Review:  Sons of Anarchy S5, Ep. 3 – “Laying Pipe”

Air date: Tuesday, September 25, at 10pm ET/PT on FX.

Rating: ★★★★★

Ever since Sons of Anarchy creator and executive producer Kurt Sutter announced the death of a leading character, social media has been burning with guesses of who will end up in a box. Little did fans know that the tragic answer would unfold violently and graphically.

Very early in the episode, we learn the Galindo Cartel’s influence is nothing compared to the clout Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau) has. He’s able to set up a meeting with Jax (Charlie Hunnam) in prison that undoubtedly sets the stage and the stakes for the imprisoned SAMCRO members: “I need a dead Son.” Pope doesn’t care who it is as long as it isn’t Tig (Kim Coates) – who he wants alive and suffering – because it reflects “the cost of doing battle.” Jax’s reaction to the request (as he sees it, his refusal to go to war) shows he still holds onto some of his father’s ideals.  Pope gives him a reality check delivered with the assurance and confidence of a man who holds all the cards: “You’re already in it Son.”  The “Son” reference is a clear two-fold pun intended to serve as a reminder of who is running the show.

“Pretty little Frankenstein” is Gemma’s (Katey Sagal) new nickname for Tara (Maggie Siff).

When Gemma (Katey Sagal) doesn’t get free reign to see her grandkids at the hospital daycare, I knew she would stir up trouble.  Gemma’s visit to Wendy (Drea de Mateo) instigates an action that backfires on Gemma. Is she losing her touch or just losing it? A fed up Tara confronts her with kindness at first, but when Gemma refuses to play nice, Tara hits her hard with a scary truth. Watching the interactions among the three key women in Jax’s life is a guilty pleasure of mine. While Gemma thinks she’s still got game as the master puppeteer, Wendy and Tara treat her with a level of respect Gemma would never afford either of them. It won’t be long until Gemma faces her own downward spiral, but I’m wondering if she’ll actually hit an emotional low first or if she is just going to get meaner?

Being two sides of the same coin, Clay is a mess like Gemma but contrary to her, he’s steadily getting his mojo back, and his efforts are yielding many positive results. Clay nearly sounds like his old self when dealing with Luis (Benito Martinez) but he needs to save the ‘I’m nearly-finished old man’ routine for someone who cares…like Juice (Theo Rossi), because Galindo are only eyeing the prize – keeping Clay alive for the IRA deal. The story arc converges with Gemma’s terrible day and Clay demonstrating he still knows how to push her buttons.  After getting outplayed by Tara and Clay, Gemma takes the brunt of her frustrations out on a young tart that happens to be played by a seemingly out of place Ashley Tisdale.  Kudos to Sutter for capturing so well an often unspoken truth among females:  women get most vicious against other women when they’re miserable about their own lives.

Jax (Charlie Hunnam) makes a valient attempt to have Tig, Chibs, Opie and himself decide their own fate while in prison.

When Jax and Opie (Ryan Hurst) were in isolation, I wasn’t sure if Jax was playing Opie or if he was thinking of taking him down right there. Opie’s comment, “Lying by omission is lying,” was intended to be the lube for a sincere talk between the two childhood friends but although the dialogue felt a little contrived, Hunnam and Hurst make it work with their superb acting.  Did anyone else think they were going to beat each other to death?

Hunnam is convincing in his despair, and relentless in not wanting his fate to be dictated by others.  I’ve always enjoyed Hurst’s portrayal of Opie as an intimidating, but quiet and vulnerable, giant eager to protect those he loves.  In “Laying Pipe,” Opie comes out swinging but the ending is tragic.

Watching Opie fight for his life in the “box” was stress-inducing and raw. Flashbacks of brutal, violent prison scenes I’ve witnessed in other films and shows hit me but I’m thankful Sutter spared us from scenes reminiscent of the deeds of the three sisters in Shawshank Redemption – although not by much.  Bidding farewell to Opie, whose loyalty to Jax and SAMCRO caused him to lose so much already, was hard. The brutality and horror of what happened was heightened by the quiet stillness of a scene empowered by both the Sons’ fantastic acting, as well as great sound and editing work.  As the scene unfolded, thousands of viewers poured into cyberspace to express their reactions to Opie’s fate with emotions ranging from devastation to anger. The level of commitment of the show’s avid and vested audience is impressive, pushing the show to trend on social media.

Jax (Hunnam) and Opie’s (Ryan Hurst) friendship is tested to the extremes during their incarceration.

The writing in this episode deserves attention also. Kem Nunn, Liz Sagal and Sutter’s dialogue is powerful and emotional, while managing to keep all the story arcs interconnected. Visually, the attention to detail in “Laying Pipe” is quite impressive. From the moment the SAMCRO men arrive in prison, we know who they’ll be up against. The actors continue to deliver strong performances (there is no forgetting Chibs’ (Tommy Flanagan) screams during the box sequence!) but the gold performance standard goes to Hurst for making sure Opie, a fan favorite, left in an honorable manner in the midst of an extremely violent sequence.

By the end of the episode, Opie’s words also prove prophetic, the gavel does turn shit around. After losing his best friend, Jax cannot show any vulnerability so darkness overtakes him. A hardened Jax emerges, having managed to change the terms of his deal with Pope. Because of this, he now owns Tig. What is surprising —seeing a gentler version of Pope, the master, almost playing a mentor to Jax. Pope demonstrates he can be a firm, wise, yet flexible leader by valuing opportunity over vengeance but I’m not sure he’s figured out that partnerships can’t be established from burnt bridges. One can only wonder how this new (and forced) relationship will turn out but for the time being, Pope knows he’s got Jax on a short leash.

There are many takeaways from this episode but the main one must be the importance of learning how to survive. I learned how telling someone “This is my hell, bitch” may come back to bite you. I also wonder if Opie was mistaken in telling Jax he made the wrong choice by letting Clay live. Considering the outcome, it may not even seem like a relevant statement but by marking the destiny of the one who stayed close, Sutter pushes the Prince of Charming a step closer to the edge.

Tune in to Sons of Anarchy Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT on FX.

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Check out the video interviews from SOA S5 Red Carpet.