Nucky asking Meyer to tell him something about himself was an important moment for Boardwalk Empire. At first Meyer wanted to repeat his resume and his credentials -- all important things -- but there are lots of men with money with whom Nucky could partner. His hesitation regarding Arnold Rothstein had nothing to do with funds, it was about A.R.'s singular resolve to win. Meyer eventually did tell Nucky a story about where he came from and how he came up (with Lucky). That vignette told Nucky wanted he needed to know -- that Meyer was strong, loyal and determined. It also reminded us of something even more important; for all of its showmanship and tangled seasonal plots, what we really want from Boardwalk are personal stories. Hit the jump for more. One of my continued criticisms of the show has been about Boardwalk's dedication to chronicling all of the gangsters of the era. As Knox's map for Hoover showed, there lots of them and, yes, they are all interconnected. That network is fascinating, but unless they have stories that stand out to us, the show becomes more of a history lesson than a compelling drama. But here is where "All In" had great success. It took two (and a half) of the most memorable sideline gangsters (Capone and Rothstein), and showed us new sides to them. Have we ever seen Rothstein so out of control? Maybe Meyer should have gotten him some milk to calm his ulcers. Rothstein losing, spectacularly, to ...
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