Eli and a couple of Nucky's men identify the D'Alessio brothers as the ones who robbed the casino and some other places, and shot Eli. Nucky talks to Eli alone and says he's as worried about blood spilling as ink. As it turns out, a piece in the paper included an interview with a mayoral hopeful named Fletcher who's calling out corruption in the mayor's and sheriff's offices. It questioned why Eli was at an illegal casino at 3 a.m. Nucky is worried, but Eli doesn't think it matters.
Margaret and Warren Harding's mistress Nan Britton look out on the beach. Nan muses that her affair with Harding was love at first sight when she was 16 years old. Now she has to sacrifice being with him for the sake of his career. Margaret takes Nan to Madame Jeunet's shop to get some clothes. Madame Jeunet's new assistant Maryska isn't quite cutting it. Madame Jeunet is impressed with how Margaret has "blossomed," but since Margaret left, her rent has hiked, and she wants Margaret to use her connection with Nucky to get the problem fixed.
Nucky finds Jimmy waiting in his office. Jimmy says he'll accept Nucky's offer on the condition that Richard be allowed to also come in as muscle. Halloran is with Nucky during the meeting and is in awe that Richard is still alive despite losing half his face. Jimmy counters there are a lot of guys still alive who shouldn't be. Nucky uses the segue to talk about the D'Alessio brothers. Jimmy sets another condition, that they keep what they discuss only between them. After Halloran leaves, Jimmy flips through the photos of the brothers, and leaves, after getting confirmation that Nucky wants them killed.
Rothstein gets a visit from Lucky, the D'Alessio brothers, and Mickey Doyle. The brothers and Doyle are interested in making money with Rothstein. Rothstein, as it turns out, wants to set up a business for importing British scotch into Atlantic City, but Nucky is an obstacle to his plans. He calls Nucky "greedy and unreasonable." Leo counters that it's, "Nothing that a bullet in the eye won't fix." Accepting their terms, Rothstein asks them to sign life insurance policies naming him as the beneficiary if they ever screw up.
Nucky reads "The Road to Oz" when Margaret comes back into the room and asks him about the election and how expensive it is to win. She brings up Madame Jeunet's predicament. Nucky is annoyed they're discussing this, and after Margaret presses a bit more, he ends the conversation.
Angela is at home, drinking with the photographer and his wife when Jimmy's arrival interrupts what was about to become a three-way. The couple leaves. Jimmy says he sent a telegram, but Angela didn't get it (he's said the same to Nucky earlier). He tries to force himself on her and she slaps him. They get over it soon enough and move on to more than kissing.
Van Alden is upset with a phone call he's wrapping up when Sebso comes in. Van Alden tells Sebso that Western Union received a call from Nucky about the wire from Jimmy. They said it was passed on to Sebso, who panics and digs it out of a pile. He hands it to Van Alden, who reads that Jimmy was telling Nucky when he'd be arriving. Van Alden yells at Sebso, calling him either a liar or incompetent. He asks why it was hidden and Sebso says it was because he'd like to keep his job. Supervisor Elliott thinks Van Alden is "being obsessive" about the Hans Schroeder case and Nucky. Sebso says he wasn't thinking. Van Alden tells him that if they can take Nucky down by getting Jimmy to give him up, the whole city will be cleaned up at once.
Jimmy tells Angela their prospects are looking up and that he's back for good. The phone rings and Jimmy says he has to go see his mother. Jimmy abruptly tells Angela he feels that they should have another baby. She says nothing.
Gillian gets up after a tryst with Lucky and sets off to make some coffee. Lucky lays back in bed and closes his eyes, only to be awoken when Jimmy splashes hot coffee across his naked body and draws a gun on him. At gunpoint, Jimmy tells Lucky to get dressed and hustles him down the stairs, intent on taking him away to be killed. As they're leaving, Lucky tries to plead that he can convince Rothstein to call off the D'Alessios, but is cut off midsentence when they get to the bottom of the stairs, where they run into Van Alden and Sebso, who arrest them both.
The mayor is worried about Fletcher's signs having been posted all over and Nucky asks Eli's stand-in, Halloran, to impose a $25 fine on any business that posts a Fletcher sign. Halloran tells Nucky he thinks he should be in charge. Nucky agrees to name him acting sheriff. Halloran tells Nucky he's there for him "now and in November." Asked what he means, Halloran talks about how Eli is in bad shape and the corruption accusations aren't helping.
Van Alden harshly interrogates Jimmy, asking him where he was when the shooting in the woods occurred. For this, Jimmy says he was at a movie. Van Alden asks Jimmy what the relationship is between Nucky and Margaret. Jimmy refuses to answer this one. Van Alden finally asks if Nucky had Hans killed because he's in love with Margaret. When Jimmy still refuses to answer this, Van Alden tries threatening Jimmy's custody over his son Tommy, with Jimmy still refusing to answer any questions.
As he's led to a holding cell, Jimmy sees Billy Winslow (the man he and Capone used as bait in the woods to block the whiskey truck) and asks what he told them. Billy just insists that he only said enough to get them off his back.
In bed, Margaret asks if there's a way she can help and Nucky says she can mobilize the women's vote. She isn't much of a speaker, but Nucky asks if she'd be willing to speak on behalf of the party. She then brings up Madame Jeunet, saying she's the only one she trusts to make her look pretty and well dressed.
Nucky gets a call and heads to the jail, thanking Sebso for letting him in. Jimmy tells Nucky that the D'Alessios are being backed by Rothstein and Lucky. Nucky regretfully informs Jimmy that he won't be getting bail on the murder charges, nor will he be getting a lawyer from Nucky because of the expenses.
Van Alden calls his boss and tells him they arrested Jimmy. He's delighted to hear it. Sebso congratulates Van Alden, who says he didn't do it alone (though he doesn't specifically thank Sebso). Sebso apologizes again for the telegram. Sebso asks if it's safe to keep Winslow in the Atlantic City jail. He suggests a federal facility to keep him out of Nucky's reach.
Nucky visits the Commodore, who is very sick and not pleased with Fletcher and the Democrats making a push in the city. The Commodore tells Nucky to run somebody else for mayor to give the people "change." He tells him to run someone else for sheriff, as well.
Harding's mistress Nan is trying on dresses, and Madame Jeunet pulls Margaret aside and thanks Margaret for "rescuing" her. Madame Jeunet tries to give Margaret a dress and comb for her daughter, but Margaret declines. Nan comes out of the dressing room with a very expensive dress on, which Margaret compliments. It is now that Madame Jeunet seems to realize Margaret's assistance won't come cheap.
Sebso drives Billy away and chatters on while Billy says nothing. Near a welcome sign for Atlantic City, he pulls over so he can relieve himself, and also lets Billy out of the car so he can stretch his legs. After Sebso relieves himself, he suddenly tells Billy, "You shouldn't have done that." Billy looks at him, confused, as Sebso goes on with a fabricated story about how he'll make it seem like he killed Billy in self-defense...then pulls out his gun and shoots him dead. He unlocks the handcuffs from Billy's wrists, and bashes himself in the forehead with a rock to make it look like he was attacked. He throws Billy's body into the back of his car and drives away.
Angela gets the news from the photographer that his art dealer friend is no longer interested in her work, and he goes on to insult Angela's artistic style.
That night, Edward Bader and his wife Kathryn are having dinner with Nucky and Margaret when Nucky starts praising Bader for his work in the city. Margaret takes Kathryn away so Nucky can chat with Bader alone, and Nucky notes that her dress is beautiful. Margaret says it was a gift from Madame Jeunet (it's the same $480 one that Nan tried on). With the men alone, Nucky asks Bader if he'd like to be the next mayor, since Bachrach is ill and will not be seeking re-election, and Bader is the best suited replacement for him (doing so would also give Bader a bunch of new business for his construction company). He gets up, after he's convinced Bader is committed to the offer.
Nucky and Margaret leave the supper club, Nucky exchanging pleasantries with some constituents. As they walk along the boardwalk, two of the D'Alessio brothers ambush them. One of them, Lucien, calls out to Nucky, drawing his attention to him. As Lucien walks up to Nucky, looking to shake his hand, Sixtus approaches from Nucky's left with a gun in hand. Eddie, who is shadowing them, spots the gun and rushes Sixtus just as he pulls the trigger. The gun fires, the bullet hitting a nearby woman in the shoulder, who collapses onto Margaret, the blood staining Margaret's new dress. Lucien melts away in the chaos as Eddie tries to subdue Sixtus. After a struggle, Sixtus frees himself and run. As he runs, Eddie manages to draw his own gun and tags Sixtus in the left hip, but Sixtus manages to escape.
Tropes
- Conspicuously Public Assassination: The D'Alessios attempt to assassinate Nucky in public. The attempt fails, as Eddie spots Sixtus's gun and deflects it away at the last minute, the shot hitting an innocent woman instead.
- Pre-emptive Declaration: Sebso as he's about to kill Billy Winslow.
