Boardwalk Empire Recap: Breathe, Nucky

Chalky tells Nucky that’s all it takes. You just have to go without to see what you really need. Nucky doesn’t argue. He just asks Willie if his boss is coming in. No, because Nucky conveniently needed a place to hide out on the one day when the lumberyard is closed. Nucky’s grateful then tells Willie he needs to talk to Chalky alone, because it’s not like Eli’s one of the last loyal people Nucky has or has wavered in his loyalty recently. Getting his oldest son killed won’t bother Eli in the least.

Sure Uncle Nucky. It’s not like I’m 18 and have my whole life ahead of me.

Of course, Willie does what he’s told. He steps out into the wide open lumberyard, practically wearing a neon sign that says “expendable.” But Nucky tells him he handles himself well, so there’s that. Nucky tells Chalky that if he gets AC back, Chalky gets the club. Chalky wonders what happens if he doesn’t. Nucky thinks Chalky will need to make new friends, but Chalky says he’s too old for that and chuckles. With the tension finally eased, Nucky wonders if they’re stuck with each other and Chalky chuckles again that he’ll stick with Nucky a bit more.

As the two men go to shake on their renewed partnership, Nucky hears a car driving up to the yard and sees Willie standing out in the open and with no protection. As Nucky pulls his gun and goes into the yard, family man Chalky with his three kids can’t figure out where Nucky’s going. Because NOW he remembers that Willie’s his family and it’s probably best not to alienate Eli, again.

Shit, I forgot. Eli’s my ally now.

Nucky hot foots it over to the boy as the drum keeps thundering and tells him to walk back slowly. Get as far away as he can. I guess Willie walks a little too slowly so Nucky barks at him to go, now. Willie keeps backing off as Nucky faces the pack of cars pulling into the yard. Chalky and Nucky present a united front as Willie lingers in the background and a bunch of men, both black and white, start getting out of the cars.

No one’s recognizable at first but eventually Eli comes out of the crowd and looks mighty dashing in his fitted waistcoat. Dunn’s behind Eli who looks ready to kill Nucky himself for involving Willie in his mess. Nucky has nothing to say, so Dunn tells Nucky and Chalky that Eli was at the honky tonk. He cut a deal. Nucky asks if it was with Torrio. No, with “him.” Then the men part so tiny Capone can walk through like a boss.

Hello, lover.

They’ve been on the road for 18 hours. He needs a bath, some chow, then he and Nucky are going to sit down and talk about who dies. Then he chomps on his cigar with a pleased look on his face because violence makes him happy. Nucky and Chalky just stare while Willie starts rethinking being a little turd to his dad when he first got home.