good call on bugsy siegel. I thought that little twerp was him.

Last season I always thought jimmy was like a young michael corleone, just the way he carried himself. I like the vito comparison better though now.

I think Chalkie can read, but Chalkie don't read no books aloud for nobody.

Can he read? I thought when he was asked the title of the book, he said, "Tom Sawyer"?

I think he said Tom Sawyer to figure out if that prun guy could read.

Why? That makes no sense.

Especially since when the guy later asked him what Jim was up to (character from Huck Finn), all Chuckie did was point to one of the pictures and say something about "this lady right here is playing the piano".

Why would his wife bring him
a useless book if he couldn't read? That makes even less sense.

Maybe she don't know.

I think this was a step in developing his character. We may learn that although he's running the black community, he has some limitations that he covers up.

Or maybe you're right - with these HBO shows, I often read too much into stuff that turns out being nothing, and then gloss over sh*t that ends up being crucial.

Chalky can read. I agree that he didn't read the passage at the end because Chalky don't read aloud for anyone. Did you even listen to the passage that was read as the camera pans to Chalky? How dumb would it look if he was there reading it to himself?

Looked so much more badass hearing it from someone else as the camera just sits on Chalky.

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I am surprised that the Commodore is including Eli in his schemes. Blood is ALWAYS thicker than water when push comes to shove - seems like he would be savvy enough to understand that. I am fully expecting a scene where Nucky is on the ropes and Eli flips sides and saves him, a la Darth Vader lifting the evil Emporer into the air and pitching him over the rail.

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Eli is weak and far less intelligent than his brother (or Jimmy for that matter). He's also extremely jealous of Nucky. I suspect he blames Nucky for his lesser success, but he's not smart enough to realize that his limitations are the reason for his inferiority, not anything Nucky did intentionally.

Driven by jealousy and a desire to "beat" his brother, Eli is the perfect lackey for a vengeful Commodore.

I'm not saying that Eli doesn't have plenty of legitimate reasons. Just saying that in the end, being family almost always trumps logical motive, promises made to others, etc.

My prediction of Darth Vader-esque flip scene stands.

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So how long until Margaret and the new Irish guy Nucky is going to help find work are banging? Or will Nuck' have him killed for making eyes at her before they get the chance?

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If he is Nuckys new muscle and he and Margaret have an affair (or get close) then this is almost line for line the Furio arc in the Sopranos and that would be disappointing. If they do go this route I will be ok with it if they re-enact the massage parlor scene where Furio makes his name. That was bad ass.

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I'm not saying that Eli doesn't have plenty of legitimate reasons. Just saying that in the end, being family almost always trumps logical motive, promises made to others, etc.

My prediction of Darth Vader-esque flip scene stands.

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The point about family trumping other allegiances is an excellent one. I'd be surprised if it was a dramatic flip scene though, Eli doesn't seem that courageous. I figure Nucky will threaten him in the proper way and he'll slink back to Nucky's side right before the shooting starts.

Folks are reading too much into Chalky, the entire point of that scene was how patient he had been all day in the cell, putting up with that guy's bs while pretending to read the book. That guy just went too far.

One of the best scenes ever, especially when he asked which one "knows letters".

Eli will be betrayed by the Commodore. Things will get really bad for Eli and Nucky will take pity on him. "Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug."

That's my prediction, anyway....

Chalky can read, and so could the loudmouth. Chalky didn't want to tip his hand and be seen by the loudmouth as more of a fancy-boy. He gave the loudmouth the wrong title of the book and later the loudmouth played along with the question of what was happening with Huck, knowing that wasn't what the book was about.

Eli will go back to Nucky, and so will Jimmy. Jimmy's deep loyalty is with Nucky, who was around when the Commodore wasn't. It was Nucky who took Jimmy fishing and shooting gulls. As someone mentioned, that's why he has to hide the father-son fishing statue - it wrecks him with guilt.

Love the introduction of really famous, big-time gangsters as young hustling punks. I didn't realize that the funny guy was Bugsy - fitting that he is running his first casino.

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not to be the one that continually breaks the 3rd wall, but the guy playing the Commodore is Dabney Coleman, the same dude from 9 to 5, Tootsie and WarGames.

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He's also from Cloak and Dagger, a hit movie from the 80's which was filmed in SA.

And he also played the Alabama Highway Patrol captain who was mistakenly identified as the Bandit and "apprehended" at the mobile brothel by Sheriff Buford T. Justice in Smokey & the Bandit.

Looks like Nucky is getting his groove back. Love his new Irish enforcer. The mutual respect between him and Harrow during the face-off was great. And if Jimmy goes back to Nucky, as expected, having the two of them on the same team could be formidable.

Too much Lucy in this episode, literally, and not enough (none) Chalky.

I need to watch it again to figure out Ms. Schroeder's deal. Can someone explain what is going on there? She hired a detective to find her "sister", has someone call and finds out she is dead, cries about it, then the maid asks if she is actually the person they called about?

Okay, I read Sepinwall's recap and comments and figured out the Margaret thing.

She's Peggy Rowan and had the maid ask her sister's family for Peggy Rowan, who said she is "dead" for 12 years. That's what they think of Marg/Peggy - she's dead to them.

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I need to watch it again to figure out Ms. Schroeder's deal. Can someone explain what is going on there? She hired a detective to find her "sister", has someone call and finds out she is dead, cries about it, then the maid asks if she is actually the person they called about

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I got the impression that she called her family (brother and sisters maybe) to see what their perspective was on what had happened to her (Ms. Schroeder). When she heard that they think she's been dead for 10+ years it broke her heart.

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Too much Lucy in this episode

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Only when she had clothes on. My friend and I were disappointed every time it cut to her and she had clothes on. It feels like half of her scenes in the 1st season were nude.

Sloooooow episode. Seems natural for Nucky to get some Irish enforcers. Will be interesting to see where it goes. Maragrets family stuff and Lucy locked in the room really drug this episode down. If those storylines arent going anywhere, they need to drop it fast.

The Al Capone scenes were money in the bank. For some weird reason, the scene with Al and Jimmy at Jimmy's house really resonated with me. The scene with Nucky confronting Jimmy and the Commodore was awesome as well.

Jimmy is going to sabotage the Commodore at some point. That line while he was drinking at the end of the show when his wife asked how dinner with his father was... "Which one?" Just great writing.

Also, glad they cleared up the scene from the end of last week making it clear that Lucky Luciano had tried to arrange for Jimmy to be killed after the card game. The look on their face when they found out two of the italian dude's men had been killed... awesome.

Also, Rothstein is a fantastic character.

I didn't mind this episode at all. Loved the new Irish enforcer and the face dude standing off. I actually like Lucy and the fed interacting. Showed more of his looniness and conflict. True, the Margaret family theme lines were slow...but anytime I get an episode with Capone I freakin' love it.

Nucky: "How are you guys dealing the the competition?"
Capone: "We're killin' em'" (wink wink)


Capone: "Just have Frankenstein here drill a hole in his head....BANG"


I realize they probably aren't going to show all of it since the show isn't really about their scene, but I wish they would do an episode about Luciano and Lansky and how they dealt with Masseria to effectively take over New York. There is SO much they could do with the Chicago angles, the New York scene, etc. Geez...I don't know how the writers limit themselves.

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Also, glad they cleared up the scene from the end of last week making it clear that Lucky Luciano had tried to arrange for Jimmy to be killed after the card game. The look on their face when they found out two of the italian dude's men had been killed... awesome.

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I didn't think it made it clear at all. I thought the look on their faces was one of "What the heck are you talking about? We didn't kill your nephews? We don't know what happened to your nephews."

I thought that was why they were doubly pissed. Something they had nothing to do with...and now they owe 2k plus a 10% tax. Those two dudes that got killed were Masseria guys that Masseria had sent to Lansky to say "Why are you operating a card game on our turf"...they wouldn't have been working with Luciano and Lansky.

Quick question from last week, did Ms. Shroeder take the money she found along with the ledger? At first I thought she did because she said, "small price to pay for getting the ledger back" but then she seemed to hand him the book and another bag that looked like it contained money.

I think she gave it to nuck and then told him to invest heavily in the roads and maximize his share

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Also, Rothstein is a fantastic character.

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He really is. I'd love to watch a miniseries or something on Rothstein featuring this same actor playing him. Just a great role. He's so quiet and soft-spoken and that makes him all the more dangerous than a loud, blustering gangster. I feel certain Rothstein would order a murder, straighten his bow tie, walk away, and never lose an ounce of sleep.

I really love the Rothstein scenes too, but I think Meyer Lansky is just awesome for some reason. His dialect and disposition is really entertaining....same with Capone.

I thought the scenes with Lucy dragged a bit, too, though she's a great actress.

I did, however, like the Vaudeville comedian (who's been in one or two other episodes at Babette's) for his part. It's a small part of the last episode and overall, but I just love the authenticity of his character, voice, and his corny-ass jokes.

Love that Van Alden is taking relationship advice from a criminal, and effectively stops Lucy from throwing herself down the stairs by having the phonograph delivered.

Good to see Nucky snap out of his depression start to fight back.

Capone's jealousy of Jimmy's "normal" son was very well done.

What's wrong with Capone's son? I forgot.

Capone's son is deaf.

Sepinwall's review suggests that Jimmy baited the two Italians to follow him last week and thus kill them as a favor to Lucky and Meyer. He obviously didn't tell them he was doing so which is why they had the look of not knowing what happened when confronted by Rothstein. Interesting take.

Also, an interesting point that I didn't catch...in the scene with Eli and his dad, the dad is confusing his two sons. He thinks he is talking to Nucky and is actually saying that Eli can't hold his own.

Seems like every episode there is a scene or two that you have to go back and watch a second time to catch the full meaning. One reason why I love this show.