Recap: Old Ship of Zion – Boardwalk Empire

The episode opens with Dunn Purnsley, in his role as a heroin supplier for Dr. Valentin Narcisse, visiting Mrs. Monroe on Baltic Avenue. She is an elderly woman he is paying to let people shoot up in her parlor. Disgusted by the mess inside and out, Dunn delivers more heroin to the man in charge, Mose, and gets on him for not running a tighter ship. He demands that Mose keep the place tidier and cut the heroin 4 times, not 2. He gives Mose a flyer for “Ominira,” a play Dr. Valentine Narcisse expects everyone to attend over on Arctic Ave.

We didn’t come here to get lectured by you, Jim.

In Washington, James Tolliver aka Agent Knox meets with his agents. He is not amused at a funny tale about Arnold Rothstein’s horse betting losses and reads them out. If they can’t help him bring down the nationwide criminal bootlegging conspiracy, they can go back to investigating land fraud. The agents are angry but one does have something cogent to offer. He’s learned that Nucky Thompson has a nephew named William, a Temple college student, with a roommate sitting in jail for murder. The nephew was the first one brought in for questioning. After Nucky spent 35 minutes with the D.A., the nephew was released. Knox doesn’t send any of these guys to investigate further. He finds out what Clayton smokes then personally visits the kid in jail with 3 packs of Chesterfields cigarettes. “Tell me all about William Thompson,” he smirks.

We all have to move forward.

Willie Thompson’s at the Albatross Hotel, current abode of his Uncle Nucky Thompson, after the fracas about him leaving school. Willie slept in the late Eddie Kessler room, where his birds still reside. Their singing rouses him and he wanders off to find some breakfast. Eddie’s absence is felt in the lack of supplies — Kessler never would have left the cupboard so bare! But Will manages to rustle up some coffee, eggs and toast. He has his breakfast on the porch while reading headlines about a deadly tornado that struck Alabama and Mississippi in the last week of May 1924. This puts us in about the same time frame as last week’s episode.

Uncle Nucky comes out and Will informs him of the paltry pantry situation. Will offers him some food, but his uncle declines as he has to go out. The boy wants to go along until he learns that Eli will be present. “We’re all on the same side here,” Nucky observes, and tells Will it’s not practical for him to return to Temple. He has to start thinking of a way to turn things into an opportunity.

Rest with Jesus, Deacon.

Daughter Maitland sings “The Old Ship of Zion” at the Shiloh Baptist Church for Deacon Cuffy’s funeral, attended by Dr. Narcisse, offering comfort to a woman in the front row. Mayor Edward Bader is there to offer an “Amen.” Chalky White and his entire family attend. Chalky is, as usual, mesmerized by Daughter’s song. His wife, Lenore, catches on to the spellbound look on his face while the rest of the congregation eyes him up so suspiciously, his daughter Maybelle notices.

First bottle – it’s good luck.

Nucky meets up with his brother, Eli, and their man Mickey Doyle, who regales them with tales of dating his girlfriend’s sister, without even realizing it. Nucky sends him outside and he and Eli have a few words about Will. “When did you become the expert on my son?” Eli wants to know. Nucky points out that he is not happy with the boy being at the Albatross but Eli needs to “leave him be — he’ll get bored,” and says it’s better to keep things in the family.

The illegal shipment of booze packed in crates of oranges arrives from Tampa. Beginning his inspection, Nucky gives Eli the first bottle for good luck. Then he hears a woman laughing and is both amazed and confused to find Sally Wheet joking with Mickey. Nucky thinks that Sally should have let him know she was coming, and offers to get her a hotel room and buy her dinner, but Sally gives him a hard time, throws him an orange and tells him to make himself a rum swizzle.

Let’s go, buck. Chair ain’t running off nowhere

As Dunn Purnsley returns to the barber shop, he orders another man to keep an eye on Mose who may be skimming, then spies Chalky sitting in Dunn’s customary seat in the back. Chalky wonders why Dunn didn’t show up for Cuffy’s funeral and recounts how everyone was eyeing him up “hincty.” Dunn says nobody knows nothing about the murder but Chalky says someone does. He takes Dunn on a visit over to Mrs. Monroe’s where he and his men bust up the heroin den. Just when Chalky finds out Mose is in charge, Purnsley runs in and shoots Mose. Chalky is upset. Now he can’t question Mose but yeah, that wouldn’t have worked out for Dunn, who now points him to the heroin and cash. Chalky goes through Mose’s bloodied jacket and finds the Ominira flyer.

That’s the blues.

Returning to the Albatross, Nucky finds Mayor Edward Bader engaged in a “chinwag” with Willie, who wants to know how Bader got into politics. Bader is there to remind Nucky that it’s election year. He’ll have a tough time getting re-elected without the colored vote. Nucky tells him to take that up with Chalky, but Bader sees the Deacon’s murder as a symptom of incompetence on Chalky’s part.

Chalky watches Daughter Maitland sing the blues on the Onyx Club stage when Nucky Thompson stops by with a few remarks about the singing and style of music. Nucky broaches the subject of the Deacon’s murder and Chalky says the Deacon was somewhere he shouldn’t have been. Nucky knows the Deacon was where deacons usually are so Chalky backpedals and says he’s looking into it. Nucky offends Chalky (not hard to do) by advising him to make a donation to the church. Nucky says he’s just talking to a friend, and warns Chalky not to let his life get out of hand.

Let’s have us a rendez-vous

Nucky goes to the bar for a drink only to find Sally Wheet and Mickey Doyle flirting outrageously nearby. Sally keeps up her tough mama act for Nucky while Mickey is clueless to the undercurrent. She suggests that Mickey take her to Rendezvous Park, and he is about to accommodate her when Nucky snatches Eddie’s cane out of his hand. Doyle is confused and asks what he’s missing. Apparently a knock upside the head. Nucky whacks him with the cane. He gets the message now and leaves. His prior claim established, Nucky and Sally end up having noisy sex at the Albatross which is a lot harder for Will to get any sleep to than singing birds.

In the stirring words of Brother Garvey: Up! Up! Mighty Race.

“Ominira” is a play Valentin Narcisse wrote himself complete with tainted blood and foreign kind references. There are 3 characters: Africanus, Wanton and a baby girl. Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Africanus is Narcisse himself when his objective is to wrest the baby from Wanton’s arms. He could have subtitled it “based on a true story,” but since he changed Wanton’s death in the play from murder to suicide, he undoubtedly thought it better not to. Narcisse is just overcome with emotion at his masterpiece reciting the lines along with the actors. After the curtain is drawn, he takes a small bow and launches into one of his “uplifting” spiels, but there is a big clanging outside and the audience gets up to see what’s going on out there.

Chalky White, flanked by his men and turncoat Dunn Purnsley, are standing on the opposite side of the street. Chalky is banging on a tin garbage can lid. Chalky announces there’s no need to worry about the house on Baltic anymore. He is holding a heroin packet. When someone asks what it is, he says “The doctor could tell you.”

Narcisse tries to play off the disturbance by telling Chalky he has just missed the play. Chalky has his own idea for a performance he calls “Harlem by Torchlight.” Narcisse watches as Chalky burns his investment up.

Later, Narcisse visits a sleeping Daughter Maitland who doesn’t want to get up so early. Narcisse attributes it to her weakness — melancholy, and tells her it makes him feel that he has failed her when she gives in to it. She says she is sorry, and asks how the play went. Narcisse says the symbolism escaped the comprehension of his Atlantic City audience. Then he says she must keep Chalky in her room when he comes to see her later. Another visitor will show up. Daughter surely knows what that means.

When Sal-Lee Met Will-Yum

A flustered Willie almost starts a fire in the kitchen when buxom Sally wanders in the next morning. He is so discombobulated, he introduces himself as “Uncle Nucky,” amending that to “Uncle Nucky’s nephew, Will… yum.” Amused, Sally gets the breakfast vittles going and they chat over hush puppies, bacon and eggs. When Nucky joins them, Will has figured out how he can change his situation into an opportunity. He humbly asks for a position at the bottom, with an aim to proving he can be the man Nucky wants him to be. Nucky makes the point that he has to be doing it because it’s what Will wants to be.

Nucky and Sally have a farewell conversation where he tries to persuade her to stay one more night, but all Sally wants is $1,500 for her efforts: “I didn’t babysit your first shipment up north just because I have a good heart,” Sally informs him. “I kept those boys in line and we didn’t spill a drop.” Now there’s a gal who can spot an opportunity.

As Will prepares to go back home, he learns he will be working at the Mayor’s office where he will be a mole for Nucky. Will says he wants the family to be back in power as they were when Jack Dempsey came to Nucky’s club. Nucky presents Will with his cherished “Ragged Dick” book, a present from Nucky’s mother. “There’s a lot you can learn from it,” he advises.

Bring us your brother along with the criminals he conspires with

As Eli Thompson sits in a coffee shop, writing notes, Agent Knox suddenly plops down opposite him in the booth. He claims he has found out that Eddie Kessler was part of a violent criminal organization that runs Atlantic City. Eli thinks it’s one of Knox’s dumb jokes and says he doesn’t get his sense of humor. Knox’s partner shows up and forces Eli over, taking his gun which he slides under the table to Knox. They tell Eli who they really are and relate the Philadelphia episode involving Will, Clayton and the now dead Henry “Bucky” Gates. Eli tries to keep his cool, but at one point picks up a fork and lunges at Knox across the table. Knox warns him that people can see him in this public place.

“Eddie Kessler had nothing to lose,” Knox says, “You do. Make the smart call.” All he has to do is nod that he will cooperate in bringing his brother, Nucky, down and his son, Will, will stay free.

I was drifting away on life’s pitiless sea.

That night, Chalky gets ready to leave after making love to Daughter and she tries to get him to stay. She says he must be getting tired of her already but he says he has business. She says his wife will notice his clothes are all mussed up but he says he’ll change at the office and, it doesn’t matter anyway. He paid for everything his wife has and she never questions how he makes his money. His children are a different matter.

Chalky tells her when she sings, it sounds like she is tying up a secret, but Daughter says she has no secrets. She is someone who just walks over the world and can never find her place because she doesn’t have one. Chalky thought the doctor looked after her but Daughter says that’s not what he does. He tells her that they sang “The Old Ship of Zion” at his father’s grave and when he heard it, he knew he was going to leave his home. He’s never seen his mother and brothers since. Daughter says that makes him just like her, and he asks her to sing the hymn for him with the old words. As she sings looking up at him like a child, tears falls down Chalky’s face. Daughter has an epiphany, feeling a strong common bond with Chalky. She chokes up and stops but Chalky asks her to keep singing. Daughter says “It’s wrong.” Chalky says “No, it’s beautiful.” Then there is a knock on the door.

Jarred out of his reverie, Chalky demands to know who Daughter is expecting. “Bossman, it’s me,” Dunn Purnsley calls out. A nod from Chalky and Daughter lets him in. Chalky asks how Dunn knew where he was. Dunn says the piano player ‘fessed up and it wasn’t that hard to figure out. He blames the heroin dealing and Deacon Cuffy’s murder on Valentin Narcisse. He has a car waiting downstairs so they can send Narcisse “straight back to Libya.”

Chalky marvels how Dunn has it all figured out and asks about Daughter. Dunn says she’s a plant from Narcisse to distract him. “One thing you ain’t mention, buck,” Chalky says, and asks how much Dunn is getting to betray him. A deadly struggle ensues. Chalky manages to get a hold of a sharp piece of wood, using it as a weapon. He sticks it in Dunn’s mouth forcing it through his cheek. But Dunn still gets the upper hand and is choking the life out of Chalky when suddenly his back arches. Daughter has planted a meat cleaver in it. Rising, trying to get the blade out, he can only manage a few words to express his shock at this turn of events. Daughter was supposed to be part of the trap. He falls dead and Daughter rushes to Chalky, reciting Psalm 19:13, while begging him to breathe.

More Quotes from Old Ship of Zion

The episode ends with Eli Thompson returning home to find his prodigal son playing ukulele while everybody sings “Does the Spearmint Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight.” Will’s glance at Uncle Nucky before getting up to make his apology to Eli surely was not lost on us, or Eli either, we think. The kid admits he was disobedient and disrespectful and asks if he can come back home. Eli takes in the whole room with his wife and 7 other children and his brother sitting there, then embraces Willie. He tells them to carry on: “Don’t stop the fun on my account.” Nucky comes over and says: “Didn’t I say it was going to work itself out?”

Eli says he did, and adds: “Thank you, brother.”

Old Ship of Zion Supporting Cast