'Boardwalk Empire' Recap: 'King of Norway' Presents Steve Buscemi's Nucky Thompson Under Attack!

Terence Winters' critically acclaimed gangster drama, Boardwalk Empire, raises the stakes for its fifth and final season on HBO. Is Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) ready to fight for his life as the mob war takes another level in "KIng of Norway?"

The episode starts with Al Capone (Stephen Graham) constipated and crying out in pain. He's surprised Nucky hasn't flinched with the news about Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza) wanting him dead. Before he can add something to the conversation, Al has the runs again and heads straight to the bathroom.

In a flashback, Young Nucky (Marc Pickering) wants to propose to his childhood love, Mabel, but her father won't have it. If he wants to get ahead in life, Nucky knows he has to resort to corruption to get that rich lifestyle. But the Sheriff (Boris McGiver) doesn't want Nucky to be part of those messy deals, especially since his hands are dirty for covering up a murder. 

Back to the present, Eli Thompson (Shea Whigham) forgot to pick up his pregnant wife, June, because he was hungover. They later on have an awkward dinner with Nelson Van Alden's (Michael Shannon) family. Nelson's wife Sigrid (Christiane Seidel) makes everyone at the dinner table feel uncomfortable, like she knows something they don't.

Eli recovers from his drunken daze all of a sudden, and realizes what he has done. Sigrid tells everyone in the room, including June, that they had an affair together. Upset with her husband, Sigrid punches Eli, knocking the wind out of him.

The dinner ends abruptly when Capone's henchmen reveals himself to be an undercover cop. D'Angelo (Louis Cancelmi) wants Nelson and Eli to steal the files from Capone's vault. Everything Capone has in his books prove the FBI can charge him with tax evasion.

Gillian Darmody (Gretchen Mol) is still at the insane asylum, witnessing another inmate being operated on. Though Gillian tries to convince her doctor that she is no longer crazy, her efforts fall on deaf earw. She may be heading straight to the operating table herself.  

Margaret Thompson (Kelly Macdonald) holds her own against Arnold Rothstein's widow and her lawyer. Though the widow wants to humiliate Margaret, she will just have to settle with the check. Nucky needs Margaret's stock brokerage firm to get his Bacardi rum business running when Prohibition ends. 

Just when Nucky thinks he has it all together, Chalky White (Michael K Williams) shows up in his private quarters. The police are still after him, but Nucky's henchmen are able to steer them in a different direction. Chalky has not given up on his revenge against Dr. Narcisse, who murdered his daughter.

Trying to protect himself from Lucky's wrath, Nucky has a secret meeting with mob boss Maranzano, but during their conversation, Lucky's hit-man squad ends up shooting down the restaurant. Torrio was responsible for staging the meeting between Nucky and Maranzo. After realizing he has been betrayed, Nucky promises to kill everyone involved. 

During the night, Chalky ends up at Narcisse's brothel. With a gun in hand, Chalk hears a baby crying in the background. He discovers that the baby actually belongs to his former lover, Daughter Maitland.

In Boardwalk Empire, Nucky Thompson has declared war against Lucky and anyone else who joins his side. Readers, what did you think of King of Norway?