Gimcrack & Bunkum - Recap

It’s a beautiful Memorial Day as Nucky stands on stage addressing the Veterans that sat before him. He starts by thanking the members of the Memorial Committee for their tireless work and for the monument that they had given the city. Before Nucky moves on he asks that they return his regards to the Commodore for his service and commitment since he could not be present. “He truly is this cities doting father…” He then makes eye contact with Jimmy, who is sitting with his wife and child. He thanks the Attorney General for coming in place of President Harding. He then calls upon Jimmy, awkwardly; to read the names of fallen soldiers. Nucky speaks of Jimmy very heroically as he calls him up. Jimmy; unprepared, shakes as he is embarrassed to be onstage. He asks Nucky softly if; Nucky believed that Jimmy can’t “play this game?” Nucky replies; “I don’t even think you know the rules.” Nucky takes his seat on the side of the stage. He watches Jimmy stand on stage for a bit, trembling. Waiting for him to screw up. Jimmy starts by telling the people he was not a hero, he was not any of the things that Mr. Thompson had said he was. He was not a “hero.” He was just a soldier who had fought for democracy. Who had fought, to “do the right thing.” He continues to tell the crowd who the real heroes were…The soldiers on the list in front of him. Very cool, calm, and collectedly; Jimmy reads the list of soldiers K.I.A.

As Jimmy’s voice fades into the distance. A page turns in a scrap book, pictures and newspaper clippings neatly cut and pasted on its thick pages. Clippings of; Happy normal families. Another page turns, children, couples kissing, then another, and another, until finally…Richards self-portrait sits alone, across from it a photo taken before “The War.” Richard closes the book and stands in front of his window. His room feels, desolate and alone. He secures his knife and prepares his lunch. He walks over to his closet and swings his gun over his shoulder. Then to the mirror; Richard adjusts his hat and leaves.

Nucky fixes his cuffs on his shirt while standing with the Attorney General and his colleague in his Country Club’s locker room. The Attorney General brings up “The young man that spoke at the ceremony,” that morning. Nucky instantly turns to tell him that Jimmy is merely a patsy. He had gotten him into school. Jimmy couldn’t handle it and joined the Army. Daugherty tells Nucky to stop complaining, they wanted to have fun and play golf. They would be discussing business later that night. Daugherty’s associate then asks Nucky to put in a word as a friend with George Reemus for him. Nucky nods his head, and puts on his hat.

Jimmy, now sitting with the Commodores “friends.” Meeting because they need to know where their money is, and what Jimmy had planned on doing about paying them back. After some pleasantries did not work on Jimmy they then became serious and ask very directly about it. Jimmy trying to stay in control, has no control over these people. They are very powerful, very wealthy and do not have faith in him. After a few moments of bickering about the control he claims to have; the men demand to speak to the Commodore. Jimmy assures them he is in control but they do not respect him. They demand their money. They threaten Jimmy. “Listen son, your trying to diddle the wrong me…” He responds quickly “Yea? You gonna draw me out of your yacht club?” Right next to him, the man sitting in his wheel chair prepares to use his cane. He draws it back and cocks his arm. As hard as he can he lets go with a “THUMP” it’s gold handle hits Jimmy in his forehead. “it’s high time you, and your god-damned generation; Learn something about Respect.” Jimmy can only smile, his face becoming pale. He gets up and turns to the man. He say’s “You just taught me plenty.” He turns and leaves. Eli chases behind him. “I brought you in on this!” Jimmy furiously replies to Eli; “Thanks and stay the **** out of my business!!!” as he turns his back on Eli, puts his hand to his bleeding head and walks away. Eli has his back to the wall. He has no help and begins to worry about the “side” that he has chosen.

Richard steps out of a car and thanks the unknown person driving. He walks into the forest. Birds singing in the background, living, circling. He sees a bird in front of him, he watches it for a moment. Jimmy is standing with his mother, she is tending his wounds as they speak of what had happened. Jimmy asks his mother if she knows “Parkhurst.” “I know all of them dear.” She replied. “No one is allowed to do this to you.” “You must not be disrespected, and you must make that clear.” She tells him. He understands. He cannot allow them to make him look like a fool. Richard now sitting on a log, cuts his apple and removes his mask. He places it gently next to him as he takes a bite of his fruit. He looks around. Nobody is seen for miles. He pulls an Army medal out of his pocket and places it around his neck. He lays back and positions the gun barrel in his mouth. He bites the muzzle of his shotgun and places his finger closer to the trigger. He begins to move his finger forward when a dogs whine interrupts him. He looks over and a dog stands next to him. The dog then places his mouth on Richards mask, picks it up and runs away. Richard gives chase.

Nucky in his usual pinstriped suit enters his house and slams the door behind him. He complains to Margaret that he feels like “a lobster” after chasing a little ball in the sun. Margaret asks where Owen is? Eli had come over and she was worried. Eli begs for forgiveness. He asks Nucky if his offer of a truce was still on the table. Nucky says no. Eli continues to beg. He informs Nucky that the Commodore had a stroke and he was out of the game. He tells Nucky that Jimmy and his mother are in way over their heads. Nucky tells Eli they “will sort it out.” Then Nucky tells Eli to “get on his knees and kiss his shoes.” He then starts smacking Eli. Eli takes it for a short time before he begins to fight back. Eli ends up on top of Nucky as they quarrel, Eli reaches for his gun. Nucky fights. Eli continues to try and pull his gun from its holster when he feels cold steel touching his temple. Margaret is standing above him, shotgun in hand. Eli puts his hands in the air and is told to leave. Nucky takes the gun from her hands. He opens it and tells her “In the future, when you point a gun at someone…Make sure its loaded.” He then walks away. She yells “is this to be our life?” as Nucky exits the room.

Richard sits on a tree, moping over his lost mask. An unfamiliar voice calls to him and the man leads him back to a small camp site. The dog sits under a tent and two men sit alongside him. Richard is given his mask back and the man asks “does it itch?” Richard replies “sometimes.” The man then hands him a flask. Richard tells him its strong. Glenmore and Pete introduce themselves. The dog has no name. “he knows who he is.” Pete tells Richard he had made the alcohol himself. Glenmore asks Richard what he was doing out in the woods. Richard lies, he tells him he “was hunting.” Glenmore tells Richard it’s time to eat. Nucky walks into his office. Chip and Daugherty are waiting for him. Daugherty introduces Chip as Nucky’s new Attorney. They then tell Nucky how they plan on getting him off. His charges cannot be guaranteed to be dropped; But legally this loophole would clear him. Nucky is then forced to provide entertainment for the Attorney General as a formality. Darkness creeping over the forest that Richard, Pete and Glenmore are in as they continue to confer with each other. Glenmore looks at his father and they talk about the dog for a moment. Pete tells Glenmore he would be leaving in a moment. Glenmore would be staying overnight. Richard is offered a ride back to town and he accepts. Before he can go Glenmore tells him about the forest. He tells him it’s a forest for hunting and fishing, for “seeing what the birds were up to the forest was to be enjoyed ”The forest was for living.” Richard got the gist of what Glenmore was trying to tell him. It was a bad idea to try killing himself. He was not a fool. The woods were not for foolishness.

Eli coughs. His son sitting next to him asks if he “is OK?” Eli tells him the medicine helps. Suddenly there is a knock at the door. George is there and seems worried, he needs to talk to Eli. Eli sends his son, Brian outside to go and get something that he knew he would not find. He needed to get rid of him so the men could discuss business. George, now paranoid asks if they were alone. Eli say’s yes. George asks about the Commodore, he has heard that he “is like a log or something.” Eli tells George not to go over. George is very worried about Nucky, with the Commodore down nobody is able to protect them from him. Eli begins to lose control as he stands to try and stop Georges hysteria. Eli grabs Georges collar and holds him. George says to Eli; “let me go!!” George tells Eli again and begins to struggle. George then tells Eli; “if you don’t let me go, I’ll go straight to Nucky! I will!” Eli fed up; lets go of George, and screams “Shut the **** UP!” He then grabs a wrench from the workbench next to him and strikes George in his jugular notch. George stumbles backwards, he clutches his neck. Blood shoots out of his mouth into the air. Eli in shock over what he had just done takes George and pushes him over and onto the ground. He then beats his face in until it is a pulp. Brian comes back and tells his father that the neighbor did not know what he was talking about of what kind of thing he was looking for. Eli tells him to go into the house. He didn’t want him to catch his cough.

Jimmy’s wife asks him how his head is feeling as they sit at their dinner table. Jimmy tells her that “he could go another round with that car door.” She tells him to be more careful. He then reassures his love for her and his family. She tells him there has to be “more” out there. He kisses her, when there is a knock at their door. She asks Jimmy, if there would be any reason not to answer it? Jimmy tells her he doesn’t think so. She walks over and turns the handle. Jimmy cocks his gun. She opens the door. Its Richard, she tells him she had missed him at the ceremony he had missed this morning. He tells her that he wasn’t interested in it. She asks if he’s ok? He would like to speak to Jimmy. Jimmy asks him where he was. He tells Jimmy he needed to “take a walk.” Jimmy replies; “I should have gone with you.” Jimmy then asks Richard if he was “up for a job tonight? Is there a problem, Richard?” He asks Jimmy “would fight for me?” Jimmy replies; “Of course I would…Right down to the last bullet.” Richard relieved replies; “Then lets go to work” Eli finishes his flask and stands up. He looks at Georges dead body on his shop floor and walks out of his garage door.

Mr. Parkhurst sits in his wheelchair at his desk in his study. He overlooks a package he has received. Using a magnifying glass to examine it; He is impressed with the fine bead work the Indian people were able to produce. Even though he obviously though of them as primitive savages. His servant asks if he would “like his coco in his study that evening.” He tells him he would like it in his bedroom as normal. He then tells his servant about the item in front of him. A Sioux tribal cloth. He admires the bead work and his servant exits to fetch his coco. After a moment he changes his mind and calls to his servant. “Alexander I believe I will, have my coco…” He is interrupted when his chair is suddenly turned around. Jimmy is standing behind him. He takes his can and tells him “I’m gonna teach you something about respect.” He then holds him down. Mr. Parkhurst looks up at Richard and asks him; “Who are you?” Richard replies…”A soldier.” As he pulls out a knife and begins to scalp Parkhurst. Pankhurst’s screams force his mouth open and Jimmy places the cloth in to muzzle them. Parkhurst continues to scream when Richard pulls his filleted scalp off.

Margaret hears a noise as she is sleeping. She goes to check on the children. She is startled when Katy walks up behind her. Margaret asks Katy if she heard a “scream?” Katy says no and goes back to her room where Sleater is waiting for her. He asks her a question and she tells him to “keep it down.” He reminds her that “she was the one who screamed.” She tells Owen that Margaret had her call Margaret’s family and they “wanted nothing to do with her.” She laughs and then, she takes off her clothes and climbs back into bed with him. Eli, alone now and in the dark; digs Georges grave and rolls the body into it.

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