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‘Boardwalk Empire’ Season 5, Episode 7: ‘Friendless Child’

Posted byBy Ricky Riley | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Boardwalk Empire season 5, episode 7: Friendless Child airs tonight on HBO.

At war with Luciano, Nucky looks to hold onto his assets in Atlantic City. Willie and Eli become involved in Nucky’s war. Maranzano meets his fate. Nucky reads Gillian’s letter from the hospital. In 1897, Mabel and Nucky argue about a young runaway from Trenton, while Nucky does a discreet favor for the Commodore.

The show chronicles the life and times of Nucky Thompson, the undisputed ruler of Atlantic City, who was equal parts politician and gangster. A bustling little city by the seashore, totally dependent upon money spent by tourists, Atlantic City’s popularity rose in the early 20th century and peaked during Prohibition. The resort’s singular purpose of providing a good time to its visitors — whether lawful or not — demanded a single mentality to rule the town. Success of the local economy was the only ideology, and critics and do-gooders weren’t tolerated. By 1900, a political juggernaut, funded by payoffs from gambling rooms, bars and brothels, was firmly entrenched. For the next 70 years, Atlantic City was dominated by a partnership comprised of local politicians and racketeers. This unique alliance reached full bloom in the person of Enoch “Nucky” Johnson – the second of three bosses to head the Republican machine that dominated city politics and society.

Boardwalk Empire season 5, episode  7 airs Oct. 19 at 9 p.m. EDT on HBO.

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