Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 10 Hands

Wow. So much happens in "Hands" that it's impossible to turn back. Looking back at the previous 9 episodes, the cartel business was reversible to a degree. The Sons could have backed out before things got too deep or maybe shot their way out. We'll never know if it would be possible since they don't even try, but now it's too late. The cartel does things their way, despite Clay's urgings to call off the hit, and that's that.

Clay beats the shit out of Gemma and Tara gets her hand crushed by Clay's hired hitman. If Clay shooting Piney wasn't enough, those two evens were the nails in the coffin. Clay's not going to make it out alive, and if he is, he'll be very marginalized. With four episodes left in the season (an extra added earlier this week), Jax has plenty of time to deal with Clay.

The most powerful part of the episode is Tara getting her hand crushed. Being a surgeon is the one thing she has which keep her tethered to the outside world, the one skill interchangeable in Charming and anywhere else in the world. Her hand, crushed, represents any hope Tara has of leaving Charming. She has nothing now but Jax, the kids, Charming, and the club which doomed her career. After 9 episodes of not getting much to do, Maggie Siff is simply amazing in the episode, in her calm and anger.

And what can Jax do? Apologize, say sorry? He's out of luck, with nowhere to turn, and he still doesn't know the half of what Clay has done.

Score: 9.5/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 9 Kiss

Given that Kurt Sutter has stated he wants SOA to have 7 seasons and the ratings for the show continue to climb, it's hard to believe that Jax would really walk away from the club, despite his own declarations. Likewise, it's hard to believe that the club won't get out of bed with Galindo. So all the movement in the episode--Jax realizing how bad the situation is and wanting to leave with Tara, the reappearance of the Niners as partners with LS, Potter going to Otto--is conditional on how this season actually turns out. We'll have to see if there really is a big payoff at the end of the season which stays faithful to the characters and extricates them from the cartel.

I don't believe Tara will be killed, but if she does, I don't think it'll be too big of a loss. Tara hasn't had much to do since last season, so her impact on the show if she dies will be how others react to her death, not a loss of what she was doing (which was essentially raising kids and reading letters).

On the other hand, I can envision Clay being killed or severely marginalized by the end of the season. Gemma and Uncer pretty much conclude that Clay can't be saved, and all Gemma can do is keep Clay close to try to sway his mind. Then, Clay immediately defies Gemma and calls the hitman. With this, Clay is past the point of no return, if he hadn't been already. If she is so forgone, what kind of character growth will he have? Probably none. And if so, why would remain on the show, if not for being a plot device?

Score: 8.8/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 8 Family Recipe

Clay killing Piney could be seen from a mile away, but man was it sad. After all Piney's done for the club--described numerous times during the episode--Clay ends his life just like that. We know Clay is a bastard, but it's been a long time since a character was killed (the last, I believe, was Half Sack back in the second season), which amplifies the impact of the killing. Then again, one could argue that Piney doesn't do anything and wouldn't be a big loss, and that Clay killing him wasn't shocking based on a pattern of behavior.

"Family Recipe" dangles a bunch of disparate threads with no resolutions, and we get a good sense where the last part of the season is headed. Tara is headed out of town, Charming may be wrested from Hale with help from Roosevelt's wife, and Chibs now knows about Juice's suicide attempts.

Most important, the cartel violence is a daily part of their lives. Everyone is scared of what may happen, and I can't blame them considering the level of brutality. It does seem a little convenient, however, that no one in SAMCRO has been touched yet. And, given that Piney just died, it's unlikely any of the principles will be killed. Clay pinning Piney's murder on Lobos Sonora seems like a big catalyst, but the characters should be able to sniff out that the murder was not in the same style as the other murders.

Score: 8.7/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 7 Fruit for the Crows

The deal the Sons made with the cartel earlier in the season is definitely paying off in spades. The Sons always had a way out, even in the third season when they could fly over to Ireland and handle business. But now that they are deep in bed with the Galindo Cartel their window is as small as it can get. Galindo's enemies showed themselves perfectly capable of retaliating over the border, shooting and almost killing Alvarez. To add to that, Uncer's stalker note has everyone on edge, even if they don't believe it's related to the cartel business. There doesn't seem to be a good way out.

Whatever one may think of the Juice plot and the motivations behind how he got where he is now, he has actually done things he can't turn back from. He's killed Miles, and now Potter, through Roosevelt, has him by the throat. Juice killing himself would be a chilling and haunting ending for an episode which painted all the characters into a corner, but there is the distinct sound of a branch snapping as the episode fades away. Unless Kurt Sutter is pulling a double twist on us (which I actually wouldn't mind), Juice will be alive next week, albeit in a massive predicament.

Score: 9.0/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 6 With an X

I was already bothered by Juice's reasoning and stupidity in last week's episode, so the constant pans over to his face were bothersome. All the members of the club are supposed to be very competent, and indeed they've outsmarted their adversaries numerous times before. But Juice looks like a fool in these episode, both incompetent and unable to keep a straight face. To add to this problem, the black issue still isn't convincing. Chibs, in response to a question about his wife, responds by saying that rules have to be followed, which doesn't make sense considering how ridiculous the rule is.

On the plus side, there are definite consequences in the episode, as Miles is shot to death by Juice. It's a big deal which Juice will have to live with, especially since he's keeping the sample, implying that he'll continue working for Roosevelt and Potter.

Romero visits the warehouse and we get another significant twist, Clay wanting Romero to deal with Tara. I highly doubt Tara will actually die from all this, but obviously some bad shit will go down. Considering how Jax dealt with Ima, slamming her face into the dresser, I don't think it'll be pretty.

Score: 8.8/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 5 Brick

Clay is one of the most dangerous characters on the show and it's evident in "Brick" how little one can trust him. First, we learn that Clay had JT killed, which leads to him poking into Tara's business. Tara didn't have much to do in the episode, but she's in the crossfires, figuratively and possibly literally. At the same time, Clay is fit to send Bobby to lie to Otto about the fate of Luann's killer. He needs to use the Asian businessmen to lure Hale into a trap, but lying to Otto again shows us how little Clay cares about telling the truth or other members.

Juice's story is very problematic, stemming from the whole black thing. Kurt Sutter's explanation puts things in greater perspective, but it still teeters on implausibility. That the Sons would kill Juice for being black doesn't make sense. They may be racist--which we haven't seen too much evidence of--and they might be killers, but kill a member for being black? From there, it gets worse, as Juice, in the process of taking a sample of coke, takes an entire brick and proceeds to sleep outside when a Mayan comes. The brick ends up buried and everyone knows it's missing at the end of the episode. This develop is good, putting more strain on the club and its members, but the path the getting there hasn't been on the same level.

Score: 8.6/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 4 Una Venta

"Una Venta" features a twist on the classic "don't do drugs" message, and it hangs over SAMCRO and their activity for the rest of the season. The Tuscon charter is ostensibly addicted to drugs, unable to stop dealing even after learning of the devious methods which got them started in the first place. The cash flow is simply too great to give up. Then the Sons see the drugs at the end of the episode, and they've officially become mules. Now they're all embroiled in the world of drugs, which would have made JT squirm a whole lot if guns made him worried, and addicted to the money it brings.

It goes back to Jax's statement earlier in the season that the club is held together by fear and greed. Those who voted against drugs are too scared to do anything (and Bobby, who did speak loudly against it, will probably be dealt with via the information and photos Potter gave Otto) and those who voted for drugs only do it for the money. It's getting increasingly impossible for the club as a whole to be seen in positive light, and while there haven't been much negative consequences yet, I'm sure they're coming.

Aside from that, there weren't any big plot moments in the episode and "Una Venta" served mostly as a setup episode. Gemma gets to know Roosevelt's wife who is a florist while Potter informs her of a way Jacob Hale could lose out, hoping to push the club towards making a wrong move. This is promising stuff--and nothing as dumb as the truck plot last week--so I'm still optimistic about this season.

Score: 9.1/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 3 Dorylus

There are several fascinating themes in "Dorylus," pushing the season ahead in an exciting way, and then there are several not-so-fascinating themes which are actually confusing. I like where this season is going and the good outweighed the bad in this episode, but there were some very questionable decisions on the writers' part.

I'll start with the positive, the 6-5 vote on working for the cartel. This issue looks like it will divide the club, not just in the short-run but also the long-run. On the one hand, there is Clay, who convinces Bobby by offering him the leadership of the club and explaining that Jax wants to leave. On the other, there is Jax, who convinces Bobby by agreeing to head the club without him. The immediate consequences will be a bunch of unhappy people working a dangerous job with the cartel, but there will be lasting effects from these lies and half-truths. Clay's behavior in the episode is especially troubling--smothering the already-dying Russian, getting physical with Gemma, and threatening to kill Piney--and gives us good reason why things will fall apart sooner than later.

We don't learn much more about JT or how Gemma was involved, but Gemma confronts Tara about it, telling her that digging further will bring up too many old wounds. Although the way she acted was convincing (because Katey Sagel is great), I don't think she's genuine. In any case, Tara doesn't really believe her and hides the file in a box in the garage.

The other parts of the episode I didn't like so much. What's up with Roosevelt talking to Juice about Juice's black father? SAMCRO might not be angels, but they're not like the KKK or anything. The other plot with the stolen guns was weird in that it didn't feel like Sons at all. A couple of street punks actually steal the truck from Kozik, which was stupid by Kozik and predictable. And the plot doesn't go anywhere either. The guys meet Cool Black Mama who disciplines her sons whom the guns were sold to and are off on their merry way.

Score: 8.7/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 2 Booster

The main conflict that arises out of "Booster" is borne from an uneasy necessity for the the characters to make compromises in order to get ahead later. Clay knows he can't last long and needs cash, which leads him to working with the cartel. Jax grudging supports this unpopular move because he too has plans for the future, leaving the club, which he tells Clay. But then there is the rest of the club, Bobby, Tig, Opie, and the others, who don't have long-term plans. They know the dangers of working with the cartel and don't really accept the new trade of security for money.

With this going on, Roosevelt sends a message that he's not a pushover, wrecking the clubhouse because of "code violations." Potter remains astute and gets rid of everyone in order to start fresh (since their colleague just died). Things aren't getting any easier for SAMCRO.

One of the more interesting things from last night's episode was Gemma finding John Teller's accident report in Tara's desk. We don't know what Tara's angle is, or how much she's put together, but clearly there was something more going on, as has been the suggestion since the beginning. And it also looks like Unser was in on it. Whatever happened is slowly bubbling to the top and it'll be difficult for Gemma to put a lid on it.

Score: 9.0/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 1 Out

I think the biggest problem of the third season of Sons of Anarchy was, above all, a high-level of expectation that just wasn't met. After a monumental second season--arguably one of the best in the post Sopranos, Wire, Shield era--the third season took a big turn, sending the club along a long chase before landing them in Ireland. It certainly wasn't the most exciting and felt tedious at times, but I wouldn't say the season was bad, as some commenters on the internet say.  At the very least, Sons puts almost every show to shame by virtue of acting and Kurt Sutter's vision.

Now that the third season and Irish monkey business are over, the show starts anew, with the jailed members leaving prison. Immediately evident is the lingering influence of the third season--the doubts Jax has about the club and his father, the business dealings made at the end of the season. While it is a happy day, Opie getting married (Lyla looked really unsure about this, but I'm hoping Opie doesn't receive another blow.) and such, the underpinnings for conflict are there. Jax tells Tara, without any doubts, that he plans on leaving the club once Clay can't ride. He understands what the club has become--a club held together by fear and greed--and, unlike his father, plans to act on his beliefs. But at the same time, the need for retribution is alive and kicking, as Otto takes out the Russian who stabbed Jax and Jax kills the head Russian. There is an internal conflict brewing--Jax feels a need to fulfill a duty to his club but also understands the poisonous environment it is.

As far as the plots moving forward, the newcomers seem like welcome additions. Sheriff Roosevelt already proves himself to be smart and honest and US Attorney Potter seems to be smart. With Hale moving into town with new construction--and in turn more residents--the club has to move before Charming becomes an unrecognizable town.

Score: 8.9/10

•   This is pure speculation on my part, but Juice's look at the end of the episode and Potter having the capability to put a mole inside the Russian mafia could indicate something more.  

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Episode 13 NS

Throughout most of the third season, I found myself passive watching Sons of Anarchy, not really caring that much about the characters or what they were doing. The lead-up to the trip to Ireland took way too long, and the trip itself didn't really have much going on either other than providing some insight into the background of the club. But as the season finale indicates, the Sons belong in Anarchy, and moreover, the Sons focus should be on Charming, for the show to work.

"NS" wraps up the season and various loose ends in the most satisfying way. It begins on an incredibly upbeat note, very suitable following everyone's experiences in the previous episodes. Thinking back to last season's finale which ended on a crazy cliffhanger, I was already wondering whether the joyous tone would descend into darkness. For a while, it seems like it would end that way, with Jax revealed as a rat and having a target placed on his back. But no, Kurt Sutter isn't going that way, fracturing the club--yet.

The Sons will spend some time in prison, likely the 14 months with good behavior, so the time between seasons shouldn't be too long. The implications for the next season, however, are far-reaching. It's important to remember that beating Stahl and Jimmy is only a short-term victory, and that Hale will probably become mayor in bring in the corporations.The Russians are surely ticked off and looking for revenge. And Tara will have John's letters, the ominous set of missives which already talk about Clay and Gemma plotting against JT. What else will Tara find and what will she tell Jax? Again, we'll see how the writers balance the external and internal conflicts.

The best part about "NS," though, is how everything is tied up. There's a feeling of utter triumph as the club pulls the long con on Stahl. The scene opening of Stahl in bed, reaching to the other side and finding nothing--before flashing the grin--was indicative of what she's become, the ultimate villain with no scruples whatsoever. While every characters has had some development over the past few seasons, Stahl, one of the more prominent characters, is purely a one-note character who's actually gotten worse over time, so it's about time she was dealt with. The bitch got what she deserved. Opie gets payback for Donna's death and Chibs gets payback for everything Jimmy's done. The club gets reduced jailtime and for the time being, they've won.

I'm glad this season of Sons is done and over with, capping the Irish melange that plagued the middle portion of the season. The prospects for the next season are as high as they've ever been and we'll see if the show will retake the glory of the second season. We'll just have to wait about a year first.

Score: 9.3/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Episode 12 June Wedding

After retrieving Abel last week, the Sons are back in America at the beginning of  "June Wedding," and from there, the episode goes through the necessary steps for the conclusion everyone was expecting: Tara is alive and Gemma won't be going to prison.

The details in between aren't really that important. Jax takes out Salazar, Tara's fetus is safe, Opie proposes to Lyla, and Jimmy gets enough money for a trip to South America. Gemma has a couple excellent scenes, but the main plot mostly is about resolving some latent problems which carried over from before the trip to Ireland.

I don't know exactly when Stahl went off the deep end, but she's definitely there now. Without hesitation, she shoots her partner and pins the earlier murders on her, absolving Gemma. There's no pause, no reflection, just straight coldness and deception. I mean, what her ultimate goal aside from being the bitchiest bitch ever?

We finally learn that Tig and Kozik's beef is over a female... dog. It'd be humorous on another show, but we saw the guys duking it out earlier and their visceral anger, so it's a "come on, really?" kind of moment.

With the season finale next week, there isn't a pressing problem in terms of people wanting to kill SAMCRO. Jimmy's still on the loose, though he'll be out of the control soon. Hale's probably going to become mayor and kick out Unser, but he still seems like a minor villain in comparison to the gun-toting gangsters we've seen. But at the same time, the small town isn't what it used to be and the law will come down hard on the club which, arguably, is worse than getting in a firefight.

Score: 8.7/10

Preview of Week 11/21/10 - 11/27/10

Chuck - NBC, Monday, November 22, 8:00pm ET

With Chuck kidnapped at the end of the last episode and without use of the Intersect, his friends with have to save him. And even if he is, it doesn't mean he'll get the Intersect to work again.

NCIS - CBS, Tuesday, November 23, 8:00pm ET

In a continuation from last week's episode, the team will have to unravel exactly what's going on.


Sons of Anarchy - FX, Tuesday, November 23, 10:00pm ET

Only two episodes left this season! What was the content of the phone call that left Jax reeling? Will dumb Tara stay safe?

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Episode 11 Bainne

With the Sons loading up the plane, it seems like the journey to Ireland, taking up a good part of the season, was only to pull back the curtain on the early days of the Sons and John Teller, allowing for Jax to examine his role, than anything else. As far as genuine excitement and unpredictability, Ireland never really grabbed me and I wasn't that interested seeing the Sons go about their business.

But, going back to the point of early days of the Sons, John Teller, and how it affects Jax, "Bainne" is a significant episode. After Father Ashby's words last week, Jax decides, for the time being, to let Abel go with his new family. JT didn't want to change the club, JT wanted to leave the club, and that's not lost on Jax who decides to break the cycle. However, Jax is pretty much forced to take Abel once Jimmy kills the family.

Where does he stand? He can't be one foot in, one foot out or he turn out like JT? With his faith in the club shattered, what can he do to protect his son?

Tara should be smarter. She had a gun on Salazar and then put it down to help save his bitch girlfriend. Shoot them both! Multiple times! For God's sake, they had you chained up for days and kicked you around! But now she gets the shit beat out of her.

Score: 9.1/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Episode 10 Firinne

Jimmy escaping yet again is indicative of what it's been like for the Sons all season long. Even when it looks like they have a handle on the situation, they're tossed around for no reason in particular and are forced to scramble. In Jimmy's case, they have him, but McGee pops up and then all these other guys crawl up, starting a big firefight and allowing Jimmy to escape. It seems like everything is conspiring against the Sons.

The Ireland story made serious headway this week with Father Ashby showing his hand. His reasoning for hiding Abel is that JT never wanted his son to live the life he did, and since Ashby failed with JT's son, he wanted to try with Abel. Although Jax gets a address, Ashby makes good case which sticks with Jax. Does Jax want his son to grow up as he did?

The scene is one of the more emotional ones of the episode, at least for Jax's side, but with Father Ashby, we're still left in the dark about him. Part of why the IRA alone hasn't clicked for me is that we never get a clear picture of what each character wants, on the small scale or large scale. They're kind of just there for the Sons to interact with, but nothing more.

Tara and Margaret remains in trouble by the end of the episode, but the remaining guys also make some moves to get them back. Along the way, we learn that Margaret used to be in a bad relationship with a guy who eventually died from a drug overdose, explaining her wariness of Jax.

Thank God Jax and Trinity was nipped at the bud before anything further could happen.

Score: 8.9/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Episode 9 Turas

"Turas" doesn't exactly move this season one way or another, but it firmly sets the groundwork for the rest of the season. At the end of the episode, we have the Sons in Ireland trying to deal with Ashby and Jimmy while they remain in the dark about SAMBEL, Unser finally (big emphasis on finally since he was so clueless this season) realizes that Hale is scum, and lastly, Tara and Margaret kidnapped.

The twist at the end of the episode is that Margaret has significant ink on her back. The only words I could make out were "My Love," but there's another word I'm fairly sure a bigger TV would catch. As for Tara, being kidnapped presents ample opportunity to lose the baby with a good excuse. I'm not sure if this is realistic, but she could try running away in hope that she gets hurt and miscarriages.

We're also getting a better idea of who John Teller was, and he's definitely not the hero Jax imagined. From the conversation between Gemma and Father Ashby, it seems like John ditched Gemma to shack up with Maureen. Poor Jax, who even envisions John following the explosion, will have his heart broken when his last hero and role-model is revealed to be just another guy.

Jax and Trinity still has not been quashed yet, despite Gemma knowing full well what may happen. It'll kill Jax to learn what his father did, and possibly send him spiraling further out of control, but come on--that's his half-sister! Maybe Gemma, through Jax, can remember the idealized version of John Teller, which is why she's unwilling to break the illusion.

With four episodes left this season, everything is headed towards the shitcan, and this time around half the characters are all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. The season is starting to come together, and it's looking mighty good.

Score: 9.0/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Episode 8 Lochan Mor

Now we're getting somewhere. After a season of waiting, the Sons finally get to Ireland and ride across the landscape in an amazing opening montage. Stargate Universe producers should take notes. First, the music is actually good and not some whiny chick music, and second, the characters are actively doing something, not slobbering in self-pity.

"Lochan Mor" doesn't go all-out bonkers, as one may have expected, but resolves the ongoing issues and at the end of the episode, SAMCRO, or at least certain members, knows exactly what's up. Father Ashby lays out all the card for Jax. He gets rid of Jimmy and he gets Abel  back, or Abel probably won't be seen again. With this move, Jax is trapped into a corner and must commit, carrying out Ashby's orders regardless of the consequences. At the same time, Jimmy continues to use certain members of the Belfast charter to tug everyone around.

There was a lot of family drama going on as well and I'm very interested to see exactly what went on between John, Maureen, and Gemma. The scenes between Maureen and Gemma are loaded with tension, and must have a backstory to shed more like on the Sons as a whole. Jax and his half-sister... I don't even want to think about it. Please, please, Kurt Sutter, don't go there!

Score: 9.0/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Episode 7 Widening Gyre

It seems like the middle of "Widening Gyre" was designed only reach reach the eventual conclusion. The Sons would be off to Ireland and Gemma with them. How they get there is rather messy with lots of random pieces and inexplicable actions.

The whole deal with the Mayans, Calaveras, and Alvarez in the bathroom seemed wholly unnecessary ands adds nothing to the episode. We already know people get shot in the head and we already know Alvarez is a snake. The scene where Alvarez is tracking Tara could have been there without the Grim Bastards.

Tara helping Gemma kind of comes out of nowhere and makes little sense. Gemma breaks out easily with no resistance despite Unser being there and the explanation from Tara, backed up by her boss, is somehow accepted.

The Sons will be in Ireland next week (and if they aren't, I'm likely to shoot someone), so we can expect an action packed episode to take our minds off things.

Score: 8.6/10

Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Episode 6 The Push

The Sons are heading to Ireland! Before the big leap across the pond, "The Push" irons out a few issues which set up the conflict in next set of episodes.

A large portion of the episode wraps up the Mayan issue, assuming Alvarez doesn't renege of his deal. The Sons commandeer his shipment before hashing out a deal and doing some dirty work.

Viewers can universally agree that Jax is a bad guy for what he did to Tara, alienating her the entire season before have sex with the porn star. The fact that Tara's pregnant is even worse as it provides an easy opening for a reunion. It's hard to see how we can appreciate their relationship from this point forward, but we'll see how the rest of the season plays out.

Stahl is one of those characters who has no redemption whatsoever. She's a terrible person through and through, using any means to prop herself up and bring others down. Apparently her ATF partner and lover is also fair grounds. That's one cold bitch.

Score: 9.1/10

Preview of Week 10/10/10 - 10/16/10

Sons of Anarchy - FX, Tuesday, October 12, 10:00pm ET

With the deal Jax made with Stahl, the show should be heading to a very dark place soon.

The Big Bang Theory - CBS, Thursday, October 14, 8:00pm ET

Katee Sackhoff and George Takei are featured this week which should be fun.

Sanctuary - Syfy, Thursday, October 15, 10:00pm ET

The last time Sanctuary was on, a big spider was on the loose and Magnus lost power over the Sanctuary network. Aside from that, Ashley was still gone and the annoying new girl was still there.