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Recipe for revenge: 'Sons of Anarchy' turns the pike, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Oct 26, 2011, 3:16 GMT

The ongoing power struggle between Jax and Clay is now at a fine point, as fans know that the prince of SAMCRO will most certainly deduce that Clay had something to do with Piney\'s murder in cold-blood.

The ongoing power struggle between Jax and Clay is now at a fine point, as fans know that the prince of SAMCRO will deduce that Clay had something to do with Piney's murder in cold-blood.

And Gemma, who let Clay lie to her about where he was the night of Piney's murder, will most certainly know it too.

Decisions between a lover and a son, and a club and normal life face the women of SAMCRO, as both Gemma and Tara have vexing times ahead.

Tara is a marked woman, and Gemma (Katey Sagal) has to think three steps ahead of her old man. The one that held her down and nearly choked her out at the beginning of the season when Piney tipped her off about the drugs. The one who is lying to her now so effortlessly.

Women like Gemma don't cotton to being threatened, and that act of domestic agression was filed in her computer, bet on it.

The bag of heads left by the Cartel as a warning served as classic Sutter-esque comic relief in an emotionally heavy episode that sees our Piney (William Lucking) not make it out alive, and Juice (Theo Rossi) survive his suicide attempt.

Piney's last stand has been coming for a long time. He never cared for Clay and was killing himself anyway with booze and regret. Clay couldn't intimidate him, and in a classic Western scene, the gunslinger who was slightly less damaged by age and lifestyle won the gun draw.

At the end of last season, I felt that Piney was in danger. Clay had to erase the past and Piney was a living record of it and too set in his ways to ever be Team Clay, the way Tig is.

Juice's guilt will fester, Opie's fresh grief hopefully will make him think deeper and question some things finally, and Jax now knows what his priorities are; SAMCRO they are not.

Showrunner Kurt Sutter and his writers are tapping into some primal human emotions and traits, the greed, familiarity breeding contempt, and the mendacity corroding the unwritten codas of the club are all bad company, and will start to dissolve the MC.

Just like a woman who has been lied to for years in a bad marriage, then finding out the extent of her husband's infidelities, that day is coming when "she" either picks up a gun or just leaves.

I'm betting on the gun, in "Anarchy's" case.

Consistenly, William Lucking's work as Piney has been centered, strong, humorous and solid. He will be missed. The work he did tonight with Opie (Ryan Hurst) in scene and the face off with Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and then Clay (Ron Perlman) at the cabin were exceptional.

Another great moment was Tara and Jax coming to terms on their separation. Tara (Maggie Siff) is doing the right thing and Jax wisely agrees. No maudlin tears, wringing of hands, just pragmatic calm agreement.

The comic relief was delivered through Chucky (Michael Marisi Ornstein) who also tongue-in-cheek Twittered and Facebooked pictures of his own Italian chili tonight as the show aired. Ornstein's catchphrase "I accept that" was beautifully rendered again tonight.

Bottom line: Since season one we know that Jax never really loved or trusted Clay The chickens are home roosting, and the club will certainly be polarized even more with Piney gone. People who live and work closely together in a hothouse environment like an MC feel each other's intentions and energy.

Bobby, Gemma, Jax and Tara are on to Clay. How Tig, Opie, Juice, Chibs and Happy follow will be interesting, to say the least.