Nights in Ballygran

"Nights in Ballygran"
Boardwalk Empire episode
Jimmy tells Pearl a story from his childhood
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 5
Directed by	Alan Taylor
Written by	Lawrence Konner
Production code	105
Original air date	October 17, 2010 (2010-10-17)
Running time	50 minutes
Guest stars
Gretchen Mol Greg Antonacci Tom Aldredge Dana Ivey Erik Weiner Emily Meade
Episode chronology
← Previous "Anastasia" Next → "Family Limitation"

"Nights in Ballygran" is the fifth episode of the first season of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire, which premiered October 17, 2010. It was written by co-executive producer Lawrence Konner and directed by Alan Taylor. "Nights In Ballygran" received positive reviews from critics.

The episode is set during Saint Patrick's Day and progresses the relationship between Nucky and Margaret.

Plot

Margaret sees men loading beer barrels into a garage behind her house. She tries to report the situation to Nucky, but he initially brushes her off. After discussing the matter at a Temperance League meeting, she and a colleague manage to meet with Nucky, who promises to take action, but does not. After seeing deliveries again that night, she reports the operation to Van Alden.

As Nucky and Eli prepare for the St. Patrick's Day celebration, Eli presses to "say a few words" at the Celtic Dinner, describing his efforts to become a better public speaker. Nucky tries to discourage him

In Chicago, Jimmy takes care of Pearl after her attack. Johnny Torrio orders her eviction, since she is too disfigured to attract customers. Jimmy offers to pay for her keep. Later that night, Pearl kills herself with Jimmy's gun.

In New York, Arnold Rothstein reads a newspaper article about the Black Sox Scandal and tells his lawyer he is worried about his involvement becoming known.

At the Celtic Dinner, Eli's speech is a debacle, inflaming a factional dispute and forcing Nucky to intercede. Van Alden, acting on Margaret's information, raids the dinner, arrests the alderman who owns the garage, and shuts the event down. Nucky sees Margaret with the Temperance League, cheering on the raid, and realizes her role. Later that night, he visits Margaret's home unannounced. The couple abruptly embrace and begin a physical relationship.

Reception

Critical reception

IGN said the episode was "Outstanding" and gave the episode 9/10. They said "For those who are still on the fence about Boardwalk Empire's greatness, shut up and watch episode five, "Nights in Ballygran". The episode features the show's strongest character interactions yet, as Margaret's role in the Temperence League threatens both Nucky's political and criminal enterprises as Federal Agent Van Alden applies pressure to both." "The more shows like this make it harder for their main characters to do the right thing - the farther away they get from what the right thing is - is when television approaches being great. With "Nights in Ballygran", Boardwalk pushes past great and puts its sights on landmark." ^[1]

Ratings

The episode rebounded a bit to a 1.3 adults 18–49 rating after the previous week's plunge to a 1.1 rating and received a total of 2.850 million viewers.^[2]

References

1. ^ http://ie.tv.ign.com/articles/112/1128778p1.html
2. ^ http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/10/19/sunday-cable-ratings-kardarshians-lead-mad-men-finale-up-rubicon-finale-down-boardwalk-empire-sonny-with-a-chance-much-more/68833

External links

• "Nights in Ballygran" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Nights in Ballygran" at TV.com