"Friendless Child" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of Boardwalk Empire, and the 55th episode overall. It was written by Riccardo DiLoreto & Cristine Chambers and Executive Producer Howard Korder and helmed by regular director Allen Coulter. It first aired on October 19th, 2014



Nucky's war with Luciano draws in Willie and Eli as Nucky tries to maintain his control in Atlantic City. Meanwhile, Maranzano's tenure as boss is nearing the end; Gillian sends a letter from the hospital; and in 1897, a young Nucky quarrels with Mabel about a runaway from Trenton and does a favor for the Commodore.


First AppearancesEdit


  1. Sean - Shot by Bugsy Siegel.
  2. Mickey Doyle - Shot in the throat by Lucky Luciano.
  3. Arquimedes - Shot by Pinky Rabinowitz.
  4. Salvatore Maranzano - Stabbed multiple times and then shot by Eli Thompson.
  5. Maranzano's Man 1 - throat slit by Luciano's men.
  6. Maranzano's Man 2 - shot in the head by Luciano's men.



  1. Steve Buscemi as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson
  2. Kelly MacDonald as Margaret Thompson
  3. Michael Shannon as Nelson Van Alden (credit only)
  4. Shea Whigham as Elias "Eli" Thompson
  5. Stephen Graham as Al Capone
  6. Vincent Piazza as Salvatore Charlie "Lucky" Luciano
  7. Michael Kenneth Williams as Chalky White (credit only)
  8. Michael Zegen as Bugsy Siegel
  9. Paul Sparks as Mickey Doyle
  10. Jeffrey Wright as Valentin Narcisse (credit only)
  11. Ben Rosenfield as Willie Thompson
  12. and Gretchen Mol as Gillian Darmody

Guest StarringEdit

  1. Anatol Yusef as Meyer Lansky
  2. Marc Pickering as Enoch Thompson, 1897
  3. Boris McGiver as Sheriff Peter Lindsay, 1897
  4. John Ellison Conlee as Commodore Louis Kaestner, 1897
  5. Greg Antonacci as Johnny Torrio
  6. Paul Calderon as Arquimedes
  7. Travis Tope as Tommy Darmody
  8. Louis Cancelmi as Mike D'Angelo
  9. Giampiero Judica as Salvatore Maranzano
  10. Michael Countryman as Frank Wilson
  11. Reg Rogers as Robert Hodge
  12. Maya Kazan as Mabel Thompson, 1897

Co-starring Edit

  1. Madeleine Rose Yen as Gillian Darmody, 1897
  2. Ethan Herschenfeld as Pinky Rabinowitz
  3. Nicholas E. Calhoun as Sean
  4. Leighton Bryan as Talia Bindleman


Memorable QuotesEdit

"Everyone has a reason. Murderers have reasons."


External LinksEdit

Season Five
#04 "Cuanto"#08 "Eldorado"