Boardwalk Empire Recap: Breathe, Nucky

As Nucky walks through the hallway several men are discussing business. Nucky interrupts them with his high, nasal “Good morning,” and the “seas” part to reveal Chalky sitting in his chair like he’s Biggie Smalls.

Chalky, Chalky, Chalky…can’t you see?
Sometimes your words just hypnotize me.

Chalky wonders what’s so good about it, what with all of Gyp’s goons running around AC with shotguns or Tommy guns, no phone at the Ritz and word on the street that Nucky’s dead. Nucky snots that he’s not dead yet then tells Chalky that Gyp’s back in town, with Masseria’s men, and they’re everywhere. Nucky wants to know how many guns Chalky has and Chalky smarts off that he has enough for himself and his men. Heh. Chicken…come home to roost.

Nucky still thinks he has the upper hand and wants to know what Chalky means. Chalky asks if Nucky’s looking for an army and Nucky doesn’t even blink before he says “Yes.” White privilege, everybody! Chalky just shakes his head and marvels at Nucky’s entitlement telling him he hadn’t heard dick all about Rosetti and the war until now, when Nucky was desperate. Nucky, still clinging to his last shred of privilege, tells Chalky that now isn’t the time for hurt feelings. Chalky’s letting his anger reach a slow simmer and tells Nucky that he didn’t say anything about how he feels…just like Nucky never said anything but “Jump, boy.”

Bet you wish you hadn’t called me “uppity” now.

Having his own casual bigotry thrown back in his face wakes Nucky up and he tells Chalky he never called him…but can’t say it. Instead he tells Chalky his dire straits: Owen’s dead, Eli’s incommunicado, Eddie’s in the car with a bullet in his gut and Nucky’s just looking for help. Eddie being shot seems to ping Chalky, because who doesn’t love Eddie, and as Nucky pleads Chalky tells his men to bring in Eddie and set him up on a cot. And stow the car around back. Nucky and Eddie are safe there, for now.

Gillian’s walking through her hallway and seeing it already in shambles with crushed flowers and cigarette butts strewn while Gyp and Tonino discuss such important decorating tips as putting something behind the peacock feathers that Tonino can find on a peacock and keeping the “hoes on their toes.”

Gyp greets Gillian with a “Howdy, Red,” and that Gillian didn’t shove a hot poker up his ass at that moment showed great restraint on her part. She just grits out a “What an unexpected surprise.” Gyp thinks all surprises are unexpected and Gillian’s got the crazy eye when she tells him that’s what makes life so exciting.

Hmm, if only I knew a sniper.

She tries to segue it to why he’s back since he AC wasn’t very hospitable to him, what with Nucky wanting to kill him, but Gyp double non-tendres that he likes it so much he’s “pitching a tent.” Then looks down at his crotch because I guess he thinks he was subtle. Gillian’s more interested in the grunting coming from her hallway and it’s a couple of goons moving in Nucky’s desk. Gyp tells her Nucky won’t be needing the desk anymore, implying that Nucky’s as good as dead. Forgetting how just a few short weeks ago, he was as good as dead, too.