"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Monday, October 1, 2012

Boardwalk Empire 3.3: The Showgirl and the Psycho

Nucky spends most of Boardwalk Empire 3.3 trying to reach Billie, who's up in New York.  It's not easy, given a world not only without cellphones, but with unreliable landlines.  But Billie is the one who's unreliable.   And though Nuckie gets to be with her when he goes up to New York at the end, there's a big, juicy question mark hanging over where she's been these past few days.

Meanwhile, there's not much of a question mark about Rosetti.  He's a certified psycho.  And though he gives the appearance of maybe being not that crazy throughout most of the episode, he's back to his violent mood swings by the end.

The real danger for Nucky is not Rosetti in and of himself, but the combo of Rosetti and Gillian, who's now back in the story.   In a surprise revelation, Richard tells Nucky that he's not going to retaliate for what Richard apparently knows Nucky did to Jimmy, unlike what Manny did to Angela, whom Richard rightly says was an innocent victim (and whom, as we know, he deeply loved).  Can we believe Richard?  Probably.  But Gillian, who also likely knows what Nucky did to Jimmy, will not be likely to let that slide, not likely at all, and she and Rosetti will be formidable team against Nucky.

What role will Chicago play in all of this?  Hard to say.  Van Alden's story so far is weak, even ridiculous, and it's difficult to see how he'll be able to get back into the serious action.  Unless ... maybe he'll in some way be swept into Capone's orbit, and will help Capone move in some way against Nucky ... Nah, but I can't quite see Van Alden continuing in his present orbit, either.

The eventual reality, as we know, is that Capone takes over in Chicago, as Lucky and Meyer Lansky do in New York.   But we're still a ways from getting there, and where that will leave Nucky will be  interesting to see.


See also Boardwalk Empire 3.1: Happy News Year 1923  ... Boardwalk Empire 3.2: Gasoline and the White Rock Girl




"As a genre-bending blend of police procedural and science fiction, The Silk Code delivers on its promises." -- Gerald Jonas, The New York Times Book Review


And here's a little send-up of Boardwalk Empire, brought to my attention by Steven Hodson

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