Season 6, Episode 5

Air date: Tuesday, October 8, 2013, 10pm ET/PT on FX.

Rating: ★★★★★

“We need to find to find a bad guy lieutenant, someone, some crew has got take blame for the murder of these four children.” – Tyne Patterson

In the outlaw world, the next logical step after settling a score is escalation.  With the Irish upset at Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and SAMCRO for refusing to continue with the gun running business, will Jax’s attempts to break away work out or will it make things worse?

Tommy Flanagan voices this week’s “Previously on Sons of Anarchy” voice over and I knew it had to be for a reason! The way his character, Chibs, confronts Jax is fabuloso!  Its undeniable Jax is working hard to save the club but the reality is he can’t do it alone. For his sake and the MC, I hope he listens to his VP. Chibs is right. It’s not Jax’s club and having multiple perspectives to solve a problem is better, especially when the effort may require various resources. However, that is easier said than done especially for a person who is the keeper secrets.

Tension grows between Chibs (Flanagan) as Jax tried to broker a peaceful resolution to their IRA problem.

Jax’s plans to deal with the Irish consist of tracking down Gaalan (Timothy V. Murphy) and Connor Malone (Scott Anderson) to use them as leverage. The MC’s surveillance of the IRA members provides an interesting glimpse at how off the grid these dudes operate and as a result, we’re treated to a cool action scene in which Jax’s determination to get the issue settled is unquestionable.

Then, we finally get to see the IRA Kings and I must admit they were a bit of a disappointment!  I had built them up in my head as these Irish bad asses but instead, they look like AARP spokespeople.  But that is the point of it, isn’t it? They need anonymity to stay off the grid. When they tell Jax they need to consult with others and will give him an answer specifically at 8pm (which would be 3 or 4am in Ireland!) something smelled foul.  The IRA is considering negotiating, really?  It was interesting to see the Kings were three old men but are they wise men too?  I wasn’t surprised to see them bearing gifts for SAMCRO but they didn’t need to follow a star this time, they just followed the booze trail. How simple it must have been for them to plant that bomb!

Judging by how much stock the Kings put into what Gaalan says in spite of allegations of side deals, you can tell they’re all about the cause. I find myself nodding my head sideways whenever each of them appear on screen. Their arrogance in disregarding the life of others who may or may not be in the way is off the charts. As a result, I’m curious to see what will happen when they have to deal with a man with everything to lose and everything to gain –yes, I’m thinking about Clay (and hold that thought for a minute).

Nero (Smits) find himself in deeper trouble thanks to his business association to SAMCRO.

As Jax deals with Irish conflict, the San Joaquin County District Attorney Tyne Patterson (CCH Pounder) closes in and she wants heads to roll—preferably SAMCRO’s—and served up on a platter.  It appears to me Patterson puts Sheriff Eli Roosevelt (Rockmond Dunbar) in an interesting predicament. Does this mean Roosevelt evolved in regards to his views of the MC?  He seems to struggle in determining who the real bad guys are in this complex post-school shooting mess, and things get even more complicated: a huge explosion occurs as he’s about to arrest Nero!  Will this new blow to Jax detract Roosevelt’s loyalties from Patterson and her political demands?

Jax’s quick thinking saves the day again but what would happen on an off day? Does the IRA have more in store? Will he be able to save his kids? My guess is the IRA is ready and eager to wipe out SAMCRO so Jackson better get his shit together. He shows a significant amount of naiveté in thinking he can negotiate with the IRA including throwing August Marks (Billy Brown) into the mix. Instead of holding hands with Colette, what he needs to do is to consult more with his crew.

After the big bang, if Tara (Maggie Siff) isn’t running for the hills, I’ll slap her myself. It’s an all-out war now with the IRA and they don’t care about collateral damage. Speaking of Tara, the way she stays focused on her plan without panicking while Wendy (Drea de Matteo) freaks out is amazing!  No wonder Jax preferred Tara over Wendy; the doctor is the stronger and most determined of the two. Although, I like Wendy, and her decision to help Tara is selfless, I was disappointed at how she allowed Gemma (Katey Sagal) to affect her. And that Gemma!  The nerve she has to tell Wendy she thought she was perfect for Jax back in the day?  *Barfs*  As usual, it’s always about her: what Gemma wants and how she wants it –all under the guise of protecting her family. As much as I love Sagal as an actress and  think she does a fabulous job portraying Gemma, the way her character operates disgusts me. When bad stuff happens to Gemma, like when she has to deal with the perverted guards during the conjugal visit, it’s really hard for me to feel bad for her. I think she’s going to be losing what she treasures most soon but at least she might have done something good in this episode: she may have given Clay a reason to live and fight.

Last but not least, by the end of the epi, I wasn’t sure who is supposed to be the Mad King because it could be the IRA ring leader, Gaalan or Jax in my opinion. Perhaps that is the point—there is a little bit of madness in everyone. Judging by this episode and how it sets the tone for the remainder of the season, it looks like the real drama is about to begin. I can’t wait!

“Mad King” is clearly another transitional episode building up to the next crescendo in this saga, which, according to my interviews with Paris Barclay during Comic-Con and the show’s premiere, is expected to be episode seven!  If I was Jax, I would be reaching out to Clay to go to Ireland and complete his poenitencia by taking down the Kings and Gaalan. It would be his chance to restore his honor, maybe gain back his family even. It’s a risky idea but wouldn’t it make for fabulous drama?

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