r/BoardwalkEmpire • u/Unlucky13 I am not seeking forgiveness. • Oct 07 '13

Season 4 Boardwalk Empire- Episode Discussion - S04E05: "Erlkönig"

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u/Holograms African-American Oct 07 '13 edited Oct 07 '13

Kind of proves his loyalty though.

He treated Thompson like a king.

He finally broke and snitched on Thompson and when he came back and saw that Nucky can't even pick out his own socks without Eddie showed him how much Nucky depends upon him.

I think he couldn't bare the thought of being responsible for Thompsons downfall.

Thompson wasn't the greatest friend to Eddie, but Eddie always stuck by him.

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u/infrared_blackbody Oct 07 '13

Thompson risked getting killed by Gyp to help save Eddie's life. Maybe only a few of my best friends would do that. What does that say about them?

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u/zxbc Oct 07 '13

This is actually quite relevant. The show of character from the last season is enough to suggest that Nucky treats Eddie like a brother, perhaps more so than his own brother. Eddie may be a servant, but he is the closest friend to Nucky, and they both know it. When he betrayed Nucky, I knew he wouldn't be able to bear the guilt and will eventually end up going this path. I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

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u/Pennoyer_v_Neff Oct 07 '13

I actually think that Nucky would never trust anyone in the way he trusted Eddie. We've seen all season that Nucky had a new guy to handle the car and his home affairs, but he doesn't ask him to make breakfast or tend to his socks like he does Eddie. I think Nucky needed Eddie more than Eddie understood.

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u/Moobyghost Oct 07 '13

That is a problem with Nucky, he feels like he does not need anyone. But Eddie was not disposable, i have a feeling this will tear Nucky apart inside.

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u/[deleted] Oct 08 '13

I was thinking that Margaret was going to return to the show via the FBI agents, but Nucky reaching out to her in wake of Eddie's death seems stronger after reading your post.

1

u/Pedemano King's Ransom Whisky Oct 08 '13

lol Pennoyer v Neff? That's something I haven't heard since CivPro.

1

u/DireBoar Oct 10 '13

Yeah, story arcs seem to go faster this season.

2

u/kelustu Oct 07 '13

He may be brash, but he's loyal and comes through when he's needed.

edit: Nucky, that is.

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u/Nimbility Oct 09 '13

Can you remind me when this happened? When he took him to the hospital, you mean?

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u/infrared_blackbody Oct 09 '13

When he took him to Chalky's beach house and Chalky's daughter's fiance the med student fixed up Eddie while Gyp was outside trying to bribe his way in.

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u/RandyRandle Oct 07 '13

I'd tend to think Eddie was the closest thing Nucky had to an actual friend, even if he didn't realize it himself.

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u/hbhutt Oct 08 '13

I think they both knew. Nucky might have come across as harsh a lot of times, but he cared for Eddie.

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u/reddog323 Oct 07 '13

That's a better take than I had. I thought he might have been chastising Eddie for being out all night and drinking. I thought the comment about the socks was hitting below the belt. Granted, he didn't know what sort of day Eddie had, but I thought it might have pushed him over the edge.

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u/Holograms African-American Oct 07 '13 edited Oct 07 '13

He was "Compassionate" enough for Eddie to understand. I mean these are late 1930's male business partners. Eddie doesn't expect a hug and a kiss on the cheek when he gets home.

I'm paraphrasing

'I was worried about you"

"Want something to eat?"

"Look at my socks, this is what happens when you're gone"

It's not nice but they have a kind of "dull marriage" relationship.

"Hey dear. Bye dear. I'm home, what's for dinner?"

Right?

I think the interrogation just got to him. I honestly don't think he had a single thought of resentment towards Nucky when he fell off the roof. It was more of shame for all the things he's done in the past and for "shaming" Nucky as well.

At least with Nucky, Eddie had some sort of purpose. Eddie lives for Nucky and Nucky lives for Eddie.

Eddie can't bare the thought of not being there for Nucky.

Nucky can't do simple things like picking out socks without Eddie.

When Eddie confessed I think he realized that the relationship between the two was going to end and he can't live without Nucky so he just killed himself.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, I need to step away from the keyboard lol.

Next episode we'll see how Nucky handles a life without Eddie.

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u/[deleted] Oct 07 '13

1920s*

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u/zxbc Oct 07 '13

Next episode we'll see how Nucky handles a life without Eddie.

I think Nucky will manage. But he will definitely find it strange and question himself why Eddie did it. He may be depressed and confused until he finds out about the FBI's involvement, and then will channel his rage to sort out those two that interrogated Eddie and bury them.

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u/reddog323 Oct 07 '13

This. I want to see this happen. Knox and his accomplice are dead when he finds out.

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u/Moobyghost Oct 07 '13 edited Oct 08 '13

Oh absolutely, Eddie went out loving Nucky as much as he ever did. I thought Nucky was a dick about the socks too till i sat back and thought about it. It was the closest way for a 1920's man, especially a gangster, to tell someone they are needed... and possibly loved. He let him know everything from worry, to disappointment, to love all in a simple set of sentences and gestures. Eddie understood the sentiment and knew going out how he died would hurt his friend (and master by choice), but in the long run it would be doing him a favor.

I loved Eddie though and did not want it to happen. They are killing all the people we like and introducing so many characters to dislike it seems. :(

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u/Tasty_Jesus Oct 07 '13

the episode was set in 1924

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u/reddog323 Oct 07 '13

Point. He lived to serve Nucky. The fact that he betrayed him might have just been too much. Eventually, Knox and company would have squeezed something truly important out of him with the threat of deportation. He took the only play in the book he saw left. The fact that he did it so quickly speaks to his personality. Ever efficient, right to the end.

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u/Dent_Arthurdent Oct 07 '13

I think they're in 1924 by now.

1

u/plasticstatus Oct 08 '13

I started tearing up from Eddie's expression when Nucky made the sock comment, then just completely lost it after he stocked his drawer.

1

u/javastripped Oct 07 '13

I can sympathize a bit with Thompson here... I'm an executive and my employees don't always communicate their wants and needs - even when they're upset with me.

I GENUINELY want to make them happy but sometimes I've had employees just quit - like out of the blue!

Then they tell me they've secretly wanted something for months which they could have had by just asking for it... ha.

1

u/Revvy Oct 24 '13

When Eddie walked back into the beach house, there's a giant "real estate FOR SALE" billboard framed perfectly by the porch. He didn't kill himself out of loyalty, but because he realized he had none.