Boardwalk Empire: Under God’s Power Recap

The flashbacks that opened “Under God’s Power She Flourishes” previewed some past events that would be more fully explained in Boardwalk Empire Season Two’s 11th episode. Previously assumed reasons for Jimmy Darmody quitting Princeton to join the army were shown first. Sebso’s fatal baptism was shown next. Luciano giving Jimmy heroin; Van Alden’s divorce petition; Emily’s diagnosis and Margaret’s donation to the church. We delved further into the Hans Schroeder and Angela Darmody murder, and even added another main character to the body count.

We don’t know about you, but the Princeton flashbacks seemed fairly unnecessary at this point. Nevertheless, we have put them altogether in Under God’s Power Flashback. Here’s what happened in the current time frame:

Nucky’s new attorney, Bill Fallon,  is giving him the straight dope on the difficulties he is having trying to tip the scales in Nucky’s favor.  Halloran will testify that Nucky ordered Hans Schroeder’s death and Eli has everything to gain by fingering Nucky. Van Alden will also testify. “The man’s a bigamist,” Nucky protests. “No,” says, “He’s an adulterer with a child by your former mistress. Let’s not have the jury even start wondering whose ox is being gored there.” An employee is hanging around in the office a little longer than he needs to. “Do you need to dust under my eyelids, Harlan?” Nucky asks. Harlan says no and Nucky tells him “that’s all for now.” Nucky then asks him how bad is it and Fallon replies: “A prudent man may want to get his finances in order.” Fallon goes to get a scotch and Nucky questions Harlan as to why he is still hanging around.

Harlan begins to express his gratitude for continuing employment during the strike and says he belongs to the Shiloh Baptist Church. Nucky impatiently tries to shoo him out but Fallon wants to hear what’s on his mind. Harlan tells them how Agent Van Alden drowned Agent Sebso in front of the whole congregation during the Week of Miracles. Wow! We always hated that Van Alden wasn’t called to account for that.

Sigrid is making breakfast and gives Van Alden some coffee. He doesn’t understand her Dutch greeting and says he’s from upstate New York. She asks about his parents and he explains their estrangement. His father followed an 1892 prophecy of a Second Coming and gave away their farm. (This is apparently based upon the Millerites who thought the Second Coming was on October 22, 1844).

“We lived in a tent penniless for an entire year,” Van Alden says, “waiting for the Lord to return cloaked in fire and glory.” When it didn’t happen, his father never got over it and Van Alden adds: “somehow the mere fact of my ongoing existence is more than he can bear.” Sigrid allows that Jesus will still come and believes that since Van Alden is a good man, there’s nothing to be frightened of. This earns her one of those weird Van Alden smiles.

After little Emily is fitted for braces, she agrees to give them a try but almost collapses as she says they are “rubbery.” Margaret is given advice on helping her cope at home. Father Brennan tells Margaret she’s held Emily up and the Lord will hold her up. He relates a parable of heaven and hell and a long spoon. The souls in hell were starving at a feast because they couldn’t figure out how to use the spoon, but the souls in heaven fed each other.  He also tells her how her donation went for walls and flooring in a new wing and they are now praying for a roof. Margaret suggests she can do more, but the priest says that’s not what he meant and walks away.

At Jimmy’s beachhouse, while the bodies of Angela and Louise are taken away, a policeman questions Gillian on  Jimmy’s whereabouts.  Gillian is annoyed that Sheriff Eli Thompson did not come. She tells him what happened. Her son’s wife had a female lover, most likely not for the first time. An intruder broke in and killed them both.The officer’s attempt to question Richard Harrow is thwarted by Gillian. “Can’t you see this man is a simpleton,” she says, “He’s just someone my son is charitable to. He doesn’t know anything.” After he leaves, Harrow says he hasn’t been able to get a hold of Jimmy. Harrow goes to the spot where Angela’s blood is still on the floor and touches the blood.

Al Capone, Lansky and Lucky Luciano are thinking Jimmy won’t return to Atlantic City because he committed the murders. Capone says if it was his wife, he would have done the same. Luciano says if it was Capone’s wife, he wouldn’t blame her. Mickey Doyle tells them Manny Horvitz did it. Lansky tells Mickey to pay Jimmy out of his share. When he wants to know why, Capone tell him he is a “mope.” Luciano informs him that Rothstein holds a half million dollar policy on his life, calls him a snitch and suggests they put a slug in his head and split the proceeds.

Margaret tells Nucky about Father Brennan’s parable, which makes no sense to him. She throws up the Two Boats and a Lifeguard joke in his face. Nucky explains that is about helping yourself. She asks him if he believes in higher power. “The Federal government comes to mind,” he says dryly. He admits he does not know if there is a higher power but knows he does not believe in divine retribution. They are interrupted by Emily’s need to go potty.

An attorney visits Eli at the jail and informs him that Deputy Halloran’s testimony could put him in the chair, unless he testifies that Nucky ordered him to kill Hans Schroeder.

Heeding his counsel’s advice, Nucky talks to Margaret about his finances in the event that he is sent to jail, but after Margaret tells Nucky she thinks he needs something good to come out of all this, she zones out and doesn’t even listen.

When questioned by Esther Randolph about Margaret, Van Alden lies and says she made no impression on him one way or the other. He takes out the divorce petition from Rose and signs it. Later, Van Alden visits Mickey Doyle. Doyle proposes a deal where they can split $150,000 each.  Van Alden refuses and tells Doyle not to contact him under any circumstances.  Doyle ponders Van Alden intent to screw him over.

Owen Sleater comes downstairs and sees Margaret working on Emily’s braces. He apologizes, saying he didn’t know she was there, but offers to help fix the problem. He tells Margaret that he thinks about her and asks if she thinks about him.  She says she doesn’t and says she will pray that he will find the strength to stop thinking about her. Amused, he observes that would mean she will be thinking of him. They turn to see Katy overheard that last line at least. She scurries out.

When Gillian finally is able to contact Jimmy, he is both drunk and into the heroin that Lucky Luciano gave him. She exhorts him to return to Atlantic City to demonstrate that he has nothing to hide.

Van Alden goes to the post office where Esther Randolph introduces him to Bill Fallon. Deacon Cuffey is also there spouting half of Proverbs 21:15 (“It is joy to the just to do judgment …”). They produce some of Sebso’s belongings, even his wingtip shoes that he bought at Driscolls on discount. As Clifford Lathrop approaches Van Alden to take his weapon off him and place him under arrest, Van Alden gets hold of the gun and shoots Lathrop in the leg. Esther Randolph runs to Lathrop and Van Alden runs wildly out of the building, knocking someone over.

The next encounter between Nucky and Margaret is entirely different because Nucky now knows that Van Alden isn’t a credible witness. So when Margaret says she has been subpoenaed, he tells her to ignore it. Margaret asks about Eli, but Nucky says blood is thicker than water and he will think of something.  Margaret says she is culpable for Emily’s illness because she’s stolen, cheated and deceived.  Clearly upset over her behavior, Nucky wants to know who she stole from. She says her family, her employer and admits that she stole from  him.  He asks who she deceived. “Anyone who thinks I’m good,” she says. Nucky demands to know who she cheated on. “I live with the man who had the father of my children murdered,” she sputters out. Nucky doesn’t want to hear that! She tries to say he admitted to it, but he insists all he ever said was Hans deserved it. Nucky tells her if she wants to punish herself because her daughter became ill, that’s her business, but he will not permit her to sacrifice him. Margaret is almost defiant. “Permit me?” she asks incredulously. Nucky assures her that if she doesn’t think he’s as good as his word, she doesn’t know him at all. Interestingly, as off her trolley with guilt as she is supposed to be, she keeps her indiscretion with Owen to herself.

At the Commodore’s, Gillian makes plans for Angela’s funeral and says they can pretend for Tommy’s sake that she has gone off to Paris. She doesn’t want to be cold, but in a month, Tommy won’t remember. Jimmy jumps out of his chair and begins choking Gillian, saying he will remember. Suddenly the Commodore comes up from behind and stabs Jimmy in the back with one of his spears. As they struggle, the Commodore gets the spear at his throat and Gillian cries “No!” The Commodore backs away when Jimmy gets his knife out and sticks it in his father’s gut. As the Commodore stands there in shock, Jimmy pulls the knife out of his stomach. Gillian screams at him: “Finish it, goddam you, finish it” and he complies. Harrow handles the cleanup.

Jimmy later awakens to hear Angela’s voice saying ‘Jimmy I have to leave.’ Gillian brings Tommy in to reassure the child that his daddy is not gone.  Jimmy quickly throws a jacket over his wounded side and hugs the boy. When he asks for Angela, Gillian soothes him, saying ‘I’m here. You don’t have to worry about anything.” She also tells  Jimmy that she knows he did not mean what he did (trying to strangle her), and they never have to mention it again.  She hopes he’s able to see that it’s all going to be better now.  Jimmy watches in horror as she walks up the stairs with his son, prattling on about how he won’t be a little boy much longer.