Recap: White Horse Pike – Boardwalk Empire

Eli Thompson meets with Agent Knox (yeah, yeah, Tolliver) in the opening scene of “White Horse Pike” (Season 4, Episode 10 of Boardwalk Empire) and his sidekick, Agent Selby. Eli appears to be cooperating at least with the Chicago connection, telling the agents about a Ukranian mobster named Balanchuk, who works with Johnny Torrio. Agent Selby is skeptical because he thought Torrio only worked with Italians, but Eli tells them gangsters come in all flavors: Jews, Irish — he brings up Jake Guzik as a prime example (Guzik was born in Poland and he was Jewish) and says “He’s like Torrio’s second.” Knox gives Eli a little pep talk on how it takes courage to do what he’s doing (rat out his own brother), and reminds him why he is doing it, because he’s a good father, reminding him he’s being blackmailed.

In Tampa, Sally Wheet discovers that Vincent Petrucelli, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lanksy are stashing heroin in with the oranges and rum. She calls Nucky up to give him the scoop. He wants to know how she knows that but Sally doesn’t say she happened to come across them and see them doing it. She pertly says “A girl has her ways.” Bill McCoy is with Sally and Nucky wants to know if she’s told anyone else besides him, but Ol’ Sal is smarter than that. Nucky wants her to keep tabs on McCoy.

Agent Knox pays a visit to Eli’s home and is having coffee with June and the kids when Eli comes downstairs. Knox has told Eli’s family that he’s an insurance salesman who just sold Eli a whole life policy that will result in a nice little nest egg for the family some day. Knox says his name is Balanchuk. When Willie makes a joke about the nest egg, Knox compliments Eli on having a fine son, who left college to work with the mayor. The family leaves Eli and Knox to business. Eli naturally is furious but so is Knox, who knows the Balanchuk info was worthless — he’s been dead for two years. Knox is mighty pissed at being played. Coffee spills across June’s nice tablecloth as they scuffle and Knox reminds Eli that Willie’s ass is on the line if his information is bogus.

Outside of the Onyx Club, Chalky makes plans with his men to sock it to Dr. Valentin Narcisse when he finds out that the new dishwasher is Richard Harrow. The workers have obviously been giving Harrow a bad time, calling him “ofay,” a racial slur for whites. (There are many theories on its origins – we can go with one of them — Pig Latin for “foe”). They resent him getting a job there, using up someone’s spot. Chalky tells them Harrow is a friend of his (who helped round up the KKK members many moons ago) and shakes Harrow’s hand.

At his warehouse, Mickey Doyle tells Eli Thompson all about Douglas Fairbanks in “The Thief of Baghdad,” on their way to confer with Nucky, who gives them orders to meet up with the Tampa convoy out on White Horse Pike and find out if they really do have heroin stashed in with the rum. Nucky tells Eli to bring Knox and a couple of his men. While they wait for the trucks to arrive, Knox reveals that Edgar Allan Poe’s fictional detective, C. Auguste Dupin, inspired him to go into law enforcement. Eli is about as impressed as he was with Douglas Fairbanks.

When the convoy arrives, Eli is surprised to see Meyer Lansky, then shocked when loose cannon Knox kills a driver who doesn’t want to let him past to inspect the trucks. The heroin is uncovered and Nucky is called. When he arrives, he demands an explanation from Lansky, who is kneeling in front of a ditch cum makeshift grave, trying to talk his way out of this jam for all it’s worth. He blames Masseria and babbles: “If it were strictly up to me, sir, I would have nothing to do with narcotics,” prattling on about how the profits from alcohol are just as good and it’s safer. Nucky smacks him upside his head and warns him to knock off the boy scout routine or “you’re going in the hole.” Lansky cops to being lured in by the millions to be made from the heroin trade. Nucky wants him to get Masseria to Atlantic City.

That night, Chalky and his crew shoot out the windows of the Universal Negro Improvement Association as Dr. Narcisse and some of his men duck for cover. Chalky doesn’t check to make sure Narcisse was among the fallen. No, he and his men actually turn their backs to the UNIA when walking back to the vehicle. Unscathed, Narcisse manages to get up and get his weapon out. As Chalky jumps into the car, he is hit in the shoulder. They speed away as Narcisse gets outside and runs out of bullets.

Narcisse later storms into the inner sanctum at The Onyx Club, confronting Nucky and demanding to know where Chalky is while his bodyguard and Nucky’s guy have a standoff at the door. Narcisse informs Nucky that three of his men are dead. Nucky reminds him that he started the beef with Chalky. In one breath, Narcisse quotes from Macbeth: “I will cut him from nave to chops,” while in another, when Nucky refuses to be cowed, he totally loses his cool and reverts back to his native Caribbean accent. “Mr. Thompson not ready for dis.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Nucky replies and tells him to get the bleep out of his club.

Chalky has found refuge at the American Legion Hall where Richard Harrow is tending to his wound. Mr. Coates brings Daughter Maitland, who is very upset to see her man shot up even though she still has not recovered from the beating Narcisse inflicted on her. She says Narcisse will come after them, but Chalky is undaunted, bad arm or not. Nucky is surprised to see Daughter there when he arrives, but Chalky informs him that Daughter is the “the one who put the knife in Purnsley’s back.” Nucky tells Chalky to sit tight till he calls.

At City Hall, Mayor Bader is speechifying to the press, vowing to find those responsible for the attack on Narcisse, who is also there. Later, Nucky calls the mayor and tells him to send two deputies to get Chalky out of town. Nucky finds out what bad move that was a little too late when Willie Thompson shows up and tells his uncle about Narcisse being with Bader.

Chalky and Daughter find out on the way out of town. As Daughter sings “River of Jordan,” Chalky notices the deputies failure to take the turn to Philadelphia. He gets ready for what’s coming next. The deputy on the passenger side gets his face shot off when he makes his move and Chalky uses his makeshift flag sling to strangle the driver while Daughter gets the car to stop.

Lester and Maybelle White visit the Onyx Club after hours. While Lester tickles the ivories, Maybelle goes upstairs to the inner sanctum. She is about to recline on a sofa when she realizes she is not alone. Dr. Narcisse is sitting by the glass window looking down into the club. He introduces himself as “Richard Pastor.” When she says she is there with her brother, who’s playing the piano, Narcisse realizes she is Chalky’s daughter. Maybelle asks if he knows where Chalky is and he replies that he does not know, although he has heard the rumors and lies. Maybelle says her mother can’t even get out of bed and her wedding has been called off by Samuel’s father (who apparently never thought she was good enough for his boy). “Why must it be the daughters who suffer?” Narcisse rhapsodizes, continuing with his usual lofty observations, bringing Maybelle close to tears. Let us hope this is not an omen.

Joe Masseria strolls into the Onyx Club with Tonino Sandrelli. Nucky is sitting at a table with a chastened Meyer Lanksy. Masseria says he will wait for his partner to show up before they talk and, much to Nucky’s consternation, Dr. Valentin Narcisse appears and takes a seat. Narcisse admits that he “provides heroin to the wretched souls who desire it” and plans to continue to do so with or without Nucky’s cooperation. They want to cut Nucky in but Narcisse says Nucky must give him his full support on the North Side, and hand over Chalky White to him personally. Nucky says he wants a third of all the action and they agree. He and Narcisse shakes hands.

Back at the Albatross Hotel, Nucky is prepping his troops and tells Eli that Mayor Bader has turned. Eli shows up and says it looks like he’s got the Seventh Regiment over there. Then Eli sees his son Will and wants him to leave, but Nucky says Will knows the score: “He’s doing his job Eli. Why else would I put him next to Bader?” Eli asks his son if this is the life he wants. Will looks him straight in the eye and says: “Pop, isn’t it what we do?” Eli appears to capitulate and says “All right, let’s get it sorted out.”

There was a shoot up in Chicago, too:

Al Capone and brother Frank are divvying up O’ Banion’s territory and giving George Mueller (yeah, yeah, Nelson Van Alden) a share. Boss Johnny Torrio shows up, wondering where Capone gets his chutzpah. Capone suggests that Torrio may be thinking of taking it easy, retiring even, but Torrio would like to decide when he retires himself.

Later in the company of some loose women, Al and Ralph regale everyone with risque jokes while Mueller gets sent off to make a Tom Collins. Al Capone gets a call and right after he hangs up, Mueller notices gunmen in the building directly across the way. He covers Al Capone. When it’s over, Al screams for Ralph, not wanting to lose another brother.

In Washington, D.C.

Knox is at federal headquarters, while J. Edgar Hoover is watching a film reel depicting Marcus Garvey stirring up civil unrest at Carnegie Hall. Hoover notices that Agent Knox’s “tail is wagging.” He wants a pat on the head for strong-arming Eli Thompson, “the weak link.” Hoover is more interested in another agent’s man in Harlem. and brushes his unhappy puppy dog off.

Meantime in New York

Margaret’s moving on up to the big time again. Arnold Rothstein (yeah, yeah, posing as Abe Redstone) stops by her desk at the brokerage firm. She cuts short her call about a fancier apartment, and he asks her if she is looking for a new place. He also wants to know how much she makes a week. When she tells him that she makes $11 a week, he assures her the place she was calling about is beyond her means, and she ought to look him up since he owns apartments uptown. Margaret wants to know what the strings are and he tells her her boss Robert Bennett is doing something sheisty with that Anaconda Realty stock. He wants inside information and gives her his phone number. Rothstein, you may recall, was Billie Kent’s landlord.

Well, just one more night in her brother’s flat sleeping in one room with her two kids and listening to the upstairs neighbors raise the roof is all it takes for Margaret to take the bait. (We saw at least one sister in there, too).  Margaret and Rothstein meet at her apartment where she exchanges a trade slip and a promise of future info for a guaranteed rent-free apartment for 5 years, with separate rooms for Teddy and Emily. Rothstein is quite amused at her criminal comparisons and rationalizations.