'Sons of Anarchy' recap: Whose side are you on? [Updated]

"Sons of Anarchy" makes even the most convoluted of comic books seem straightforward. In comics, there are good guys, and there are bad guys.

In "Sons of Anarchy," there are bad guys, and even badder guys -- and an entire cabal of witchy women. It's getting increasingly difficult to figure out who's the most evil of them all.

This entire season it's been a tossup. There's Jimmy O, who lets his henchmen do most of the dirty work, as he did this episode, calmly sipping brandy at a kitchen table while his thug yanked the teeth of a traitor. Sure, Jimmy pulled the trigger point-blank at the end, but his crisp suitcoat wasn't even splattered.

Then there's Father Ashby, a compromised man of the cloth who, like Jimmy, is a puppet master though he absolves himself of any wrongdoing. Is he serving God, country, SAMCRO or his own best interests? When Ashby offers himself as ransom to Jimmy so Jax can finally cradle Abel in his arms again, it just seems too easy. 

Was it Ashby or Jimmy who planted bullets in the heads of Abel's adoptive parents to make that happen? Surely there's something nefarious in the works.

Maureen, it appears, isn't as sympathetic to SAMCRO as she's seemed, planting a wad of John Teller's letters in Jax's backpack as the Sons ready themselves to return to Charming. And Gemma? She's just coming off the rails in her efforts to protect her men. [Updated at 10:25 a.m.: The original post mistakenly had Maureen planting cash in a backpack and has been corrected.]

Agent Stahl is just as much of a snake as ever, manipulating her lesbian co-worker and botching the $250,000 drop to secure Tara's return. And Tara? She's becoming more of an old lady with each passing episode, slitting the throat of her captor.

"Sons of Anarchy" is what it's always been: A delightfully bloody mess.

-- Susan Carpenter

Photo: Zoe Boyle (Trinity) and  Charlie Hunnam (Jax) in 'Sons of Anarchy.' Credit: FX

Comments

[E]

Maureen Ashby didn't plant money on anyone. She put the letters she was reading from Jax's dad in his knapsack. Remember she was listening when Gemma and Jax were having it out about Abel. Later we saw her reading the letters (one in particular) when she was in her room.

[matt]

Maureen Ashby didn't plant cash, she left the letters from John Teller she was reading in an earlier scene for Jax. That was the hat he wears all the time she put them in.

[SOA Fan]

Just an FYI...it was John Teller's letters to her that Maureen put in Jax' backpack.

[Heather]

I thought that Maureen put the letters from John Teller into Jax's backpack? I may be wrong, but that is what it looked like..

[JF]

Maureen didn't plant a wad of cash in Jax's bag........it was the letters that John wrote to her. Although they have never come out and said it, there has always been an underlying vibe that Gemma and Clay or just Clay killed Jax's father.

[Nivek]

Did you even watch the episode? Or better question, pay attention to and understand the plot & action? Your summery goes from vague mistakes (Ashbey being involved in the couples murder, the traitors pulling teeth from the loyalist to get info on Abel's location) to flat out wrong (Maureen planting money?). I love the show, and it sounds like you like it too, but you need to pay more attention, because it diminishes the purpose of a positive review when so much is wrong.

[shelby]

gemma held a gun on a baby. i am so done with this show.

[Jesse M]

That's because the show is based on Hamlet. Clay had John Teller killed and Gemma went along with it. Jax finding out about this fact will most likely be the shows final plotline putting Jax against SAMCRO.Hopefully that won't be for many seasons, the past 3 episodes have 100% redeemed this season and it's back to the incredible show it was.

[hope]

Maureen didn't put cash in the bag, it was John Teller's love letters to her years ago. She wanted Jax to read them. Jimmy admitted what he did with the parents pretty much. Those nuns they were up against were as dirty as the preist running a baby factory with an armed guard come on. As for Tara she is pregnant and being held captive in a potentially deadly situation and she is trying to keep her boss safe. I probably would have shot hear and i would have definitely shot her husband and took his keys. I probably would have taken off in his car before i told him she was dead.

[gauge]

actually it isnt a wad of cash its john tellers letters he wrote her and she put them in jax bag so he will find them

[Lando-Smoke]

Damn now im really anxious 2 know whats going to happen in the final episodes of the season... At least ashby finally did do something to actually help jax... Not like before when he was using him and Abel 4 his own benefit

[SonsFan]

Wow. You really need to pay attention better.

There is no question that it was Jimmy O who killed the adoptive parents, not Ashby. And yes, Ashby was very much in the wrong for all of the chaos he caused, and did actually create this whole mess, but him sacrificing himself for the safe return of Abel was his way of showing he does care for the Teller family, and is actually remorseful for all that he did.

I'm glad to see that you changed the wad of cash to the letters but I don't think it was to hurt SAMCRO, but to help Jax on his journey to find out the kind of man he wants to be.

I think possibly you should watch the episode, then re-watch it and take notes cause clearly you are not seeing what you the writers are intending for you to.

[Betzblue]

Critics and their poison pens never dissuade me from liking movies or television shows; at times it seems like some critics actually like SONS of Anarchy, and most of them, bash Kurt's brilliance with what they think are ink filled darts...Sons is by far, the best show on TV since episode 1 season one; It is also the most disrespected, and under appreciated show out there. Last night was all about showcasing Charlie Hunnam's talent. His facial expressions as he was watching the adoptive parents interact with his baby boy was powerful. Gemma was in high gear at the baby factory, scaring the hell out of the nuns, in a way only Gemma can. Katey is the best damned actress on the air, and she never gets the props she deserves either. Adam Arkin's direction needs to be applauded! ( clap clap). The industry needs to get off their collective asses, and give Kurt & his entire cast & crew a huge STANDING OVATION!!

[zoe]

I wonder if SAMCRO is going to spend Season 4 in Mexico trying to get Tara back from Salazar?!