Sons of Anarchy, Season 6, Episode 1

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

Rating: ★★★★★

A much darker Sons of Anarchy returns with an intense episode filled with gunfire, sex, suspicions, guilt, and hopes of revenge, all wrapped in controversy.  Last season, Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) became SAMCRO’s savior. This season, with so much unraveling around him, keeping the MC and his family together seems like a bigger challenge.

“Straw” opens with Daddy Jax time – a touching family moment –but from then on, conflicts unravel left and right at a speed we haven’t previously seen. Here is my take on the top issues Jax and the MC are facing:

We find out Lee Toric (Donal Logue) has an Achilles heel.

Lee Toric

Toric (Donal Logue), a self-confessed proud husband of three wives, has figured out Jax’s power play against Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau). Logue is magnificent as SAMCRO’s antagonist and stands out as the most determined enemy the MC has ever faced.  Finding out Toric has an Achilles’ heel is extremely rewarding too!

August Maks

As Jax schemes with Maks (Billy Brown) about how to get rid of Clay (Ron Perlman), Maks throws him a curveball —SAMCRO still owes Tig (Kim Coates) to the Pope organization.  The announcement catches Jax by surprise and based on Maks’ commitment to make things right for Pope and his family, Jax better be thinking on his feet as to what he’s going to do about Tig’s fate.

The Persians

Perpetual damsel in distress Lyla Winston (Winter Ave Zoli) needs to be saved yet again. Ugh! This time it’s from Persians – wait, my bad! – I meant to say Iranian pornographers.

Jax makes a lot of quick decisions in “Straw” that may come back to bite him later.

I feel awful for saying this because Zoli is a sweetheart in real life but this has to be the most annoying storyline in “Straw.” It’s another bullshit situation Jax has to contend with and it gets worse when a zombie-looking Lyla lays a thick dose of guilt on Jax:  “I want Opie!” As she wails, she repeats it again!  After I finished screaming at my TV, I realized the pity party carries on: “I need money, I got three kids now.” Next, Lyla makes it clear she doesn’t take charity. Really?!

As I rationalize why this scene bothers me so much, my dislike comes from knowing it throws Jax into a deeper hole but what bugs me the most is how the conflict feels contrived. Didn’t Opie leave Lyla with $20,000 before going to prison? I know this is TV time, so it’s only been like a couple of months. Are we to assume she burned through the cash already? Are Charming babysitters overcharging this poor woman or does she have an addiction we’re not aware of? Seeing Ima (Kristen Renton) driving a Benz, one has to wonder. I digress but this just shows my dislike for this storyline. Moreover, I don’t like the decisions Jax makes as a result of settling this score but I pity how he’s always stuck having to save random women. I wonder if this is why he keeps on going back to Tara (Maggie Siff). In spite of Tara’s stubbornness and personality flaws, wrong or right, at least she attempts to deal with problems on her own.

The School Shooting

Everyone will have an opinion about the religious, societal, and political implications of this storyline so I’m going to focus on this from a production standpoint. I want to bring attention to what it means to the at-large storylines.

For starters, the way Sutter and his team set up the entire sequence is brilliantly executed. The horror unfolds in careful, deliberate layers with profound elements that create parallels between the boy dressed in school clothes (Tate Berney) and Jax. Physically, the boy looks like Teller and his writing mirrors Jax’s journaling. The Hunnam voice-over connects the two characters:

“I feel like my life has taken a turn. I’m heading down a road I never been down before. Nothing is familiar; the signs don’t make sense.  Do I get off the road or do I keep riding? Do I go alone or take others with me? Who do I trust for the journey?”

Somehow, these words leave me with a sense of sadness, wondering how much of the journey Jax and the boy share? The story arcs clearly question the impact a family environment may have on children and in this case, it begs the following questions: Did Jax have the chance to be different? Will Abel and Thomas have a chance to be different? Although we’re not provided answers, and in spite of the overwhelming emotions the episode elicits, I urge you to not lose sight of the brilliance in the storytelling of the scene. Kudos to Kurt Sutter for not playing safe and daring to push the envelope on television!

Chibs has been promoted to SAMCRO’s VP.

Jax’s journaling continues to be a key storytelling element and it looks as if it’s steadily laying out the foundation of where the story is going.  But with each journal entry Jax makes, it feels closer to a goodbye. Case and point:

“The only advice I can give you sons is to examine who you are as men. Figure out what is important to you; know yourselves, know what’s in your heart. Don’t be swayed by fear or history or the opinions of outsiders. Find your own truth; it will lead you to things you love.”

His words could be a warning about what is to come and I hope Jax puts his own advice to good use. With so many balls in the air, Jax should be more mindful of how his quick decision-making impacts his inner circle, especially people like Nero (Jimmy Smits), Chibs (Tommy Flanagan), and his wife Tara.

Speaking of Tara, I now understand better what Siff referred to during her Comic Con interviews about the sense of alienation that exists between her character and Jax. I foresee Jax’s turmoil increasing if he perceives Tara is pushing him away. This is concerning because without her around to ground him, it seems he’s falling apart in the inside. It should be noted that prison time has afforded Tara time to think; especially about how she’s grown stronger, gaining a sense of clarity and resignation. However, I think it’s suspicious that she’s taking things in such a calm manner.

Observations

• While Clay has been diminished to “our other inmate,” Sutter always brings it when characterizing Otto (himself), who makes yet another dramatic appearance when Toric makes good on his promise to make the rest of Otto’s life a living hell.
• Nero proves useful to Jax once again by helping smooth things over with Charles Barosky (Peter Weller), an ex-cop who runs the Stockton docks. I suspect Barosky and Madame Colette’s (Kim Dickens) escort business expansion will bring unnecessary trouble for Jax. Collete and Barosky seem to have a close on-going relationship.
• Bobby’s (Mark Boone Jr.) beef with Jax isn’t going away anytime soon and he’ll do anything he can to reinstate the Nomad chapter.

• Chibs will have to balance his fierce loyalty to Jax and his new role as club VP, which requires him to ensure the Club’s best interests are preserved.
• My heart goes out to Juice (Theo Rossi), who must now show atonement for his past mistakes. I fear Jax and Chibs will be testing him to the limit.

Kim Dickens plays Colette, a fairly seasoned Madame, who gets close to Jax.

• Does anyone else think Wendy’s (Drea de Matteo) continued presence is rather interesting?  Her confession to Gemma (Katey Sagal) about how she missed the life has red herring written all over to me. We’ll have to wait this one out to see what the deal is.
• In spite of committing acts of violence against women, it’s ironic how this has become an intensely personal issue to Tig.  We all know how volatile he gets when he becomes frazzled and emotional, and it’s unfortunate that Jax overlooks this chronic behavior.
• I feel for the adorable Kristen Renton. Her character, Ima, has become an over-used cliché as everybody takes frustration out on her.
• Expect Isolation to be one of the key central themes this season.

On My Wish List

• An Eli Roosevelt (Rockmond Dunbar) vs. Toric showdown! Charming’s sheriff is a stickler for rules and a crusader against bad guys. I’m sure he’ll have Toric profiled in seconds and once he finds out the former marshal is protecting Clay, I’m hoping for major fireworks.
• Tara to make her power play on Jax and Gemma. Don’t be hateful over my wish; if you think about it, it makes for amazing drama, which is what this show is all about.

With all the characters having so much at stake, lines have been drawn and sides have been taken in ways we haven’t seen before in Sons of Anarchy. For those hoping for the fairy tale here, season six is going to get pretty bumpy for you. As it stands, “Straw” appears to be building up to the moment where Jax puts a final stake in the ground, defining where his loyalties will ultimately lie.

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

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