Boardwalk Empire Season 2, Episode 8

• Courtesy of HBO
• AT LEAST I DON’T HAVE MY ASS IN A SLING: Steve Buscemi as Nucky

Didja know that if you fast-forward “Boardwalk Empire’s” opening credits with the audio on, the theme song totally sounds like surf guitar? Try it, it’s fun!

“Boardwalk Empire’s” cool title sequence presents Nucky Thompson standing on a beach as liquor bottles wash ashore, and he’s photographed like the Colossus of Rhodes as played by Steve Buscemi. This week, Nucky stops to consider whether he actually wants to be the god-king of Atlantic City.

We open with Nucky riding the elevator, with spooky lighting and the hint of slow-motion signal that it’s a dream. Nucky sees a group of people gathered outside his office. I didn’t recognize any of them — perhaps they’re deceased members of the Thompson family? Nucky goes into his office, sees a catcher’s mitt and a boy behind his desk with a wound in his palm. Nucky says “Daddy eats first,” a wounded stag appears before his desk and the boy shoots at Nucky with a shotgun. Perhaps Nucky’s subconscious is processing the assassination attempt — his surrogate son Jimmy having turned against him. Or maybe he’s predicting what’s to come with his own father.

We cut to Nucky awake, regarding his injured hand as the doctor changes his dressing. “Stigmata,” Nucky remarks of his wound, a Christian imagery that gets a call-back later, at the artist party, when we hear of a sandcastle built to look like a two-headed Jesus on the cross. Nucky notably has two different guises, one in public and one when he plays house with Margaret and the kids. Nucky chews out the doctor for concealing the news of the Commodore’s stroke. The doctor gives little Emily a check-up.