Unser’s cleaning up the mess, again. What their lives’ would be like without their own personal law man, I don’t know. I just know every outlaw club in the country should have their own cop to cover the bases and clean up the messes.
Gemma has a good idea why Clay took that money; she’s not dumb. She’s been around the block once or twice. The writing is on the wall, but knowing it and proving it are two different things.
I would say Clay is for sure, one of, if not the most, evil men, I have ever come across. Killing your stepson’s wife, the mother of your grandkids, that’s low.
Jax and Tara are getting a glimpse of what life could be like…free, just them, not a real worry in the world, not the club, not the cartel, not the danger.
Clay looked like he saw a ghost when Gemma told him Jax was with Tara. He held his composure very well, but he looked like his heart stopped. He can’t stop what he started. The cartels play for keeps. Sending Tig after Jax will be a wild goose chase with Jax having a ten hour lead.
Jax dealt with that CHP well, especially after he got freaked out. You let them set the pace, if they are polite, you are polite, but you can never take shit from anyone.
Sheriff Roosevelt is trying to redeem himself, a little late, but he is trying. He has figured out the AUSA is a piece of shit, a lying conniving manipulating man, out to exact the end to his means, no matter what laws he breaks. That part of the show is real.
Clay is unraveling, Gemma can see something is up and she is going to keep pushing that envelope. She knows Clay killed Piney and she has a good idea he took that money to kill Tara. Clay is done with her questions, she is just an old lady; an old lady that is complicit and knows all his secrets and what can bring him down. I think Clay should be treating her like a partner, she did help him get where he is. They killed JT together. How quick things can change, especially when you’re in too deep.
They bungled the hit on Tara and made it a kidnapping, but Jax saved the day. He kept his cool, took aim and stopped that vehicle. Tara is screwed, her hand is crushed. Those dudes might have spoken Spanish, but they were white, not Mexican military.
At the hospital, Gemma knows it’s Clay who did this. The club is in too deep and they know it, you can see it on their faces. Wheels are turning and they need to stop, but they just keep on turning. They think all this shit is from the cartel. Imagine what will happen when they find out its Clay. Everything you live for, your ideals, your reason, out the window. What do you do then? When the thing you believe in most, the men you believe in most turn out to be nothing at all. Not worth shit. What do you do then?
Juice is a piece of shit, I don’t know how he lives with himself. How can he wake up day after day and look himself in the mirror? I don’t know. He thinks he can redeem himself by only ratting on a few to save his own ass and then save the club, but nothing can redeem Juice, nothing.
Laroy ain’t playin. When you come charging into a Niner bar, you get fired upon. Makes sense, especially after three of their guys got killed that morning. Alvarez believes in an eye for an eye. Rafi’s dead, a Niner’s dead. Those relationships are over.
Tara’s exit strategy is gone. All she has left is to be an old lady. Her hand is crushed with a lot of nerve damage. She is a surgeon, or was. No one is going to hire her now. She blames Jax and the life for all of this happening to her.
Gemma called it exactly, Clay got a refund for the hit not going through. There is only so much Clay can take until he snaps, which is not a lot. I cannot believe he beat the shit out of Gemma. That was not smart. How will he explain that? Jax is not going to understand it at all. Clay is evil personified.
I am amazed the club isn’t taking notice of Juice talking to the Sheriff all the time. He shows up and wants to speak to Juice so he can apologize, trying to find some justification. Sheriff needs to figure which side of the fence he is on.
Jax coming clean doesn’t mean anything to Opie. Opie stayed after Donna was killed, and he came back for Jax after he wanted out. There is no way he will understand Jax leaving. Opie needs Jax in this club.
Jax has to play the cards he has been dealt and tough it out. Telling Opie to go patch things up with his wife and dad, to hang onto his family, the club, this is what Jax needs to do. He needs to hang onto his family, all of it, Tara, the boys, AND the club. They are Jax’s family. He just has to get the cartel out of his equation and he will be better off. Get back to the basics.
Gemma is tough, nothing’s broken. Her face is bashed in, she knows what has to be done, and she will give that executive order. Clay has got to die, at the hand of a son, her son.
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Wow. Great post, Bob. Just a few thoughts.
Clay is past redemption. He got himself into a bad position by making a wrong decision to hook up with the cartel; I think he knows he blew it, but cannot face up to the mistake. So, he gets cruel and violent. I guess Gemma missing shows that the hardest thing to do with a gun is shoot someone at point blank range. Gemma is done with him, and her capacity for revenge is boundless.
Things are coming to a head in other ways. Opie cannot stay in the dark about Piney. I think he’s already suspicious about Clay directing him away from the cabin. All Gemma needs to do is let Opie know about the letters. That “man of mayhem” will take care of the rest. He may not be the one to lead the club, but he has the resolve to do what needs to be done.
The story tells us something simple about societies, any society. A group lives in equilibrium. Everyone gets something, and everyone gives something up. You are willing to give up what you give up because your needs are met. Break that equilibrium and you have chaos. That’s where the club is now. Clay’s decision to mule for the cartel broke the equilibrium because it broke the common understanding about what the club will and will not do. The club can therefore no longer trust him. We’ll have to see where it goes.
By Deuces Wilde on November 11th, 2011 at 12:22 pm“Juice is a piece of ****, I don’t know how he lives with himself. How can he wake up day after day and look himself in the mirror? I don’t know. He thinks he can redeem himself by only ratting on a few to save his own ass”
By Jack on November 11th, 2011 at 2:11 pmI think Juice has made some bad decisions but he’s not a bad guy. He’s a mixed up good guy. He loves the club but knows he’ll be kicked out if his secret is revealed. He’s not looking to save his own ass, he just wants to save the club. He proved he cares more about the club than himself by attempting to end his life.
I think Wayne will do it.
By Webster World on November 11th, 2011 at 2:26 pmI have been watching SOA since day one – this is by far the best episode to date. I couldn’t wait to watch it a second time. Kurt Sutter knows how to write a story and the best, no, the most phenominal cast. Do I hear EMMY??!! My hat is off to the entire cast, crew and writer(s) of this show. The is the #1 show on my TiVo. Thank you!!!
By MonicaK on November 11th, 2011 at 3:37 pmI don’t see how Clay can be redeemed….Juice is a pos, but if somehow, no one finds out what has happened with him, he could just go on…..but Clay, it’s all closing in. If only one of the big 3 events are exposed Jax will kill him…..I don’t know what they are going to say about Gemma’s face…..
By Jayne on November 11th, 2011 at 3:55 pmClay is wacky dacky he needs to go with Romero and the caretel. Get out of Charming, away frokm the SOA, Jax, Tara and Gemma. They would get along just fine.
By ELLIE on November 11th, 2011 at 5:39 pmDamn this season is HOT…But I got to say, Al Bundy would have never treated Peggy that way.
By Fridge on November 12th, 2011 at 10:54 amwhere the **** is episode 8?
By berko on November 12th, 2011 at 5:17 pmI think, at the end of the day, the big reveal this episode is that Clay’s totally lost control of his situation. Up until this week, even at his most ruthless, Clay’s at least appeared to be outhinking everyone. Jax going with Tara to Oregon totally destroyed that. You could see it in his face when he found out, and again when he meets with Galindo. He’s lost his grip, literally and figuratively. Smashing Gemma’s face in is just the icing on the cake. He’s a dead man when Jax finds out.
Juice has got to pull something out of his ass real quick. He may be beyond saving, but he also appears to be the club’s only chance at coming out of this even semi-intact. I don’t think he’s smart enough to pull a stunt like Jax’s at the end of season 3, so he needs an ally, and I don’t think Roosevelt is it. Too much of a stand-up cop to work with the club, even if he hates Potter. All this, and the dead FBI informant from the first episode? I have no idea how they stay clear of the investigation.
Opie is about to come totally unglued, and Piney’s death is going to push him right off the edge. He trusted Jax absolutly, and Jax flat out lied to him. That relationship is a mess, and the one with his wife is worse. I just hope he doesn’t kill Unser when (as the scenes from next week showed) he finds him at the cabin.
Nothing from Otto this week. Doubt that’ll last. Bobby’s still in trouble.
I’ve thought for weeks that Unser’s a dead man, and I’m not optimistic for him next week. The only one who could save him might be Gemma, and doing that would blow all that buried history right into the open.
The cartel’s are at war, the Niners and Mayans are almost there after the scene in the bar, SAMCRO’s all alone in this with the Fed watching over all. Things are about to get much worse.
By Jimbo on November 13th, 2011 at 5:49 pmEither Jax or Opie beats Clay to death. A gun is to good for this POS.
By UncleBuck on November 14th, 2011 at 3:44 amI think Jax & Opie should string him up like Liam was. Couple of baseball bats and beat him down like a pinata!!! Just to see what kind of good s$*t comes out!!!
By KB on November 14th, 2011 at 5:42 amOpe is going to Kill Clay. He will find out what Gemma and Unler know. When Jax gets wind of it he will tell Ope that it was Clay that ordered a hit on him (Opie) but instead accidently killed Ope’s wife Donna. Can’t wait for tomorrow night.
By Zingarella on November 14th, 2011 at 10:24 amOpe will be the one that goes after Clay to avenge Piney’s death. Also, he will find out the truth about Donna once Jax finds out that Clay killed John Teller.
By Zingarella on November 14th, 2011 at 10:28 amThis is the perfect set up – Gemma is going to go to Jax and Jax will be more than happy to bat Clay around but will he actually take out Clay. Gemma will set him up to take over the club president role at least in the short term (that’s what she will tell Jax). Gemma will guilt Jax to keep him tied into the club and never leave with Tara- Gemma needs the club, Jax in the club and those grandbabies – this will turn into a power struggle between Gemma and Tara – who will get Jax to do what she wants him to – this is super writing and super acting – great show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Pat on November 14th, 2011 at 10:36 amGemma may have missed Clay on purpose. She knows if she killed him it wouldn’t have the same effect on Jax than if he does it after finding out part of the truth anyways. I don’t think she’ll EVER let him find out the truth about JT and her part in that. Clay is like Unser said, an injured animal and now his back is to the wall. He is beyond redemption and with his back up against it, he needs to be put down now before he takes the club down with him.
By Krista on November 14th, 2011 at 11:07 amIf Clay isn’t killed or gone from the show…..I will lose all respect and will not watch it again.
By Paolo on November 14th, 2011 at 11:56 amI love reading your blog every week!! Any thoughts on why the homeless lady is in every season. She was with Jax in the cemetary (Season 1, last episode). Then, we see her at the church with Gemma in Season 2 and Season 3 she was at the market when Jax was watching Abel with adoption parents. Then, this season we see her in the park before Tara is kidnapped.
By Angela Panter on November 14th, 2011 at 12:11 pmJax will wound Clay, Clay goes to prison, he’s the big fish. Discuss amongst yourselves…LOL
By Laurie Hefner on November 14th, 2011 at 1:01 pmGlad Jax went, it could have been a lot worse; this whole hit ordered by Clay is so unnecessary. It really sucks that her hand was hurt that bad. Now that Tara’s hurt, the boys were put in danger, and Jax thinks it the LS, there’s no telling what he will do. You could see that look on his face in the hospital that says “Somehow I’m going to make this right and punish those who did this. This whole thing is my fault; I promised her it would be ok”. Jax has to get Tara and the boys out of there and not a word can be said on where they are.
Killing JT, killing Piney (which the club doesn’t know about Piney’s death yet), trying to have Tara killed, and beating the **** out of Gemma; all things that would turn the club against Clay and set Jax off if the truth was known. Gemma’s right; Clay must be killed at the hands of a son.
WTF is Juice thinking! The club is the only thing he has. Why throw that away?? Why didn’t he spill when Roosevelt grabbed him the first time? There sure is a lot of dishonesty going on in Charming.
And was that Wendy? WTF is she up to? Is she working with Clay to get rid of Tara????
Jax you really need to get this **** together and start putting everything together……
By Deanna on November 14th, 2011 at 5:48 pmI believe Tig will kill Clay
By Kat1950 on November 14th, 2011 at 5:55 pmI’ve not seen it mentioned anywhere else, but I’m almost positive that Unser has the original letters. He told Clay all he found were copies, and that’s all Clay saw, believing they were copies made by Tara. Wayne also told Gemma that all he found were copies. When she mentioned to Tara that Wayne found the copies, Tara did a double take. I believe she had the originals in that envelope. Unser took them, copied them, and is keeping the originals safe.
I believe he’s the one that’s going to eventually bring down Clay. Either directly, by killing him, or indirectly by tipping Jax, Tig, or Opie – possibly all three. All four of them emptying guns into Clay would bring a whole new meaning to gang bang.
By HParsons on November 15th, 2011 at 1:16 pmThe only one in the whole show who has any sense is the porn star. She got the hell out and didn’t tell anyone where she was going.
Only wish that Tara had as much common sense.
By BBHY on November 15th, 2011 at 2:07 pmClay is a POS, I hope Opie and Jax clip him… Can’t wait for tonight, nice work again Bob!!
By Kyle on November 15th, 2011 at 3:29 pmSorry dude Juice is ****… you don’t rat on your people… you don’t even rat on other crews…… you handle your business..
Trying to roll with the law to save the club only incriminates you and your crew. Plus not only that he puts a target on his crews back because they all look like the rolled over. You don’t walk out of any charges clean and your allies go down….. the streets don’t forget and the streets don’t forgive.
Clay could not see past his greed. You cannot ally up with one of two groups at war and not expect to be caught in the crossfire at the least. Clay made a street corner LT who recently went solo mistake ….. he started to move dope in an area where basically others were selling dope that was already stepped on….. which as it showed later put their truce with the 9ers at odds…. on a war that put them on one side and the 9ers on neither….
The writing is excellent because to be honest with you, this is what drug money does to crews….. the leader starts to burn through the club/crew like a junkie through his stash because they are hooked….. Greed tears down drug crews because the underlying unity is money and the SOA’s underlying unity was brotherhood until Clay started to blur the line and now has completely pushed them over as drug mules
I hate Kozik had to fall, but soldiers always do
By tony on November 15th, 2011 at 9:42 pmJuice is a dead man walking….he can never tell the whole truth about his sins against the club…he killed a “Bro” when he got caught trying to return the brick of coke…
By Big Tony on November 15th, 2011 at 10:16 pmGemma will keep fighting to keep Clay alive until he can die the way she wants him to die, I think she has a bigger evil streak than Clay ever could. I think Tara will get killed either by Clay or the Cartel. There is absolutely no way Jax is leaving the Sons, alive anyway. Tig may be the one to kill Clay while no one is looking, and take justice away from everyone. Bobby also needs to die for lying to the club and sleeping with Otto’s wife then lying to him about killing the guy who had her killed. Unser cleaning up for the club is ONLY for Gemma and besides the fact he is already a dead man is the only thing he has going for him, because he too close not to be killed in the long run. It seems to me Opie is the only true brother. If the show wasn’t so good I’d say Op should kill’em all and start over.
By Ray F on November 15th, 2011 at 11:00 pmHParsons
In episode 3 “Dorylus”, Tara hid the originals in Jax’s storage unit. They’re in the bottom of a document box.
By Deanna on November 17th, 2011 at 12:18 amA couple episodes ago Tara put the original copies of the letters in a box and put the box in a storage unit. I believe this is the same storage unit where Jax found JT’s diary in season one.
By Jimmy on November 17th, 2011 at 8:14 amUnser does not have the original letters. Tara hid them in one of the boxes she stored in the garage.
By ~cj on November 17th, 2011 at 1:59 pmNot everything will make sense in a TV show, which is probably why none of the other members have noticed Juice talking to the sheriff. Clay beating Gemma didn’t surprise me at all. He put his hands on her earlier this season when she protested the club running drugs, and also in season two in front of everyone. After her gang rape, Gemma told Tara that she has been hit before, so it could have been Clay or JT. I agree that Gemma may have missed Clay on purpose. It could have been a warning shot and she knows that she can’t really kill Clay without some heavy explaining to do to the club. Plus, he has been telling her for a while to stay out of club business, so I expected him to explode eventually. You can’t apply logic where there’s none, so he didn’t think about the consequences or what to tell Jax. It shows how over the edge he is with his actions.
I noticed the homeless lady, too. She seems to show up when something pivotal is about to happen. I think at some point, it should be addressed in the show how she can get from Charming to places so far away from there.
By Tempest on November 18th, 2011 at 8:24 amP.S. I am surprised that you didn’t blog about the hospital administrator confronting Gemma in the church. She took Gemma on head on and didn’t care if Gemma beat her to a pulp, even after Tara slapped her around in season two, she was still defending Tara and looking out for her. She called Gemma on her bluff. Gemma threatened her, but didn’t follow through.
By Tempest on November 18th, 2011 at 10:27 amClay’s not feeling guilty about his decision to hook up with the cartel. Clay is all about #1; he SAYS it’s about the club to further his own purposes – but it’s all about him. The reason he’s coming unglued is because he’s losing his grip and he knows it. That’s why he’s going after Tara, and Jemma, and Piney – they are all the people who threaten the longevity of his power and control. He hooked up with the cartel, and he wants to stay in control, and he agreed to Jax’s plan – only so that he can get the MONEY he knows he will need going forward, when he can’t ride or lead any more. Hell, he already can’t – and he knows it. When somebody threatens his position, they threaten his money.
By Laurie on November 18th, 2011 at 4:44 pmAgreed, Opie is a true brother, but what about Chibs?
By Steelhorsecowboy on November 18th, 2011 at 7:07 pmHParsons — remember, Tara put the originals in the storage closet (sorry, I forget which episode but shortly after she made the copies), the same place Jax discovered his dad’s journal in Season 1…
By meggie on November 20th, 2011 at 7:28 am