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Boardwalk Empire Premiere: Plot (and Style) Twists Abound

The sophomore effort of a show as highly-anticipated as Boardwalk Empire is expected to bring revelations and deeper character insights, and the premier episode of season two begins that process with a bang. Literally, in fact: After a succinct montage that brings us up to speed on the states of our characters, we're re-introduced to the inimitable Chalky White. Resplendent in our favorite red topcoat from last season, Chalky is nearly murdered in the first five minutes by a gang of ruthless clansmen armed with a Gatling gun. After many African Americans lay dead or dying, and two clansmen are wounded in defense, the word reaches Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), who springs to intervene. In an attempt to handle the potential backlash against the incident, Nucky then visits Chalky in his home. There, we get a first peek at Chalky’s private life.

He boasts a noble, elegant house, a gracious wife, and talented son (Justiin Davis) — all the comforts of a well-to-do white man in that day and age. We can sense the peace in his house, even as Chalky is shaken, but unbroken, by the attack, and demands retribution and protection from Nucky. He looks damn good, too, in a bold, yet regal, robin’s-egg-blue shirt and brown paisley bow tie. We get the sense of gravitas from the scene — Chalky is being positioned as a major protagonist for the upcoming season. (It's a transition all should be excited about, based on the performances of blue-chip actor Michael K. Williams in the past.) Nucky, by contrast, is looking reduced and subdued. His garments are dark — greys and browns with barely a hint of his former rainbow of finery. Clearly unhappy with his increasingly stressful 'home' life with Margaret, he spends longer nights at his brothels and clubs, all while scheming on his increasingly lucrative bootlegging business. In a chilling montage, we're reminded how duplicitous and ruthless Nucky can be in his quest to maintain power over the city. He speaks out to both the black and white churches in town, appealing to the conflicting causes of the Klan and African Americans. For the first time on the show, he's a truly unlikable character. He does show some heart however, reaching out to Margaret’s son Teddy with fatherly love, and it doesn't hurt that he's wearing a truly gorgeous clay-pink shirt with a loden plaid tie while doing so.

Jimmy (Michael Pitt) is still in his costume of blues, but there is a fresh hint of luxury about him — silk ties and fine cufflinks suggest this. We see him plotting against Nucky with his cantankerous father, and there is a coldness about him that belies his new marriage. There are still hints of his former boyishness though and he, too, is torn — between his respect for Nucky and his desire for power and success. Finally, more perverse ambivalence is shown in the evil Agent Van Alden. His costume has changed little — he sports subtle tones, good cuts, and a truly admirable wide-brimmed fedora. But a visit with his timid wife, who appears eternally hamstrung with fear and loneliness, ends with the appearance of the perpetually nude Lucy Danziger (Paz De La Huerta), like a twisted mirror of Van Alden’s wife. Danziger still appears to be surviving as Van Nelson’s live-in whore, and somehow thriving off of a diet of sexual abuse and disgust.boardwalk empire dvd

Dark clouds are everywhere. And, as the episode closes, Nucky is arrested for political fraud and hauled off to jail. Certainly, this will be the first of many upsets and surprises on the boardwalk in the coming months — even as all characters look, at times, both sinister and sartorial. We'll be keeping watch over them all, recapping major plot developments (and killer tailoring) each and every Sunday.