"What Jesus Said" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 51st overall episode of the series and was written by Christine Chambers and executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by Ed Bianchi. It was released on HBO on September 21, 2014.
The series is set in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The series follows Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, a political figure who rises to prominence and interacts with mobsters, politicians, government agents, and the common folk who look up to him. In the episode, Nucky meets with Kennedy for a potential partnership, while Chalky and Milton reach a house, where they hold a mother and daughter hostage.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.11 million household viewers and gained a 0.9 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and directing, but criticized Chalky's subplot.
Plot
1884
Nucky now works as a bellboy at the Corner Hotel. Part of his duties involve making deliveries, for which he needs to drive a pony cart. One day, he delivers flowers to a client, and discovers a woman killed in his bedroom and Sheriff Lindsay and the Commodore inside. Nucky finds a postcard from a girl he met earlier that day, inviting him to visit her. The girl is revealed to be Mabel Jeffries, his future first wife.
1931
In Maryland, Chalky and Milton arrive at a house, discovering a woman, Fern, who lives with her mother Marie. The women have no money, but Milton knows they have a safe as he was visited the house years ago. They claim the safe was taken by the father to a bank, so Milton and Chalky debate on what to do. When Milton forces Fern to try a new dress in front of him, Marie finally reveals they simply moved the safe to another section of the house. Milton becomes aggressive when he believes the safe is not the same as the one he saw years ago. Threatening Fern's life, he forces Marie to open it. However, it only contains liberty bonds, which are worthless for them. When Milton prepares to kill Fern, Chalky kills him with a hammer to the head. Fern retrieves Milton's gun and orders Chalky to leave, giving him just $9.
In New York City, Margaret is questioned about Abe Redstone, as the lawyers are aware that it was Rothstein. Despite his death, the account is still active and they suspect insider trading. Margaret later visits Rothstein's widow, Carolyn, for help, but Carolyn knows she was very involved with Rothstein and demands Rothstein's investments. In Harlem, Luciano and Siegel meet with Narcisse. Maranzano wants to respect Narcisse's deal with Masseria, but Narcisse refuses to comply, even under threat of repercussions. Later, they kill many of his henchmen and prostitutes at his brothel.
Nucky returns to Atlantic City. He finds that Mickey took ownership of the Onyx Club and rebranded it as Old Rumpus. He calls Sally to tell her that while Senator Lloyd is no longer involved in their business, he will talk with Joe Kennedy about a potential partnership. Kennedy is curious about Nucky's lack of family, which makes him hesitate about their partnership. Later, Nucky awakens from sleeping at his office, finding Margaret alongside him. They both exchange a smile.
Production
Development
In August 2014, HBO confirmed that the third episode of the season would be titled "What Jesus Said", and that it would be written by Christine Chambers and executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by Ed Bianchi. This was Chambers' second writing credit, Korder's 20th writing credit, and Bianchi's sixth directing credit.
Reception
Viewers
In its original American broadcast, "What Jesus Said" was seen by an estimated 2.11 million household viewers with a 0.9 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 0.9 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. This was a 16% increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 1.81 million household viewers with a 0.7 in the 18-49 demographics.
Critical reviews
"What Jesus Said" received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 85% approval rating for the episode, based on 13 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Boardwalk Empire continues to explore Nucky's past with satisfying results, though an extended hostage subplot feels a bit superfluous this late in the game."