Golden Days for Boys and Girls (Boardwalk Empire)

Lore & Background

The episode opens in 1884, showing a young Nucky swimming with other boys as the Commodore throws gold coins into the water. Nucky fails to catch any, disappointing his father Ethan. After losing his hat in the wind, Nucky finds it containing a $50 note and returns both to a businessman, impressing the Commodore, who gives him a gold coin. Nucky gives the coin to his mother Nora, while his father tends to Nucky's ill sister Susan.

Reader's Guide

In 1931, Nucky is in Havana with Sally Wheet, meeting Senator Wendell Lloyd to involve him in a partnership with Bacardi Rum. He encounters Lansky, who is supposedly on vacation with a wife who is later revealed to be a local prostitute. An assassin attempts to kill Nucky but is killed by his bodyguard Arquimedes; Nucky suspects Lansky's involvement. Meanwhile, Chalky White is in a Maryland chain gang, escapes during a riot, and is held at gunpoint by fellow inmate Milton, who offers to share hidden money. In New York, Robert Bennett III commits suicide; Margaret is pressured to open his files and is caught trying to remove a file on the deceased Rothstein. In Coney Island, Luciano meets with Masseria, then allows hitmen to kill him, later attending a Maranzano ceremony where he slices his hand to show loyalty.

Did You Know?

• The episode was seen by an estimated 2.37 million household viewers, an 8% increase from the previous episode.
• The episode received a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews.
• The seven-year time jump polarized critics, with some praising the potential for character progress and others disappointed by skipped events.