Boardwalk Empire: Season 3 Premiere

The amazing thing about this series is that it finds its brilliance in its subtleties. It’s not that the newest villain in town shoots a man for insulting his intelligence, but that he takes his dog with him too…and presents it as a New Year’s Eve present to the lady of the house. Now that’s gangster.

And that’s exactly what Boardwalk Empire needs. Let’s be honest, we’re all still mourning the loss of Jimmy (Michael Pitt) but his death was “the only way” as he tells Nucky (Steve Buscemi). Jimmy was taking over the plot and potentially the series. And when someone threatens your popularity in Atlantic City, what do you do? Kill them. Show creator Terrence Winter seems to operate by these morals as well.

Nucky is back on top, and we’re ready to see his hard side. Enough compassion, more clout. The new guy in town, Gyp (played deliciously by Bobby Cannavale), is sure to give Nucky a run for his money. Nucky tells his crew on New Year’s Eve that he will only be selling to Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) and the others may go through him. Gyp delivers each at the table their dish of insult, ending with a classic, “No one can take a joke.”

And then there’s another one of Nucky’s “frenemies” in the form of his own wife, Mrs. Thompson (Kelly Macdonald). His large plot of land has been transformed into St. Theresa’s Catholic Hospital where the Thompsons serve on the board as the main benefactors. When Margaret visits one day and witnesses a woman miscarriage in the hallway, she’s determined to change the prenatal education given to female patients. Margaret continues to remain an intriguing character. She’s manipulated her way to the “top” but still uses her treasure for good. She’s the Robin Hood of Atlantic City…or at least we hope has the potential to be.

The Thompsons throw a legendary New Year’s Eve party, complete with Egyptian decorations and drinks. Margaret sure knows how to throw a party, as many of her guests gush, but when she approaches a doctor at St. Theresa’s about their educational program, he makes a fool of her. She’ll have to fight against Nucky and society to gain her feminist grounds. Carrie Duncan’s historic flight of 1923 serves as an inspiration to Margaret’s own personal feats. 

Gillian (Gretchen Mol) is back at her manipulating ways, not only running a brothel in the Mayor’s (Jon Rue) previous home, but also convincing Tommy that she’s his actual mother. Richard (Jack Huston) is uncomfortable with her lack of respect for Jimmy and Angela (Aleksa Palladino). After showing Tommy the paintings his real mother did, Gillian threatens to take away Richard’s place in their home.

Then there’s the sadly hilarious story of Nelson Van Alden (Michael Shannon) that could excitingly go in any direction this time around. After two seasons of mistakes and misgivings, he now is damned to sell irons door to door. As he turns in an apartment mirror, telling himself, “Each day I get better and better,” we realize how intensely his circumstances have changed. Eh, but maybe he deserves it?

Overall, the first episode accomplished its main goals. It made us forget about the loss of Jimmy (we’ll always miss you though), brought Nucky back on top (literally with his new mysterious mistress) and served up some kill shots and gory Atlantic City charm. But the most promising part of season three: Gyp Rosetti and his big mouth.