SAMCRO is running guns the old fashioned way: In the saddle bags on the back of their bikes. As a cover, Jax tells Tara he is doing a “blood drive” for a children’s hospital in Eureka. She understands what he is really doing and comes to the realization that she is, in fact, Jax’s “Old Lady.” I asked my wife if she was my “Old Lady” and she just stared at me with disdain until I looked away.
My only issue with Sons of Anarchy (and believe me this is absolute nitpicking) is the gang leaders’ roles in the high leverage situations where they have the most to lose. For instance, consider The Sopranos. Would you ever see Tony carrying out the menial tasks like actually transporting the guns or carrying out low level hits? Not a chance. It’s too risky. In the case of Sons, I understand having Clay, Jax and the other characters carry out these crimes is a way to keep them in every story arc. It just rings false to me especially for a supposedly large and powerful club. Oh well.
Gemma is sent the mask from one of her assailants as a taunt. She goes to confront Zobelle and in doing so recognizes the tattoo on AJ Weston’s neck (her chief attacker). She waits and follows Weston to a meeting with a bunch of other Aryans. When she sneaks up to shoot him, Gemma overhears Weston talking to his sons. In a moment of either misguided compassion or fear, she spares him.
Along the gun-running way, Tig is involved in a crash. The hospital won’t accept him because of his HMO plan and it seems even SAMCRO can’t avoid the health care debate. A tip from a hospital employee to a team of bounty hunters gets Tig captured and they begin to transport him back to Oregon on an outstanding warrant. (Assault and indecent exposure in a livestock auction). The Sons must abandon their gun run to go and get him.
Chief Unser is looking out for Gemma. He reveals to Tara that he has known Gemma since she was 12. She ran away at 16 and came back 10 years later “with a baby and motorcycle club.” Gemma is the one who brought SAMCRO to Charming. This seems like a fascinating bit of information somewhat tossed into the rest of the episode. We always got the sense Gemma was the real boss of the club, but that she is responsible for their placement in Charming is even more interesting.
The conflict between Jax and Clay begins to bubble over when they argue about how to best extract Tig from the bounty hunters. Clay wants to continue the gun delivery while Jax wants to get him out of the local motel where the Recovery Agents have him holed up. Jax openly defies Clay and takes a group to the motel. In a stunning display of badass, they run a flatbed truck through the motel room and hold the bounty hunters at gunpoint long enough for Tig to make a very Tig-like exit.
Jax and Clay have a one-on-one at the late night biker party. Jax sarcastically says he needs to “get right” with Clay about how he targeted Opie at the end of last year. Clay threatens to kill Jax if he brings up the incident again. It would seem their particular conflict is at the breaking point because I don’t see Jax letting his foot off the gas while Clay doesn’t seem the type to make empty threats.
Actually, it would appear everyone is at the breaking point. Between Gemma, Jax, Clay, Zobelle and Weston, Unser and the club members having to possibly choose sides, something is bound to give. Charming is quickly turning into a battlefield.
