Episode Title: “Erlkonig“
Writer: Howard Korder
Director: Tim Van Patten
Previously on “Boardwalk Empire:”
The parable of Willie Thompson continues in this week’s episode of “Boardwalk Empire,” which gets its title from a Goethe poem about the death of a child at the hands of an elf king.
Following in the family tradition, young Willie (Ben Rosenfield) is facing murder charges for the death of his rival classmate, Henry. Willie reaches out to Nucky (Steve Buscemi) for help and gets a lesson in the Thompson family code of ethics. Unfortunately for Willie, Henry’s father is a major Republican Party contributor, meaning someone needs to be held accountable for what might otherwise be considered a tragic accident.
Nucky helps Willie sort out the story he’ll tell to district attorney and a hefty wad of cash should help make it that much more believable. As for a fall guy, Willie’s roommate and accomplice, Clayton is arrested and Willie, though relieved, appears uneasy with the way things are playing out. In a scene that gives us a rare look inside his head, “Uncle Nucky” tells Willie his “rage is a gift” to be used, but not seen by anyone else and the only thing he can count on is the blood the two of them share. Nucky leaves Willie as Clayton comes in, distraught over the situation. He’s later arrested in the library and Doris goes to Willie’s room to cry about it.
The incident is a turning point for Willie, one in which he learns what living by Thompson family values will get you – out of murder charges and in the arms of a woman, at the cost of course, of a friend. Having spent several episodes with Willie, now that this particular story arc is resolved, we probably won’t see him for a while or if we do, it will be at the neglect of other already more established characters. Such is the blessing and curse of this show.
Loyalty and “family” values also come into play back in AC, as Agent Knox (Brian Geraghty) presses Eddie (Anthony Laciura) to give up Nucky. Knox tries get in Eddie’s head by suggesting Nucky isn’t at all that concerned about his whereabouts. He also brings up Eddie’s sorted past in Germany and his estranged children. The tactic works and Eddie tells Knox about his meeting with Ralph Capone. When he finally returns home, Nucky admonishes Eddie for disappearing and mismatching Nucky’s socks. Though Eddie is probably Nucky’s most loyal friend, he knows Knox will be back for more. Having failed both his family and his boss, Eddie commits suicide by jumping out a window. But not before properly arranging Nucky’s socks.
It’s disappointing to see a beloved character like Eddie go but it’ll be interesting to see the effect his suicide has on Nucky, especially after listening to his lecture to Willie. Eddie’s death with either be an opportunity for Nucky to do some soul searching or just go on with business as usual. Hopefully, it’s the former.
Eddie’s isn’t the only death in this episode. Out in Cicero, Frank Capone (Morgan Spector) is shot when an attempt to sway voters turns into a riot. His brother, Al (Stephen Graham) tells Van Alden (Michael Shannon) he wants revenge while unaware of the fact that Van Alden almost shot him in the middle of the chaos. After all the personal strides Capone has made, a nasty coke habit has gotten the better of him and his temper. And Van Alden, who Frank said has a “wild streak,” might be following in the same path, having tried coke at Al’s insistence, not to mention his penchant for violence, try as he might to suppress it.
Circling back to Atlantic City, the episode also checks in with Gillian (Gretchen Mol), who is having one of those days. Still determined to get custody of Tommy, Gillian makes sexual advances at a judge only to be kicked out of his chambers. When she tries to pull Tommy out of school, the boy appears not to recognize his grandmother. Julia (Wrenn Schmidt) shows up moments later and has her taken away. Gillian then buys heroin from Dunn Purnsley (Erik LaRay Harvey), who is wary of dealing to her. She later passes out at home in the powder room. Roy (Ron Livingston) finds her when he returns and asks her about her drug habit. He’s not upset with Gillian, despite finding her drug paraphernalia. “I know about weakness and I know about sin,” he tells her. But Roy doesn’t know her, as Gillian points out. It’s an odd courtship that exists outside the larger story, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting. In fact, Gillian and Roy’s strange affair is a nice reprieve from the usual “Boardwalk” business, but I can’t help wishing we’d get to know Roy a little bit better, faster.
“Erlkonig” packs a lot of developments into the hour and could prove a pivotal episode for several characters. Even Nucky has his moments here, but what will it amount to as the season moves forward? After three plus seasons, a lot has happened in Atlantic City and yet things feel more or less the same. Perhaps the events of this hour will force a shift in some relationships. We’ve seen plenty of characters die on “Boardwalk Empire,” perhaps we now we’ll see some change, as a result.
