Sons of Anarchy is an entertaining, pulpy show that’s always a delight to have on television. This doesn’t change in the Season 6 premiere, which opens with Tara and Clay in jail and the club at a breaking point. Even within jail, (the magnificent) Donal Logue’s Lee Toric is trying to tear SAMCRO apart. He visits Tara, Clay, and Otto, and it’s obvious that he has an immediate effect. Tara breaks down and attacks another inmate, Otto is already beaten down due to a rape, and Clay is forced to comply with Toric’s demands. All of them try to maintain a facade, but Toric is able to weasel his way into their minds and tweak a few things. Yet, Toric is also wearing a mask. We see that he’s essentially a crazy person, a drug user that strips naked and likes mirrors for some reason. Everything is at a breaking point.
Outside, Jax and the club confront a group of torture-porn filmmakers after they rough up one of SAMCRO’s girls. It provides for the necessary action, as well as introduces Kim Dickens’s character as a new love interest. I guess it kind of makes sense that Jax would jump into bed with her, as he’s hurt by Tara’s refusal to see him, but I thought he had more principles than that. In fact, it’s almost as if he’s transforming into a Clay-type figure. I really wish the show would commit to his character one way or another, though, giving him closure somehow. It would tie up his and Clay’s storylines, as well as Opie’s death. However, I feel as if that won’t happen until later on.
As for Tig, we’re starting to see remorse seep through that hard exterior. He’s truly hurt by all that has transpired, and even though he drowns someone in urine and follows that up by urinating himself, we can see the struggle taking place in his mind in the subsequent scenes.
Now, on to the more controversial storyline. We have a young kid in the background of several scenes throughout. Near the end of the episode, he sits down on a bench, rolls up his sleeves, takes out a gun, and proceeds to start shooting in a school. It’s certainly a shock, but I question the ability of Kurt Sutter to handle something like this. I love Sutter, but he tends to be better at violence for violence’s sake. When the show starts attempting political messages, I’d imagine it would get a bit strange. It’s certainly effective in the context of the episode, however. Anything can explode in a second, and since the kid draws striking similarities to Jax, it reflects how he’s lost emotionally and capable of anything.
Overall, it’s a solid premiere that effectively sets up the rest of the season.
Grade: B
-The show has always suffered from having to juggle multiple storylines at once, so I’m not sure whether Bobby’s storyline will amount to anything compelling.
-The Chibs-Juice scene is heartbreaking to watch. It’s really well acted, and it’s emotionally affecting.
-Peter Weller is awesome. “Persia hasn’t been a country since 637 AD. They’re called Iranians.”
-Gemma’s rising while everyone else is falling. Her relationship with Nero is well off, and she has control over her life.
-Kurt Sutter, always finding a way to abuse himself on screen
-Wendy shows up.
Credit to FX and Sons of Anarchy for all pictures. I own nothing.
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