"William Wilson" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 43rd overall episode of the series and was written by David Matthews and series creator Terence Winter, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. It was released on HBO on October 20, 2013.
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, Knox's connection is revealed, while Margaret meets her new associate. Meanwhile, Willie takes a decision, and Capone wants retribution for Frank's death.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.16 million household viewers and gained a 0.8 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and production values, while criticizing the lack of progress in the storylines.
Plot
In Chicago, a grief-stricken Capone kills a policeman in the streets. This infuriates Torrio for the unwanted attention, and orders him to not go after Dean O'Banion, whom Capone believes paid the detectives to kill Frank. Torrio is convinced of O'Banion's innocence, but they are later arrested by the police when Torrio sells a brewery to O'Banion. After being released, Torrio gives permission to Capone to kill O'Banion.
In New York City, Margaret works at a Wall Street brokerage firm. One day, she is astounded to find that her boss, Robert Bennett III, is doing business with "Abe Redstone", who is actually Rothstein. Rothstein decides to invest in the firm and even gives $100 to Margaret. Meanwhile, Gillian is tended by Roy, who helps her in her detox.
Nucky gets Gaston Means to investigate Knox, but is disappointed when very little information is found. His fears grow when he loses contact with Supervisor Elliot, with Means stating that he was declared to have retired. In Washington, D.C., Knox, J. Edgar Hoover, Andrew Mellon and Esther Randolph meet with George Remus to disclose any information on Nucky's operations. Afterwards, they meet newly appointed Attorney General Harlan F. Stone, where Hoover is pronounced as the newest Director of the Bureau of Investigation. However, Knox walks out of the meeting when Hoover takes credit for his work. He then meets with Means, revealing that the latter works for him and his real name is James Tolliver.
Haunted by Henry's death, Willie announces to his family that he has chosen to drop out of Temple University, infuriating Eli. Eli slaps Willie and kicks him out of his house. Willie then shows up at the Albatross, asking Nucky for a job. Chalky continues his affair with Daughter, which forces Narcisse and Dunn to handle operations in his place. However, it is revealed that Daughter is conspiring with Narcisse, who sent her to seduce Chalky for his own purposes.
Production
Development
In September 2013, HBO confirmed that the seventh episode of the season would be titled "William Wilson", and that it would be written by David Matthews and series creator Terence Winter, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. This was Matthews' second writing credit, Winter's eleventh writing credit, and Podeswa's sixth directing credit.
Reception
Viewers
In its original American broadcast, "William Wilson" was seen by an estimated 2.16 million household viewers with a 0.8 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 0.8 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. This was a 13% increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 1.90 million household viewers with a 0.7 in the 18-49 demographics.
Critical reviews
"William Wilson" received positive reviews from critics. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "good" 7.6 out of 10 and wrote, "'William Wilson' inched the story forward, with the biggest movement probably coming from Narcisse and Knox. Nothing outstanding happened, but I did like the whole "Leopold and Loeb" backdrop. In fact, that story more than the Poe story probably influenced this installment. 'Supermen' convinced they didn't have to adhere to the norms and morals of regular society."
Genevieve Valentine of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "This episode lacks some of the thematic punch of others this season, but it does a yeoman's work. Things are coming together; it's a storm that's still on the horizon, but occasionally, even those trapped in the middle of it can sense when the winds are changing."