The Unfiltered Ramblings of a DVR Addict

I’ve been out of town since Saturday, so this is my first post of the week.  I missed posting about the cast of Seinfeld showing up on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I also missed my usual post on How I Met Your Mother, Californication, and Big Bang Theory.  In truth I haven’t watched any of them yet, but plan to remedy that soon. I won’t be posting about them at this point, but I’ll be back next week with my re-downs and reviews.

On to what I did watch last night, Sons of Anarchy.

Let’s face it, not all is well in Charming and not all is well with SAMCRO.  The episode opens with Gemma showing up at Jax’s house where she and Tara talk briefly about how Gemma is doing.  She is having issues, most noticable what she refers to as the “Mojave Vagina.”  Jax walks into the kitchen where the two women in his life are and asks Tara if she had seen an old box of clothes in the garage.  She hasn’t and Gemma admits to throwing away a box full of old t-shirts and underwear.  She ask’s Jax what it is he is looking for and he lies to her and says there was a hard to find Harley manual in the box.  IN reality he is looking for the manuscript his father left him.  Of course Gemma is lying as well since she has the manuscript, and knows exactly what Jax is looking for.  Chibs shows up to meet Jax and the two head off to meet Clay.

Opie is working at the garage when a Prius pulls up being driven by one of Luann’s porn stars with her son in the back seat.  The tire is flat and Opie tells her he can fix it, but it will take time.  When he pulls it inside he notices the drug vials on the floorboard.

As the Sons show up outside of Zobele’s smoke shop Hale’s older brother, Jacob is inside talking to Zobele about a land deal that he wants The League to invest in.  Zobele tells him that if he joins The League he is much more likely to get his investors.  Clay walks into the shop and in no uncertain terms let’s Zobele know that he’s going to have to pay SAMCRO protection money if he wants to stay in Charming.  Clay walks out after giving his warning with a few boxes of cigars that he helped himself to and he, Tig, and their new ally Opie head off to meet with Oswald.

Zobele and AJ visit Deputy Hale and continue to try and woo him.  They give him two DVD’s, one with video of SAMCRO blowing up the meth lab that clearly shows Opie’s face.  The other DVD has what appears to be images of Hale taking a bribe.  In actuality, it’s Hale taking a welcome package to the cigar shop, but that’s not what it looks like.

Back at home Gemma opens up the manuscripts of her dead husband that she stole from Jax.  I think she is starting to understand where Jax is coming from.  She read’s John Tell’s words to his son from beyond the grave, “When relationships become a ledger of profit and loss, you have no friends, no loved ones, just pluses and minuses. You are absolutely alone.” We are starting to see a softer side of Gemma as she buddies up with her one time enemy, Tara as well.

In Stockton, Otto is mopping the floors when he is attacked by some Aryan brothers.  He holds them off momentarily, but the tide eventually turns and the Aryans poke out Otto’s one good eye with the mop handle.

Jax busts into Hale’s office and want’s to know what Hale is doing about Zobele.

Gemma and Tara are leaving a pharmacy as Gemma sees the young woman who tricked her the night she was kidnapped and raped leaving a parked van in the parking lot.  As the woman sees Gemma she takes with with Gemma in pursuit, gun in hand.  The young woman hops into a truck driven by AJ Weston, and Gemma starts to see all the pieces of her rape fall into place.  Tara walks up to Gemma, who is still on the offensive and the accidently elbows Tara hard in the nose.

At the porn studio, Jax is talking to Bobby Elvis and Piney.  He tells them that he wants to act on Zobele, but it is best to be prudent and gather as much information as possible.  Piney asks after Tara and tells Jax what happened with her and Gemma, Jax heads over to the hospital.

We see the young girl that Gemma was chasing pull up to a church with Zobele outside.  It turns out that it is his daughter.  She tells him the van is all ready.  Nice family.

Tara has set up a appointment for Gemma to speak with a shrink, telling Gemma she has to talk to someone about what happened.  When Jax arrives at the hospital, Tara convinces him it was an accident.  He walks off and the same hospital administrator gives her another warning which makes her think more about her relationship and her place in Charming.  Jax sees Gemma, and asks her what is her deal with busting chicks noses?  She asks him for a ride home.

At their meeting with Oswald, Clay learns of a plan to buy Oswald’s land to turn it into a residential development.  Clay does some digging and takes the letter to Unser who is getting a shave at Floyd’s Barber Shop.  He, Tig, and Opie see AJ Weston and some of his Aryan goons walking across the street and head outside.  As Opie heads out to confront them, Jax pulls his bike between them, and tries to stop the street flight from occurring.  Of course when AJ shoves Jax’s bike on the ground, a street fight is exactly what happens, and Clay, Jax, Tig, Opie along with AJ and the Aryans are arrested.

After the arrest, Unser storms into Hale’s office and asks him what’s going on between him and Zobele.  Hale get’s defensive and can’t believe Unser is accusing him of being crooked since Unser has been in SAMCRO’s pocket since he was a uni.  Unser explains that the reason that he choose Hale to be his number two was to balance things out, and Hale is supposed to be the bad guy.  He then sits Hale down and tells him the truth about what really happened to Gemma in the warehouse and that while he couldn’t make an arrest if he wanted to, they know if was Zobele and his crew that did it.

Hale cuts the Aryans and The Sons go, but asks Clay and Jax to stay behind.  He gives them the DVD of the meth lab explosion, and tells them that his brother and his friends have been involved with similar land scams before.  I guess he decided the devil you know is better than that devil you don’t.

Clay and Oswald break up a meeting Jacob Hale is having with potential investors and tell him that they know his deal is dirty, and that his little brother has a good memory about such things.  Jacob leaves, presumably to go find his little brother.

The porn star shows back up to pick up her car, and she gives Opie her number.  Is Opie ready for a new woman in his life?  This could be more problems for the already troubled Opie.

Jax walks into Able’s room and finds Tara obviously upset and explains to her what his goals for the club are, and tells her she doesn’t have to worry.  “I’m going to get us out of all those things that you’re afraid of. You stay with me, I promise: you’ll find your place.”

Back at the clubhouse, Clay tells those seated at the table that there has to be quick action on Zobele to enact revenge for Otto.  Jax agrees that the club has to act, but he suggests caution since they are going in half blind.  He argues that they may be walking into a trap.  The club votes with each member voting the way that Clay thought, except Bobby who sides with Jax.  Since there is no majority they wait to enact revenge.  After the rest of the club leaves Bobby and Clay stay behind.  Bobby tells Clay, when you want immediate action you go to Tig, when you want the truth you come to me.”  He also tells him that whatever is going on between Clay and Jax has to be settled for the good of the club.

After the vote, Gemma and Tara show up and Jax tells them that there was a tough vote.  Gemma walks inside to console Clay.  She assures him that Jax still loves him, but he’s not so sure.  He walks outside and hugs Bobby.  Around the same time, the van that Zobele’s daughter is being brought in by tow truck.  Chib’s gets in to try and start the van and can tell by the sound that it’s been rigged with an explosive.  He gets out of the van, but is thrown hard by the explosion.  He lies on the pavement bleeding from his head and Tara and the rest of the crew try to help him.

Well I bet the vote would change now.  I’m assuming that now that the danger is on their front doorstep SAMCRO will act right now.  Another great episode.  Here were some of my favorite moments:

• Gemma reading John’s manuscript.  I love anytime this thing shows up and we get to hear John narrate it.
• The entire scene with Unser and Hale in Hale’s office.  Unser has become the unsung hero of this season.  He knows he’s done wrong and he looks at Hale as his chance to redeem himself.
• I worry about Opie.  His fallout with Jax, who at one time was his biggest support system, and his new alliance with Clay and Tig scares me.
• What a trooper Kurt Sutter seems to be.  He’s willing to put his wife in that horrible situation, and now his character is blind.
• How long before the club finds out about Gemma’s rape?  I assume it’s coming soon since she will obviously recognize the van that blew up.