'Hold Me in Paradise' - Boardwalk Empire, Season One

Boardwalk Empire

Season One

Episode Eight

'Hold Me in Paradise' - 8.0

The stakes are high! (ha...)

'Hole Me in Paradise' actually managed to get by without being entirely devoted to its characters. The status of the plot has finally lurched forward a little, with one major player out of action for a while, one back into the game and another side character appears to have taken a step up.

Eli is the most obvious place to start tonight, and as the episode starts he is in control, since his brother Nucky is in Chicago for some political convention. The treasurer's younger brother is forced to take the reins of a very complicated business, and it is blatant that the people of Atlantic City respect him far less than his brother. Not a great deal happens to the guy until about half way through, when he goes to get the earnings from the casino. Only the episode before in 'Home', we'd seen the D'Alessio brothers organising a heist at the joint with Charlie Luciano and Meyer Lansky, so when Eli finds the place under siege it wasn't shocking. What was, however, was when the robbery is over a couple of seconds later, with Eli carrying a bullet wound to the abdomen and the crooks hightailing it out of there with one hundred and fifty grand. It doesn't look great for Eli, who up until this point has had little relevance to the plot, aside from being a Thompson. It's pretty clear that his death would make the character an important former presence, and would have lasting implications for the storyline. Nonetheless, I have nothing against the guy, he seems like an alright bloke born into the wrong family. Eli turns out fine, in the end, just bed-ridden, possibly for the next few episodes. The shooting does have one important message anyway; there's a war out there, and there's been one since Chalky White's driver was lynched at the end of the third episode.

For Nucky in Chicago, everything's coming up roses. This is before he learns of his brother's near-death experience of course, but Nucky is enjoying having politicians clamber over him, trying to get a bit of his powerful influence to rub off on them. After discovering that Senator Edge is going to hand Nucky's road appropriations money to Mayor Hague, he is determined to ensure that Edge does not receive the Vice-Presidential bump that he very much desires. He even organises with another generic political player to have a new guy - future President Warren Harding no less - nominated as the Republican candidate for the coming election. I'll be entirely honest in saying that I don't really understand American politics, and I don't really want to. It has little relevance to my life, and seems pointlessly complicated and open-ended for my tastes. What happened to old fashioned, fight-to-the-death for power, eh? Anyway, Nucky ends up having to leave Chicago early because of his brother's shooting, but not before giving Senator Edge a piece of his mind and - probably more importantly - reconnecting with his estranged protégé; Jimmy Darmody. Nucky goes so far as to invite Jimmy to return to Atlantic City under a business deal, believing that Jimmy would be instrumental in protecting his power over the city.

Margaret has a pretty boring time, though the show hints that she will begin playing a more integral role to the show. I mean, she's always had a sense of spunk and intelligence not seen in many of the other women on the show. In a truly enjoyable scene, Margaret is interrupted during a meal by Madame Jeunet, who wants her help to deal with Lucy Danziger, who is attempting to buy expensive clothes despite the end of her relationship with Nucky. Margaret is composed and confident, easily talking down the bratty Lucy, but she loses her cool when her intelligence is called into question, slapping the slut all in the face. Ha! Oh, how I laughed. I would be happy if these two got more angry, jealous scenes together, Margaret's witty and quick while Lucy is just insane.

Margaret's night is ruined when Nucky calls her up to inform her about Eli's big day, but rather than looking for support and comfort, Nucky wants her to go to his suite at the Ritz. It was by far the most subtle admission of criminal activity ever - notice sarcasm - with Nucky going so far as to tell the woman to take a ledger out of his desk and hide it in the cupboard. Of course she struggles with the temptation to read it - who wouldn't? - but we've always been taught by the show that Margaret is made of stronger stuff than the average curious cat. Alas, she gives in during the final few moments of the episode, opening the ledger and reading about all the wondrous deals her boyfriend's been making.

'Hold Me to Paradise' threatens to kick the story into high gear, establishing that there is a war brewing beneath the surface in Atlantic City, while simultaneously creating obstacles out of Eli and Margaret. Plot wise, Jimmy could go either way, helping his father figure like he promised or choosing to try and take him down with the Luciano. I'm definitely excited to see the plot coming in thick and fast, and it is a joy to see something shocking happen to a character we already know well, but I still wish that it had all happened much quicker than this, and that we hadn't wasted so much time meeting those who have little to do in the long run.