Peg of Old
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Episode 7
- Howard Korder
- Steve Kornacki
- Bathsheba Doran
| "Peg of Old" | |
|---|---|
| Boardwalk Empire episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Allen Coulter |
| Written by |
|
| Cinematography by | Jonathan Freeman |
| Editing by | Kate Sanford |
| Original air date | November 6, 2011 |
| Running time | 58 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Peg of Old" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 19th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Howard Korder, co-producer Steve Kornacki and Bathsheba Doran, and directed by Allen Coulter. It was released on HBO on November 6, 2011.
The series is set in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The series follows Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, a political figure who rises to prominence and interacts with mobsters, politicians, government agents, and the common folk who look up to him. In the episode, Jimmy conspires against Nucky by hiring a hitman, while Margaret visits her family in Brooklyn.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.74 million household viewers and gained a 1.1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, Margaret's storyline and directing.
Nucky visits professional boxer and world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey after training, asking him to promote the newly founded Radio Corporation of America before his incoming fight. Van Alden faces trouble in his personal and professional life; Lucy demands money for raising his baby, while his office is taken over by Assistant Attorney General Esther Randolph, who has been appointed as the new federal prosecutor for Nucky's case.
Jimmy explains his next strategy to Eli, Harrow, Mickey, Luciano, Lansky and Capone; he intends to replace Nucky with Alderman Jim Neary when the former goes to jail. To make sure there are no loose ends, they say he will have to kill Nucky, with Capone providing a hitman. Jimmy questions the deed, but Gillian convinces him that he must do it to prove himself.
Nucky offers to make a deal with Van Alden, in which he will take care of his debts if he becomes his informant with Randolph. Van Alden also discovers that with Nucky giving the needed money to Lucy, she abandoned the baby and has left his apartment. Eventually, Van Alden decides to cooperate with Randolph by providing her with Nucky's file, willing to testify.
Margaret visits her family in Brooklyn. She bonds with her sisters, although her brother Eamoinn is not delighted with her return. Their relationship has been strained since her departure from Ireland due to her pregnancy, and tells Margaret that their mother kept asking for her before she died. When she asks about his feelings, Eamoinn states he is indifferent to her. He returns money that she provided for them, claiming he does not want her involved with the family again and that no one there knows her. A devastated Margaret returns to Atlantic City.
As Dempsey is making his speech to promote RCA, Nucky is approached by Jimmy, who tells him simply that he needs to make a decision, regardless of if that decision is right or wrong. After Jimmy leaves, Capone's hitman pulls out a gun and shoots Nucky in the right hand, but is then killed by a federal agent tasked by Randolph to tail Nucky.
Owen follows Del Grogan, a traitor to the IRA. He corners Grogan in a restroom and strangles him with a garrote until he dies. He returns to Atlantic City, stopping by Margaret's house just as she returns from Brooklyn. After talking about their shared Irish roots and feeling alone in America, they kiss and start having sex.
Production
Development
The episode was written by co-executive producer Howard Korder, co-producer Steve Kornacki and Bathsheba Doran, and directed by Allen Coulter. This was Korder's fifth writing credit, Kornacki's third writing credit, Doran's second writing credit, and Coulter's third directing credit.[1]
