Recap: #205 “Smite”

Sons of Anarchy
Season 2, Episode 205
Recap: “Smite”

As the Sons try to get back to business, the growing rift between Jax and Clay becomes more apparent. Clay makes a friendly visit to Zobelle, a welcome to Charming, along with a friendly reminder of the cost of doing business in his town.  Zobelle, peeved by Clay’s arrogance, makes his next move, giving Weston the go ahead for Stockton.

At Stockton State Prison, Big Otto is attending to a work detail when he is attacked by three AB inmates. The vicious attack, initiated on Zobelle’s orders, leaves Otto beaten and blind in one eye. When the club gets news of the attack, a vote for retaliation is set, but not everyone is on the same page. Jax tries to get the rest of the club to look at the big picture and hold off on the retaliation until they know more about Zobelle and what they are dealing with.

Meanwhile, Zobelle and Weston make a visit to Charming P.D. They inform Hale that Clay tried to extort protection money from him. When that is not enough to sway Hale, Weston hands him two DVDs, the first implicating Opie in the methhouse bombing and the other showing what appears to be Hale taking a bribe from Darby. Unser notices Hale’s distress and reminds him that he needs to be the ‘good cop’ or the whole department will become a joke. To enlighten Hale on who Zobelle truly is, he shares Gemma’s secret about her attack.

Gemma, still suffering the physical and psychological repercussions from her assault, confides in Tara.  Tara recommends some medication for her pain. As they exit the drug store Gemma spots Polly – she stops dead in her tracks. Polly takes off running. Gemma pulls the gun from her bag and gives chase. She watches Polly hop into Weston’s car and drive away. Tara grabs Gemma’s arm, startling her, and receives a brutal elbow to the nose. At the hospital, Tara gets patched up, then confronts Gemma about what happened. As Tara’s education continues, she uses some of Gemma’s persuasion techniques on Gemma herself, forcing her to see a shrink. Gemma, somewhere between pissed and impressed, agrees to do as Tara says.

As the club convenes for the vote, Jax makes his final plea to hold off on the retaliation for Otto’s attack. Each member casts their vote. They vote with Jax agreeing to wait on and figure out who and what they are up against before they act.  Clay takes it hard, Bobby tries to assure him that this is the best move for now. The Sons depart from the clubhouse as the van we saw Gemma chase Polly away in being towed onto the lot.  Chibs goes to move the van – when he tries to start the car, he realizes it’s rigged to explode.  He manages to get out of the vehicle just before it detonates. The blast sends him flying, landing hard on his head. The guys rush to his aid as the blood quickly pools around his head.

“Behind the Scenes – Physical Effects”

Take a look at how we blow up a house.

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“Behind the Scenes – Physical Effects”

Take a look at how we blow up a house.

Recap: #204 “Eureka”

Sons of Anarchy
Season 2, Episode 204
Recap: “Eureka”

The Club gears up for their first run under the new deal with the Irish, transporting handguns through Northern Cali.  They will make the delivery under the guise of a charity run for a Children’s Blood Drive in Eureka.  As the Club prepares we find Gemma injecting cortisone shots into Clay’s ailing hands.  Meanwhile, Tara realizes, happily, that she’s Jax’s ‘Old Lady’.

Sam Crow kicks off the run, Harley’s thunder through Charming.

As the fleet exits Charming, the pack grows from twenty to forty plus as other Sons of Anarchy charters join the ride.  SAMCRO branches off to pick up the delivery from the Irish.  Each brother takes a bedroll from IRA soldiers Cameron and Edmond Hayes – each bedroll filled with guns.  The MC Pony Express is in motion.

Back at Teller-Morrow Gemma receives a disturbing package, a bag from “Sherman’s” containing the mask her assailants wore when they raped her.  Gemma, determined to take her life back heads out to Sherman’s to find something, anything.  She finds Sherman’s out of business – replaced by Ethan Zobelle’s Impeccable Smokes.   He greets her, asks if there is anything he can help her with.  Shocked, Gemma retreats – and bumps into AJ Weston.  His “Pardon me, Ma’am” confirms what she already suspects – Weston was one of her rapists.  Gemma is shaken but follows Weston when he leaves the smoke shop, driven by vengeance.

The Sons make their way further north with the shipment in hand – smooth sailing until Bobby’s bike malfunctions causing Tig to lay down his Dyna.  Awaiting ER treatment for a leg gash, Tig is snatched up by bounty hunters, tipped off by hospital staff.  Tension between Jax and Clay boils over when Jax insists they go get Tig now, before making the gun drop.  Clay insists they make the drop first.  A quick thinking Piney takes Jax and a small crew to get Tig before the argument escalates.  Piney reverses the T-M truck through the wall of the hotel where the bounty hunters are holed up.  Tig is rescued.

Gemma follows Weston, gun in purse.  An opportunity presents itself, a chance to kill her rapist, but Weston takes a call from his son… and Gemma loses the will to kill.  She falls defeated, more lost now then ever.

The gun drop is made and the MC catches up to the post run party.  Clay confronts Jax about undermining him, leaves Jax with an unsettling threat – if Jax brings up Donna’s murder again, Clay will kill him.

A look behind the scenes: THE WRITERS

From the room, to the page, to the screen, it all starts with writers and their words. They are the framework of the show which every other aspect builds off of.

This season we have compiled a great team of writers spearheaded by show creator Kurt Sutter. They’ve worked tirelessly to bring you an action packed second season that will exceed your expectations.

The process can be long and sometimes daunting, sitting in a room looking at blank white boards trying come up with ideas to build an episode around. Who are our characters? Why do they do what they do? What comes next??? With seven writers in a room, seven different personalities and points of view, that can become a very loaded question.

The most complex thing about the process is finding people with the right sentiment for the show, the talent to deliver, and who can be locked in a room together for 10 hours a day and not kill each other. Lets be honest, sometimes they argue, how could you not, but other times they work brilliantly together coming up with unbelievable twists, turns, and scenarios for our characters to navigate through. It is by far one of the most interesting work environments I have ever witnessed. The love, respect, and camaraderie is much like that of the club - minus the leather and bikes.

Meet the people behind the words:

Kurt Sutter (creator, executive producer): The man behind the mayhem. Without his vision and dedication there would be no Samcro. Kurt came through the ranks, spending seven seasons as a writer on FX’s hit drama The Shield. Starting as a staff writer, Kurt moved up quickly, spending the last two season of the show as an Executive Producer. When the series came to a close Kurt realized it was time to forge out on his own resulting in the creation of Sons of Anarchy.

Jack LoGuidice (co-executive producer): Back with us for a second season, Jack keeps things running smoothly. He is a seasoned writer who has worked on groundbreaking shows such as Showtime’s Resurrection Blvd. and Street Time. Although he has made quite a career for himself in television, his heart will always belong to the theater. A working playwright Jack has had four of plays produced in New York and Los Angeles.

Dave Erickson (consulting producer): A first season alum, Dave is no stranger to the small screen. Creator and Executive Producer of Canterbury’s Law, his knowledge of television and the trials and tribulations that come with it, has made him invaluable to the writer’s on Sons. He has become the driving force in the writer’s room, constantly work to get the story right.

Chris Collins (co-producer): He maybe new to the room this year, but he’s armed with some heavy artillery. Coming off of critically acclaimed shows such as HBO’s The Wire and Starz’s Crash, Chris wasted no time jumping head first into the mix, becoming well versed in the world and characters of SOA.

Regina Corrado (executive story editor): A playwright from New York, Regina ventures once again into the world of television. After working on shows such as HBO’s Deadwood and John in Cincinnati she comes well equipped to handle the likes of a few bikers.

Brett Conrad (story editor): Also returning from season one, Brett is the pragmatic one of the group, making sure the story always stays on track. After spending his hiatus working on Defying Gravity he came down from space and returned to the open road.

Misha Green (staff writer): New to the arena of television, Misha learned quickly and held her own as the newbie writer. She proved herself early on with her fresh point of view and desire to do the best work she could.

Recap: #203 “Fix”

Sons of Anarchy
Season 2, Episode 203
Recap: “Fix”

We open on a rousing rendition of ‘Hava Nagila’ – Bobby Elvis-style.  The porn business is back up and running.  Jax and Tara sneak away, growing closer, as Gemma and Clay struggle with the growing gap between them.

At the clubhouse Clay finds a “sad” Bobby Elvis sitting at the bar. Bobby vents about his financial position. Clay tells him to take over the books at Caracara.  Back in the TM office Unser checks in on Gemma, suggests she attend a victims of sexual assault support group. Gemma appreciates the gesture but says it’s not her thing.

Jax shows up to Caracara, finds Luann freaking out about Bobby’s new involvement.  Jax covers, calls it a club decision – but secretly fumes over Clay’s unilateral action.  Ima, Luann’s number one girl, plays up a story about being followed to get Jax’s attention.   Luann pleads with Jax to play along – Ima is her biggest draw.  Jax plays into Ima’s hand, promises to be her personal escort – a situation Tara will have to remedy.  Meanwhile, Gemma arrives at Caracara to talk Luann through the “Bobby situation.” Clay tells Gemma to stay out of club business.  They fight – violently.  The commotion brings Jax and everyone outside.  When Clay grabs Gemma she screams and breaks down at his touch, stunning all present.

While on repo duty Opie and Half-Sack discover that meth is being sold at the mill IN Charming.  Darby is flexing his muscle with AB protection –  courtesy of Ethan Zobelle.  The Sons beat down the dealer for intel on Darby’s meth lab.  Jax suggests they feed the intel to Hale – if he’s clean he’ll shut the cookhouse down, if he’s in Zobelle’s pocket he will ignore the helpful tip.   Sam Crow will know where they stand with the law.

Hale finds the MC intel good but ignores the crime – he has to play out his hand with Zobelle.  The Sons have their answer.  They take care of the lab themselves, giving us our first amazing explosion of the year.

Clay apologizes to Gemma, tries to reconnect with his queen. Unable to let him in Gemma pushes Clay further away.

The episode wraps up with the porn wrap party where Tara finally learns how to lay claim to her man.

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