Episose. 3.5 “You'd Be Surprised”
Nucky's whipped. Primarily, he's still head over heels, jealous over Billie Kent. This adolescent like obsession is taking his eye off business, much to the anger of Arnold Rothstein, and gets whipped by Gyp Rosetti, who is looking to steal his business.
Nucky has bankrolled Billie in a broadway play, “The Naughty Virgin,” which is failing. The play needs a star, Nucky believes, and he tries to enlist Eddie Cantor to come to his rescue, plying him with a bottle of Passover vodka. Cantor politely refuses, having already committed to a contract with
Jerome Kern. Nucky then takes the “mobster” approach, sending Chalky White and Dunn Purnsley over to Eddie's hotel room, having him perform his act. An intimidated Cantor agrees to do Nucky's bidding. Later at the rehearshal, Eddie asks Billie if she had heard of Lucy Danziger. “The next one won't know a thing about you either.” The number they rehearse is called “You'd be surprised.”
Margaret makes an unexpected visit to Madame Jeunet's dress shop, where she once worked. Nucky was there buying dresses for Billie Kent. Busted! Margaret continues her prenatal classes, and is surprised to meet Dr. Mason's fiancee. Maybe she'll end up with Owen again after all.
Nucky also tries to get a real mobster, Arnold Rothstein, to do his dirty work for him in regard to Gyp Rosetti. They meet in Atlantic City, and Eli recants the events from the night that Rosetti ambushed and killed 11 of Nucky's men, seizing his liquor shipment. There is no other route except Tabor Heights due to the mud, the ice, and the law. Nucky wants to discuss our options. Rothstein is taken aback and unloads big time on Nucky. Rosetti is backed by Joe Masseria, and Rothstein doesn't want to break his “very delicate truce.” The dialogue that follows is classic.
“Our options? What might solve a problem for you might creates a bigger one for me.” Nucky informs him that Rosetti is bad for business. “Bad for business? What would you know about it conducting yours like some drunken shopkeeper?” “Do you think I entered into this arrangement because I value your companionship? YOU are a convenience of geography and supply.” “And now owing to your inability to manage your affairs in NEW JERSEY, a state I have little interest in, or affection for you expect me to start a war? In NEW YORK? Where things actually matter?” “Because of you own cavalierness. Because you run off to Manhattan at a moment's notice to rut with some showgirl. Do you even begin to understand how weak that makes you?” Even after that emasculating dressing down, all Nucky is concerned with is Billie's play rehearshal.
Rothstein, Luciano, and Lansky meet with Rosetti, and lead him to believe that byegones are byegones, and they are now business partners. Instead, Benny “Bugsy” Siegel is sent to room 207 at the Kinneret Lodge to kill Rosetti. Four dead bodies later, but Rosetti isn't among them. No real surprise there, they'll need his character through the season. His perverse obsession with auto-erotic asphyxiation will likely be the cause of his death. Speaking of asphyxiation...
In Chicago, Van Alden is looking over his shoulder every time he hears a noise. Treasury agent Coughlin still wants to see him, and Van Alden believes the truth about his new alter ego has been compromised. Coughlin visits Van Alden, and his wife's clubs him in the head, knocking him on the floor. As she holds Coughlin's legs, Van Alden finishes the job, suffocating him. Van Alden is forced to seek out Dean O' Banion for help in disposing of the body. Now, his journey to the dark side is complete.
Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon is called before Congress to discuss prohibition. He believes the cost of effectively policing the activity at $28M/year, five times what Congress has authorized. The question of prosecution not enforcement is one Attorney General Harry Daugherty will have to answer, and if the Justice Department isn't undermining the efforts of the Treasury Department, by either gross incompetence or widespread corruption. Nucky's old adversary,
Senator Walter Edge, is chairing these hearings. If you recall, Edge is still in the Senate thanks in part to Nucky not backing his Presidential bid, and instead throwing his support behind Harding, thanks to an arrangement he had with Harry Daugherty (
Episode 1.8, Hold Me In Paradise). Gaston Bullock Means passes the word to Jess Smith, to advise Daugherty to put a bootlegger in jail to get Congress off his back. Nucky's friend in high places may not be a friend much longer.
Leander Whitlock visits Gillian's brothel. She's losing money every month. Gillian is still in denial about Jimmy's death. Until she has him declared dead, she cannot get a loan to solve her business problems.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IFM5wWCMOo