Original Air Date (FX): November 12, 2013
Our opening finds an exhausted Tara awaking with a start at the sound of the front door. She panics as she hears the sound of Eli gurgling in the next room.
Forgetting to arm herself with her handgun, she dashes into the kitchen, where she is greeted by a grim faced Jax. He coldly tells her that she will have a tail from the club following her to make sure she doesn’t try to leave town with the boys. Jax grabs some stuff and says he needs to leave before somebody gets hurt.
The TM and garage is humming as the club prepares for the grand re-opening… In lockup, Clay is taken out of 5150 and put back in GP… At Wendy’s apartment, she’s deep into a drug induced bender… And most surprisingly, Galen is back in Northern CA, prepping to meet with SAMCRO and to spring Clay….
Clay in back in GP with his One9er cellmate, discovers that his trial date has been moved up after his little show during Chapel services. He relays this news to the Irish mobile librarian. The time for the Real IRA to spring him is now, as his transport to state custody will be coming in the next day or so. The librarian promises to get Galen in the loop.
At the hospital, Margaret and Tara meet and exchange stories about how their whole plan fell into ashes. It’s at this moment that Margaret relays that she is getting out of town until the heat blows over. Tara is disappointed, but can hardly blame her shaken boss for abandoning her at the moment of truth.
Jax after wandering around Stockton (visiting the school site, going to church) ends up at Collette’s in time to see her and Nero receive her business license. It seems his plan to give Patterson Galen’s head has lowered the heat.
Given that Collette is in a giving mood, Jax asks her if he can stay at the house for the time being. Since she’s always one to look out (or put out) for her fellow man, Collette quickly agrees, which brings a smile to Nero’s face.
Gemma and the rest of the club shows up to relay the newest developments to Jax. Gemma quickly sizes up Collette as the newest object of Jax’s affections. But after a few moments of verbal sparring with Stockton’s queen skank, Gemma quickly turns back to business. Clay need to meet with her and Galen want to finish his outstanding business with SAMCRO. Jax brings the club up to speed about his falling with Tara and apologizes to Gemma publicly. Juice volunteers to take tail duties on Tara. Everyone quickly spreads out to their assigned tasks.
Jax and the majority of the club meet with Galen. He’s concerned that the Italians are considering a Chinese offer for their gun business. He wants Jax to take Conner and close the deal ASAP, with the added incentive of new AK-47’s equipped with scopes. Also, Galen relays that Clay accelerated trial date means that SAMCRO is going to have to help the Real IRA spring him from lockup. There’s just no time to make other arrangements.
Jax knows his arm is being twisted by Galen, but also understands that his plan to betray him to Patterson just got easier. The group takes a phone vote and agrees to help with the extraction of Clay which is set for tomorrow.
Back in Charming, Juice follows Tara to Wendy’s, who is frantically trying to place herself back in rehab. Tara explodes on Wendy for betraying her secret to Gemma, calling her weak and a junkie. In a rage, she backs up her SUV over Juice’s bike, nearly taking Juice out in the process.
Jax and the club meet out in the boonies with the Italian’s acting Don, who hems and haws about SAMCRO breaking a long standing agreement. While Jax is trying to smooth things over, Galen and crew roll up with the new guns. He treats the Italians to an impromptu demo of the guns while a bewildered SAMCRO looks on.
To make matters worse, the Chinese come onto the scene, invited by the Italians to make a counter offer to the Real IRA. Galen, never one to miss an opportunity to show what a racist hard-ass he is, guns down one of the Chinese’s foot soldiers in his demonstration. This is not well received by them, as one might imagine. But rather than shoot it out in a case where they are out gunned, they withdraw.
Galen takes this opportunity to close the deal with the Italians, since they will now not be getting any Chinese counter offers.. While upset, the Don gets some financial concessions from Galen and everyone is happy. Except for SAMCRO who now will be squarely in the cross-hairs of Chinese retaliation.
Back in Charming, Gemma send Nero and Unser to check in on Wendy after getting some disturbing phone calls. The two rivals for Gemma’s attentions hardly hit it off, but find some comedic timing that Sutter is sure to exploit as we come down the stretch this next season and a quarter.
Back at Tara’s and Jax’s, Tara is loading up for the worst, grabbing her other gun from her personal safe (good to see such responsible gun ownership). While gathering her arsenal, Gemma shows, leading to one of the series most classic confrontations. Gemma relays with catty perfection that Tara’s gambit has failed. Tara says she hasn’t begun to fight for her and her family. Gemma calmly tells her that she will never keep the boys and that she has two choices: leave peacefully or stay and face the full wrath of SAMCRO. In no uncertain terms, Gemma tells Tara she’s lost the war.
Back at the gun meet, Jax is trying to think of a solution to their new problem while Bobby and Chibs wax poetic about the lot of the club. Jax calls Patterson and tells her the updated schedule to nab Galen. She agrees to be ready to move tomorrow. Jax then has the club move out to find a spot to think about how to solve their new problem with the Chinese.
Of course, the Chinese have other plans, cornering SAMCRO on the freeway and forcing them into an industrial park where they promptly surround them. Jax tries to talk the Big Boss down, relating to him they had no idea what the Irish doing when they shot down his man. The Boss relays that he needs blood for blood. So, not only will SAMCRO lead him to Galen but they will also help the Chinese take over Northern CA’s gun business. Jax agrees to help him get Galen, but to ensure their loyalty, the Big Boss has Happy taken as insurance. This pleases no one except Happy.
At the hospital, Tara confronts a chapped Juice about his tail. Juice assures he’s just doing his job. She snarls that Jax should have him back off. With a new mischief in his eyes, Juice tells Tara where Jax is staying without relating what goes on there. He even gives her the address.
In lockup, Clay meets with Gemma and drops a mild surprise. He’s turned over everything he has to her name, since once he’s sprung he’s gone to Ireland to never return. This way, she won’t have to go through the motions of a divorce. Gemma is speechless for a moment but ends up thanking him. He cryptically tells her that he will “see her on the other side.”
The club rolls into to Stockton and Jax dismisses everyone to have some Diosa flavored R and R. This includes him hooking back up with Collette. While everyone is getting their groove back, Tara shows and asks for Collette. The ladies tell her that Collette’s busy, but that she can wait for her if she wants. While they drift off to clients, Tara sneaks upstairs.
Jax and Collette are in fully glory when Tara walks in on them (funny, how that Collette never invested in any locks for her business). Tara snaps, pummeling Collette to the floor and even stopping to give Jax a pimp slap heard round the world before tearfully running out of the house. Jax gives chase after putting some clothes on, only to have Tara draw down on him when he tracks her down.
It’s then the full weight of her transformation hits her. She’s now everything she said she’d never become: the angry, victimized “Old Lady” cliché. As she wails and drives away, it’s not clear who she despises more that this moment. Jax or herself.
As night falls, Jax collects his sons from daycare… Nero and Unser take Wendy to clean up at Gemma’s… Happy is crushing down Chinese food with his captors and loving every minute… And Tara is making a phone call…
Patterson, who apparently has been burning the midnight oil, has Tara ushered in to her office. A haggard Tara says she’s ready to talk. Patterson says she can’t offer the deal she had (due to the new deal she has with Jax) but offers Tara protection if she needs it. Tara insists she wants the previous deal. Patterson regretfully says she can’t offer the former deal. A shattered Tara wanders away from the office, leaving a confused Patterson behind.
What do we think, Crow lovers? Is Tara at end of her rope? Is Juice now the worst guy ever or does Galen still have that title? Will Happy get another helping of Mu Shu Pork?
More importantly, has Sutter made a continuity boo-boo with Tara’s desire to snitch being so easily deflected? Remember, she has Jax dead cold on the murder of her ex-FBI former boyfriend from Season One. Mistake, or does Mr. WTF have something else up his sleeve. Let us know below.
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