The third season of Boardwalk Empire follows the increasingly complicated life of master politician and bootlegger Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi) as he is forced to contend with a profoundly emotionally unstable gangster attempting to take his spot as Atlantic City's main provider of alcohol. Elsewhere, Margaret (Kelly Macdonald) struggles with issues of faith as her marriage to Nucky disintegrates, and Gillian (Gretchen Mol) fights tooth and nail to establish herself as a successful brothel madam in the aftermath of her son's death.