Home (Boardwalk Empire)

"Home" is the seventh episode of the first season of HBO's crime drama Boardwalk Empire. The episode aired on October 31, 2010.^[1] The episode was written by executive producer Tim Van Patten and Paul Simms and directed by Allen Coulter. Nucky purges some bad childhood memories. Jimmy forges a new alliance with a fellow veteran named Richard Harrow, while Luciano and a friend cut a deal with the D'Alessio brothers.

Plot

In Chicago, Jimmy consults a doctor about pain in his leg, and agrees to a psychological test administered to many veterans. While waiting for the test, Jimmy meets Richard Harrow, a severely wounded veteran who wears a tin mask over his disfigured face. Harrow, a former sniper, is convinced by Jimmy not to submit to the test. Jimmy brings Harrow back to the brothel and gets him a prostitute. In Atlantic City, Jimmy's estranged fiance, Angela, proves to be having an affair with photographer Robert Dittrich's wife, Mary.

Meyer Lansky offers Chalky White a deal to start a new bootlegging business; Chalky believes Nucky is testing his loyalty and sends Lansky away. Lansky and Luciano then ally with the D'Alessio brothers to set up their new bootlegging operation. Luciano suggests financing the venture by robbing Nucky's casino, with his assistance in return for a one-half share of the money for his boss, Arnold Rothstein.

Nucky and Eli's father has an accident at his home, and Eli takes him in. Nucky agrees to give his father's home to an associate, Damien Flemming, who has an infant child. Lucy confronts Nucky over his relationship with Margaret. Later, at his father's house, Nucky tells Margaret about his childhood abuse by his father.

Van Alden bargains with a potential informant, Billy, who assisted Jimmy in the earlier robbery and murder at one of Rothstein's operations.

Jimmy confronts Liam, the rival mobster who had disfigured his girlfriend Pearl, leading to her suicide. After Jimmy leaves, Harrow kills Liam with a rifle shot from the opposite building.

Nucky and his father have an unpleasant encounter as they look over the now-remodeled home. Nucky then sets the house ablaze. When the startled Damien arrives, Nucky gives him a large wad of cash to "find a better place to live."

Reception

Critical reception

IGN gave the episode 8 out of 10. Calling the episode "Impressive." They said "The scene in the diner where Pearl's attacker is taken out is near-perfect, blemished only by a directorial choice that draws too much attention to itself. Michael Pitt's delivery of the story about Jimmy shooting a German soldier, while the German tried to make it over barbed-wire fencing, applies the right amount of tension to the scene – moments before the man on the receiving end of the conversation gets a sniper's bullet to the face. A shot Panic Room-ing through the window's bullet hole to reveal Harrow as the shooter clashes with the show's 'less is more' shooting style, (It's the most stylistic flourish since the pilot)."^[2]

Ratings

The episode dropped a bit in total viewers but was steady with adults 18–49. 2.670 million viewers watched the episode.^[3]

References

External links

• "Home" at HBO
• "Home" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Home" at TV.com