- Nucky plans to whack Joe Masseria and Gyp Rosetti, Richard stands up to Julia's abusive father, and Owen and Margaret plan to run off together.
- Nucky doubles down on his war with Gyp and Joe, sending emissaries to Chicago to enlist Torrio's help and dispatching Owen to murder Joe at a Turkish bath. The bishop disbands Mason and Margaret's classes; Mason suggests they continue the classes at a store front, Margaret says good-bye. Richard faces down Julia's father and then spends a night with her under the boardwalk. Gyp gets a lesson in rogue waves, and a few cases of whiskey wash up on the Jersey shore. Nucky rejects an idea of Chalky's. Back in Chicago, Nelson's wife distills aquavit and Nelson peddles it to Norwegians. It's only a matter of time before he runs afoul of someone. And what of Margaret's affair with Owen?—<jhailey@hotmail.com>
- "King Neptune" is inviting all the folks on the boardwalk to enjoy the treats the ocean has to offer when bottles of whiskey start washing up on the shore. People flock into the water to collect as much as they can much to Mayor Ed Bader's chagrin. Soon enough, even King Neptune joins them.
Gyp Rosetti is angry with his main lieutenant Tonino (Chris Caldovino) for letting two dozen cases fall overboard. Tonino's cousin Franco mentions something about "rogue waves." Gyp is intrigued and wants to know more. Franco says his father was a fisherman and taught him some things about the sea. Gyp is upset with Tonino for not knowing about such "rogue waves" that can happen when waves come at each other from different directions. Gyp makes a joke, calling Tonino "Sinbad" and leaves.
Van Alden comes into a bar in Chicago and offers a Norwegian bartender a sampling of Sigrid's homemade akvavit. The bartender likes it and takes four bottles for $20, haggling for a dollar off each bottle on Van Alden's price. The bartender tells him to return later when he'll have more money and will buy more.
Nucky reads a news article citing "sources" saying that Remus was paying off an Attorney General's aide. Gaston Means (Stephen Root) calls and tells Nucky that Jess Smith (Ed Jewett) will say anything to anyone and it won't be long before Nucky's name comes up. Nucky reminds Means that his name would also likely come up.
"Would it be difficult?" Nucky asks about handling Jess. Means says it would have to be done delicately and offers his services for $40,000 the same amount he used to collect in his fish bowl for Daugherty's payoffs. Nucky says he'll get paid when he sees the results.
Slater (Charlie Cox) leaves Katy's place early and Katy (Heather Lind) teases him about how Margaret "fancies the help." She says she heard Slater on the phone a few days earlier. He tells her to stop filling her head with such ridiculous notions then offers to prove she's wrong by marrying her. Katy smiles and Slater leaves, saying they'll "discuss it later."
Slater arrives and excitedly approaches Margaret until he sees that Eddie (Anthony Laciura) is there with her. Margaret puts Slater on the spot by asking him if he comes "bearing secrets" and then asks him to "come clean." Slater makes up some business about not knowing what to get Katy for her birthday. He tells Margaret he'll be damned if he gets her the wrong gift.
"A woman's touch," Margaret says, filling the air with double entendres.
"I'm at your mercy," Slater replies.
Margaret tells Eddie to bring the car around and she'll be down shortly. Slater sits with Margaret and tells her she "shouldn't toy" with him because Eddie "sees more than you think." Slater tells her that if they "botch this," Nucky will find out. He tells Margaret she'll need to leave first and he'll follow a month or six weeks after. If they leave together, Nucky will know "and there's no place far enough for him." Margaret asks what St. Louis is like and Slater says he has no clue. He has some friends there who can help them get started. Margaret asks about Katy. Slater says he'll "leave one morning, tell her something convincing and she'll never see me again."
Nucky is sitting around waiting for Slater to show up. Slater arrives and gets info on Masseria from Agent Sawicki (Joseph Aniska). He says Masseria goes to the same Turkish baths at the same time each week on Thursdays. Slater says "that might work." Eli offers to go with Slater as backup, but Nucky tells him to go to Chicago to see Johnny Torio and hopefully get backup. Nucky says Gyp will be weak without Masseria's muscle. Nucky is sending Mickey Doyle to West Overton, Pennsylvania, to meet a man named Fahey. He'll take Mickey to the Old Overholt Distillery. Nucky wants Mickey to get the distillery going as soon as possible. He tosses Mickey the money he'll need.
Slater tells Nucky that Agent Sawicki will be enough backup for him on the New York job. He says more men will increase the chance for mistakes. Slater says the job "doesn't call for an army, just patience and opportunity."
Meyer Landsky and Lucky Luciano are trying to talk Arnold Rothstein into a new deal: heroin. Rothstein reminds them they're "on the verge of a war," and until either Nucky or Masseria is dead it'd be unwise to start any new deals. He says the timing leaves much to be desired.
Gaston Means pays a visit to Jess Smith. It tells him he knows Jess has $10,000 from George Remus. He suggests that the bills are marked and could be traced back to him. Jess starts to get panic but then says he money is still in the envelope. Means tells him he should burn it immediately. Jess leaves and Means drops in on Attorney General Harry Daugherty (Christopher McDonald), telling him it pains him to bring him this news, then shows Daugherty that Jess is burning money outside. Means aims to convince Daugherty that Jess is going insane. Means turns the conversation toward getting rid of Jess and offers his services for yet another $40,000 and assures Daugherty "he won't feel a thing."
Margaret goes to the hospital and one of her guards follows her in. A nun tells Margaret and Dr. Mason (Patrick Kennedy) that the bishop has decided their "little experiment has run its course." The conflicted sister tells them she "found a great deal of what went on in here very educational." After she leaves, Dr. Mason locks the door behind her and then sneaks Margaret the two diaphragms, one for her and one for Mrs. Shearer. Dr. Mason looks around and tells Margaret that their classes don't need to happen in a hospital. Margaret tells him he could get him in trouble with the hospital if they offer the class somewhere else. He tells her to think about it and adds that they "work pretty well together."
"We did, didn't we?" Margaret says, noticeably switching to past tense.
Nucky sits Bill McCoy (Pearce Bunting) and gives him an assignment to meet with Gyp and make a deal with him. He tells him to "agree to anything," all he wants is every piece of information McCoy can get about Gyp and his men. McCoy leaves, telling Nucky an insulting joke about Italians on his way out.
Van Alden returns to the Norwegian bartender with more stock and some Lefse, a Norwegian flatbread that Sigrid made. The bartender apologizes and Van Alden is suddenly apprehended by two men, one of whom puts a gun to Van Alden's head. The bartender tells him, "They do not give me a choice." Van Alden asks if he's under arrest and there's no response.
Richard Harrow is talking to Julia Sagorsky (Wrenn Schmidt) in her kitchen. She's assuring Harrow that it's good Tommy has him around. Julia's father Paul (Mark Borkowski) comes drunkenly into the kitchen and gets into it with both of them, prompting Harrow to confront him. Julia's father shouts that he won't see her "spreading (her) legs for some sideshow freak." Harrow grabs Sagorsky and pushes him against a wall, grabbing his throat. Harrow pulls off his mask and asks him, "Would you pay a dime to see this?"
He continues choking Sagorsky, who is now laying on the floor, and tells him to apologize.
"I'm sorry," Sagorsky says.
"To her," Harrow tells him. There's no response.
Julia touches Harrow's shoulder and he lets go, with Sagorsky gasping for air and Harrow walks away and puts his mask back on.
Lucky visits Masseria with Lansky watching from afar and asks for some money. Masseria says he's "lost interest" in the heroin deal. Masseria asks Lansky why, if this is such a good deal, he didn't go to Rothstein for start-up money. Masseria says he doesn't trust Lansky. Masseria finally asks what else he gets beyond a profit. Lucky tells him Nucky Thompson is looking to make a move on him. He wants to know more, then agrees to the deal. Now he wants more information about Nucky. Lucky bends down to whisper something into Masseria's ear.
McCoy meets with Gyp and asks about making a deal for McCoy to supply booze. Tonino's cousin makes a quip about rogue waves and Gyp seems annoyed, but McCoy breaks the tension and assures Gyp that he'll get his booze on time and intact.
Jess apologizes to Daugherty about his episode that morning. Daugherty tries to reassure Jess that "we all go a little haywire sometimes." Jess tells Daugherty that he's never lost control, even when they were growing up. Daugherty reminisces a bit and then tells Jess he's thinking of retiring. Jess admits his heart was never in it. Daugherty tells him his wasn't, either, for a while now. Daugherty tells Jess to eat his dinner and get some sleep, adding "it's amazing how much better a good night's rest will make you feel."
Margaret sings Teddy to sleep in their hotel room. He asks how long they have to stay there.
"Not for much longer," Margaret tells him. "Soon we'll all leave and see what adventures await."
Teddy says Emily misses their room and there's no kitchen at the hotel. Nucky emerges from nowhere and says they'll return home as soon as the repairs are done. Margaret, who was talking about her plans to take off with Slater, kisses Teddy goodnight and walks past Nucky as she leaves the room.
Harrow and Julia sit on the beach at night talking. She asks Harrow if there was "anyone waiting" for him after the war. He tells her about a girl he rode horses with. She married his cousin while Harrow was in France. Julia tells Harrow that she was with a man who was a widower with three kids. They had plans to get married but then her brother died and her dad couldn't handle it. She says that Douglas wound up marrying the daughter of the man who ran the telegraph office. Harrow says he wishes he could kiss her, and Julia kisses him.
Chalky White (Michael Kenneth Williams) drops in to visit Nucky. Chalky asks Nucky if he knows who he is tonight, referring to the last time Chalky met with Nucky and Nucky couldn't remember his name. Chalky proposes a black entertainment club in place of where Babette's was. He's ready to help finance it. He says "nobody want to see that wreck out there," referencing the "hole in the boardwalk." Nucky reminds Chalky of the "dividing line" that exists out there. Chalky says that line can move. Chalky tries again to convince Nucky, but Nucky doesn't budge. Chalky stands up, offended, and says, "You ain't the only one be thinking."
Back in Chicago, Al Capone is questioning Van Alden, who says that O'Banion is "unaware" of Van Alden's selling activities. Al threatens Van Alden, telling him he was selling five blocks into Al's territory while sticking a fork into Van Alden's left cheek. Al then sits back, gives Van Alden a plate of food and asks for everything Van Alden knows about O'Banion's operation.
Means walks into Jess' dark room in the middle of the night with a gun. He approaches the bed and the light comes on. Jess walks toward him from the bathroom, pointing his own gun at Means, claiming Daugherty was worried about Jess' well being. Means does allow for the question of why his gun is "unsheathed" in the hotel, but before he can finish making up a story Jess asks Means how much Daugherty is paying him to murder him. Jess starts to cry at the thought of Daugherty looking Means in the eye and asking Means to kill him. Means puts his gun down and puts his hands up. Jess asks Means if he's over killed anyone and Means acknowledges he never actually has "brought down a curtain... that is a hanging offense after all."
"I'll show you how easy it is," Jess says, cocking the gun he still has pointed at Means. Means tremors for a moment and Jess quickly turns the gun on his own head and pulls the trigger, spattering the wall behind him with blood and gore.
Masseria checks into the Turkish bath, telling the door man he wants it to be private, nobody comes in. Agent Sawicki and Slater follow closely behind and the agent asks for two towels.
Nucky sees Margaret sitting in the dark and tells her this "craziness should all be over in a few days." Nucky apologizes for the fact that he "bollocksed" everything. He asks if he said it right, and Margaret assures him he did and used it appropriately. Nucky tells Margaret that between her and Slater "the old country is starting to rub off." He vows to make it up to her and says "it's a new start, from here on out."
"It is," Margaret says.
Gyp is standing on the shore and feeling good as every bottle in the night's shipment is accounted for. He goes on talking about how his father used math while laying bricks. He talks about how his father came home smelling like sweat, not fish, and died at 50. He says that if he'd spent his career laying around in a boat he might have lived to 100.
"Not like your father, right Franco?" he says before we see Franco is buried in the sand up to his head as the tide starts to come closer. Franco pleads with Tonino to protect him. Tonino begs Gyp not to let his cousin die, maybe just "break his legs" instead. Gyp walks over to Tonino, then puts his arm around Tonino and says, "Family, right?"
Gyp takes a shovel and walks over toward Franco. He turns to Tonino and says, "It's 'cause I respect you." Then Gyp bashes Franco's head repeatedly with the shovel.
"You owe me," Gyp tells Tonino as he walks away, with Gyp apparently feeling like he'd let Franco die more quickly that he would have if the waves had drowned him.
Eddie wakes Nucky in the middle of the night and says there's "a delivery." It's almost 4:00 a.m.
Out in the salon, Margaret walks in, asking what's going on, while Eddie pries open a large crate. He pops the top off and Nucky is shocked, telling Eddie to put the top back on and telling Margaret to leave. Margaret instead walks closer and sees it's Slater's bloodied dead body inside the crate. Margaret loses it, crying hysterically and hitting Nucky before she runs out of the room, and Nucky realizes how she really feels.
Morning breaks on the boardwalk while Harrow and Julia are asleep under the boards. The waves rush in and more whiskey bottles wash up unnoticed.
Margaret is still crying as Nucky knocks on the door. Margaret recalls her earlier conversation with Slater before he left. She asked him how she could know that he wasn't lying to her just as he'd planned to lie to Katy. She asked Slater to tell her he's different from Nucky and Slater said, "Those would just be words."
"Then what do I have to go on?" she asked.
He leaned in to kiss her and Margaret told him, "I'm pregnant. It's yours. You can do what you choose. Plans or no, I won't hold you to them. But say what you want, as long as it's the truth."
"The truth?" Slater says. "Well, I'd like it to be a boy."
Mickey Doyle nearly caught them in that moment and told Slater that Nucky was looking for him.
Slater got up and walked out, giving and receiving his usual salutation exchange with Margaret.
"Mrs Thompson," Slater said.
"Mr. Slater," she replied, with a smile.
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