Boardwalk Empire season 2 continues to hit its stride with last night’s ‘Gimcrack and Bunkum,’which sees Eli’s alliance with Jimmy and the Commodore hitting the fan as Richard contemplates his own future out in the woods. The bizarrely titled ‘Gimcrack and Bunkum’mostly continues Boardwalk Empire‘s pattern of fleshing out its side characters, wisely putting fan favorite Richard Harrow (Jack Huston) at the forefront.
There’s been accusations of Boardwalk Empire unfolding far too quietly and slowly for an HBO gangster series, but explosions and gunshots will fall on deaf ears if not for the quieter, more contemplative episodes that the series does so well. Last week’s ‘What Does the Bee Do?‘illustrated its point by focusing on smaller characters like Chalky White (Michael K. Williams) and Gillian Darmody (Gretchen Mol) struggling against a ceiling of power, while ‘Gimcrack and Bunkum’creates a different study through similar means. By focusing on Richard Harrow in his moments alone, ‘Gimcrack and Bunkum’allows us insight into the role emotional connections play in our power struggles.
Richard lacks the close relationships that define Jimmy Darmody or Nucky Thompson, and as such rather blithely retreats into suicide as his only option. So too do Nucky, Jimmy and Eli face similar absence of fulfillment, but each go about dealing with it in different ways. Nucky finds himself mostly under the thumb of the Attorney General (Christopher McDonald) and his snide young prosecutor, and has the bridges to burn when Eli humbly returns begging forgiveness for his plot with the Commodore. Eli himself then lashes out in turn at his fellow conspirator, as violence seems about the only output these powerful and connected men share.
Even Jimmy can’t stand a quick display of disrespect from his elder investors, enlisting Richard to brutally scalp the man in own home for the gesture. Of course, Richard turns to violence out of loyalty for his friend rather than his own insecurity, as Richard’s frustrations put him in the serene woods ready to end his own life peacefully rather than risk harming another. It’s a fascinating, if understated character study for Richard Harrow, which Jack Huston brings a subtle mastery to, particularly in his final scenes with Jimmy.
There’s another subtle undercurrent to ‘Gimcrack and Bunkum,’that of the magical and unattainable. We see the theme reprised in the investor’s musings on the Sioux Indians’ belief in magic or the hunter’s claims to have seen a flying horse, but there’s a larger play at work. Each player of Boardwalk Empire believes in an ideal they keep fighting for, even if they’re not sure what that salvation may be. As Angela Darmody puts it, ‘There’s got to be something.’And so Richard will live to fight another day, Nucky will weather the impotent frustration of the men handling his court case, and Jimmy will go on believing that bloodshed will win him the respect he deserves, in spite of the ironic place it puts him on Memorial Day.
“Yes, it is decided. I will literally murder his face off.” -HBO
Not a lot of movement on the bigger stories of the season for ‘Gimcrack and Bunkum,’as we don’t even see The Commodore, Chalky, Van Alden or Lucy, but we should appreciated the quieter episodes of Boardwalk Empire for their exploration of character. We’re not often able to find sympathy for Jimmy or Nucky given their actions, but the men caught in their wake like Richard Harrow and Eli Thompson ground the drama in a very powerful way, one that proves neither gimcrack, nor bunkum.
Yes, I looked those words up.
And Another Thing…
- You’d barely recognize Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos‘Uncle Junior) under those mutton chops, but I suspect we’ve not seen the last of Leander Cephas Whitlock just yet.
- Jack Huston continues to do really excellent work in selling both Richard’s disfigurement and quiet anguish, so I felt guilty laughing at his chasing a dog that stole his face.
- I didn’t get a chance to mention Mr. Slater canoodling with the help and the ramifications it will surely have for Margaret’s attraction to the man, but also…boobs.
What did you think?
This was a great episode! I started wondering if Scorsese was more involved with this particular one – so many shots/scenes were in his signature style. Maybe just my imagination, but each of the really intense moments – Harrow holding the gun to his mouth and his finger just about to press the trigger; Eli choking Nuck and the shotgun slowly appearing at Eli's head thanks to Margaret; Eli bashing O'Neill's head with a wrench; Jimmy and Harrow scalping Parkhurst – each of these moments had that Scorsese-esque storytelling perfection where the anticipation and adrenaline buildup through to climax is balanced with smooth and beautifully shot camerawork… the last scene where Eli is digging the grave at night and the headlights illuminate the tall grass was a beautiful shot – again, kinda like a Scorsese signature at the end of a masterpiece episode.
It was a really good episode, I love how the show's given so much time to exploring its side characters! And even if Scorcese wasn't actually present, his presence lingers over the show in a huge way, and I suspect all episode directors would do their best to both honor and expand upon Scorcese's style in their efforts.