So what’s up with Margaret Schroeder? This is the main question that I find myself wondering when I watch “Boardwalk Empire.” A few weeks ago, I would not have caught myself thinking so much about the lamest character in the show, but now her story’s become the most interesting.
Last week on Boardwalk Empire we saw her step up to politicians and defend women’s rights. This week is a totally different ballgame. Nucky is cold towards her when she brings him soda bread. She rips up the dress she stole and turns into a new woman who fights for what she wants, albeit in the most backwards way. Instead of confronting Nucky about his ways, she plays his game right back at him.
When Margaret witnesses men, specifically Mr. Neary (who’s on Nucky’s payroll), across the street rolling barrels of green beer into a garage, she turns informant for Van Alden. She’s simple, but not stupid. She knows that in Boardwalk Empire, Nucky is the man in charge. Van Alden seizes the opportunity to make a spectacle of Nucky, and arrests his man Neary at the Celtic Dinner, then parades him in front of the press. When the party clears out, Nucky sees Margaret standing amongst the Women’s Temperance League. As they would say in the 20’s: He was piping mad!
When he later visits her house to call her out, and then proceeds to get it on with her, it all begins to make sense. Nucky has been looking for an equally intellectual mind with which to contend. He is surrounded by Yes Men who give in to his every need, a girlfriend who does nothing but please him, and never has a problem coming out on top of every battle: He sent Jimmy Darmody out of town without much of a fight, deflects Van Alden and Rothstein at every turn, and most recently, negotiates with the midgets (who play the Leprechauns at the Celtic Dinner) without even breaking a sweat. Margaret presents a challenge to him, and so he finds himself attracted to her. What will happen between them? Will she change Nucky for the better? Or will Margaret find herself embracing a lifestyle that she once despised? Keep watching Boardwalk Empire.
What else happened this week? There were little bits of Arnold Rothstein, who is trying to balance his investigation into Jimmy and Nucky with defending against the rumors of his fixing the World Series.
Capone’s boss Johnny Torrio threatens to kick opium-addict Pearl out of the brothel/casino/speak-easy/general place where illegal activities go down because she’s not making any money with a bloody rag on her face. Jimmy attempts to take care of her, but in a classic WTF moment, the young hooker commits suicide. Well, she sure lasted a long time! She had such a sexy mouth, too. It’s a shame.
We’re half way through the first season of Boardwalk Empire, and I’m still not exactly sure where it’s going. I assume that eventually all of the stories will come back together, but each episode crawls along at a snail’s pace, so who knows when that will happen.
