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Boardwalk Empire: A prayer for Owen, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Nov 19, 2012, 3:21 GMT

We fans of "Boardwalk Empire" already know that this season\'s heavy, Gyp Rosetti (Bobby Canavale) is terrorized at home by his battle-ax wife and mother-in-law, and in turn he takes out al his impotence and frustrations on anyone who makes him cock his head.

SPOILERS

We fans of "Boardwalk Empire" already know that this season's heavy, Gyp Rosetti (Bobby Cannavale) is terrorized at home by his battle-ax wife and mother-in-law, and in turn, he takes out all his impotence and frustrations on anyone who makes him cock his head. 

Tonight a rogue wave know-it-all hired hand was bludgeoned in what was one of the most brutal made for TV deaths ever, by a shovel wielded by Gyp, who plays golf with a buried in sand (up to his neck) poor sod named Franco, until his head turns into gooey Osso Bucco.  It's hard to watch Gyp's scenes sometimes, especially this one and the police man he set on fire.

Our charming Irish right-hand to Nucky (Steve Buscemi), Owen, played by Charlie Cox, also met a death in classic Italian mobster in-your-face style, packed up in pieces inside a box, special delivery, 4 AM.

Margaret (Kelly MacDonald) is now pregnant and lover-less, as is Nucky, minus a child of his on the way. Nucky is also on to the fact his wife's eye was a-wandering. Great moment between the two when Owen's body is discovered in the box.

Before all this gruesome doings, Richard Harrow (Jack Huston) and Julia Sagorsky are falling fast and hard in love, yet her drunk father Paul's insults of "freak" are met with Harrow's fast moves and reveal of his war injuries, asking if Paul would pay a dime to see a man like him. Richard later takes his new love under the boardwalk, telling Julia, "I wish I could kiss you" brings tears, as Harrow's this close to having a woman who loves him and some happiness.

"A Man, A Plan" shows that Nucky has recovered mostly from his concussion. A phone call from the Southern linguist extraordinaire (with a side of vileness), Gaston Means, in Washington warned that unless Smith was killed, Nucky was in danger. Means plays Daugherty and Nucky's fears like a maestro and nets $40,000 from each man to remove the hysterical Smith, who makes Means' life easy as he puts a bullet in his own head.

In Atlantic City, Owen cooks up a scheme with Margaret to leave a different times to St. Louis, yet earlier in the episode, Owen expressed marriage commitment to Katy. What to believe? Owen also learns he is to be a father from Margaret.

Nucky also sends a volunteering Owen on a mission to kill Masseria to end Gyp's power by killing his boss execution style in a Turkish Bath.

This ends poorly for our Owen, given up by Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky, desperate for a deal with Masseria. Owen's subsequent murder makes Nucky all the more vulnerable to Gyp. Al Capone and Johnny Torrio will serve to be the wildcard in any hope of allies in the fight against Masseria.

At the end of the episode, we see Margaret in a flashback where she and Owen share the secret of her being pregnant with his baby.

So much unhappiness and brutality this season, Especially with Gillian (Gretchen Moll) and Gyp, who for me serve as the two most damaged goods players on the series this season.