As the country struggles to cope with the Great Depression and the end of Prohibition looms, Nucky Thompson looks to legitimize himself through alliances with liquor producers, while rivals Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky seek to consolidate their power in the wake of Arnold Rothstein's death and eliminate all competition - by any means necessary on Boardwalk Empire.
January, 1920. On the eve of Prohibition, Atlantic City's duplicitous Treasurer, Nucky Thompson, plots to make huge profits selling bootleg liquor. Later, he flirts with Margaret Schroeder, a pretty, pregnant wife with an abusive husband, and assures WWI vet Jimmy Darmody that his new job will lead to bigger things.
Investigating the heist now linked to Hans Schroeder, straight and narrow Agent Nelson van Alden pays a visit to Nucky; a concerned Nucky sends his brother, Sheriff Elias Thompson, to the hospital to sow the seeds of doubt in the widow Schroeder's mind, then lets Mickey Ward know he's being replaced by Chalky White in the bootleg production business.
An unlikely witness threatens to expose the perpetrators of the woods massacre. As Nucky reevaluates his relationship with Lucy, Margaret starts a new job. Chalky's team pays a heavy price for taking over Mickey Doyle's bootleg operation, causing Chalky to reevaluate his relationship with Nucky. After questioning Angela's loyalty, Jimmy heads west.
In Chicago, Jimmy bonds with one of Johnny Torrio's prostitutes, Pearl, and finds himself increasingly at odds with the hot headed Al Capone. Back in Atlantic City, Nucky looks to leverage his relationships with ambitious U.S. Senator Walter Edge as well as Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague. Margaret impresses at Nucky's birthday party, while Lucy tries to protect her territory.
Nucky's attempts to usher in a joyous St. Patrick's Day are undermined by Eli, Margaret & Van Alden. In New York, Arnold Rothstein worries about his involvement in the fixed World Series, while in Chicago, Jimmy copes with the aftermath of a vicious attack orchestrated by Torrio rival Charlie Sheridan.
After the brazen robbery of one of his Ward Bosses, Nucky turns up the heat on Lucky Luciano. An emboldened Margaret stands up to Lucy. In Chicago, Al Capone's frustration over family issues spills over into his relationship with Jimmy, who scores points with Johnny Torrio for a bold power play involving Charlie Sheridan and the neighborhood of Greektown.
Nucky purges some bad childhood memories; Jimmy forges a new alliance with a fellow veteran. Chalky considers a liquor proposition which would eliminate middle man Nucky. Van Alden gets a valuable lead on the woods massacre. Angela finds companionship in Jimmy's absence; Luciano and a friend cut a deal with the D'Alessio brothers.
Nucky visits Chicago for the Republican National Convention, where he finds himself intrigued by the candidacy of Warren G. Harding over more established candidates. The D'Alessio gang moves in on Nucky's territory at the expense of Eli, who has been watching over his brother's affairs. Margaret finds herself entangled in Nucky's business, while Van Alden struggles with his wife's desire for a child. Rothstein prepares for legal trouble over his role in fixing the 1919 World Series. Nucky asks Jimmy to return to Atlantic City to reinforce his position.
Nucky is forced to readjust his political alliances because of a Democratic mayoral candidate promising to wipe out corruption. Jimmy returns from Chicago to deal with the D'Alessio gang, which has allied with Rothstein to import Scotch from Europe through Atlantic City, but is arrested by Agent Van Alden for the massacre in the woods. Margaret intercedes with Nucky on Madame Jeunet's behalf, while Angela finds her romantic and artistic ambitions halted by Jimmy's return.
Nucky asks for Margaret's assistance in backing his mayoral candidate with the passage of women's right to vote, leaving her conflicted about her expanding role as his mistress. Doyle switches sides back from Rothstein to Nucky, which leads him to conspire with Chalky against Lansky and the D'Alessios. Angela witnesses Jimmy's violent side against her photographer friend, and plans a better future with his wife. Van Alden grapples with his emotions, and has forceful encounters with both Margaret and Lucy.
Nucky has emotionally charged conversations with both Margaret and Eli over his business and the killing of Margaret's husband, leading to dramatic shake-ups in his personal and political lives. Jimmy meets with his dying father for the first time in years, and in the process reevaluates his relationships with Nucky and both his parents. Van Alden and Agent Sebso's working relationship is pushed to the limit by Van Alden's suspicions, ending after a definitive confrontation at a river baptism. Angela prepares to flee from Jimmy to Paris, but learns her support system is not as strong as she believed.
Nucky faces Election Day in Atlantic City and pulls out all the stops to keep power in Republican hands. Torrio brokers a discussion between Nucky and Rothstein to resolve their growing gang war, as well as Rothstein's looming federal indictment over the World Series. Both Jimmy and Eli voice their growing resentment towards Nucky, and find they have an ally in the equally embittered Commodore. Van Alden seeks a sign on whether or not to leave Atlantic City, but receives unexpected news from Lucy. Margaret weighs new information about Nucky's first marriage and her uncertain future to make a final decision on her role in his life.
Nucky is rocked by an insurrection among his inner circle; Chalky's life and livelihood are threatened by a vicious KKK attack; Margaret copes with her son's disciplinary problems; Angela vies with Gillian for Jimmy's affections at home; Van Alden shows his wife Rose around town as an anniversary present.
Concerned about losing his grip on Atlantic City, Nucky deliberates a countermove while trying to learn who betrayed him. Margaret strikes a pose from the past to help Nucky avoid further trouble in the present. In New York, Jimmy is put on hold by Arnold Rothstein, but Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano loom as possible trading partners.
Nucky makes a New Year's resolution that does not sit well with Gyp Rosetti. Margaret looks to build on the Thompson endowment at St. Theresa's Hospital. Gillian builds a new business. In Chicago, Al Capone is rankled by Irish mobster Dean O'Banion, and Van Alden stumbles onto a confrontation that could change his career path.
Mixing business with pleasure in New York, Nucky bristles at the collection tactics of Gaston Means, a 'special investigator' with ties to Daugherty. Margaret's altruism is met with resistance; Gyp makes a power play in Tabor Heights; Chalky and his daughter fail to agree on her future with Samuel; Eli gets a new boss; a major liquor shipment is detoured.
Following his battle with Gyp Rosetti, Nucky makes a peace offering to Joe Masseria while working the odds with Arnold Rothstein. While Chalky is busy running the Onyx Club on the Boardwalk, the impulsive Dunn Purnsley clashes with a booking agent. Fresh faced Federal Agent Warren Knox arrives in Atlantic City to learn the ropes from Agent Sawicki. Gillian seeks custody of her grandson, Tommy, while trying to find a "good" man to keep the Artemis Club afloat. Eli's college age son, Willie, turns to Nucky for career advice. Al Capone enlists his brothers, Frank and Ralph, to help him expand his business in the Chicago suburb of Cicero. Richard Harrow returns to his violent ways.
Now working as a "delivery man" for Dean O'Banion, Van Alden is ordered to keep tabs on Al Capone, joining the ascendant mobster to help keep Cicero voters "informed" at a political rally. Dr. Valentin Narcisse arrives in Atlantic City, clashing with Chalky and Nucky over the loss of an employee. In Washington, Agent Knox aligns himself with J. Edgar Hoover, acting director of the Bureau of Investigation. Harrow fails to finish a job in Milwaukee, while Eddie demands a promotion after 11 years of service. With a business opportunity on the horizon, Nucky departs for Florida.
Nucky is awash in memories from pier-boy days growing up in 1884 Atlantic City, when the young Nucky caught the eye of the Commodore. In 1931 Cuba, Nucky joins Sally Wheet and, with a U.S. Senator in tow, forges ties with Bacardi Rum in hopes of Prohibition's repeal in the U.S. Working on Wall Street, Margaret finds herself in the hot seat when her boss, facing an internal investigation, decides his own future. Down but never out, Chalky seizes an opportunity to extricate himself from a difficult situation. In New York, Lucky Luciano sets in motion a bold plan that reverberates all the way to Nucky in Cuba.
Back from Cuba after a dangerous encounter, Nucky pays a visit to the now retired Johnny Torrio, who agrees to broker a meeting with the new "Boss of Bosses," Salvatore Maranzano. In Chicago, Eli and Van Alden are tasked by Mike D'Angelo, Al Capone's new right hand man, to recoup money lost during a federal raid by Eliot Ness. Fresh out of law school, Willie Thompson has a job interview. Rebuffed by a group of would be financiers, Nucky dines with Tonino Sandrelli before sending a message to Lansky and Luciano. In 1884, a young Nucky deals with the death of his sister, Susan, while his father has a standoff with the Commodore.
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With the Commodore putting the squeeze on Atlantic City's liquor shipments, Nucky reaches out to Washington's new Attorney General, Harry Daugherty, to return a political favor. In an effort to prove his worth, Owen intervenes on a delivery intended for struggling casino operator Lolly Steinman. Two sets of dinner guests clash at Babette's; and Lucy chafes at her loneliness.
Nucky's attorney has a legal brainstorm that could turn the tide in Nucky's election rigging case. Facing a local liquor surplus, Jimmy and Mickey head to Philadelphia in search of buyers, while Nucky strikes an unlikely deal to get booze into Atlantic City. Eli frets over the Commodore's ability to lead; Owen puts his munitions expertise to work.
After paying lip service to his enemies, Nucky introduces a surprise guest speaker at a Memorial Day dedication for war veterans. With his options dwindling, Eli questions his allegiances, but ends up digging himself a deeper hole. Nucky gets a new lawyer; Jimmy is taught a painful lesson by a Commodore crony; Richard goes hunting deep in the forest.
Nucky orchestrates a risky liquor delivery in Philadelphia; Attorney General Daugherty faces a quandary that could complicate Nucky's case; Jimmy finds a new mentor in Leander Whitlock, the Commodore's longtime lawyer; Margaret confesses her sins; Lucy struggles in solitude, while Van Alden wrestles with his conscience.
While Nucky enlists heavyweight champ Jack Dempsey to promote the wireless broadcast of his upcoming fight, Jimmy faces a decision that could shape the future of Atlantic City. Margaret travels to Brooklyn for a bittersweet family reunion. Nelson weighs his options as his problems converge. Lucy visits an old flame for a handout. Owen settles a score.
In the wake of a personal loss, Nucky solicits advice on his political situation from Arnold Rothstein, while Eli remains suspicious of his brother's actions; Angela meets a new friend at the beach, and eavesdrops on her husband's treachery; Van Alden gets a nanny; Nucky approaches Owen with an overseas proposition; Jimmy flexes his muscles, at Mickey Doyle's expense.
Arriving in Belfast, Nucky and Owen meet with IRA leaders with a barter proposition. Meanwhile, in Atlantic City, Jimmy and his partners broker a deal with George Remus for his medicinal alcohol. Margaret frets when Emily's illness takes a turn for the worse; Dunn Purnsley orchestrates a worker's strike at the Ritz; Randolph and Lathrop grill Halloran about Nucky's past.
Undercut by Nucky, who has a new source for alcohol, Jimmy and his partners look to cultivate a new revenue stream in Atlantic City. With the peak tourist season approaching, the Commodore's crew faces a choice in dealing with the city's striking workers: to negotiate or to fight back. Margaret approaches Father Brennan fearing that sin has led to misfortune.
With Margaret pondering the consequences of sin, Nucky prepares her for a worst case scenario as Esther Randolph plays out her trump cards. Jimmy revisits his college days with Angela and Gillian; Mickey Doyle chafes at sharing his liquor profits; Eli refuses to cop a plea; and Nelson's past comes back to haunt him, tipping the scale in Nucky's favor.
With Nucky's trial looming, Jimmy looks to make amends. After weighing an offer from Esther Randolph, Margaret makes a decision that will change the course of her future... and Nucky's.
Nucky reluctantly joins Margaret to receive a high honor from the Church. Meanwhile, Gyp makes a deal with Nucky for a one time liquor shipment. Van Alden regrets trying to socialize with his co-workers; Margaret takes her pitch to a higher authority; Lucky and Meyer protect their investments; Richard sets the record straight with Mickey, and with Nucky.
After tracking down a liquor thief, Nucky and Owen end up spending a long night hiding out from the Feds with the precocious perp. In his boss' absence, Mickey makes a routing call that will have far reaching consequences. Margaret encounters a familiar face while promoting Dr. Mason's classes at the new woman's clinic. In Chicago, Capone's feud with O'Banion heats up.
After venting with Nucky about his liquor travails, Rothstein sends Gyp a message. In Washington, Gaston Means sees opportunity in a Senate investigation of Harry Daugherty and the Justice Department. Van Alden and Sigrid receive an unexpected visitor; Gillian worries about keeping her business afloat; Margaret has awkward moments at the hospital and at Madam Jeunet's.
After being detained in Washington by Daugherty's men, Nucky approaches his one time nemesis, Esther Randolph, and later entertains an intriguing proposition from Gaston Means. In Atlantic City, Margaret copes with Teddy's demons while Owen investigates a suspicious fire; Gillian feuds with Lucky and finds a surrogate for Jimmy; and Richard connects with a vet and his daughter.
On Easter Sunday, Eli looks to get back in Nucky's good graces at a Thompson family reunion. While Richard and Tommy spend the day as guests of the Sagorskys, Gillian stays at home and makes a sacrifice to improve her future. In New York, after dinner and prayers, Gyp heads downtown in search of a blessing from Joe Masseria.
Gillian makes her peace with Jimmy's death, though not with Nucky, as Gyp arrives to play ally. Working off his debt to O'Banion, Van Alden attends a meeting with Capone and Torrio; Nucky pays an unscheduled visit to Andrew Mellon; Margaret makes a stand on birth control; Nucky and Owen shop for a birthday pony; Billie eyes a future on the silver screen, to Nucky's chagrin.
Reeling from Gyp's most recent attack, Nucky vows to eliminate his nemesis through a coalition of familiar partners. In Washington, the arrest of a bootlegger puts Daugherty and Jess Smith on the hot seat. Emily gets a scaled down birthday party; Gillian blames an absent Harrow for Tommy's latest misadventure; Gyp decides to buy a town's silence; Broadway mourns a fallen star.
Nucky reaches out to Gaston Means to keep Jess Smith quiet in Washington, and enlists Owen to neutralize Gyp's alliance with Joe Masseria in New York. Margaret considers an alternate future; Van Alden's side business backfires; Gyp fumes when a shipment comes up short; Harrow coerces an apology for Julia; Chalky sees opportunity in the ashes of a boardwalk institution.
Gyp makes his move in Atlantic City, forcing Nucky and Eddie to seek refuge with Chalky. With the Artemis Club overrun by Rosetti thugs, Gillian contemplates a business future that includes an unwelcome partner. Luciano makes a deal he'll come to regret; Harrow loses his house privileges.
Desperate to weaken Gyp's alliance with Masseria and reclaim Atlantic City, Nucky cedes control of a prized asset to Rothstein. Harrow returns to Gillian's brothel for some unfinished business; Luciano is forced to take on a new heroin partner; Chalky and Capone team up; Margaret ends one relationship and considers resuming another.
Nucky has reservations about investing in a Tampa land deal engineered by transplanted bootlegger Bill McCoy. While there, he meets speakeasy owner Sally Wheet. Valentin Narcisse books a sexy jazz singer, Daughter Maitland, to perform at the Onyx, and gauges Dunn Purnsley's allegiance to Chalky. Eli's son Willie turns to Mickey Doyle and his bootleg warehouse to elevate his social standing at college. Gillian agrees to pose as Roy Phillips' wife to impress a possible partner. Harrow tries to bury his past, though not before taking care of some unfinished business with Emma.
Nucky gets to know Arnold Rothstein over a card game, and sizes up an unexpected partner for his Tampa land deal. A newly promoted Eddie Kessler gets detoured after making a train-station delivery. When one of their collectors is incapacitated, Al and Frank Capone decide to finish his route, enlisting a reluctant Van Alden to tag along. Agent Knox fills Hoover in on the Thompson operation, vowing to exploit Nucky's weakest link. Chalky is intrigued by Daughter Maitland's presence. Dunn Purnsley goes to Harlem, and is courted by Valentin Narcisse. Willie and his college roommate, Clayton, carry a practical joke too far.
Nucky heads to Philadelphia to deal with the fallout from Willie's liquor fiasco. Eddie Kessler is detained by Agent Knox, who uses physical and psychological tactics to elicit information about Nucky's organization. A desperate Gillian turns to an unexpected source to score a fix, and is rebuffed in her attempt to reunite with Tommy. In Cicero, Van Alden is recruited by the Capones to pay an election day visit to factory workers who are opposed to the Capones' candidate of choice.
After a cautious reunion with Margaret in New York City, Nucky heads to Tampa to work out details of his land deal with Bill McCoy and reconnects with Sally Wheet. Richard Harrow returns to Atlantic City and makes a confession to an ailing Paul Sagorsky, who encourages him to get over the past and return to Julia and Tommy. Having lost J. Edgar Hoover's confidence, Agent Knox finds a new way to gain Eli's trust. Meyer Lansky decides to go it alone on the Tampa land deal when Lucky Luciano gets spooked by Vincenzo Petrucelli, an investor with ties to Joe Masseria in New York. Chalky takes out his frustrations on Daughter Maitland.
Eli confronts Nucky after Willie makes an unpopular decision. Margaret has a surprise encounter at her job on Wall Street. Joe Masseria orders Lucky Luciano to return to Tampa and deal with Vincenzo Petrucelli. Gillian goes cold turkey with Roy Phillips' help. Still seething over his brother's death, Al Capone tries to get Johnny Torrio to turn on rival gangster Dean O'Banion. As the relationship between Chalky and Daughter Maitland deepens, Valentin Narcisse exerts his control over Dunn Purnsley and the Northside.
Nucky's shipment from Florida arrives with some unexpected cargo. Eli is backed into a corner when Agent Knox uncovers new dirt on the Thompsons. After talking things over with Nucky, Willie reconsiders his recent life choices. Chalky throws down the gauntlet to Valentin Narcisse, upholding his leadership on the Northside.
Nucky refuses to back Chalky in his conflict with Narcisse. Julia considers her options after Gillian makes her custody case in court. In Cicero, Van Alden stands up to Capone and comes clean to O'Banion. Rothstein looks to trade an insurance benefit for a cash infusion.
Tipped off by Sally Wheet, Nucky enlists Eli and Agent Knox to check out the extra cargo in Florida shipments. Margaret ponders a deal with Rothstein to improve her family's living conditions. Capone grows suspicious of Torrio ; Nucky faces a dilemma; Eli makes peace with Willie.
Nucky takes inventory after being warned of a skunk in his cellar. On the lam following a close call, Chalky and Daughter take refuge outside Wilmington with Oscar Boneau, his mentor from years ago. Gillian considers selling her mansion and starting a new life with Roy Phillips.
Eli braces for the worst as Agent Knox launches his plan to bring Nucky down. Capone and Torrio reach an agreement in Cicero. Chalky looks to settle scores. Richard steps forward to save Tommy, at Gillian's expense.
Chalky heads in a new direction after assessing his latest partnership. In New York, Margaret finds herself in a quandary as a result of her association with Arnold Rothstein. Nucky hosts a prospective "big fish" partner from Boston. Luciano and Siegel meet with Narcisse in Harlem, promising business as usual, but encounter resistance. In 1884, young Nucky is privy to the passion of a hotel guest, and flirts with a young girl.
Facing a shared dilemma, Nucky and Margaret find common ground in Atlantic City. Luciano encounters an old adversary while meeting with Capone in Chicago. Sally Wheet makes a payment in Cuba amidst concerns of a grass roots uprising. In 1884, young Nucky shows young Eli how the other half lives, and takes another step up the Commodore's ladder.
Chalky returns to Atlantic City with vengeance on his mind. Concerned about the ongoing threat from Luciano, Nucky arranges a meeting with Maranzano in New York. In Chicago, Eli's reunion with June takes an unexpected turn after a dinner party hosted by Van Alden and Sigrid. Capone looks to relocate his operation out of Chicago; Margaret completes a deal with Carolyn Rothstein; Nucky gets bad news from Cuba. In 1897, young Nucky looks to win over Mabel's father while asking for expanded responsibilities as deputy sheriff.
In Harlem, Chalky encounters Narcisse in hopes of setting Daughter Maitland free. Federal agents enlist Eli and Van Alden to help take down the Capone organization. Pained by a recent loss, Nucky turns to the bottle, and the company of a pair of barflies. In 1897, young Nucky vents his frustration to Mabel after endorsing Jim Neary, and roots out a young thief with Eli's help.
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.
After a shakeup, Nucky looks to relocate to Manhattan from Atlantic City. Margaret impresses Nucky and a grain company stockholder; Luciano tends to unfinished business while establishing a mob commission; Willie shares underworld details with his boss, the U.S. Attorney; Nucky visits Gillian at the hospital. In 1897, Nucky copes with a family crisis, while making a deal with the Commodore that will settle his future.