Jeffrey Wrighthas a longstanding relationship with HBO, having appeared on many of the best shows in the network’s history; after winning a Primetime Emmy Award for his role inAngels in Americaand giving a dynamic lead performance in all four seasons ofWestworld, Wright reprised his role as Isaac Dixon in the second season ofThe Last of Usaftervoicing the character in the second video game. Cruel, manipulative, and dangerous, Dixon is a horrific villain who has developed hateful ideologies that allow him to justify his harmful actions. Although Dixon is certainly one of the most terrifying characters that has appeared inThe Last of Usthus far,Wright played a complex villain within the fourth season ofBoardwalk Empire.
Boardwalk Empireintroduced Wright as Valentin Narcisse, a prominent member of the the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Harlem who becamehighly influential in New York Cityafter being raised in Trinidad. Although he earned a doctorate degree and developed intricate knowledge of the history of Christianity, Valentin used his power to become a prominent member of the criminal underworld and would often use the guise of superiority to lure underrepresented people into his gang.Valentin is a smarter, more ruthless villain thanBoardwalk Empirehad ever seen before, and provided Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) with one of his most dangerous opponents.
Valentin Narcisse Made ‘Boardwalk Empire’ More Intense
Valentin was a different type of villain forBoardwalk Empire, as he wasn’t a physically imposing threat who did the dirty work for himself.AlthoughBobby Cannavale’s memorableperformance in the third season as Gyp Rosettiwas very intense, he was ultimately a character who didn’t have the same political and social expertise as Nucky and could be exploited by his uncontrollable rage.Comparatively, Valentin is very mannered, eloquent, and professional, and has the same ability to win new allies through his charisma as Nucky does. Considering that Nucky is in a troubling place in the fourth season, particularly due to his strained relationship with his wife Margaret (Kelly MacDonald), Valentin is able to take advantage of his weakness and fill the power vacuum within the underground clubs.
Valentin creates racial tension withinBoardwalk Empireby taking advantage of the prominent bigotry and intolerance that wasprevalent in the country in the 1920s. Valentin frames himself as the epitome of what a black man can accomplish under the “American dream,” as he has received a proper education from high society and graduated to a position of power. Despite claiming to be interested in advancing opportunities for people of color, Valentin looks down upon the black artists that he employs at his clubs, and seeks to exploit them for their talents. This is what ultimately puts him into conflict with Chalky White (Michael K. Williams) in a feud that eventually forces Nucky to take action. At the same time, Chalky is a character of questionable ethics. He treats his subordinates as people and understands the danger that all people of color in the United States face. Comparatively, Valentin uses the guise of intellectualism to mask his hateful, cruel actions.
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It’s a broken world.
Valentin is an accomplished leader who takes pride in his criminal empire, even if he does not show any compassion to his underlings.The inciting incident in the fourth seasonrevolves around Valentin responding to the death of a colleague who was killed in an incident with Chalky; instead of just getting revenge on Chalky, Valentin wants to take over his role by owning the various black nightclubs that he has controlled. Although Valentin’s swift and efficient retaliations against his perceived opponents may seem like an overreaction, it helps to promote the idea that he is not someone that will forgive any transgressions. Even powerful characters like Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) show reluctance towards aiding Nucky and Chalky amidst their feud with Valentin.
Jeffrey Wright Was at His Most Evil in ‘Boardwalk Empire'
Valentin is able to put other characters at their most vulnerable,as he takes advantage of Chalky’s burgeoning affection for Daughter Maitland (Margot Bingham), a nightclub singer and ward. While Daughter had been abused and used as an informant by Valentin, she ultimately falls in love with Chalky, who offers her the opportunity to escape with him. Although Valentin frequently commits horrific violence against women, he manipulates Chalky into becoming a fugitive by placing Daughter in danger. Even though Chalky is arguably one of the smartestcharacters in all ofBoardwalk Empire, Valentin is able to manipulate him because his loyalty does not extend to anyone that would potentially betray him.
Valentin was an important villain for Nucky to face, as it foreshadowed the more existential direction that the show would go in its final season. By making the line between law enforcement and criminality more fungible within his reign as a politician, Nucky created opportunities for other criminals to rise to power, making Atlantic Citya hub of underworld activity. Valentin’s ascension serves as a reminder that Nucky will have to face the consequences for his actions and that he has become involved in a game that he is no longer winning. Surprisingly, both characters have similar backgrounds, as they both were raised in humble environments and experienced love at a young age; the difference is that while Nucky is still vulnerable to reminders of who he once was, Valentin has rejected his past entirely.
Valentin raised the stakes ofBoardwalk Empire, proving that it was not just another crime show that was trying to beThe Sopranos. Although it did contain all the action and suspense that HBO viewers would expect from a crime series,Boardwalk Empirewas able to address complex issues about generational wealth, racial disparity, religious corruption, and political power dynamics thanks to the intrigue and mysteries that Valentin’s appearance in the fourth season introduced to the show. Although he was not the star ofBoardwalk Empire, Wright was a major reason why it is now heralded as one of thegreatest achievements in modern dramatic television
Boardwalk Empire
