By Joe R
Least interesting things first: Al Capone's smelly friend gets beat up by some Irish jerk, and since Al's deaf son is also getting beat up at school, he decides he hates bullies and takes out all his rage on the Irish guy, beating him to death in front of a bar full of people.
Back in Jersey, Nucky's gotten word that the Tabor Heights sheriff has been roasted, so he declares that all his shipments to New York will go through the backroads. Mickey is dubious of this plan and even appeals to Owen, in front of everyone, which only makes Nucky angry. Mickey's Mickey, though, and after a trip to Tabor Heights where the local cops assure him they're taking care of it, he decides his shipment is good to take the direct route. Eli heads out ahead of the convoy, but the drivers' instructions to stop for nobody mean they ignore Eli's warnings that it's an ambush. The entire convoy is slaughtered.
Where was Nucky during all this? Well he and Owen -- with whom Nucky has been very impatient lately -- finally track down warehouse-bandit Rowland Smith outside Philadelphia. He's got a safe house packed with crates of pilfered liquor, but he's also being hunted by Waxey Gordon's men. Owen offers to kill the kid so Nucky won't have to, but before that gets a chance to happen, Waxey's guys surround the house, so Nucky, Owen and Smith have to hide out in the basement, overnight, until Waxey's guys go away. During the siege, all three men bond, and the cocky upstart Rowland manages to sell himself as an asset to Nucky's operation. And then, after Waxey's men leave, Nucky shoots Rowland in the head, because don't ever assume he's reluctant to kill anyone.
Meanwhile, Margaret and Dr. Mason encounter the charming Catholic attitude towards sex ed, and Lucky Luciano has a very tense and very Italian sit-down with Masseria.