"Two Boats and a Lifeguard"
Season 2, Episode 8
Air date	13 November 2011
Written by	Terence Winter
Directed by	Tim Van Patten
Episode Guide
previous "Peg of Old"	next "Battle of the Century"

"Two Boats and a Lifeguard" is the eighth episode of Season 2 of Boardwalk Empire, and the 20th episode overall. It was written by executive producer and series creator Terence Winter and was directed by executive producer Tim Van Patten. It will air on 13 November 2011.

Contents 1 Plot 1.1 Synopsis 1.2 Recap 2 Appearances 2.1 First Appearances 2.2 Deaths 3 Production 3.1 Cast 3.1.1 Starring 3.1.2 Guest Starring 3.1.3 Co-Starring 3.2 Music 4 Memorable Quotes 5 Notes

PlotEdit

SynopsisEdit

Nucky Thompson has problems on multiple fronts. Since his brush with death he is having strange dreams and getting little sleep. Margaret Schroeder is worried about her sick daughter and the safety of Nucky and her family after the shooting. Esther Randolph continues to build the legal case against him. He confirms that Jimmy Darmody is behind the assassination attempt. Finally his father, Ethan Thompson, dies. Nucky takes advice from Johnny Torrio and Arnold Rothstein and decides to feign retirement and go to Ireland to raise funds for a counterattack. He asks Chalky White to orchestrate a strike by African American workers while he is gone.

Jimmy faces mounting frustration with his allies: Manny Horvitz is pressuring him for money; Mickey Doyle continues to irritate him; his wife Angela forces him to be honest with her about his business dealings; and he is deaf to warnings about Nucky from Eli Thompson. He loses control at a victory party after Nucky's retirement and throws Mickey from the balcony onto a table in front of Manny. Angela attends a different party and kisses a new acquaintance, Louise.

Prohibition Agent Nelson Van Alden hires a nanny to care for his daughter. He continues to skim money seized from raids on businesses illegally selling alcohol.

RecapEdit

Main article: Two Boats and a Lifeguard recap

A detailed recap of the episode scene by scene.

Appearances Edit

First Appearances Edit

1. Sigrid, Abigail Van Alden's nanny.
2. Louise, Angela Darmody's new girlfriend.
3. Michael Thompson, one of Eli Thompson's sons.
4. Patrick Thompson, another of Eli's sons.

Deaths Edit

1. Ethan Thompson, Nucky and Eli's father, of a fatal stroke.

ProductionEdit

CastEdit

StarringEdit

• Steve Buscemi as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson
• Michael Pitt as James "Jimmy" Darmody
• Kelly MacDonald as Margaret Schroeder
• Michael Shannon as Agent Nelson Van Alden
• Shea Whigham as Sheriff Elias "Eli" Thompson
• Aleksa Palladino as Angela Darmody
• Michael Stuhlbarg as Arnold Rothstein
• Stephen Graham as Al Capone
• Vincent Piazza as Salvatore "Lucky" Luciano AKA Charlie
• Paz de la Huerta as Lucille "Lucy" Danziger (credit only)
• Michael K. Williams as Albert "Chalky" White
• Paul Sparks as Mickey Doyle
• Jack Huston as Richard Harrow
• Anthony Laciura as Edward "Eddie" Kessler
• with Gretchen Mol as Gillian Darmody
• and Dabney Coleman as Commodore Louis Kaestner

Guest StarringEdit

• Dominic Chianese as Leander Cephas Whitlock
• Charlie Cox as Owen Sleater
• William Forsythe as Manny Horvitz
• Julianne Nicholson as Esther Randolph
• Tom Aldredge as Ethan Thompson
• Greg Antonacci as Johnny Torrio
• Robert Clohessy as Jim Neary
• Glenn Fleshler as George Remus
• Anatol Yusef as Meyer Lansky

Co-StarringEdit

• Happy Anderson as Waiter
• Joseph Aniska as Agent Stan Sawicki
• Curt Bouril as Clifford Lathrop
• Clark Carmichael as Guardsman
• Kevin Carolan as Boardwalk Barker
• Rony Clanton as Langston
• Peter Claymore as Grey-Haired Man
• Jonathan Dickson as Delivery man
• Robert Dorfman as Max Hirsch
• Moira Driscoll as Beach Matron
• Josie and Lucy Gallina as Emily Schroeder
• Kevin Henderson as Dr Carl Surran
• Heather Lind as Katy
• Andrew MacLarty as Elevator operator
• Edward McGinty as Alderman Al Boyd
• Declan and Rory McTigue as Teddy Schroeder
• Spencer Moses as Ukulele player
• Cliff Moylan as Sheriff's deputy
• Brady and Connor Noon as Tommy Darmody
• Thomas Philip O'Neill as Dick Halsey
• Charlie Plummer as Michael Thompson
• Christiane Seidel as Sigrid
• Kristen Sieh as Louise
• Nisi Sturgis as June Thompson
• Samuel Taylor as Paddy Ryan
• David L. Townsend as Arthur Lasch
• Peter Van Wagner as Isaac Ginsburg
• Brandon Zumsteg as Brian Thompson
• Drew Humphrey as Babette's dancer 01
• Kathryn Avery as Babette's dancer 02
• Jennifer Bowles as Babette's dancer 03
• Mark Manley as Babette's dancer 04
• Dieter Riesle as Babette's dancer 05
• Frank Root as Babette's dancer 06
• Douglas Sheppard as Babette's dancer 07
• Felicity Stiverson as Babette's dancer 08
• Emily Tyra as Babette's dancer 09
• William Ward as Babette's dancer 10

Uncredited

• Matthew Broadley as Patrick Thompson
• Unknown as Abigail Van Alden

MusicEdit

Memorable QuotesEdit

• "I make my living, Mr. Thompson, in large part as a gambler. Some days I make 20 bets, some days I make none. There are weeks, sometimes months in fact, when I don't make any bet at all because there is simply no play. So I wait, plan, marshal my resources, and when I finally see my opportunity and there is a bet to make... I bet it all." (Arnold Rothstein)

NotesEdit

Season Two

#01 21	#07 Peg of Old
#02 Ourselves Alone	#08 Two Boats and a Lifeguard
#03 A Dangerous Maid	#09 Battle of the Century
#04 What Does the Bee Do?	#10 Georgia Peaches
#05 Gimcrack & Bunkum	#11 Under God's Power She Flourishes
#06 The Age of Reason	#12 To the Lost