Boardwalk Empire: The Commodore

Louis “The Commodore” Kaestner was a character in Boardwalk Empire throughout Season 1 and most of Season 2. Based upon real life Atlantic City political figure, Louis Kuehlne, the fictional Commodore’s life ended in a vastly different manner and a lot earlier than Kuehlne*.

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The Commodore was portrayed by actor Dabney Coleman, also known for his roles in:
You’ve Got Mail (1998)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
Nine to Five (1980)

Family:
Son: James “Jimmy” Darmody (Michael Pitt)
Daughter-in-Law: Angela Darmody (Aleksa Palladino)
Grandson: Tommy Darmody
(Connor and Brady Noon)

Associations:
Frenemy: Nucky Thompson
(Steve Buscemi)
Business: Eli Thompson
(Shea Whigham)
Attorney: Leander Whitlock (Dominic Chianese)

Baby Mama:
Gillian Darmody (Gretchen Mol)

In Season One, Nucky goes to the Commodore for advice and also pays him a share of the money made through collections in Atlantic City. Their mentor/protege relationship is revealed as well as the fact that the Commodore took the fall for charges brought against him and Nucky. Kaestner knew Nucky’s wife Mabel and just got of of prison when she passed away. Nucky relates that James Darmody is responsible for the hijacking in the woods. Kaestner advises Nucky to frame someone for the hijacking.

In the Ivory Tower, the Commodore and Nucky discuss politics and women voting. He calls his maid Luanne in to illustrate why women should not get the vote. Nucky informs the Commodore that he plans to send Darmody away. Kaestner approves. In Anastasia, the Commodore attends Nucky Thompson’s birthday party at Babette’s Supper Club. They dine with Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague and NJ Senator Walter Edge and their dates. In Nights in Ballygran, the Order of Ancient Celts holds their annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Amid raucous ridicule, Eli Thompson tries to give a speech, the Commodore warns Nucky that things are getting out of hand.

In Home, the obviously sick Commodore is being tended to by his maid Luanne. With no appetite, his dog, Jerry, eats most of his supper. Luanne grinds his pills up, and tells him to remembers the doctor’s advice. She thinks he has worms but he thinks he is dying. He wants to know if Nucky has brought his money envelope by and learns he sent Al Boyd over with it. The Commodore is not happy Nucky didn’t deliver it personally and grouses about ending up in jail. Luanne gives him a green liquid to drink down. It makes him throw up.

Nucky does show up in Belle Femme, telling the Commodore “You look like shit.” The Commodore reminds Nucky about his stint in prison but Nucky says it’s time that they put that issue to bed. In the face of mounting political troubles, the Commodore advises Nucky to find a new mayor (they can control) and to replace Eli as Sheriff too. In Paris Green, with the Commodore’s health even more precarious, Gillian Darmody calls Jimmy. He tells Angela “My father is dying.” Jimmy figures out he is being poisoned when a bite of a biscuit makes him throw up. He thinks his mother was behind it. Luanne Pratt takes the blame and some money from Nucky to leave town, but not before slipping him a note in a bible. While recovering, the Commodore explains to his son how he ended up in jail and how he plans to take Atlantic City back from Nucky.

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In Season 2, the Commodore’s plan to destroy Nucky is set in motion. He has Jimmy (and by default, Richard Harrow), Nucky’s brother, Eli, and most of the ward bosses, except Damian Flemming. After the KKK ambushes Chalky’s operation, the Commodore assures Jimmy and Eli that Nucky is no more a match for him than the dead animals that decorate his mansion.

“These animals — beasts — any one of them could have torn me to pieces, but they didn’t … this giant, 600 pounds, over 7 feet tall. I tracked him for 3 hours, finally cornered him in a ravine. He smelled me, started coming closer. Son of a bitch got cocky, thought I was scared, reared up on me and puffed up his chest and let out a roar. Blasted him right in the gut. Bled out, looking up at me, like he couldn’t believe it.” He tells his son that he will be judged by what he succeeds at and not by what he attempts.

Nucky tries to get Jimmy and Eli out of the Commodore’s web but his warnings fall on deaf ears. The Commodore introduces Jimmy and Eli to Atlantic City’s power brokers who bankroll them with $70,000. In a Dangerous Maid, the Commodore and Jimmy have a tense showdown with Nucky at Babette’s. Nucky promises to ruin all of them.

In “What Does the Bee Do,” after some Gillian Darmody entertainment, the Commodore suffers a stroke leaving him partially paralyzed and unable to speak. Gillian gets revenge on the helpless old man for raping her as a helpless adolescent.

The Commodore’s attorney, Leander Cephas Whitlock mentors Jimmy but he is a more cautious man. Sometimes he even seems to be pro-Nucky. Jimmy is willing to take over the reins but on his own terms. Eli wants to go back to Nucky and informs Nucky of the Commodore’s stroke.

Eli Thompson decides he wants Nucky killed and Jimmy’s new partners concur. Outnumbered, Jimmy goes along with the plan to bring in a gunman from Chicago. The plot fails when Nucky is only shot in the hand.

In “Two Boats and a Lifeguard,” after his father dies, Nucky hands the reins over to Jimmy but makes plans to take over the bootleg business and sets a worker strike in motion. As the Commodore’s recovery continues, so do the meetings at his mansion, and he is finally able to voice his disapproval of Jimmy’s methods, crudely calling him out for weakness in front of everyone.

After Jimmy’s wife and lover are murdered by Manny Horvitz, Jimmy returns to the mansion where Gillian is caring for his son, Tommy. Upset by Gillian’s prediction that the boy will forget his mother in a month. Jimmy proceeds to throttle his mother. Suddenly, the Commodore appears with an antique spear and stabs Jimmy in the back. They struggle and the Commodore manages to get the spear across Jimmy’s throat, but Jimmy gets his knife out and stabs his father in the stomach. As the Commodore stands there in shock, Gillian yells at Jimmy to finish him off. He does.

Whitlock pays to have the death ruled accidental and informs Gillian and Jimmy that the Commodore never changed a 1914 Will leaving the bulk of his estate to Luanne Pratt. Jimmy confirms that without it, the estate will go to him and after him, to his son Tommy. He rips the Will up. Neary tells Jimmy that he has suggested a street be named after the Commodore.* Nucky meets with Jimmy and after learning of the Commodore’s death, offers condolences.

*The Commodore is loosely based on Louis “Commodore” Kuehnle, who really died in 1934. Kuehnle Avenue in Atlantic City still bears his name.