Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Sons of Anarchy: Season 4 Episode 12 - Burnt and Purged Away (quick thoughts)


Well don't get used to this folks!  But, I just happened to have the day off and felt the need to post a separate post on the latest Sons of Anarchy episode, setting up the 2-Part Season Finale!  Because, man was it intense!  Every episode this season has been intense and each one more intense than the one before.  Some serious stuff is going down at SAMCRO and we need to discuss them and how this potentially changes the future of the show.  I wouldn't necessarily call this a "RECAP" per say but just continuing my weekly thoughts on the show that usually end up in the comments sections of other posts.  So let's get into the highlights of this episode.

I'm just going to bullet out my random thoughts from the episode:

  • Oh Otto, what have you done?!!?!   Watching Kurt Sutter sign those papers confessing to various crimes done in conjunction with SAMCRO was just horrifying.  Bobby had come to clear the air, but it was too late!  And now Kurt is about to write off his own character since part of Otto's deal was to move up his execution date. 
  • And now Bobby's in jail?  Is it only Bobby?  Surely, Otto didn't just implicate him, right?  But it could be interesting having Bobby play the role of Otto in prison next season which seems to be what was set up.   
  • And then Juice stuck to his word ratting out the Cartel deal as part of the RICO investigation.  Roosevelt didn't seem too thrilled that Juice did that either, so maybe he'll have a say in this before all is said and done.  But, things aren't looking too good for Juice if he gets caught!  
  • As I always admit, I can't keep all of the MC Club business straight with who's involved with what in this Cartel/Weapons deal.  But, I could tell that the Irish are helping get SAMCRO out of the drug business after a couple more deals.  But what about all of this Baby Factory business?  What was the point of that?  I guess, the Irish asked for a favor with some MC muscle and they obliged.  But once Jax saw a badly treated girl and dozens of babies upstairs, the fists came flying!  Of course, Clay set things straight by having telling the Irish some choice words about Jax.  Of course, I did suspect that Clay saying something to the effect of "what would you do without me here to solve these issues?" was some kind of foreshadowing of what would be coming by the end of the episode. 
  • Jax seems pretty firm on leaving SAMCRO for the safety of his family and he explained that Bobby would become president with Chibs as VP.  Yeah, that ain't happening now with Bobby locked up!  Oh boy.   And of course Jax was dealing with the whole Abel and Wendy issue this episode too.  He pretty much set Wendy and Gemma straight about his and Tara's plans.  Something tells me things won't work that smoothly for him!
  • And then there's the whole "whacking Tara" scenario that Clay hasn't fully resolved.  The cartel still wants to take care of it once Tara leaves the hospital.  So once we found out that Jax appointed Prospect to take Tara home, I got worried!  And I guess we'll see if anything happens next episode. But how about the Clay/Tara scene right before all of that?  Was it me or was Clay looking for a lock on that hospital door?  Yikes.  Anyway, it turns out all he wants is the letters which alerted Tara that Gemma told Clay about them.  Lots of stuff being exposed here to everyone EXCEPT Jax.  It was unclear what Tara planned to do about the letters, but surely Jax will get his hands on them before the season's end, right? 
  • And of course, clueless Jax got a call from Opie and met up with him only to find Piney getting cremated.  Opie, of course, thinks that Jax knew all about it and pulled a gun on him.  Very intense scene between the two of them.  And once we saw Ope shoot Jax's tire, we knew exactly where he was headed (if we didn't already).  Clay had already been tipped off by Gemma who pieced together a conversation with Opie, information from the Prospect and Unser's confession.  Of course Clay was hoping for a little backup from Tig, but he continued to show no interest in helping him.  He was very interested in that massage though!  Love how when he was blurted out the status of where everyone is he ended with "Kozik and Miles are dead."  
  • So anyway, Jax looked like he was playing Grand Theft Auto as he went from Hearse to knocking someone off of his motorcycle to try and keep up with Opie.  But Opie had already found his way to the club house and outsmarted armed Clay in the club room.  Clay tried to outsmart Opie with the whole "misinformation" angle, but Opie had enough games.  He has lost his wife and his father because of Clay and he wants his vengeance.  Jax showed up at the opportune time and threw a gun on Ope begging him not to make him shoot.  But Ope's resolve was clear.  He fired 2 shots at Clay, and Jax did nothing.  Cut to logo.
WHEW, intense episode!  I think anyone who is a TV Show "Gun Shot" expert knows that Clay was not shot in any places that will make his situation permanent.  It looked like a gut shot that could have missed some key organs and a shot to the right side of his chest steering clear of his heart.  So, no Bon Jovi songs to sing just yet.  But, what it does set up is a finale where Clay will be bleeding out and lots of truths to be exposed.  I read an interview with Ryan Hurst (Opie) yesterday and he admitted that they always up their game for the finales, and this one is the most intense yet (all credit going to Kurt Sutter).   I can't even imagine what's coming but it's sure to be intense!    

Surely, SOMEONE or multiple someones are going to bite it in these final episodes, right?  So any guesses on who they'll be?  It would seem like Otto, Juice and Unser are prime candidates.  And obviously, we have to consider Clay due to his current situation, but I still just can't see them writing him off the show in season 4 of a planned 7.   That would be 3 seasons without him.  I could see ONE season without him.  But, I trust Kurt Sutter and his vision.  What a great show and I'm thankful to all of you LOST Addicts and TV Addicts blog readers who pestered me to catch up on it.  So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, maybe that's a little bit of the reason why I was inspired to write up this separate SOA posting.  I'll try to keep it up for the final 2 episodes of the season, but I can't promise I will.  If not, the comments sections of any other postings will serve just fine to continue our discussions! 

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings, hope to hear yours and have a Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! 

6 comments:

Kelly said...

YAY! A Thanksgiving present! Glad you listened to us and watched the show! This has been an amazing season. When you think of the timeline of mose shows, 4 seasons in they usually start to get stale. But man o man, SOA just keeps 'em coming!
I love Opie. I love Ryan Hurst's portrayal of Opie. They really suck you in and make you forget that it's not really happening in front of your eyes! I'm glad he shot Clay, but yeah- I don't think Clay's gonna die. Not yet, at least. I think the question on everyone's mind is, "Will Kurt Sutter have the hootzpah to kill Clay off so soon?" That uncertainty alone is part of what makes him an amazing storyteller.
I don't understand Gemma seeming to be all backtracky about killing Clay. Did she want it done her way and her way alone? Or did she change her mind completely? I was confused about that. And the baby thing was confusing, too.. What was the point of that?
Poor Juicy.. I can't see how he's going to get out of this one. And WTF OTTO?!? I can understand- Ottos went in for 5 years and all the stuff he did for the club got him a death sentence. And then Luann was murdered, so I guess it's time for some payback. Seems like everyone's either questioning the club or ratting out on the club. Bad time to be in SAMCRO!
Thanks for the link to that Ryan Hurst interview, I saw it in the Terra Nova post and read it before :) Seems like from how he was talking, Opie's gonna live through this season? Maybe? Seriously, he'd better live because I love him!!
So in terms of the "who's gonna die?" question, I'd love for it to be Clay. I trust Kurt Sutter, and if he can justify his storytelling in the next 3 years by killing Clay, then I'd love to see him do it! But other than that, I DO NOT want him to kill off Opie, Tig, Chibs, Bobby, Tara, or Gemma. Just keep those 6 on forever and I'll be fine with that! Oh, and Jax I guess, but we all know he'll make it through to the end.
BTW, my word verification is "UNTER".. lol, just one word away from "UNSER"!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING MIKE! AND TO EVERYONE ELSE OUT THERE IN TV ADDICT LAND!!

Kelly said...

oops- mose=most (4th line in my last comment).. and word=letter (third line from bottom).. I forgot to proofread before I posted!

Mike V. said...

@Kelly - I usually don't even proofread my blog posts so you're fine! lol

Yeah it's so crazy with Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy, I caught up on both shows in time for their most recent seasons (well BB I caught up last summer lol) and they were fabulous but it seems like the season 4 of both shows was even better than what had come before. You usually don't see that. Good stuff.

If there's anyone who I think WOULD kill someone as prominent a character as Clay off, I think it would be Kurt Sutter. He has a story he wants to tell and maybe it's logical to kill Clay off at this point. But bringing TV Politics into the game of what "USUALLY" happens...the "MAIN" main characters (as in the figureheads of the show) are usually untouchable until the final season. No one really thought Jack, Kate, Hurley or Sawyer were going to bite it before the final season...and even then only one did (well technically they all did, but that's besides the point lol) Now Game of Thrones is an exception to the rule because book paved the way. I'm rambling off on a tangent now. I just don't know if Kurt is ready to say goodbye to Clay. Then again...how much more can Clay do as the leader of the Sons? He wanted to retire, his arthritis is rendering him mostly useless. I dunno. Guess we'll find out soon enough!

Gemma's motives are quite confusing right now. I look at it like this...She got the SH## beat out of her by Clay and her immediate thought was vengeance. But, now she's thought it over and it's not quite that easy. She's trying to protect "this thing" that she's been building for 20 years ...whatever that means. She's referring to the club, but what was her involvement? Was Clay right? Did he kill JT based on Gemma's conniving ways? It wouldn't surprise me.

Yeah Juice....I just don't see how he gets out of this. But I hope he does!

I get Otto's motivation, it was just rough to see it play out!

Oh yeah...I don't think Opie is in any danger right now. His friendship with Jax is a core part of the show. As is Jax and Clay's relationship. But I don't think Opie is in any danger this season. Of course, just when you think that....that's when things get nuts! lol

I agree with your characters that I'd love to see live on. I kind of like everyone from season 1. There are some newb characters that I could see getting taken out...(like the final remaining prospect guy) And you know what? I went on a rant before on how they didn't kill many main characters from the first season, but they did kill off the first prospect before this season. Forgot about him! (Half Sack, right?) Yeah, Jax will definitely be there until the final season, no doubt. I think Tara is safe too as it's Jax's motivation to either change the club or get out of the club. I guess if they really want to change gears for the show, then killing off Clay would do that. And like you said, I trust Sutter's vision. I just don't think it's going to happen yet. lol We'll see!

Happy TG to you as well and thanks for the comments!

MJ said...

OMG ! I know we did not get to talk about last weeks much since you were behind Mike - but WOW.

I too feel that they can't kill Clay.

I think the crux of the matter - and the hint below confirms it a bit - that Jax has no freakin clue about anything. And I think the finale will be in large part jax finding out - about the letters, about Gemma and Clay killing his dad - and about who really did it. I keep remember Clay's comment to Gemma right as the hitting started that it was HER who killed JT.

I'd love to know what Bobby was going to tell Otto since he'd already told Otto that he'd killed the guy who killed louanne - sow as he going to admit that he'd lied ?? Doesn't matter I suppose.

Was Juice in the very next cell from bobby ?

I have been careful not to read spoilers for the 2 part finale - but here is a tidbit that is hinty ! So don't reead if you don't want a hint from TV Guide.




For the grown-ups, FX offers the riveting first half of Sons of Anarchy's season finale (10/9c), so overstuffed with intense incident that the network deemed it fitting to give Kurt Sutter a second full episode to tie things up next week. (A no-brainer, actually, considering how well the show is doing in its finest season to date.) We pick up in the immediate aftermath of last week's violent finale, in which an enraged Opie plugs the irredeemable Clay several times in the chest for the murder of his father Piney among countless other sins. As the club goes into clean-up and cover-up mode, lies lead to disinformation that leads to more mayhem with potentially serious blowback. "I know how dangerous secrets can be, and it's time we all knew the truth," says ferocious Mama Bear Gemma (Katey Sagal), who makes some surprising moves to secure her place in the club and family hierarchy. "Things are in motion," she says. When hasn't that been the case this season?

Mike V. said...

MJ - I was NEVER behind on SOA! Not since the first episode this season at least. :-) My wife and I drove 15 hours to get home 2 weeks ago and went right to the TV, plopped down and watched SOA as it was airing! lol I also posted my SOA thoughts in the "catch up" blog the day after the ep aired! lol AHS, I fell behind on but caught up last week!

Yep....those are the things I'm thinking are going to come up too. Jax needs to find out, and we're going to find out that Gemma was the main force behind JT's killing. Should be exciting! I'm hearing nothing but great things about the 2 part finale.

I think Bobby was going to come clean and say that he didn't originally, but now it's taken care of. But no, I suppose it doesn't matter!
Yep, Juice was in the cell next to Bobby. He was definitely in a cell, pretty sure it was the very next one.

Exciting clues from TV Guide! Can't wait!

Anonymous said...

Who is the hot blonde giving tigg a back massage when he refuses to back up clay in this episode?