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Moving the story along nicely, this week sees Nucky trekking back down to Tampa to work out the details of his land deal with Bill McCoy as Eli deals with the aftermath of Eddie Kessler's sudden death with Harrow returning to Atlantic City.

(HBO)

THIS WEEK: Written jointly by Eric Overmyer (of "Treme" and "The Wire") and Howard Korder (who also penned last week's excellent 'Erlkönig'), "The North Star" was directed by Allen Coulter (who helmed "Acres of Diamonds" a few episodes ago). What a creative stable. Moving the story along nicely, this week sees Nucky trekking back down to Tampa to work out the details of his land deal with Bill McCoy as Eli deals with the aftermath of Eddie Kessler's sudden death.

'Boardwalk Empire' Recap / Season 4, Episode 6 / 'The North Star'

BACK TO THESUNSHINE STATE

We open on Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) sitting alone at Penn Station. He's waiting for someone in the restaurant and soon realize it's Margaret Thompson (Kelly Macdonald). She approaches the table and sits but let's just say she doesn't exchange many (or ANY for that matter) pleasantries with Nuck. Still, he seems he's happy to see her.

He asks if she wants to eat. She says that she doesn't have time because the "IRT was hopeless..." (1)

Margaret Thompson was late in his meeting with Nucky because the subway's IRT made her late.

(1) New York City Subway.org tells us "The Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway opened in 1904. The city contracted construction of the line to the IRT Company, ownership was always held by the city. The IRT built, equipped, and operated the line under a lease from the city. Its route followed today's 4-5-6 line from City Hall to Grand Central, then turned west and followed today's shuttle line, and then north at Times (Longacre) Square following the 1-2-3 lines to 145 Street and Broadway." For more, read here and for some glorious vintage subway maps, click here.

Says Forgotten New York (about Penn Station): "The largest building ever erected for rail travel, Pennsylvania Station, commissioned by Pennsylvania Railroad President Alexander Cassatt and built by architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, stood between 31st and 33rd Streets and 7th and 8th Avenues — over eight acres. It was truly a temple of transportation. Check out some gorgeous vintage photos.

Nucky fishes as to where she was coming from and where she works. Margaret keeps tight lipped and all but wants nervous Nuck to cut to the chase as to why he's asked her to meet.

He tells her, "Eddie Kessler is gone." She's not quite grasping what he means. He changes the subject and gives her the present he bought for Teddy in Tampa some weeks back.

She asks details about Eddie. "It doesn't matter," he says.

Nuck stammers a bit "I don't know why but he ..."

Margaret seems to get annoyed. She says that she's doing well at her job, pays her brother rent, goes to an occasional movie and that the kids are doing fine. "I don't mean to be callous but you can't just show up and tell me things like this. The things that go on in your business as if it's normal."

He asks if she will give Teddy the present. "It's not some sort of creature is it?"

"I wouldn't put something alive in a box," Nuck darts back. Oooops. (*)

We still miss you Owen Sleater.

(*) WHO ELSE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF OWEN SLEATER IN THAT CRATE?

She apologizes to him about Eddie. "I really am sorry. No one knew how to look after you like Mr. Kessler." Ain't it the truth, sister.

* * *

In Tampa, Nucky and Bill McCoy (Pearce Bunting) meet at Sally Wheet's (Patricia Arquette) speakeasy when some angry hillbillies interrupt. They grill McCoy about the disappearance of local big shot Auggie Tucker (Weeks ago, McCoy sliced Tuck's head with a machete as if it were a melon.)

"Nobody's more concerned than me," McCoy assures them

"Is there a problem?" Nuck asks. McCoy explains to Nucky that Tucker up and disappeared a few weeks ago. The hillbilly insinuates McCoy had something to do with it. When things start to get a tad ugly, Sally pulls out her shotgun to protect her joint. Everyone calms down as the local toughs leave.

Will the disappearance of local thug Auggie Tucker come back to haunt Nucky, mcCoy and Meyer Lansky?

Nucky asks what's going on. McCoy says that while Tucker is out. They have a new partner — a guy named 'Pierce' who McCoy assures is well-connected and financed. Nucky doesn't want to hear it but agrees to meet him.

After Nucky apologizes to Sally for the disturbance, partners Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza) and Meyer Lansky (Anatol Yusef) arrive.

Later at Sally's alligator pit, Nucky, McCoy, Lansky and Luciano meet "Mr. Pierce" who is actually Vincenzo Petrucelli (Vincenzo Amato). (*)

(*) I've done my share of armchair detective work and for the life of me I can't seem to drum up any information that cites Petrucelli as being a real historical figure.

After having a private conversation with the investor, Luciano instantly gets spooked because Petrucelli cousins with New York boss Joe Masseria (Ivo Nandi).

Later that night back at their hotel room, Lansky and 'Shortpants' have what looks to be one of their more significant arguments. Lansky thinks Luciano is overreacting and assures that Petrucelli isn't going to walk away from or jeopardize such a massive opportunity. Even if he tells Masseria, Lansky says that they should cut him in.

Luciano objects, saying it's too late. "I already went behind his back..." He says that they should back out of the deal.

Back at their Tampa hotel room, Lansky and 'Shortpants' Luciano have what looks to be one of their more significant arguments.

"You do what you want," Lansky says. "But I'm in. I'm staying." A fuming Luciano leaves Lansky's room.

* * *

A drunk Nucky and Sally swig some moonshine late into the eve at her speak. He asks about Petrucelli and says that he's not certain of things of late. (2)

(2) Sally referred to the moonshine she gave Nuck as Potcheen. According to Drinking Made Easy, it was the most popular form of moonshine and was sweet fermented cider or 'hard' cider. "Potcheen (or poteen) is the traditional Irish form of moonshine. Just like American moonshine, it is commonly distilled in a home made pot and still. It's made from water and malted barley grain or potatoes. Potcheen is famous because people claim that they can get intoxicated again the morning after imbibing just from drinking water."

CATCH UP ON SEASON 4 'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAPS

•

Episode 1 / 'New York Sour'

•

Episode 2 / 'Resignation'

•

Episode 3 / 'Acres of Diamonds'

•

Episode 4 / 'All In'

•

Episode 5 / 'Erlkönig'

After another swig or two, he laments his life and mourns the loss of Eddie. But she's a tough gal and doesn't want to hear about life's woe's from anyone wimpifed and babbling in her bar so ... she PUNCHES him in the mouth. Twice! After he slugs her back, they scuffle before it turns into passionate sex (we all saw that one coming weeks ago, right?).

ROUND TWO FOR AGENT APPLE PIE

In Washington, D.C., J. Edgar Hoover (Eric Ladin) seems to have lost confidence in Agent Knox as the news of Eddie Kessler's "suicide" becomes a stumbling block for their case against Nucky. In fact, Hoover seems to think that Knox's (correct) theory of an interconnected network of bootleggers is pure hogwash.

"Stop spinning in circles, Jim. Your informant is dead.The operation is compromised," Hoover says.

Knox seems irked. "At least do me the favor of not pretending you were ever on board with this."

Edgar darts back. "Cyril Briggs ... Marcus Garvey... Emma Goldman. Anarchists. Political agitators. THAT'S real. That's where the bureau needs to be putting its resources." (3)

Knox asks for once more chance. He seems quite determined to find that weak link.

(3) Hoover was referring to what he considered to be foes to the American justice system:

Cyrill Briggs

CYRIL BRIGGS: Says Christopher Fisher, PhD. at TCNJ: "In 1917 Briggs founded the African Blood Brotherhood (ABB). He described his organization as a "revolutionary secret order" dedicated to armed resistance to lynching, opposition to all forms of racial discrimination, and voting rights for black Southerners. The ABB also opposed American participation in World War I and linked the struggle for black liberation in the US to the battle against European colonization in Africa. ...Briggs believed that the Negro's true place was with labor and that Blacks would benefit from the triumph of labor and the destruction of the Capitol Civilization. As a result he joined the Communist Party in 1921."

Marcus Garvey

MARCUS GARVEY (Previously footnoted): PBS tells us that Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association on July 20, 1914. "The U.N.I.A. was originally conceived as a benevolent or fraternal reform association dedicated to racial uplift and the establishment of educational and industrial opportunities for blacks, taking Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute as a model. By 1916, New York became the headquarters of the movement."



Emma Goldman

EMMA GOLDMAN: According to PBS, Emma Goldman's various causes made her a target for persecution. "Convicted of obstructing the draft during World War I, Goldman's expatriation came 34 years after she had first set foot in America, a young, brilliant, Russian immigrant. For more than three decades, she taunted mainstream America with her outspoken attacks on government, big business and war."

Back in Atlantic City, Eli Thompson (Shea Whigham) and Mickey Doyle (Paul Sparks) enter Eddie Kessler's room. They're searching for the safety deposit box key that holds the passbooks for the banks that he deposited cash in for Nucky.

"If this was my room, I'd kill myself," Doyle jokes.

Mickey suspects that he made off with the money and that's why he decided to jump off the balcony. "Guilty conscience..."

They rummage through more of his things. Eli sees the photos of Eddie's boys along with the suicide note in German. Eventually, Eli stumbles upon the birdcage and uses his noodle to discover the key located in the canister of bird food.

At the local bank, Eli poses as Eddie Kessler to get the contents of the box when he's stopped by John Calhoun, the branch manager (who knows Eli well). He tells him that without a court order and a death certificate they could both go to jail.

"There's nothing I can do," he tells an agitated Eli.

Back at Doyle's warehouse, Knox — back in prohee form — enters and walks to the back room to see Doyle and Eli. Knox says that he stopped by to see if anything is wrong since things seemed quiet. He spots Doyle with Eddie's cane.

Eli, laying cash on the desk, assumes that the kid is there for a payoff. "You prohees... Hands always out."

Knox scoops up the cash and before he leaves asks, "Closed for inventory?"

"Death in the family..." Eli answers. Knox offers his assistance when Eli has an idea. "There is something you can do."

Back at the bank, Knox informs the branch manager Calhoun that Kessler was a Prussian nationalist who had ties to local anarchists and that the law will need the contents of his safety deposit box.

Knox asks if he remembers the Palmer Raids and that justice must be served and Calhoun easily obliges. (4)

A. Mitchell Palmer

(4) Says the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media of The Palmer Raids: "The climate of repression established during World War I continued after the war ended: This time, government interest focused on communists, Bolsheviks and "reds" generally. The climactic phase of this anti communist crusade occurred during the "Palmer Raids" of 1918-1921. A. Mitchell Palmer, Wilson's Attorney General, believed communism was "eating its way into the homes of the American workman." In his essay "The Case Against the Reds," Palmer charged that "tongues of revolutionary heat were licking the alters of the churches, leaping into the belfry of the school bell, crawling into the sacred corners of American homes, seeking to replace marriage vows with libertine laws, burning up the foundations of society." With a broad base of popular support, in 1919 Palmer intensified the attacks on political dissent that had begun during the war."

Back in Eddie's room at the Albatross, Knox hands over the contents of the safety deposit boxes to Eli who is puzzled by the fact that everything was in the box. Eddie wasn't a thief after all. And Knox? The young agent discerns that Eddie wasn't killed by Nucky or Eli but actually committed suicide.

Eli asks Knox if he speaks German (we know that he does from last week). He hands over Eddie's letter to Knox, who translates: "My dearest son, this afternoon I got the happy message that I am a grandfather. I cannot express the joy..."

The note affects Eli more than anyone probably expects. He weeps at the notion of not being there for each and every one of his kids. Knox hands him his pocket square. (*)

(*) Keep on top of your game, Agent Knox. The monogram — which it looked like Eli saw — read JTM. By now, we know Knox's real first name is 'Jim' because that's how Hoover keeps addressing him. Let's hope Eli puts two and two together during his next bout of insomnia.

CHALKY TAKES THE BAIT

At The Onyx Club, Chalky watches his son practice tickling the ivories with the house musician when Daughter Maitland (Margot Bingham) tries to make small talk. She tells him that she's working on something new with Mr. Colson, the pianist.

Does crooner Daughter Maitland hold the key to Chalky White's boredom?

Chalky doesn't want any deviation. "Why you lookin' to do something else?"

"Maybe I'm bored. Don't you ever feel bored?"

"If I do, I keep it to myself," he answers.

Her flirting continues. "That doesn't stop you from FEELIN' it." She then strolls to the stage and asks for the tune "Malinda Brown," sung below by Marion Harris.

Later that night at his home, Chalky has dinner with his family. His boy Lester White (Justiin A. Davis) tries to explain the merits of jazz music to his mother Lenore White (Natalie Wachen), who's not buying it. She refers to the music as "primitive."

His sister Maybelle White (Christina Jackson) ) and her beau Samuel Crawford ask if (Ty Michael Robinson) there can be some jazz at the wedding reception.

Chalky, face buried in his dish, says it's up to Lenore. His youngest, Adeline White, asks if they all can be excused so the kids can listen to Lester play the piano.

Lenore chastises Chalky for exposing their son to the ills of the Onyx Club. Chalky sees no harm. "It puts ideas in his head," she says. "Is that what you want."

"What's it matter what I want?" Chalky asks, walking out.

Back at the Onyx Club, Daughter performs what Chalky believes to be an unorthodox tune for the venue. The song? "St. Louis Blues," a staple.

Upstairs in one of the meeting rooms, a grumpy Chalky tells Daughter, "You think you Ma Rainy." (5)

"If I want HER, I'll hire her... You come on after the tap boys." He goes on to complain about her performance and the effect it had on some of the clientele.

She leaves in a huff and says she's going back to New York. "You don't like what I do," she tells Chalky.

"Then you GONNA do what I like," he demands, snapping her around. Much like Nucky and Sally, the antagonism soon turns passionate as Chalky and Daughter finally make the whoopee (Again, we saw that coming. You'd be blind not to).

(5) Says Biography.com: "Born Gertrude Pridgett on April 26, 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, Ma Rainey became the first popular stage entertainer to incorporate authentic blues into her song repertoire. She performed during the first three decades of the 20th century and enjoyed mass popularity during the blues craze of the 1920s." For more, click HERE.

THE MASKED MAN RETURNS

At the V.A. hospital, we see an ailing Paul Sagorsky (Mark Borkowsky), who gets the uncomfortable diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver.

As he leaves the office, he sees Richard Harrow (Jack Huston), who presumably was mending the injury he sustained in that barn shooting weeks ago. Paul yells to him but Harrow seemingly disappears. Paul runs toward him and takes a hard stumble down the stairs.

After regaining consciousness, we see Richard asking him if he's okay.

"I'm dying," Paul says.

"Right now?" Harrow asks.

Later at the local American Legion Hall, Paul guzzles his drink and tells Harrow that he's aware what he had to do to get little Tommy out of the brothel. Harrow says that he couldn't face them.

"You turned my life upside down," Julia Sagorsky tells Richard Harrow. "I don't wanna do all this by myself but how can I trust you?"

"That makes you a hero," Paul reassures. The haunted Harrow goes to say that he stopped counting all of the men he killed. Paul goes on to tell him about when he was in the Philippines in the army. After recounting his own horror story of killing, Paul tells him that he came home from the service, met his wife and had kids. You do what you do and move on. He downs Harrow's drink and says that he has cirrhosis.

"A year from now, I'll be gone. You'll still be here. You came home."

Later that night at the Sagorsky household, Julia (Wrenn Schmidt) hears Tommy Darmody (Brady/Conner Noon) speaking to someone at the door. She goes downstairs and is shocked to see that half boyfriend Harrow has returned.

"He was in Wiscon-stin..." Tommy informs.

Later that night, the three of them take a stroll along the docks. Julia tells Harrow that he can't just plop a little boy like Tommy into her life and just disappear. We easily get the sense that she wants him with her.

"You turned my life upside down," she says. "I don't wanna do all this by myself but how can I trust you?"

Other stuff on my mind

• The title of the episode "The North Star" seems appropriate since, in essence, Harrow has returned. Also significant since so many of our characters seem lost or out of joint. They need their own North Star. Nucky will be lost without Eddie; Margaret, while seemingly fine, really is lost without the stability of Nucky. Even Chalky is a man lost in the safety of his own home.

• The train vibration rattling Nucky's coffee at the start was awfully reminiscent of Eddie's trembling hands.

• To everyone who CONSTANTLY insisted that Margaret was off the show (you know who you are)... She's baaaaaack. If ever so briefly. So, who else was happy to see our Peg?

• Are Nuck and Peg both crazy? Who in the heck doesn't like cinnamon rolls? Good thing there wasn't one of these in the terminal.

• "I wouldn't put something alive in a box..." Watch them again in the scene after Nucky sticks his proverbial foot in his mouth. Gorgeously played by both Buscemi and Macdonald.

Is Eli Thompson the next weakest link?

• Who else thought when Eli told Mickey to come in Eddie Kessler's vacant room that he was going to unleash Holy Hell on him for giving Will booze? For a nanosecond, that's where I thought it was going.

• The scoop on Eddie's license? His official name was Edward Anselm Kessler and although the REAL Albatross Hotel is located in Ocean Grove, his official address is 5809 Ventnor City, New Jersey. He was 56 and weighed 158 pounds at a height of 5'4. Thank-you freeze-frame.

• Um ... What's with Eddie having a calling card for The Artemis Club in his wallet? Getting his freak on I suppose.

• The more I see Bill McCoy, the more I wonder why in the heck Nucky does business with him.

• So Chalky not liking Daughter's rendition of "St. Louis Blues" has to be a cop out because it was written by legendary jazz and bluesman W.C. Handy and was on its way to being a signature tune n 1924. One can only assume that Chalky's not a fan of the blues...

• Who else was thinking that Eli shouldn't have shown weakness in front of Agent Knox. Is Eli the next weakest link?

• If ANYONE can watch over a satchel of dough, it's the scrappy Sally Wheet.

• Classy move by Lansky toasting to Eddie Kessler. That dope Bill McCoy didn't even realize who he was and this kid from New York has the wherewithal to acknowledge Nucky's loyal man.

• Am I the only one that misses Van Mueller?

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