Gimcrack & Bunkum

Lore & Background

In this episode, Nucky Thompson makes a speech for a Memorial Day observance and surprises Jimmy Darmody by inviting him to speak on stage, apparently to embarrass him, but Jimmy does an acceptable job. Nucky courts the assistance of U.S. Attorney General Harry Daugherty in his election fraud case, meeting Thorogood, the DA for his case. Thorogood, Daugherty, and Smith outline a scheme in which the case against Nucky will be dropped, though Nucky wants a guarantee he is not given.

Richard Harrow flicks through his scrapbook before taking a trip into the woods, where he prepares to commit suicide but is interrupted by a stray dog. After meeting and talking with two hunters who convince him not to try to kill himself again, Richard returns to Atlantic City. Meanwhile, the Commodore's wealthy backers are upset at Jimmy for the destruction of Mickey's warehouse. One of them, Jackson Parkhurst, insults Jimmy during a meeting and hits him in the head with his cane. Jimmy storms out and tells Eli he is done with the backers. Advised by Gillian to make an example of Parkhurst, Jimmy and Richard break into Parkhurst's home in the middle of the night and scalp him.

With cold feet after the Commodore's stroke and Jimmy's poor reaction to their meeting with their benefactors, Eli attempts to rejoin Nucky by informing him of the Commodore's situation. Nucky calls Eli a backstabber and refuses the apology. They proceed to have a violent fight in Nucky's house, which ends with Margaret holding Eli at gunpoint and kicking him out. Later, Alderman George O'Neill confronts Eli at his home with the rumor of the Commodore's stroke. Eli tries ineffectually to lie about the Commodore's condition. O'Neill does not believe him and says he wants out of their deal. This results in Eli suddenly and accidentally killing a flustered O'Neill as he tries to get him to stop talking, driving himself to near exhaustion while finishing him off. Eli digs a hole and dumps O'Neill's body into it.

Reader's Guide

The episode's title, "Gimcrack & Bunkum," is defined in the episode as "something showy but worthless" and "speechmaking designed for show or public applause," respectively. These definitions reflect the episode's themes of hollow political gestures and the brutal realities beneath the surface of Atlantic City's power struggles. The episode received critical acclaim, with IGN giving it a score of 9 out of 10, stating that "Boardwalk's best when it balances its jolts of violence with contemplative moments for its very complicated characters. 'Gimcrack & Bunkum' is Boardwalk at its best." The episode was watched by 2.691 million viewers and rose one tenth to a 1.1 adults 18-49 rating. It introduced two new characters: Brian Thompson, one of Eli and June's younger sons and William's younger brother, and Charles Kenneth Thorogood, a Deputy US Attorney with family connections to Harry Daugherty assigned to Nucky's case alongside Solomon. The episode features two deaths: George O'Neill, a former alderman for Nucky working with the Commodore, beaten to death with a hammer by Eli; and Jackson Parkhurst, a war profiteer and veteran of the Wagon Box Fight in Red Cloud's War, scalped by Jimmy and Richard Harrow.

Did You Know?

• The episode was written by co-executive producer Howard Korder and directed by executive producer Tim Van Patten.
• Richard Harrow's suicide attempt is interrupted by a stray dog, and two hunters convince him not to try again.
• Jackson Parkhurst, a financial backer of the Commodore, is scalped by Jimmy and Richard after humiliating Jimmy in a meeting.
• Eli kills Alderman George O'Neill with a hammer in a heated moment, then dumps his body in a hole.