Jax values trust above all, but what I can’t understand is why he is having so much trouble trusting the people around him. I can see why after Clay’s betrayal he might be dealing with some personal demons, yet he still expects the people around him to maintain the same level of trust in him as always. He has asked almost every person in his life to simply trust him within the confines of this season of Sons of Anarchy alone. He likes to think that he has the same natural leadership instincts as his father, but the truth is he spent most of his life under the influence of Clay as his paternal figure. He only really knows his father through his manuscript, and that might not be the most accurate portrayal; most people tend to look better on paper.
Not that Jax is willing to admit it, but perhaps he’s emulating someone that doesn’t actually deserve it. He genuinely seems like he wants to do right by his club and loved ones, so maybe it’s time for Jax to man up and set his own path instead of trying to follow in the footsteps of someone else. For the first time in maybe his entire life he also has the benefit of having s a half-decent father adjacent around. Nero (Jimmy Smits) might not boast a clean record, but he’s been able to turn his life around, learn from his mistakes, and at least attempt to live a semi-legal existence. He wears his mistakes as a badge of honor, instead of a weight on his shoulders. Have you looked at Clay lately? His shoulders look pretty concave these days.
There was a scene in “The Mad King” that didn’t have a large impact on the episode as a whole, but I felt particularly satisfied watching. Jax and Nero having a conversation that exuded the father, step-son dynamic, especially because it was thrown in between more action-driven scenes, filled a need that I think the show has been missing for a while. Like I mentioned before, Clay is really the only father Jax has ever know – despite the official step-father title that was tacked on after he married Gemma (Katey Sagal).
The last time we really saw Jax in a similar light was with Piney (William Luckey), and now that he’s lost both him and Opie, it’s rare to see him let his guard down. It’s pretty clear, to me at least, that Jax is open to the idea of trusting Nero, and maybe relies on him more than he’ll ever admit. His plan for the club is to get them out of drugs and guns, and into a more legitimate business. Nero represents what he considers to be a respectable, but safer lifestyle – something that at the moment he is desperate to attain, and probably plays a significant role in his deluded decisions.
Although this episode of Sons of Anarchy really had everything I could have asked for, what I’m really looking forward to watching play out is the situation with Tara (Maggie Siff). Part of me hopes that there is something blatant that somehow I’ve missed, but I think the reality is that she is no longer ‘Team Jax’ in any way, shape, or form. Tara is making decisions that she knows will ultimately put her at risk despite Jax’s blind love for her. He will refuse to believe that they have any problems in their relationship until it’s too late, and then he’ll react, and no one will win.
Tara is protecting herself with this pregnancy story, which I’m convinced is nothing more than a story, but who’s going to protect Wendy (Drea de Matteo)? Tara may very likely end up behind bars and have some time to come up with a plan B. She can always rat and get lost in witness protection with her sons, but Jax has already shown us what he’s willing to do to Wendy. When it comes to his kids, it’s unlikely he’ll show any restraint. Plus, Tara will always be the one exception that Jax allows himself to make in his life.
The more Tara takes on these character traits that take her further away from the character I once adored, the more Gemma continues to elevate herself in my eyes – and surprisingly, Clay’s performance in this episode of Sons of Anarchy also improved his station. I might even be compelled to say that he’s verging on redeemable.
I’ve never really come to dislike Gemma in the same way that I loathe Clay, but my opinion of both of them are rapidly improving as the season moves forward. Gemma may go about things in back-assward ways, but she has made a considerable number of sacrifices for the Sons of Anarchy. Would Tara be able to come back from half of the things Gemma has and still be able to give as good as she gets? Even on this episode, Gemma does more than take one for the team when she goes to visit Clay, and I couldn’t help but feel awkward watching the little bit of that incident that aired. The emotions in that room were palpable and I didn’t want any part in them.
The same thing goes for Clay. It would have been so much easier for him to let the Real IRA spring him from county lock-up, and live out his days in Belfast. Clay being conflicted about doing the “wrong” thing at this point, even after Jax framed him for murder, speaks volumes about the person he has the capacity to become. I wanted to hate him until the moment he took his last breath, but a few more genuine gestures and my resolve might falter, as if it’s obviously not already wavering.
Now that the Kings have declared war on the Sons of Anarchy, does this mean that the Belfast charter will be coming stateside for refuge?
Let us know all your thoughts, theories, and concerns about the latest episode of Sons of Anarchy in the comment section below!
Random Thoughts:
- Why is Jax still rocking that antiquated flip phone?
- Wouldn’t it be easier to chase after someone if Jax, Juice, and the other offenders wore pants that didn’t need to be help up when they run? It didn’t look like the Irishmen were having those same issues. Other than that, epic chase scene.
- Best line of the episode – delivered by Jax: “I hope you’re not a lefty?”
- I’d like to see a storyline where Sheriff Roosevelt (Rockmond Dunbar) goes rogue, not just looks the other way. I want to see him follow his instincts, and for those instincts to lead him to an outlaw lifestyle.
- I completely saw the ending coming, and can’t believe it took Jax and Chibs that long to figure it out – but, I loved that they did so through something so minute as the pen.
- Dear Sons of Anarchy Writing Team: I’d like to request more screen time for Chibs. He doesn’t even have to speak. Please and thank you.
Until next episode.