Tonight on HBO, BOARDWALK EMPIRE continues with another new episode called, “The Old Ship of Zion.” On tonight’s show Chalky throws down the gauntlet to Valentin Narcisse, upholding his leadership on the Northside. Did you see last week’s episode 7? If you want to catch up before tonight’s show you can read our full and detailed recap right here of last week’s episode 7 right here!
On last week’s episode Eli confronted Nucky after Willie made an unpopular decision. Margaret had a surprise encounter at her job on Wall Street. Joe Masseria ordered Lucky Luciano to return to Tampa and deal with Vincenzo Petrucelli. Gillian went cold turkey with Roy Phillips’ help. Still seething over his brother’s death, Al Capone tried to get Johnny Torrio to turn on rival gangster Dean O’Banion. As the relationship between Chalky and Daughter Maitland deepened, Valentin Narcisse exerted his control over Dunn Purnsley and the Northside.
On tonight’s show Nucky’s shipment from Florida will arrive with some unexpected cargo. Eli is going to be backed into a corner when Agent Knox uncovers new dirt on the Thompsons. After talking things over with Nucky, Willie will reconsider his recent life choices. Chalky is going to throw down the gauntlet to Valentin Narcisse, upholding his leadership on the Northside.” The episode was written by Cristine Chambers and Howard Korder, and directed by Tim Van Patten.
Tonight’s episode is going to be another action packed one, which you won’t want to miss. So be sure to tune in for our live coverage of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire Season 4 episode 8— tonight at 9PM EST! While you wait for our recap, if you cannot wait for tonight, check out a sneak peek video of tonight’s episode below!
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
Tonight’s show opens with Dunn walking up to see Ms. Monroe – she tells him her joints are acting up and Dunn tells her the weather is changing. Dunn walks into her house and everyone is obviously stoned. Ms. Monroe tells him she is visiting relatives that week and he hands her some money.
Dunn tells his assistant he has to cut the heroin four times. Dunn is there to pick up cash. Dunn reiterates that they have to cut four times and gives him an invitation to attend an event Doctor Narcisse is holding.
Fed agents are meeting and Agent Knox is not pleased at how the feds are talking. He feels the agents are bring antidotes and not connections. Knox tells the agents they will get the crooks then get the law. One of the agents tells Knox he has an ancedote, Nucky’s nephew Willie’s roommate is up for murder charges. That Willie was the first one investigated but after Nucky sat with the DA charges were dropped and Willie’s roommate was charged. Knox looks interested.
Willie wakes up and tells Nucky when he is up he is slow on provisions. Willie asks if he can go with Nucky while he conducts his business. Nucky agrees it is a good idea to go with him and meet Eli. Nucky tells Willie that he has to give some thought on how to turn his current situation into an opportunity. Nucky then tells him to go take a walk on the beach.
Daughter is singing in church, she is singing, “Ship of Zion.” Chalky is there and his wife is watching him, Doctor Narcisse is also there. The preacher gives the eulogy for the Deacon that Dunn killed.
Mickey Doyle is blabbing away to to Nucky and Eli about a girl he has been seeing, either looks amused. Nucky asks why he is tells them the story. Mickey tells them someone has to talk.
Mickey leaves and Nucky tells Eli he understands why he is upset. He also tells Eli he is not pleased that Willie is staying with him, but at least they keep everything inside the family. Nucky tells Eli to leave him be he will get bored and he will sort things out.
A shipment arrives and Nucky tells Eli to come and see how the oranges are that arrived. Nucky removes the first bottle of alcohol and gives it to Eli for good luck. Nucky hears a voice and see Sally is there. Sally tells Nucky she hopped on the truck the last moment. Nucky tells Mickey to get lost. Nucky asks Sally if there is a problem with the operation. Sally tells him it is hunky dory. Nucky tells Sally he was not expecting her. He welcomes her to Atlantic City.
Sally questions Nucky and he is evasive. Nucky offers to put her up in a hotel and she declines, she tells him she has plenty of cash.
Dunn and his assistant walk into the Barber shop – he sees Chalky there and Chalky does not look pleased. Chalky tells Dunn that people are not happy about the Deacon’s death. Chalky tells Dunn to come with him, Dunn is not pleased and asks what he wants with him. Chalky tells him he will tell him on the way. Dunn looks pissed.
Willie asks Ed how he got started. Nucky walks in and he asks Willie what happened with the grocery list. Willie leaves. Nucky asks Ed what he is doing there. Ed reminds him it is an election year. Ed is not pleased there is a dead body on a building site and the Deacon dead in his own church. Nucky tells Ed he has to deal with Chalky about the Deacon.
Chalky and Dunn drive up to Ms. Monroe house and Chalky asks Dunn what he thinks? Dunn says nothing – they walk in with bats and Chalky and his men start smashing things and beating people up. Chalky grabs one of the men and asks who is running things. Meanwhile, Dunn runs in the room where the money is being held and the man who knows Dunn and he shoots him several times. Chalky comes behind and is not pleased because he wanted to question the man. Dunn say he shot him in self defense.
Chalky pulls something off the dead man and finds it is the invitation to Doctor Narcisse’s event he is holding for the Negro Association.
At the jail Agent Knox is going to visit Willie’s roommate and he brought him 3 packages of cigarettes and tells him he wants him to tell him about Willie.
At the Onxy club Daughter is singing as Chalky watches from upstairs.
Nucky comes in and asks if he is interrupting. Chalky remarks he comes and goes as he pleases. Nucky asks Chalky if there is anything he needs to tell him. Nucky says that it is Chalky’s side of town and he does not interfere but the Deacon getting killed is not a good thing. Nucky tells Chalky to make a donation to the Church. Chalky is not please, he feels Nucky is lecturing him. Nucky tells Chalky not to let his life get out of hand
Nucky goes downstairs to get a drink and sees Sally and Micky flirting with each other. Nucky asks Sally what she thinks of the club and Sally says Nucky must have been slumming in Tampa. Nucky takes the cane Mickey was holding (which was Eddie Kessler’s) and hits Mickey. Micky finally takes the hint and makes his apologies and leaves.
Nucky tells Sally that all she had to do was tell him she was coming. Nucky asks her where she is staying? That question is answered a bit later when Nucky and Sally are making out as Willie listens from his bedroom at Nucky’s house.
Dr. Narcisse is at a play, it is being held at the Negro Association. Once the play is over Doctor Narcisse takes a bow and starts talking. They hear a noise and everyone gets up and walks out. It is Chalky and he is banging something on a cover. Dr. Narcisse asks if he came to see the play and Chalky tells him he came to show him something.
Chalky takes a package from the bag he retrieved from Mrs. Monroe house. The package has heroin and he drops it on the ground, he pours gasoline on it and lights it. He tells Doctor Narcisse it is called Harlem by torch light. Dr. Narcisse does not look pleased. Chalky has thrown down the gauntlet.
Back at Nucky’s house Willie has burned his hand and Sally walks in and asks to look at it. Willie introduces himself to Sally. Willie and Sally are eating on the ocean front. Nucky walks in and Sally tells Nucky Will and her have been talking about what he should be doing with himself. Will tells Nucky he does not think he should stay there anymore but he wants to go to the city and to learn how things work. He tells Nucky if he does not make it that is okay, he wants Nucky he wants to show him he can be the person Nucky wants him to be. He also tells Nucky he knows he owes his parents an apology. Nucky tells him he will see what he can do.
Dr. Narcisses walks into Daughter’s room and she is in bed, she tells him it is too early. He pats her head and he tells her she must fight the melancholy. She says she is trying and he tells her to try harder because it upsets him. Daughter asks if they liked his play. He responds the symbolism was beyond them and there was a disturbance. Doctor Narcisse tells her that Chalky will visit her and he wants her to keep Chalky with her because there will be another visitor.
Sally has to leave and Nucky tells her she is crazy to go back so soon. Sally tells Nucky she has to protect his interest. Sally then tells him she kept the boys in line that delivered the alcohol to him and they did not spill a drop and she wants money. He offers her $1,000 and she tells him she wants $1,500.
Agent Knox comes into the bar where Eli is and Eli asks what Knox is doing there. Knox has brought an associate and Eli tells them to F off. The associate takes Eli’s gun and Knox tells him to be careful how he conducts himself. Knox asks Eli how Willie is. Then Knox tells Eli that Clinton Davis, Willie’s friend told them a story about how Willie and Clinton stole liquor from Nucky’s warehouse and then poisoned the liquor. Eli gets really upset at them. Knox tells Eli he better stay calm he does not want it getting back to Nucky that he was with them. Knox tells Eli if he brings him Nucky and the rest of the gangsters he will not prosecute his son, all Eli has to do is nod.
Nucky tells Willie that he has gotten Willie a job at Mayor Ed’s office and he will have to keep his eyes and ears open when he is working there. Nucky gives Willie a book his mother gave him and tells him there is a lot he can learn from it.
Over with Daughter and Chalky – Daughter asks why he is in a hurray, she asks if he is tiring of him. She asks him if he will stay, he tells her he has business to attend to. Daughter starts talking about Chalky’s son and keeps trying to make him stay. Chalky is suspicious, but she gives him a story.
Chalky tells Daughter that Ship of Zion they sang it at his father’s grave. He knew when he heard it he was never coming back and he has not seen his family since. He asks Daughter to sing the song for him with the old words. Daughter sings it for him and he is tearing up.
There is a knock at the door, Chalky asks who she is expecting. It is Dunn, Chalky asks how he knew where he was. Dunn tells him it was the piano man. Chalky wants to know why he is there, Dunn tells Chalky he is right Doctor Narcisse is selling heroin and he killed the Deacon. Chalky asks about Daughter. Dunn tells Chalky that Doctor Narcisse put Daughter in front of him to distract him.
Chalky looks at Dunn and says one thing you did not mention, how much is Doctor Narcisses paying you to Fu*K me. The two get into a fight, Dunn has a gun and a stake. They fight and Dunn gets the better of Chalky he is killing him. He is strangling the life out of Chalky. NO! All of a sudden Dunn falls over and Daughter is standing here she has stabbed him in the back with the carving knife. Dunn falls over. Daughter cradles Chalky.
Eli comes home and the family is there and so is Nucky everyone is singing. Willie walks up to his father and apologizes for disrespecting him and asks if he can come back home.
Eli puts out his arm and they embrace. Eli tells them not to stop the singing on his account.
Nucky tells Eli he told him it would all work out. Eli tells Nucky he did it and says, “Thank you brother.”
THE END!!
