Review:  Sons of Anarchy, S5 E8 – “Ablation”

Air date: Tuesday, October 30, 10pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

“I’m tired of watching my back.” Considering everything Jax (Charlie Hunnam) has dealt with in the last two seasons, I’m amazed it has taken him this long enough to say those words. But with his family possibly in danger, Jax sinks deeper into the darkness that has overtaken him ever since Opie’s (Ryan Hurst) death.  “Ablation” is also an episode about choices and contrasts. It’s most obvious in how the characters deal with adversity but among the men in particular, it plays out via their leadership style. With a jazzy tune playing in the background and a hatchet at hand, Jax clues us in to the meaning of the episode’s name, “Ablation,” giving us the feeling things in Charming will never be the same again.

Jax leverages from his partnership with Pope to figure out who attacked his family.

There is never a dull moment in the little town of Charming.  Following the horrific car crash Gemma (Katey Sagal) and her grandkids were in last week, young Abel (Ryder Londo) ends up on the operating table as his heart condition comes back to haunt him. “Like this kid hasn’t been through enough shit,” Jax laments. Luckily for Jax, Tara, and the viewers, little Abel is going to be fine. As an aside, let me take this opportunity to thank Kurt Sutter for not dragging out the kids’ storyline. I can deal with adults being murdered but the idea of the Teller children being hurt or killed causes me great anxiety. It was touching to see all the rugged MC men so concerned over the boys, and even Margaret (McNally Sagal), the hospital administrator who disapproved of Tara’s (Maggie Siff) relationship with Jax, has become a surrogate Teller family member.  These details are not to be underestimated, as Sutter uses them beautifully to remind us there’s a bigger end at stake. This story line keeps us rooting for the Tellers and justifies all the bad deeds Jax has done, and from the looks of it, will do.

As Tara handles the crisis involving the children, my appreciation for her returns as she goes into full tigress mode to protect her kids.  What is there not to respect with a woman who loves her husband’s child as if it were her own?  In contrast to Tara, it’s rough to watch Gemma becoming such a train wreck and dealing with the consequences she faces due to her controlling love for her son.  She knows she’s on Jax’s black list and her fear of losing him forever pushes her to make some bad decisions. I find the contrast in advice Clay (Ron Perlman) and Nero (Jimmy Smits) give Gemma about the accident very illuminating.

A fearful Gemma makes a decision that will put her in a difficult situation with Jax and Tara.

Clay works on Juice (Theo Rossi), the weak link of the SAMCRO chain, by pressing him hard with plenty of questions about his discussions with Sheriff Eli Roosevelt (Rockmond Dumbar).  Aren’t double standards just lovely?  Rossi pulls off the scene superbly, particularly by showcasing the despair of how Juice is burdened by his secrets. However, choosing to bare his soul to Clay makes me want to knock Juice out. Why doesn’t he confess to Chibs, who is a much more honorable man and would actually help him out? Clay holds Juice as an unwitting hostage with this exchange of incriminating secrets. I’m really annoyed that Clay is rewarded with the knowledge of the RICO case and Otto’s testimony.

As dumb as Frankie Diamonds (Chuck Zito) looks, he sure was paying attention to Jax’s pitch about the extended ‘mule’ deal with Pope (Harold Perrineau). So when Diamonds’ deal with Clay goes bust, he demands the cash. I was really impressed with how Nero doesn’t hesitate to pony up the necessary money. I haven’t been too sure about him because he seemed too good to be true.  The combination of the compassion Nero shows Gemma, and the value he places on life over money has turned me into a fan of his. Nero is crystal clear about what is at stake in this SAMCRO mess, and Jax’s inability to deliver on the promises he makes. He hits Jax with the truth: “You need to accelerate the end game Jax and get away from all the shit that is trying to kill you.” This is the most dramatic scene in “Ablation” and it’s largely due to the show’s talented writers for fueling the story line with powerful dialogue, but also because of Smits’ strong performance.

Gemma isn’t ready to play nice with Clay but things may be changing soon.

“Ablation” also gives us some wonderful scenes between Jax and Tara, particularly when they show the depth of their love for one another, and how united they are in spite of the challenges they face. When it matters, they press each other for the truth. My favorite moment is their conversation about choices. Hearing Jax ask his wife if she ever regrets coming back to Charming reveals the depth of the burden he carries for dragging her back into the life. It’s quite admirable how both remain fairly collected with everything they’ve endured. The chemistry between Hunnam and Siff is terrific and their interaction, particularly in how they show their physical affection for one another, is very natural.

Hunnam provides a wonderfully balanced and complex portrayal of Jax in “Ablation;” he’s especially convincing when he’s in ruthless mode. Siff, as well, does a phenomenal job of conveying how Tara’s calm and collected nature can change when she snaps over the possibility of her family being in danger. I’m concerned at the rate things are going, her hand is never going to heal.

Although the first 15 minutes of the episode feel like the familiar and predictable route of things going wrong for the club, the action continues to build, delighting me with the events that unfold.  As Jax ruthlessly deals with issues, the ever-growing shocked expressions of his brothers are quite amusing, particularly those coming from tough dudes like Happy (David Labrava) and Tig.  Moreover, the last five minutes of “Ablation” are quite devilish. We can rest assured Jax won’t be easily pushed out of his president’s seat. While I’m delighted Jax finds inspiration in Nero’s words and follows the trail to Diamonds, I see a hole in his plan. I guess we’ll have to wait to find out whether the devil really does have an Achilles’ heel.

Tune in to Sons of Anarchy Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT, only on FX. For more on the show, visit http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/.

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