Season four of HBO’s hit-series Boardwalk Empire has had many twists and turns with various characters throughout the course of eight episodes, but one of the more prominent dilemmas we’ve seen from the show thus far has involved Chalky White.
Up until this point, Chalky’s character was used as more of a side-pawn in Nucky Thompson’s game, but he’s become one of the main plots of the show going into this season. Running the premiere Onyx Club on Atlantic City’s boardwalk, it’s become one of the city’s main attractions, showcasing some of the best entertainment only found in the likes of New York. It was looking like life couldn’t be better for Chalky White, that is until a man by the name of Valentin Narcisse entered the picture and shook shit up a bit.
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Dr. Narcisse has been a thorn in Chalky White’s side since he first step foot in the door of the club. Not only did he have to relinquish part of his stake in the club (thanks to Dunn Pursley and the sick games the married couple played in the first episode), but he’s been losing control of his part of town and family ever since.
Because of Daughter Maitland, his family life seems to be deteriorating, considering he’s falling head over heels for her and playing right into the doctor’s hands. Dunn formed an alliance with Dr. Narcisse to bring on the demise of Chalky’s empire, completely destroying the community with heroin and now it seems like the power struggle for control of the city’s Northside has kicked into full throttle. Shit just got real.
After removing his love blinders for a second, Chalky moved right into beastmode, raiding the heroin house that “Buck” had been operating out of. This came after he noticed Dunn was absent from the deacon’s memorial service, which raised a flag at what he might have been doing behind his back. His lack of trust kicked up a notch, when he found Moses dead in the office at the hands of Pursley, before interrogating him. Luckily, he saw the flyer for Dr. Narcisse’s snooze-fest of a play and knew it was time to take action.
Giving the doctor the ether at his doorstep (his face spoke a thousand words), Chalky put on a show of his own, aptly titled “Harlem, by Torch Light.” Burning the same heroin Narcisse introduced through Pursley, right in front of them, must have been a shot to the kidney for the two and by the way Dunn was looking at Chalky when he torched his two packages, you knew they were out for blood. The war was about to be underway.
Dr. Narcisse made the second move, ordering his beauty of a singer to keep Chalky close, while someone else paid him a visit later that night. For a second, right as Maitland saw the good in Chalky, it seemed as if he was hearing his last tune being sung to him. Luckily, he figured out he was being “fucked” by Dunn from under his nose and everything clicked right into place and set the stage for one epic fight between Chalky and Pursley. With brute force, Dunn was about to give Chalky his last breath, but in a sudden turn of events, love prevailed and saved his life. Mr. White just dodged another bullet and we guarantee shit is about to get really real in the next few episodes.
With four episodes left in Season 4, who do you think will prevail in this struggle for power in Atlantic City’s Northside? Boardwalk Empire is no stranger to killing off main characters (we’re still not over the death of Jimmy in season two), considering this season we already saw the plight of Eddie Kessler at the hands of his own guilt.
Who would you want to make it out alive between Chalky White and Dr. Narcisse?