92 replies to this topic

[Emily Thrace]

So since there is no Jimmy Thread yet I thought I'd start one. Anyone else notice how Jimmy's Ma never asked about her grandson? It may be she just doesn't want to admit she is that old to her friends but it seems like neither his mother nor Angela know anything about the other. Opedius aside there is something off about his relationship with his mother, I mean why not just ask for necklace back and explain about the trouble with Nucky?

[eejm]

Jimmy makes an odd choice in slang by constantly referring to the Germans he fought in WWI as "jerries." The term was around during that time, but most referred to Germans as Huns because it was thought to be more derogatory. The use of jerries (and krauts) was much more popular during WWII, and even then during the last year or so of the war as Allied Forces entered Germany.

I wonder if the solider's slang was dependent on where he fought or lived? Or if this was a choice by the writers for some reason?

[CyberSybar]

How appropriate to see Tommy Gnosis in another Wicked Little Town!

[Emily Thrace]

Jimmy makes an odd choice in slang by constantly referring to the Germans he fought in WWI as "jerries." The term was around during that time, but most referred to Germans as Huns because it was thought to be more derogatory. The use of jerries (and krauts) was much more popular during WWII, and even then during the last year or so of the war as Allied Forces entered Germany.

I think its because TPTB are worried the audience would think Jimmy fought in Asia if Jimmy called the germans Huns. Jerries is much more obviously Germans and doesn't require explaining who he is talking about.

[old 55]

Was anticipating this series ahead of all the hype, but by episode three it's not warming my cockles the way I expected. So far, the biggest disappointment is this Darmody character as portrayed by Michael Pitt.

Maybe it's because I can't see in this character a Princeton dropout from the era Fitzgerald made so real in "This Side of Paradise," even imagining Darmody as a working-class hero adrift at the aristocratic Old Nassau of Scot's time.

Pitt wasn't convincing as a disaffected youth in the 60s Paris of "The Dreamers" (admittedly the only other role I've seen him in), and here he comes across as just another dim-witted thug, who's fiance's protestations that "you used to talk about books" lack all conviction given this portrayal.

Edited by old 55, Oct 4, 2010 @ 4:30 PM.

[Boisvert 8]

Maybe it's because I can't see in this character a Princeton dropout from the era Fitzgerald made so real in "This Side of Paradise," even imagining Darmody as a working-class hero adrift at the aristocratic Old Nassau of Scot's time.

I'm completely with you there on failing to see the Darmody character make sense in the context of This Side of Paradise. Looking a bit further at lit. of the period though, Jimmy Darmody does have a lot in common with Yale grad Gordon Sterrett, one of the protagonists in Fitzgerald's short story/novelette "May Day" from Tales of the Jazz Age. If you combine the down-on-his-luck aimlessness & dissolution of Sterrett (also just come home from France) with the battle hardened nihilism of Ernest Hemingway's war veteran Nick Adams...a character like Jimmy Darmody finds a pretty solid place there between the two.

Think I'm willing to give Jimmy more time to develop in Chicago before I cease being interested in him. The Boston Limited scene in Ep 3 where he wakes up from the battlefield sounds looping in his head to stare at the mother & daughter made me want to hang in there with Darmody for a while. Hey, the guy's reading Sinclair Lewis, he can't be a total dud ;->


I've only seen Pitt before in Hedwig & the Angry Inch- curious to find out what he can do with this character.

Edited by Boisvert 8, Oct 5, 2010 @ 5:43 AM.

[Boisvert 8]

In Ep 4, right after Capone plays his sick little trick of shooting into the pillow, check out the scars visible on Jimmy's legs- front & back, both legs. When he sits back on the bed, think there may be some scarring on his back, too. Jesus, he really took a massive amount of shrapnel.

[notwisconsin]

Was there a REAL Jimmy Damody? I was wondering if besides the obvious suspects, was everybody based, even loosely on a real historical person.

[Emily Thrace]

Was there a REAL Jimmy Damody? I was wondering if besides the obvious suspects, was everybody based, even loosely on a real historical person.

That's what I've been wondering it does sound like he might be but he probably is a composite.

[clack]

Terence Winter said that he's invented.

[Boisvert 8]

Jimmy telling Pearl the 4th of July story was imo one of the top moments of BE so far. Felt like an echo of him giving the same kind of 11th hour comfort to wounded or dying friends in the trenches or some wartime field hospital.

[Glitterkittens]

Jimmy telling Pearl the 4th of July story was imo one of the top moments of BE so far. Felt like an echo of him giving the same kind of 11th hour comfort to wounded or dying friends in the trenches or some wartime field hospital.

Yeah, and it was also a good sly callback to the differences between himself and Nucky. In the first episode, Nucky woos the ladies with that fictional story of suffering, while Jimmy really has obviously had a seriously screwed-up life, and he finds all the positives where he can. He's not aiming for pity and likability the way Nucky is, or patronizing.

[Boisvert 8]

Terence Winter said that he's invented.

But not out of whole cloth- Jimmy is certainly fictional, but seems @ this point in BE to be culled from other fictional characters of the period: Hemingway's Nick Adams combined with some of Fitzgerald's darker short story protagonisits (of which there are quite a few). IMO even Jay Gatz & Nick Carraway played a part in the creation of Jimmy Darmody.

Edited by Boisvert 8, Oct 19, 2010 @ 6:06 AM.

[terxav]

Given that Jimmy was intelligent enought to attend Princeton, I am surpriseed by his lack of finesse so far on BE. It seems like his mother and Nucky and the Commodore wanted him to stay in school. Which goes back to Angela, she said "we used to talk about books". I wonder if Jimmy met Angela at Princeton.

[Boisvert 8]

Ep 6 & Jimmy D. character development kicks into a higher gear. Putting what I can only assume are his dog tags on after discovering Pearl's little love note was a nice indication of state of mind. A man apparently with his own code, he points out her age to see Sheridan's reaction, if any. Wrong reaction, fella.

Wonder where Jimmy picked up that knife, looks like it might have a story behind it. 3 weapons in one, plus you can play 5 Finger Filet with it (a truly interesting variation on mumbletypeg).

[Glitterkittens]

I wonder if Jimmy met Angela at Princeton.

I doubt it. Women weren't really present on the campus outside of administration or the nurses' office. The first enrolled students were an elite few in the 40s, outside of the women's school that closed down before 1900.

[Mathematician]

Wonder where Jimmy picked up that knife, looks like it might have a story behind it. 3 weapons in one, plus you can play 5 Finger Filet with it (a truly interesting variation on mumbletypeg).

That knife was used in trench warfare in WWI.

That's to say: he came by it honestly.

[Boisvert 8]

I knew someone could fill me in on that, Mathematician. Much thanks. Wonder what other war souvenirs Darmody has lying around. Besides the PTSD, I mean.

Got a new question this a.m.- given Capone's track record re: "practical jokes," will Jimmy be eating those steaks?

[BeckyBaxter]

I doubt it. Women weren't really present on the campus outside of administration or the nurses' office. The first enrolled students were an elite few in the 40s, outside of the women's school that closed down before 1900.

But she could have been the daughter of a faculty or staff member, or a townie. Although I'm not sure that I buy she is from Princeton, not being a student does not rule the possibility out. She obviously has intellectual and artistic leanings. These would have been cultivated in a college town regardless of whether she were enrolled in a school.

[tapshoes]

Jimmy's lack of Ivy League finesse was jarring at first. It's interesting that his demeanor is becoming more Princetonian as he becomes more of a thug.

[MariaMax]

Jimmy's lack of Ivy League finesse was jarring at first. It's interesting that his demeanor is becoming more Princetonian as he becomes more of a thug.

Although Jimmy was smart enough to go to Princeton, and had enough money from Nucky to pay the tuition, the fact remains that he's the illegitimate son of a teenage showgirl. I would have found it odd if Jimmy had an Ivy League demeanor. He was raised around thugs and gangsters, whores and pimps. That's where he feels at home.

[Demian]

He was raised around thugs and gangsters, whores and pimps. That's where he feels at home.

So...natural fit for Princeton, then?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

The first enrolled students were an elite few in the 40s, outside of the women's school that closed down before 1900.

Wow. I had no idea, and it's both astounding and obnoxious that Princeton didn't admit women until September 1969.

By the way, if I never see Michael Pitt have another gross sex scene on this show, it'll be too soon.

[Glitterkittens]

By the way, if I never see Michael Pitt have another gross sex scene on this show, it'll be too soon.

Has he had ANY besides almost getting a BJ?

I demand the opposite, but starring me as any girl he takes advantage of. I'm so sad that I couldn't find a willing dude to be the Jimmy to my Pearl this halloween.

[leesha79]

I hope they keep Richard Harrow, the sniper, around for a long time, his scenes with Jimmy were so compelling. Jimmy has no one in his life who has any grasp on the horror he's lived through, I actually felt relieved for him when he was finally, finally able to connect with someone who can truly understand the war, and how profoundly it scarred both Jimmy's body and mind.

I demand the opposite, but starring me as any girl he takes advantage of. I'm so sad that I couldn't find a willing dude to be the Jimmy to my Pearl this halloween.

I too have a raging crush on Jimmy. He's such a fascinating character, I actually find him to be the most interesting character on this show, quite a feat when nearly every character is enthralling.

I'm wondering if Michael Pitt will be considering a supporting character for Emmy consideration? Buscemi definitely has a nomination for Lead on lock, but I think Pitt is going to collect a lot of accolades for his performance on this show. Far from being "Leo-lite", I think he's in the upper echelon of actors in his generation. Every Jimmy scene is like a miniature masterpiece of shading and complexity.

I am very much looking forward to the story shifting in a way that brings Nucky and Jimmy back together, I loved watching their interactions. They have this way of making me FEEL like I completely understand their connection, when in fact the show has told us next to nothing about their history.

Edited by leesha79, Nov 1, 2010 @ 9:29 AM.

[sleekandchic]

I've been waiting patiently for scenes where Michael Pitt can show his range. IMO, he's best when he can react to another actor, rather than to act as the protagonist. That's why his Jimmy Darmody scenes with Richard Harrow, the war veteran, were so powerful, I think. Jimmy listened to the guy. Really listened. So when, for example, Harrow started to reveal his fears about the psych test they were about to take, and the fact that a question would be asked about sexual experience, Jimmy cut him off quickly. He just knew that the guy had no experience and was worried at how that would be evaluated. He also knew he had a way to fix that for Harrow.

My opinion so far of all the BE characters is that they're a bunch of selfish manipulators, every single one of them looking out for himself at all times. Jimmy is not that different really, except that he does seem genuinely empathetic to others -- a trait that I don't see in any other character, including Margaret Shroeder. Jimmy is able to relate his own experiences and feelings to others, and, maybe, to understand what makes others tick. That ability can be both a gift and a curse in his line of work, I think.

Another thought occurred to be in this last episode, "Home." While Jimmy is definitely a thug -- a murdering and extorting thug -- he hasn't completely lost his humanity, and that's the beauty and attraction of the character, IMO. He gravitates toward people like himself, too, in his private life. Both the late, poor Pearl and the girl he asked to take care of Harrow last night were sweet, tender women. The mother of his son, Angela, is not your run-of-the-mill, flighty showgirl. She's educated, an artist and a free spirit; her sensitive aura obviously attracted Jimmy. And Harrow -- and I agree he was a really extraordinary character -- talked about his war experiences and his endless patience as a sniper, and we could take the lesson of a coldhearted, vicious warrior out of that. But Harrow also revealed a kind of quiet, steadfast dignity about himself, which Jimmy recognized, I think.

From the first episode, Jimmy presented himself as a man doomed to Hell for what he had to do in the war. He rationalized, "well, my fate is sealed, it doesn't matter what I do now." But, I'm hoping that before the end of the series, Jimmy Darmody realizes that the very fact he can pass such brutal judgment on himself proves that he's not an automaton, lost to baser instincts and condemned by those instincts. I'm hoping he'll realize that the choices he made during warfare were not choices at all, but duty and allegiance to the oath he swore. I'm hoping Jimmy can wake up to realize how powerful the pull of life can be -- wanting to live and to thrive, even in the worst of circumstances. That's what I hope for Jimmy. Maybe seeing his little boy again will redirect Jimmy; he is crazy about that kid.

Pitt is hot and gorgeous and soulful. I've loved him for a while now, and I'm so happy he's going to be successful in the mainstream. Artsy films are great but not when 20 people see them at a time.

Edited by sleekandchic, Nov 1, 2010 @ 7:21 PM.

[Boisvert 8]

IMO Jimmy Darmody & his new deadly pal Richard Harrow are two of the most accurate, realistic on-screen portrayals of WW1 vets I've seen, ever. Those scenes with Jimmy & Richard in the VA hospital & in the Four Deuces were so pitch-perfect in their understatement- what was said & what was left unsaid because implicitly understood by these two wounded vets, Jimmy's reaching out to Harrow in the 1st place, having finally found someone who understands how profoundly changed they both are in body & spirit after being in hell "Over There."

Cannot wait to see Jimmy Darmody back in Atlantic City partnering with Nucky to take on Luciano & Co. for the last eps of BE's 1st season.

[Boisvert 8]

After reading the whole Ep 10 thread, I really want to see some scenes (however brief) of Jimmy Darmody before he joined the Army & went overseas. Scenes of trench warfare, shelling etc. would be good too. These scenes might help viewers to understand the depth & profundity of mental, awa the obvious physical change, he (& Harrow) have experienced, which so far in BE has only been hinted at. IMO the BE audience needs to see those scenes. Without more background on Darmody, viewers may begin to turn away in disgust from this character (savage, methodical beating of the photog a case in point) & consider Jimmy nothing but a man ruled by his anger, incapable of real relationships with either his son or former sweetheart, someone who has willingly chosen the thug life as an easy way to channel his rage into a post-war "career."

[While doing some music & verse research for Veterans Day earlier this month I came across a poem by WW1 vet Sigfried Sassoon that expresses this about Darmody (& of course his comrade-in-arms Richard Harrow) much better than I ever could:

Dreamers- Sigfried Sassoon (1918)

Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds and wives.

I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.]

[Squirrtle]

I don't know why but I'm having difficulty in liking Jimmy as a character. Which makes it difficult to sympathise with him when he beats someone with a tripod. I like almost everyone else on the show or appreciate them in some capacity but for some reason I'm just not connecting with Jimmy.

[clack]

Jimmy seems to be loosely based on Nucky's real-life enforcer, Samuel "Cappy" Hoffman. When Hoffman became too notorious, Nucky cut him loose, and Cappy went to prison on possession charges -- Hoffman had become an opium addict. (We've seen Jimmy possibly going down that road).

[BenadrylBrownie]

I too have a raging crush on Jimmy. He's such a fascinating character, I actually find him to be the most interesting character on this show, quite a feat when nearly every character is enthralling.

Yes, yes and more yes!

Does anyone else find themselves randomly saying "Jimmy Darmody" out loud? No? Okay. I don't know why the name fascinates me so.