Review:  Sons of Anarchy, S5 E4 – “Stolen Huffy”

Air date: Tuesday, October 2, 10pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

Sons of Anarchy’s season five hadn’t reached its midpoint when series creator Kurt Sutter decided to ship off a leading character. The SAMCRO members are in turmoil as a consequence of losing Opie (Ryan Hurst), and Sutter doesn’t waste time cranking up the emotional dial further. Starting with this week’s episode, it looks like the Charming folks won’t forget about Opie’s death any time soon.

Jax makes Nero an offer that comes with a catch. CR: Prashant Gupta/FX

Hearing Hurst’s voiceover, “Previously on Sons of Anarchy,” I felt a cold chill running up my spine but I didn’t have the opportunity to dwell on this. Immediately, we’re transported to a sunny day in Charming as Jax (Charlie Hunnam), Tig (Kim Coates), Chibs (Tommy Flanagan), and Bobby (Mark Boone Jr.) ride as if they’re free like the wind. The scene seems reminiscent of the very first opening sequence of season one, and makes me forget about last week’s tragic events—until two boys riding their bikes capture Jax’s attention. I wonder whether they remind him of happier childhood times with Opie. The scene’s metaphoric elements are beautiful, yet I feel somewhat manipulated by them. At that moment, I have a good guess of where this is going, and I’m positive we’ll circle back to this before the episode ends.

Tara (Maggie Siff), along with sons Thomas (actor uncredited) and Abel (actor uncredited), welcome Jax home, a moment Jax badly needed after being incarcerated. The way the newlyweds look at each other… just wow! It was like they were pouring their feelings out for each other through their eyes, highlighting the great chemistry between Hunnam and Siff. These quiet, but meaningful, moments are what a violent show like Sons needs to keep viewers invested in the characters. As the Teller family shares a loving moment, Piney’s (William Lucking) bike – which had been left there by Opie – stands in the background as a reminder of the blood toll instigated by Clay (Ron Perlman).

Did Emma Jean (Ashley Tisdale) tip off the police about Nero’s business or was it someone else?

While the others are fresh out of county jail, an unhappy Nero (Jimmy Smits) learns he’s out of the hooker business after receiving an eviction notice following the police raid. He then hints not so subtly to Jax how to return his favors, something   I’ll be anxiously waiting to see accomplished. (Hint: it involves a thumb and small boob.)

The conflicts among the female characters reach a boiling point, and how they handle their personal differences is a fascinating dynamic. While Wendy (Drea DeMatteo) and Tara have a semi-friendly conversation, the bad blood already brewing between Carla (Wanda De Jesus) and Gemma explodes. I’m annoyed at Tara for allowing Gemma to play her; she should know better than to believe anything Gemma claims. Not surprisingly, Gemma allows Carla to out-maneuver her so Tara ends up doing Gemma’s dirty work for her. And with a garage filled with potential weapons, must Tara use her cast as a weapon? I get Tara had a rough day but when dealing with a pro like Gemma, her guard should always be up.

Gemma could learn a thing or two from Wendy especially regarding the old adage about karma: what goes around comes around. Although Jax is unaware of most things his mother has done to Tara, he’s been relentless in putting Gemma in her place, which makes me happy. Although I’ve been a Gemma fan throughout the series, I’ve lost a lot of respect for her ever since she vindictively sold Tara out to Wendy. Doesn’t she realize getting her way could hurt her grandkids?

The time has come for Jax and SAMCRO to reciprocate Nero’s favors.

As bad as Gemma has been, the Scumbag of the Year award goes to Clay. He conveniently uses the passive tense when talking about Opie’s passing, or whenever he wants to steer guilt or responsibility away from himself. I couldn’t avoid noticing what a deep contrast there is between Unser’s (Dayton Callie) reaction to Opie’s death and Clay’s. Speaking of reactions to Opie’s death, Gemma’s breakdown didn’t make me feel sorry for her, a fact that is reflective of Sagal’s amazing acting abilities. Wendy said it best: Gemma is running out of friends. That’s what happens to people who repeatedly step on others to get what they want.

Seeing a devastated Lyla (Winter Ave Zoli) on screen was my signal to grab a tissue box. What a great example of leadership Jax shows with her. But Jax is a born leader as we see when he presents Nero a business partnership that is tied to a condition that will make Gemma unhappy. Way to inherit those family genes, Jax. Not only did Jax get his mom’s shrewdness, he has obviously inherited John Teller’s sense of humanity and ability to see the big picture.

Seeing Jax on the clubhouse roof unable to write was touching. He holds a photograph of Opie and him as young, happy children posing on their bicycles. The image made me sad because I think it captures how carefree and innocent Jax and Opie used to be. As Jax readies himself to face a packed clubhouse for Opie’s wake, I applaud the technical choice of having the camera invite us to share the journey with him; it made me feel I was right there with him. If anyone has ever doubted Hunnam’s acting talents, be ready to be proven wrong because he carries the weight of the deeply moving and complex final scenes in terms of tone and character dynamics. The expression on Hunnam’s face reveals the depth of the pain and guilt Jax is feeling from being unable to prevent Opie’s death. How endless that walk from hallway to casket must have been for him.  As Bobby joins him, I’m relieved. Bobby has been a character used mostly for comedic relief but now he emerges from the background to offer Jax a solid support system—as does Chibs.

Following a heart-wrenching wake, Jax’s pent-up anger and resentment surface when he slams the funeral car door. Hunnam’s piercing (and may I say, brilliant) expression as the camera fades to black speaks volumes about what his character feels: Jax has had enough of ‘the life.’ It’s safe to say the Prince of Charming is about to make his run for 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 courtesy of Prashant Gupta / © 2012 FX Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Check out the video interviews from SOA S5 Red Carpet.