Powerplays, Secrets and Justice? - Retrospective: Sons of Anarchy – “Los Fantasmas”

Season 6, Episode 8

Air date: Tuesday, October 29, 2013, 10pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

“We’re up against it here. I honestly don’t know if we’re going to make it but he ain’t got a chance without you.” Bobby Munson to Tara Knowles about Jax.

Charming residents wake up to a new development in the Aquino School shooting case plastered all over the front page of the “San Joaquin Tribune: “Byzlats, Sons of Anarchy May Have Supplied Gun to the Shooter’s Mother.” This week’s episode, “Los Fantasmas” (ghosts in Spanish) addresses how Jax (Charlie Hunnam) deals with the fallout from the news, as well as the latest confrontation between Gemma (Katey Sagal) and Tara (Maggie Siff).

Patterson: The Resourceful DA

Facing limited options, District Attorney Tyne Patterson (CCH Pounder) makes a power play to influence the court of public opinion through the media. Soon after, the Byzlats, SAMCRO, Nero Padilla (Jimmy Smits) and Charles Barosky (Peter Weller) feel the heat.

Jax wisely debriefs his men on how to handle the pressure and checks on the Byzlats, who seem fairly vulnerable without Nero. Just as Jax eases up on Fiasco (Ray Gallegos) and puts him on alert regarding the news leak, a man (Hugo Medina) comes out of nowhere and kills one of the Byzlats. As expected, SAMCRO gets dragged into another explosive and unexpected situation – the story of their lives! Patterson learns about the incident and demands that Barosky figure out who killed the one Byzlat under the threat of re-districting Stockton.

Is anyone else concerned about Jax’s obligations to Barosky? When Barosky says with a wink, “Don’t worry about it kid, I’m not going to use it against you…unless I have to.” It got me to thinking about that old adage, “Many a true word is spoken in jest.” I worry about Jax trusting this dirty cop but I also find myself nodding my head in playful disapproval; this is just another example of how Kurt Sutter keeps us guessing!

Unser: An Investigator and Influencer

After Tara’s award caliber performance to fake her miscarriage, I wasn’t sure how long she would keep the charade going with Unser (Dayton Callie). When he questions her, fully knowing the restraining order request gives her a way, Tara gets right to the point: “Do you really want to know?”

The fact that Unser wants to hear the truth and Tara doesn’t hide her plans isn’t surprising. But as I expected, just as he’s about to stick up for Gemma (Katey Sagal), he says something touching that gets to Tara: “It breaks my heart that you have to become something so wrong to do what you thought was right.” I clapped upon hearing Unser’s words, they echo my exact sentiments! Although it’s been a week since “Sweet and Vaded” aired, I am still struggling with Tara’s actions. I don’t like the line she’s crossed but I can see how she felt this was the power play she had to pull off to establish the legal precedent to separate her kids from the club. I feel uneasy at what the future holds up for her and the Teller kids.

Gemma: Some Things Never Change!

As usual, Gemma is one person unwilling to hear truths she doesn’t like while her loyal friend Unser tries to instill some common sense in her. He drives the point home to her about how neither her ultimate agenda nor her control over her family and the boys is healthy.

Unser: “What drives you is bad history. It ain’t real and ain’t what’s best for those boys.”

Gemma: “So what, I just let her destroy my life and take away my family? Is that the payback for all the secrets and hate?”

Given the situation Gemma and the MC are in, she’s thinking about getting HER payback?! Then, when I hear, “I’m just doing what any mother would do,” I’m outraged! So twisting people’s arms and lying to get one’s way is what any mother would do? Really?! Well then, I’m happy to have missed that memo.

I understand Gemma wants to clear her name but at some point, any conscientious person would stop to think about what has led to such an ugly situation in their family. In addition to everything Gemma has gone through, one would think she would be a more sympathetic person but that isn’t the case. It’s sad to see how easy it is for Gemma to be more caring to strangers, like Venus (Walton Goggins), because she has nothing vested in that relationship. But for those who Gemma loves, it’s all about her life not being destroyed and keeping her family together the way she wants, never mind the impact on others or what is best for them.

After a fantastic first few seasons, I’m exasperated at the predictable way Gemma is been written now. I doubt anyone was surprised by Gemma looking for Wendy (Drea de Matteo) and Jax, restraining order and all. Just as it happened to Clay (Ron Perlman), its ironic Gemma feels the sting for a crime not committed. But that’s what you get when you regularly lie or bully others – it’s hard for people to believe when you’re finally telling the truth.

Tara: All About Her Kids

As Ally Lowen (Robin Weigert) points out to Tara, the case they built together will most likely end up denying custody of the boys to Jax or Gemma. She also presses to find out what really happened in the Gemma incident from the day before. Tara shoots her down quite rudely, leaving Lowen with a bad taste in her mouth. This may not be a wise move but it will be interesting to see whether the lawyer upholds the client confidentiality privilege concerning her suspicions about the fake miscarriage.

Tara has a breakdown in the bathroom and for moment, it looks as if she is talking to herself. But hey, as long as she doesn’t answer, we’re out of cuckoo territory!

Jax Gets Emotional Again

Does anyone else notice the stark contrast of Jax’s violent MC business and his normal looking home filled with children’s toys? This is a great visual element for storytelling! The scene also sets the tone for the episode’s ending. It looks like the constant cycle of violence and the idea of having lost a child makes Jax quite emotional.

Chibs (Tommy Flanagan) and Bobby (Mark Boone Jr.) prove they have Jax’s back once again. Bobby is right on the money letting Tara know how Jax needs her to keep things together. Scenes like this worry me; if Tara isn’t around, I think it will lead to Jax unraveling/coming apart at the seams. I digress. I was glad to see Jax prioritizing time at home but he senses his actions may be too late leading to what I consider to be the only honest conversation among the Tellers this season. Jax reaches out to Tara in a heartfelt manner by admitting his doubts about his ability to keep the MC together. It’s interesting how, for the first time in a while, Jax doesn’t bring up the sense of duty he feels to keep the MC going since Opie’s (Ryan Hurst) death. Is Jax’s guilt over Opie’s demise being swallowed by his own sense of despair? The answers Tara gives Jax are interesting and feel way more sincere considering her questionable actions from the day before.

Other Observations

I never pegged Nero for a traitor and I was happy to be right about him.
It’s interesting to see how Eli Roosevelt (Rockmond Dunbar) influences DA Patterson to do the right thing for Nero after the DNA results implicate Lee Toric (Donal Logue) in the murder of the Diosa Norte escort. Due to his interest in “simple justice,” will Roosevelt go after Tara?
Wendy (Drea de Matteo) is in the same rut as Juice (Theo Rossi) once was. When is she going to grow a backbone?
Best use of authoritative tone on this show goes to Patterson! The woman is a master in deflecting negative situations on others. When she says, “You don’t have time to play these games Mr. Padilla,”she really means she doesn’t have the time. Just brilliant!

The ghosts of SAMCRO members and associates’ past hunt them back in this episode. Recurring themes continue to show their importance on the show: secrets, resentments, fatherhood and the fate of children. “Los Fanstasmas” moved a little slow for me and it was less climatic than what I expected given last week’s developments. However, it’s clearly a crucial filler episode as it builds tension into an already pressured situation. I must say the icing on the cake has to be Sutter and crew leaving us with some cruel cliffhangers. What is Gemma going to do next? Have Gemma and Tara’s demands sealed Wendy’s fate and will Jax find out he might be sleeping with the enemy? Whatever Tara’s answer will be to Jax’s very important question will be fundamental in driving the storylines for the rest of the season. As a reminder, there are only five more episodes left!

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

For more on the show, go to http://www.fxnetworks.com/soa and http://www.sutterink.com/.

To check out Kurt Sutter’s Sons of Anarchy video channel on YouTube, go to http://www.youtube.com/sutterinksoa.

Follow @sonsofanarchy, @sutterink, and @FXNetworks and tweet using the hashtag #SOAFX.

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Soaker of life. I like to experience things and see the world. I consider myself a professional traveler. My love for movies and television goes way back but I'm a sucker for action-oriented films and shows. Oh, and I make excellent martinis! Follow me on twitter @LutzElle.