"We ain't in Charming anymore boys." - Chibs
Since the moment Cameron Hayes showed up on the streets of Belfast with Abel in tow we've been waiting for the Sons of Anarchy to put all the pieces together and take the great leap across the pond in search of Jax's boy. It took machinations, double-crossing, more than a few close calls, extraordinary luck, and pretty much everything in between to get SAMCRO on the plane headed for the Emerald Isle. And then when they got there, well, not a whole lot really happened.
Now that's not to say the story didn't move along, and it's obvious the writers are setting the stage for a final showdown between, umm, everyone, but tonight's "Lochan Mor" was more a "getting to know you all over again" type of episode. An episode full of characters sticking their toes into unfamiliar water and trying to find out just who deep they can go out. It was a chance for us to get acclimated to the Irish biker world (pretty much just like the California biker world except with nicer scenery), figure out why the IRA has Abel hidden away (that story gets less clear by the minute) and see what can happen in Charming when SAMCRO isn't around.
The Jimmy O, IRA, SAMBEL, SAMCRO arc has been on a slow simmer since the season began, to the point that I can't figure out who is on whose side when the pot finally starts to boil. We know SAMBEL is working for Jimmy, and Jimmy is working against the SAMCRO and the IRA, and the IRA wants Jimmy gone (with a hit from SAMCRO), and the IRA has its own interests, and well, I'm tired already. We can't trust anyone, that much is clear. Everything else is still up in the air.
And somewhere in all of this is John Teller's story. There are still things about JT that Gemma and Clay don't want surfacing, but how those secrets effect the current SAMCRO world are, for the time being, buried. If I had to venture a guess, it would be this: At some point, after John set up the Belfast charter to provide muscle for the IRA gun-running, he had a change of heart. He wanted SAMCRO out of the business of illegal activity. This could have been disillusionment regarding having to leave a daughter behind, or it could have been about raising a son outside of the biker world. Whatever it was, someone, most likely Gemma as she is the true club puppet master, saw getting out of IRA activities was bad for the club, bad for business and bad for the future. She, and Clay and possibly a faction from Ireland saw to it the JT was removed from the picture, and Maureen knows this. A leap of faith, yes, but not a far one. (I have an idea how Abel fits into this picture, but will hold off for now).
Back in Charming we got a picture of what happens when mommy and daddy leave and go away for the weekend: the kids fight. Obviously Kozik and Tigg's beef was over a girl, but the more time they spend on screen together, the more obvious it is they'll eventually find a truce. Beating the hell out of each other hasn't done it, but something will.
The Charming story though, involved how SAMCRO's power is weakened when the main players are out of town. Caveman Hale (guy looks a bit neanderthal, no?) would never have the balls to take Lumpy's shakedown this far if SAMCRO's main players were still in the picture. He uses violence as a means to an end knowing there isn't anyone around to scold him. Using Darby and the Callaveras chump to do his dirty work will surely land Hale in hot water when the big boys get back. That much is almost for certain.
Lochan Mor was a prelude. An opening salvo. An introduction. A meet and greet with everyone feeling each other out. It sets the stage for what could be an all out war both on the home front and over seas. And before its over, no doubt we'll see a club almost completely torn away from everything they've come to know.
Other thoughts
- The producers completely embraced the Irish theme with Black 47's "The Big Fellah" as the opening montage with the club riding through the fields or Ireland, and the theme song "This Life" even got its own Celtic redux.
- Amazing scene when Jax, Gemma, Clay, Maureen and Trinity all meet for the first time. If you have this show on DVR it's worth watching again just for the job Katey Sagal does in this little showdown.
- Please, please, please can someone tell Jax and Trinity they are brother and sister before the unthinkable happens.
- The more that goes down with Unser, the more I'm convinced he has a huge part to play before the end of the season.
- Do I think Tara will get an abortion? No. Do I love that they gave the name Sarah Palin for the appointment? Most definitely.
- It's not a throwaway that Tigg has lost his license. While it's funny to see him having to get carted around, there is a problem with not having him be able to ride. The writers will also have to find a way for him to get from point A to point B.
