Boardwalk Empire - December 4, 2011

Forgive my tardiness. All my shows have been piling up lately.

Two weeks ago, we saw one of the most bizarre episodes in the Boardwalk Empire series. Like every other show, at one point or another, they have a “blast from the past” episode. Jumping back to college, we see Jimmy doing quite well at Princeton. We all assumed he failed out and joined the army because of this. Something must have happened. We find out exactly what that is later in the episode.

Jimmy’s mother comes to visit her son for a nice college hang out (yea right). In her flirtatious manner, his mother becomes the center of attention at a social gathering with members of the upper class and a few professors. We see his mother talking, laughing and drinking, almost as if she was the popular sorority sister. We all knew something was going to happen. After seeing his mom stumble out of a hallway, Jimmy notices her dress has been ripped. A second later, we see the very same professor who encouraged Jimmy to not forget who he is and reassured that he was on the right track, stumble out as well. Putting two and two together, Jimmy punches out his teacher, likely resulting in expulsion.

Next, we see Jimmy and his mother return to his room drunk beyond their minds. After some questionable behaviors by his mother, Jimmy starts to put his mother to bed. His mother confides that she sometimes sees the world as just Jimmy and herself and no one else is matters. After some emotional banter by the mother, and some questionable mother/son actions, they presumable “make love” that night. If that isn’t enough to screw with an eighteen-year-old’s head, I don’t know what is. The next morning, the mother is gone and assuming an expulsion, Jimmy enlists in the army.

Let’s now evaluate the emotional, physical and mental harm Jimmy’s mother has caused him;

• She discouraged his relationship with Angela, even at the very beginning
• Due to her actions, he was on his way to expulsion from Princeton
• She forced him into sexual relations with her, causing unimaginable emotional distress on him
• She drove him away from Nucky and into his father’s arms
• She drove him into this new role as “head of Atlantic City” (which later costs him dearly)
• She later encouraged him to kill his father (keep in mind, Jimmy already stabbed him in self-defense)

Is she a true manipulator (like another character my readers know about) that no one knew or is she truly in love with her son? How much more can Jimmy endure from this monster?

Share your thoughts on this thrilling second to last episode of Boardwalk Empire.