Retrospective: Sons of Anarchy – S5, E10, “Cruxified”
Air date: Monday, November 13, at 10pm ET/PT on FX
Rating:
Memories of Opie’s (Ryan Hurst) death won’t go away as Jax (Charlie Hunnam) presses forward with his plans. The topic of making choices takes center stage again in “Cruxified” and given how high the stakes are with SAMCRO and the criminal organizations they work with, the decisions each member of the MC makes will have even more grave repercussions. Things get more complicated when Jax’s personal agenda doesn’t coincide with what is best for the club.
Choices, Choices….
To those affiliated with SAMCRO, the price for making bad choices continues to rise. Armed with a new-found determination, Jax limits the choices of the weakened like Jacob Hale (Jeff Kober) and Juice (Theo Rossi). However, the manner in which Jax has hardened, it is most evident in how he bosses his mother Gemma (Katey Sagal) around. It is quite interesting to hear Clay (Ron Perlman) lament aloud about “chasing after shit you don’t want anymore.” Call me a sucker, but for a change, I sensed sincerity in his voice. This statement in conjunction with Clay’s displeasure about his conversation with Romeo (Danny Trejo) and Luis (Benito Martinez) from the Galindo Cartel left me scratching my head at what lies ahead for Clay.
Jax tosses away what Bobby calls “two decades of brotherhood” with The Grimm Bastards.
Cranking Up the Pressure Dial
Killing off Opie’s inmate murderer, Hightower (Winston James Frances), will cost Jax and SAMCRO a loyal backer –The Grimm Bastards. The leader of GB, T.O. Cross (Michael Bleach) is not only related to Hightower but has a strong friendship with Clay. Tossing away what Bobby calls “two decades of brotherhood” could have some serious consequences for the MC but especially for Jax. As these conflicts surface, the all-knowing Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau) turns the tables on Jax who is now expected to hand Tig (Kim Coates) over and soon.
The Charming Women are Falling Apart.
Seeing Gemma break down crying is a sign that the former Queen-Bee is feeling lost in addition to “tired and hated.” But as least Gemma knows when it’s time to reach out for help. Tara (Maggie Siff), on the contrary, wants to handle everything on her own and in spite of her façade of stability, she’s slowly falling apart. Who causes their child to cry in the middle of the night just to feel needed?
Then, as confident and determined as Tara is, Otto (Kurt Sutter) shows her she is a novice when it comes to SAMCRO. Her naiveté is fully exposed when she expects Otto to simply comply after their creepy bonding session from a day earlier. Everybody knows Otto is a dejected individual who will not go down without a fight. Tara may be smart enough to be doctor but lacks the street smarts to realize Otto would have an ace up his sleeve. It must be rough to be regularly outsmarted by the wicked. Then, seeing Tara smoking pot, looking defeated and worried about her future, I felt pity for her despite putting herself in this predicament. Once Tara is under investigation, possibly losing her job, I foresee Wendy (Drea De Matteo) popping up to make things really interesting.
“I see an end,” Jax tells Bobby and Chibs regarding the turmoil SAMCRO has been enduring.
Jax claims he sees an end but fails to elaborate with anyone what that is. However, I’m nervous that no one around him asks him what his actual plan is when their lives are all at stake. Of course, this is a secret Sutter will keep close to his heart for as long as possible, just like Otto held on to that crucifix. Keeping the mystery going is as intriguing as the secret of how John Teller died. Regardless, Jax is making moves that remind me of a chess game in which he’s trying to control the board. Extremely concerning is the fact Jax has Mr. Mayhem hovering over the heads of half of what is left of SAMCRO: Clay, Juice and Tig. Luckily for him, none of these men are talking to one another but if they did, what would they do?
Some note-worthy quick hits:
- “I got this” – Sutter and crew won’t allow us to forget the gentle giant demise as Opie’s famous last words continue to be echo in each episode.
- Did anyone notice that Thomas’ crying didn’t match his relaxed body language? I got a few chuckles out of that.
- Clay’s gun in the safety deposit box – I don’t recall seeing this gun before but with how long the camera focuses on it, you can bet that gun is either going to be used or has been involved in someone’s death.
- Juicy Boy isn’t the smartest tool in the box – bless his enormous heart but he will fail miserably in any undercover operations exercise… even in a kid’s camp.
- I’m dying to see the reaction from Margaret (McNally Sagal) when the Stockton investigation goes down heavy on her protégée. I hope she doesn’t stop being helpful to Tara because that’s when she could really use some support.
- The way Charlie Hunnam is embracing the dark side of Jax is noteworthy of his remarkable acting.
- Flanagan should be very pleased. Not only is Chibs getting a significant amount of camera time but he’s also been able to showcase his acting chops.
- If Games of Thrones’ slogan is “Winter is Coming,” Sons should be “Blood is Coming.” I don’t anticipate the body count to let up until this season’s finale
Chibs’ story lines have been greatly expanded this season as his loyalty to Jax is showcased.
Bottom Line: Do We Really Have a Choice?
Ultimately, the ongoing exploration of making decisions as a theme appears to be more about the illusion of having a choice and managing the consequences of one’s actions. Jax intuitively knows this because, interestingly enough, he’s flip-flopped on the whole “we all have choices to make” mantra – like when he tells Chibs at Church he didn’t have a choice on dealing with the Galindo cartel and the RICO case. Jax’s position becomes even clearer during his conversation with Eli (Rockmond Dunbar) about crossing lines and in pointing out to the Sheriff, that based on experience, once you do, it’s really about being on the other side of the line.
There is much to be said about how Jax willingly goes against Bobby to avenge Opie and the look in Jax’s eyes as Pope walks away from him after their Tig/Charming Heights conversation. It’s almost as we could see something dark brewing within those blue eyes. Ever since Opie’s death, darkness stays close to Jax and now it’s a question of how much will this darkness consume him?
Jax is determined to shape his own destiny and he appears to be willing to take it to the extreme even if it means going against everyone in his world. Has he really considered what he may have to do if he loses those loyal to him or if someone goes after Tara and the kids?
So much happens in “Cruxified” that it makes it hard to digest the action. I enjoyed the action but I can’t say I like where things are heading because I’m dreading the bloodshed that is to come. However, the actual storylines have me captivated because I want to see this this game-changer scenario play out. I can almost imagine Sutter rubbing his hands at the chaos he’s about to unleash as we gear up for the season finale. As episode ends, I remain concerned for the young Teller boys because in this game of chess Jax is playing, he and Tara are now in a precarious situation. It appears that in his effort to check-mate Clay, Jax has forgotten that he is already king.
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/.
Follow the show on Twitter @sonsofanarchy, using the hashtag #SOAFX.
Photos © 2012 FX Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
elleL
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