BOARDWALK EMPIRE: A RETURN TO NORMALCY {FIRST SEASON FINALE} (TV)
Summary
The first season finale in this historical drama series based on the nonfiction book by Nelson Johnson about the gangsters and bootleggers who rose to power in Atlantic City during the years of Prohibition. In this episode, Van Alden sternly addresses the new Prohibition agent recruits, mentioning that Agent Sebso died "in the line of duty." Nucky meets with the ward bosses about the upcoming election, determined to secure Bader's win by any means necessary, and Chalky requests a show of "gratitude" for his loyalty and promise of the black vote. Margaret, who is staying with Harding's mistress Nan, bakes a Halloween cake and tries to decide where she will next live. The Commodore's maid Louanne hatefully admits to poisoning him as revenge for his many years of abuse, but Nucky pays her off and tells her to leave town, worried about endangering the vote with her arrest. Rothstein makes plans to flee the country, knowing he will soon be indicted for fixing the World Series, but Lansky and Luciano urge him to reach out to Nucky for help and to "cut his losses" with the troublesome D'Alessios.
At home, Angela tells a frustrated Jimmy that she and Tommy are both afraid of him because of his quick temper stemming from his post-war trauma, but he begs her to "start fresh" with their marriage. Margaret attends Mass and is shocked to see the grave of Nucky's wife and week-old son, and she visits him at his home and questions him about his past. He finally explains that Mabel was driven mad and committed suicide after little Enoch's death, bitterly adding that he was "very busy" with work at the time. Moved to tears, she points out that there is kindness in him despite his criminal acts, but states that she and the children will soon leave Atlantic City after all. Van Alden informs his wife Rose that he has turned down a permanent position in Atlantic City and feels "unfulfilled" in his job. When she expresses her reluctance to move, he declares that he will stay only on a sign from God. Angela is upset to receive a postcard from Mary in Paris, and Nucky meets with Torrio, Rothstein and their various protégés to discuss a deal. Rothstein declares a truce and asks for Nucky's help in preventing his indictment, and Nucky agrees in exchange for a hefty sum. He then calls a press conference and announces that the D'Alessios, led by Hans Schroeder, were behind the woods massacre and credits Eli for "solving" the case, while elsewhere Al, Jimmy and Richard "apprehend" the remaining brothers.
On Election Day, Nucky cheerily reminds everyone to vote for Bader, and Jimmy is taken aback to find that Angela has cut her long hair, knowing that he loved it. At Bader's party, Nucky receives word that Rothstein has indeed evaded jail time, though Eli remains angry at Nucky's manipulation of him, saying that some things cannot be set right with money. Bader wins the election and immediately ousts Halloran in favor of Eli, and Nucky confronts an angry, drunken Jimmy, who accuses him of using people and of mentoring him only out of guilt over selling a teenage Gillian to the Commodore. Margaret wonders if Harding will really send for Nan if he is named president and considers her own future, and Van Alden is stunned by a "sign": a visit from Lucy, who announces that she is pregnant with his child. Jimmy commiserates with the Commodore, who grouses that he too hates Nucky for taking over the town while he himself was in prison. He declares that Jimmy must "take back Atlantic City," and Eli soon arrives to conspire with them against his brother. Nucky is pleased when Margaret arrives at the party at Babette's, and the two reunite as Harding is declared the new president and dawn breaks over the boardwalk.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: December 5, 2010 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:14
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 110190
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; Crime and criminals; Prohibition
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2010-2014
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Stephen Levinson … Executive Producer
- Mark Wahlberg … Executive Producer
- Martin Scorsese … Executive Producer
- Tim van Patten … Executive Producer, Director
- Terence Winter … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Lawrence Konner … Co-Executive Producer
- Eugene Kelly … Co-Executive Producer
- Howard Korder … Supervising Producer
- Rudd Simmons … Producer
- Rick Yorn … Producer
- Steve Turner … Co-Producer
- Joseph Iberti … Co-Producer
- John Flavin … Associate Producer
- Cristine Chambers … Associate Producer
- Stewart Lerman … Original Music Producer
- Christina Graff … Visual Effects Executive Producer
- Richard Friedlander … Visual Effects Producer
- Glenn Allen … Visual Effects Producer
- Magdalena Wolf … Visual Effects Producer
- Christa Tazzeo … VFX Associate Producer
- Nelson Johnson … Based on the book by
- Pat Birch … Choreographer
- Steve Buscemi … Cast, Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson
- Michael Pitt … Cast, James 'Jimmy' Darmody
- Kelly Macdonald … Cast, Margaret Schroeder
- Michael Shannon … Cast, Nelson Van Alden
- Shea Wigham … Cast, Eli Thompson
- Aleksa Palladino … Cast, Angela Darmody
- Michael Stuhlbarg … Cast, Arnold Rothstein
- Stephen Graham … Cast, Al Capone
- Vincent Piazza … Cast, Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano
- Paz de la Huerta … Cast, Lucy Danziger
- Michael Kenneth Williams … Cast, Albert 'Chalky' White
- Anthony Laciura … Cast, Eddie Kessler
- Paul Sparks … Cast, Mickey Doyle
- Dabney Coleman … Cast, Commodore Louis Kaestner
- Gretchen Mol … Cast, Gillian Darmody
- Greg Antonacci … Cast, Johnny Torrio
- Jack Huston … Cast, Richard Harrow
- Max Casella … Cast, Leo D'Alessio
- Chris Mulkey … Cast, Boss Frank Hague
- Edoardo Ballerini … Cast, Ignatius D'Alessio
- Peter McRobbie … Cast, Supervisor Elliot
- Anatol Yusef … Cast, Meyer Lansky
- Remy Bennett … Cast, Floozy
- James Caufield … Cast, Barber
- Rony Clanton … Cast, Butler
- Peter Claymore … Cast, Grey-Haired Man
- Robert Clohessy … Cast, Ward Boss Neary
- Danielle Davenport … Cast, Chalky's Date
- Stephen DeRosa … Cast, Eddie Cantor
- Lucy Gallina … Cast, Emily Schroeder
- Josie Gallina … Cast, Emily Schroeder
- Craig Geraghty … Cast, Voter #1
- Vince Giordano … Cast, Bandleader
- Enid Graham … Cast, Rose Van Alden
- Kevin Henderson … Cast, Dr. Carl Surran
- William Hill … Cast, Ward Boss O'Neill
- Mat Hostetler … Cast, Agent Keener
- Virginia Kull … Cast, Nan Britton
- Gary Littman … Cast, Radio Announcer
- Johnnie Mae … Cast, Louanne
- Kenn Mann … Cast, Postal Worker
- Nicholas Martino … Cast, Pius D'Alessio
- Laura Mills McClatchy … Cast, Voter #3
- Galway McCullough … Cast, Voter #2
- Edward McGinty … Cast, Ward Boss Boyd
- Rory McTigue … Cast, Teddy Schroeder
- Declan McTigue … Cast, Teddy Schroeder
- Tracy Lynn Middendorf … Cast, Babette
- Adam Mucci … Cast, Deputy Halloran
- Brady Noon … Cast, Tommy Darmody
- Connor Noon … Cast, Tommy Darmody
- Kevin O'Rourke … Cast, Edward Bader
- Megan Reinking … Cast, Annabelle
- Allen Lewis Rickman … Cast, George Baxter
- Tracy Sallows … Cast, Kathryn Bader
- Eric Schneider … Cast, Sixtus D'Alessio
- Samuel Taylor … Cast, Paddy Ryan
- Fiana Tiobin … Cast, Mrs. Neary
- Victor Verhaeghe … Cast, Ward Boss Fleming
- Susan Wands … Cast, Mrs. O'Neil
- Mark Manley … Cast, Babette's Dancer #6
- Noah Racey … Cast, Babette's Dancer #7
- Doug Sheppard … Cast, Babette's Dancer #4
- Felicity Stiverson … Cast, Babette's Dancer #5
- Amanda Suchy … Cast, Babette's Dancer #2
- William Ward … Cast, Will
- Adam Zotovich … Cast, Babette's Dancer #3