Enter The Libyan, Boardwalk Empire Character Recap

Hopeton Harrell

 

Enter the Libyan, the Cunning Caribbean

 

Watching the new season of Boardwalk Empire it’s easy to see why the writers won the Writers Guild of America Award.  The recent introduction of Dr. Valentin Narcisse is a grand display of their brilliance and creativity. I guess excellent writing would not be enough without the selection of astonishing actors to deliver the lines. No does it quite so uniquely as Jeffery Wright the award winning actor.

Boardwalk Empire is itself a history lesson documenting the prohibition era with many of its main characters based on real historical figures such as Enoch Nucky Thompson and his brother Eli who were based on brothers Enoch and Alf Johnson both powerful political figures in Atlantic City in the 1920s. Dr. Narcissi’s Characters was loosely based on a successful Harlem numbers runner from the Virgin Islands named Casper Holstein.  Jeffery Wright’s knowledge and appreciation of this rich history is realized in his portrayal of Dr. Narcisse.

We first see the amazing Jeffery Wright, (Dr. Narcisse) in the private chambers of Chalky eloquently instructing Mrs. Pastor about modesty and self-control as he reads a verse from bible, (First Timothy Verse 2:9) He then ask Chalky if he knows his bible. The power and dangerous influence possessed by Dr. Narcisses in immediately recognized. He is alone with an elegant white woman instructing her how one must carry themselves. Only dangerous black men would dare such. But he is a Libyan as he refers to himself and people of African descent. From his African roots he inherits his right to power and high status as he boasts; our roots go deeper than that, across oceans to the mother continent where all things begin”. Chalky looks down at Mrs. Pastor with eyes that suggest she would be paid painfully for bring this devilish gentlemen into his private chambers the Dr. assures her that it is he who is full control, “you nervous dear, you needn’t be,  Mr. White is civilized, I am civilized we’re having a civilized conversation”.  The two dwellers of darkness sit and Dr. Narcisse reveals the purpose for his visit.

Chalky White, played by the ever talented Michael Kenneth Williams, is not one to be manipulated, nor does he leave cheese out for rats. He looks at Narcisse as a well-dressed rodent attempting to use the death of “Dicky” his talent scout to gnaw his way into Chalky’s operations.  With no show of fear or concern for any ensuing consequences he lets the doctor know that he is chewing at a meatless bone.

In a manner that only a seasoned actor can genuinely pull off Jeffery Wright (Dr. Narcisse) expresses a calm rage that informs the audience that all hell is about to break loose, retribution will be paid, somebody’s get their ass kicked. He holds a frown between a smile showing neither he calmly leaves with Mrs. Pastor but not before asking Chalky, “you wish to leave it at this?” Yea it’s about to go down!

As events unfold it revealed that Dr. Narcisse has always been a part of the Empire lurking behind the scenes. When snubbed by Chalky he leaves the Onyx Club but not without having his supremacy recognized. He orders all of the talent to stop performing and sends Chalky a note reminding him that he is only a servant.  How about that? Everyone but Chalky, the owner of the Onyx Club, knows who Narcisse is.

Understanding his queen is in check Chalky calls a meeting between himself and the doctor with Nucky as the arbitrator. If anyone is unaware of just how well Boardwalk Empire is written just watch this scene. The exchange between Dr. Narcisse, Chalky White, and Nucky Thompson is the type of stuff that captures viewers and solidifies them as loyal fans of the series. The show is stale without these types of rich dialogue and fantastic actors who can take you into the occasion with them.  The doctor’s back and forth banter with both Chalky and Nucky was so arrogant and condescending that it enraged Chalky who responded with an outburst appropriately proportioned to the instigation, “ I aint paying a dime, I give you one minute to get your Jamaican ass…. I don’t give a fuck where you from or where the fuck you gone back to.” What a magnificent eruption that gave more life to the mysterious personality of Dr. Narcisse.

For the loss of Narcissi’s talent scout Chalky was ordered by Nucky to relinquish ten percent of the Onyx Club’s earnings to the doctor.  Later during a meeting with Dunn, Dicky’s killer, Narcisse capitalizes further from the death of his employee and the spoiled relationship to between Dunn and Chalky and invites Dunn to enter the world of narcotics by introducing him to the heroin trade, “it is freedom power, control over men who are lesser than you.” Like other Boardwalk Empire Fans I can’t wait to see how the writers develop the new angles.