The Milkmaid's Lot

Lore & Background

In the episode, Nucky Thompson recovers at the Ritz Carlton from the bombing, suffering tinnitus and struggling to differentiate reality from hallucination. Margaret is forced to relocate her daughter Emily's birthday to the Ritz, much to her chagrin. Gyp Rosetti brutally assaults Sheriff Ramsey for his failure in Tabor Heights, then tells citizens they will each be paid $200 monthly for their services, putting them on his payroll. He later calls a dazed Nucky to mock him about Billie's death, causing Nucky to have a mental breakdown. Nucky tells Eli and Owen he wants cooperation from their associates to kill both Gyp and Joe Masseria, but they inform him the men will not support him in his condition, with Torrio refusing to be part of his plans. George Remus is arrested by Treasury agents in Cincinnati and seeks a pardon by giving information about Jess Smith. Richard continues seeing Julia, and they go dancing at an American Legion meeting, where she kisses him. Due to Richard's absence, Tommy spends the day with one of Gillian's workers and sees her having sex with a man. When Richard returns, Gillian scolds him for prioritizing his life over Tommy's. Nucky finds an earring in the bathroom and gives it to Margaret, but she does not recognize it; it actually belonged to Billie. He eventually accepts that her death is his fault. During a meeting with his associates, Nucky proposes going to war to kill Gyp and Masseria, but Rothstein reveals the associates have already discussed it and concluded they do not want to face Masseria, leaving Nucky to carry it out alone. In Tabor Heights, the citizens prepare a liquor shipment under Gyp's supervision.

Reader's Guide

The episode was seen by an estimated 2.06 million household viewers with a 0.7 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, a slight decrease from the previous episode. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and character development, while the pacing received criticism. Matt Fowler of IGN gave it a 7.7 out of 10, calling it "a ton of set up for more exciting things to come." Noel Murray of The A.V. Club gave it an "A–" grade, noting that Nucky's confusion leads to intense, nerve-wrackingly dramatic scenes. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote that Nucky craves respect but needs love, and has put himself in a position where both are in short supply. The episode marks the first writing credit for Rolin Jones and the third directing credit for Ed Bianchi.

Did You Know?

• The episode was written by co-executive producer Rolin Jones, his first writing credit for the series.
• It was directed by Ed Bianchi, his third directing credit for Boardwalk Empire.
• Nucky suffers tinnitus and struggles to differentiate reality from hallucination after the bombing.