Boardwalk Empire: The Mirror Has Two Faces

This episode of Boardwalk Empire was all about the difference between how people see you, and how you see yourself. It pulls from the story of Anastasia (also the title of the episode). Or rather, Anna Anderson, the girl who famously claimed to be the Russian Princess, but was proven to be nothing more than a fake.

There's Jimmy, of course, who is reinventing himself as a gangster with Al Capone in Chicago. He's picked up a new girl, who even asks him about whether it was his idea to come to Chicago. He says yeah, kind of, and she answers, "So it's your idea... What you're supposed to be."

Maggie kind of hits us over the head with it. She's an immigrant shopkeeper, but able to speak eloquently on the rights of Women in today's society.

For Nucky, we get a pretty straightforward example of this, starting with his rehearsal of surprise in a bedroom mirror, and then his "actual" surprise at the birthday party.

And then there's Omar - sorry, Chalky - who is seen as something less than human by the Ku Klux Klan. But in fact, is well spoken, dangerous, and completely in charge of almost everything, even Nucky.

I'm sure there's more parallels we could draw, but this was easily the best episode of the show so far. Clunky metaphor? Sure. But it worked, and was well played out through every single one of the characters and plotlines. That takes dedication on the writers' part, and bully to them for doing it. Good job, guys!

Tightly written, nuanced, and the plot continues to develop in new - if not surprising ways. The same problems still exist (Nucky), and the same strengths are there too (Direction, general acting). But Boardwalk Empire is slowly developing into the gangbusters show people have been claiming it's been for, well, the past four weeks.

Random Notes:

• What's the deal with pickled eggs at bars? Has anyone ever actually eaten them?
• "Jesus! F**k!"
• Paz de la Heurta and Nucky are like the world's dirtiest sitcom.
• "Well... I ain't building no bookcase." We love you, Omar.
• Is this a thing that actually happened? All nude history tableaus live on stage?
• Did I ever tell you where Jimmy got those scars?
• Maggie's expression of delight at seeing Nucky's extravagant party was delightfully cute.
• Holy cow, that face slicing scene was violent.