Boardwalk Empire Recap: Promises, Promises

Jess Smith is reading “The Redemption of David Corson,” but I have no clue what it’s about so I don’t know if it’s symbolic. I do know that a tubby little serpent is wending his way into the room. He tells Jess that it’s a good book then launches into his loquacious Southern ways, telling Jess that the last payout from Remus was in marked bills. If any of those bills gets traced back to Jess, his next job will be “making itty bitty rocks out of great big ones.”

Smith starts freaking so Means has to guide him back to some measure of functionality by asking if Jess’s spent any of it, yet. He hasn’t. Means tells him he just needs to get rid of it. Burn it. Every last bill and “consign it to the fires of hell.” Smith becomes paralyzed with fear so Means tries one last shot, telling him it’s something he needs to do. This spurs Smith into action and he waddles his way out to burn $10K.

Means slithers down the hall to Daugherty. Outside the door he takes a moment to gather himself and…SHOWTIME! Means screws his face into an approximation of concern and Daugherty asks what’s wrong. It pains Gaston to say this but…it’s Jess. Then he takes Daugherty to the window to watch Smith burning $10K in the bird bath (nice touch) just like Means told him to.

This is normal, healthy behavior.

Daugherty wants to go out and stop him but Means starts talking in double circles, telling Daugherty that “A panicked man drowns both himself and his savior, so get your shit together Harry, and cut your losses.” Wait, that’s not exactly right but more accurate. Harry gets resigned because this isn’t the first crazy thing he’s seen Jess do. Means goes the full Eudora Welty, telling Harry that Jess is an ILL man, and when Judgment Day comes, “and it most assuredly will” Smith will be eating Jell-O in a hospital, but where will Daugherty be? Doing hard time.

Daugherty has gone through the first four stages of grief before anything’s even happened and is already on acceptance. He talks about how he has this neighbor dog that’s a vicious cur to everyone but Jess. Just loves that rotund, Crispin Glover looking guy. Means moves in for the metaphoric kill, telling Daugherty about how he had a dog just like that and I’m guessing he’s the Jess in this story because it damn near killed him when they had to put the dog down. Daugherty thinks he wouldn’t even know who to talk to about that but Means tells him that for $40K he promises Jess won’t feel a thing.

Trust me.

Margaret’s down at the hospital and chafing at the bodyguard sticking so close. She tells him he can wait with Eddie in the car, but he says he’ll give her 10 paces and wait in the hallway. Inside, the nun is breaking the bad news to Margaret and Mason that the bishop is pulling the plug on the women’s clinic effective immediately. On the plus side they don’t have to clear out the room on their own, they just need to leave. Before she leaves, though, the nun does tell Mason and Margaret that, despite all the flak she gave them, she found their classes very educational. Mason’s only mildly flattered that she screwed up the nerve to admit it.