had to feature it in both the lead image and as its own item. You can really tell that Gyp’s ego is a mile high after his semi-successful attack on Nucky as he strolls into Tabor Heights with an army of men wielding big guns before he beats down the sheriff with a pipe for no good reason.
WINNER: Alexander Graham Bell
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Gyp calls Nucky — interrupting a meeting with Eli, CHALKY WHITE (!!!) and others doing damage control on the explosion — to read a story about Billie Kent’s death to Nucky then offer his insincere condolences. Man, Gyp really went to next level mind games and violence fast. I guess there are only three episodes left. It’s about time.
LOSER: Tabor Heights Bible camp
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Gyp takes over as the de facto mayor of Tabor Heights, holding a hilarious town hall meeting informing locals that they’ll kick them $200/month just to shut up about what his crew is doing in town. Unfortunately, Bible Camp has been canceled and Gyp isn’t exactly receptive to a Q&A. When you see Gyp own scenes like this, it makes his lack of a presence in some of the other season’s episodes even more disappointing in hindsight.
LOSER: George Remus’s fleeing skills
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George Remus refers to himself in the third person in exactly the same way as Seinfeld‘s George Costanza in the “George is getting angry” episode. It’s creepy. But anyway, he gets busted and tries to flee from Feds attempting to arrest him in the most Benny Hill of ways. But he immediately offers up Harry Daugherty in to Esther Randolph, meaning Nucky and Andrew Mellon’s conspiracy to take down the attorney general Daugherty is well under way.
WINNER: The very idea of Margaret leaving forever
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Owen and Margaret are openly discussing leaving Atlantic City forever to fully embrace their relationship. They’d have to get far away. Please do it, you guys. Your love can’t be denied, not by me, not by Nucky, not by anyone. Oh, and make sure the HBO cameras don’t follow you. It’s not about us enjoying your journey. It’s about your love. Just go, go now!
LOSER: Tommy Darmody
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Little Tommy Darmody has made friends with one of the unnamed ladies of the evening in the Darmody whorehouse. But when he’s looking to show her a drawing, some nefarious ladies of the evening go tell Tommy to go see her. Unfortunately, she’s getting railed from behind by some dude, which is not exactly as charming as she was singing songs with Tommy earlier. Well, Tommy, you had to learn about railing prostitutes from behind some day. Might as well be when you’re five.
Gillian gave him some warm milk and rum to knock him out, though, so all’s well. Parenting!
WINNER: Richard’s dance moves
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Richard’s new girlfriend (I would assume) Julia Sagorsky accompanies him to an American Legion dance of some sort. After awkwardly sitting and watching everyone else revel, one of the other vets teases Richard a bit to coax him onto the dance floor. And Richard then teaches Julia how to dance because she doesn’t know. After he finishes with an impressive dip of Julia, she then kisses him in front of the whole room. It is all incredibly adorable and makes me feel the exact opposite of Margaret and Owen Sleater.
LOSER: Nucky’s big speech
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The entire episode builds to Nucky’s big speech to his fellow gangsters seeking their support to take out Gyp Rosetti. But while it seems the concussion will be the thing that drives Nucky’s failure, it’s actually just Arnold Rothstein’s disbelief of Nucky’s competence that decides. None of the gangsters will support Nucky in his war with Rosetti. If he’s going to take him out, he’ll have to do it along.
An interesting episode that moves the plot along but is more about setting the chess pieces for the final three episodes. Can Nucky win a war all by himself? Will Margaret leave forever? Will Richard get it in? Hopefully all of these get resounding “Yes” responses in the coming weeks.