Episode 3… Let’s get to it.

Last week, Jax, Tig, Chibs, and Opie were being hauled off to jail. Jax and Tara had just gotten married and was trying to get jail protection set up for himself and his crew.  Romeo, the CIA agent didn’t seem all too concerned that these guys may get killed in jail by any number of people but specifically, the Niners.

This week we open in the jailhouse as the guys are walking into their pod (don’t ask me how I know it’s called that) and right away it looks like there’s going to be a showdown. It is blocked by the apparent  protection the CIA has set up. I wonder how many others know that these ‘cartel’ dudes are CIA? Crisis and potential beatdown averted. For now. Cut to Gemma waking up in Nero’s bed where she’s been staying. Apparently his office manager or as Gemma calls her, ‘Girl Friday’ isn’t thrilled with Gemma being there. Back at the jailhouse, Jax is called to go somewhere with one of the guards. This is never good in a place like that, especially on a TV show. Jax, naturally is apprehensive about going but he goes. Over at the clubhouse, Bobby Elvis tells Clay that Romeo has provided protection. We’ll see how that works out for them. They leave to meet with Ramerez. the other cartel/CIA connection. They meet up with Gemma in the clubhouse parking lot, let her know that for now, the guys are safe and she says she’s heading to the hospital (where Jax and Tara’s sons are in day care).

Jax is taken to the commander’s office where he is greeted by Mr Pope. Remember him? That’s the guy who lit Tig’s daughter on fire. Nice guy. He basically lays out his demands to Jax and tells him it’s not a negotiation. He wants half of the MC’s drug mule money, $50k per run, A dead SOA, and Tig in prison for the rest of his life getting what he so rightfully (in Pope’s mind) deserves. In exchange, the ‘witnesses’ who fingered them, or rather him, disappear. Cost of doing battle, Pope says. Jax has just been informed, he’s already at war. Pope leaves and the commander comes back in. He says that anything Jax has to handle is to be done in solitary. No riots in the ‘yard’. Cut to Gemma arriving at the day care to see her grandsons. The worker checks the list and Gemma isn’t on The List. Insert shock face here. She is told she can be put on the list by ‘the mom’ and she storms over to Tara’s office to confront her about it. She says she’s the grandmother, Tara says She is the Mother (You Go Tara! she informs Gemma that she is not going to be further bullied on how to raise the kids and Then, tells Gemma to cover the hickies on her neck with a scarf. She’s not 15 years old. 😆 Sorry Gemma fans but I’m loving this. It’s about time Tara stood up to her. Back at the prison, Jax fills the guys in on one of the demands, the
$50k but says he doesn’t know what else. They will find out from one of the guards, later.

Clay, Bobby, and Juice are meeting with Ramerez who tells them that Pope has reached out to Jax. RuhRoh… So much for protected. Of course, his only (cartel) concern is getting the drugs and guns moved. Bobby and Clay assure him that the club will get the job done. Meeting over, Clay and Juice get back in the van and Clay asks Juice if he knows where ‘she’ is.. Meaning Gemma of course. He wants to know if she’s just killing time to hurt him. All he has left, is her, if he has her. Half a lung gone, can’t ride and is likely to lose his vote at the table, nothing left. Juice decides to drive Clay to where Gemma has been spending time but we’ll get back to that later. Wendy, Able’s mother, is back on the show. It appears she’s running some sort of counseling group, probably for recovering addicts. Gemma walks into the room after the group leaves (this Cannot be good), and what she does next seals the fate of Gemma for me on this show. I’m sorry ladies but that woman is a major Tuesday. Just like on non scripted (yeah right) reality shows I can hate someone on a scripted one as well. She puts a bug in Wendy’s mind to out Tara, as an Oxy addict to regain custody of her son. Wendy knows Gemma is full of it but the wheels are turning.

Back in the yard, Jax and the guys have to get locked up in solitary for Pope’s demands to be handled. The guard they have to deal with, known only at this point as the Sergeant, is there. So the 4 of them pick a fight with another 4 people in the yard, leaving their protection behind. They are now in solitary but still unaware of exactly why they are there. One of them is to die in this scenario. Jax hasn’t filled them all in on any of the rest of this plan yet. Back at the hospital, Tara is getting ready to leave and has her baby with her when Wendy walks into her office. She basically threatens Tara with a custody battle and exposing her ‘problem’ in the process. Tara bites back with something to the effect of no way is a court going to believe an ex biker whore junkie over the word of a surgeon. Of course, she figures out who put Wendy up to this scheme. Back in the lockup, Jax and Opie are sharing a cell. I thought Solitary meant, alone but whatever. Jax begins to tell Opie Everything. It comes down to a scuffle about why Clay is still alive and it’s now in the open between them that the Cartel, is dual operations, cartel, CIA. They need Clay alive to get the big guns from the Irish and that’s why he’s still alive. Opie says he should have killed Clay and taken the club’s chances with the CIA and RICO. ‘Sarge’ comes into the cell and says, ‘word from upstairs is one of you leaves here in a bag’. Now Opie knows the whole gravity of why they are in Solitary. It’s sounding at this point like it’s going to be Chibs because Pope wants Tig alive. Jax has no idea how he’s going to get all 4 of them out of there alive.

At the hospital, again, Tara is on her way down to the Daycare when she is met by the administrator who asks her about being married. The admin then lets Tara know that Gemma is outside of the daycare waiting for the boys. Tara confronts her about Wendy but of course, Gemma denies knowledge. Tara says bullshit, Wendy spilled. She informs Gemma that her days of meddling are over (somehow I don’t believe they are but we’ll go with that). Smartass asks Tara if she’s going to kill Gemma as if to say that’s the only way of getting rid of her from meddling. Tara calmly replies, ‘No, my husband might’. Point, Set, Match for Tara in this episode. That, shut Gemma up. Until her phone rang. I’ll bet you thought I forgot about Clay and Juice didn’t you? Nope. Guess where they are? That’s right, Gemma’s new beau’s place of business. Clay introduces himself to Nero and helps himself to one off of the menu. ‘Girl Friday’ takes Juice to a room as well.

In the holding cell, Sarge comes in and asks Jax if they’ve chosen to which they reply, still thinking about it. Sarge says either they choose, or he does. Not before he pipes Jax across the knee though and pulls his gun on Opie when he stands up. I Thought, Prison guards didn’t carry guns because of the risk of a prisoner taking the gun from them. I guess I was wrong or it depends on the prison. This is a county jail anyway so maybe that has something to do with it. Gemma shows up at the parlor but Clay and Juice are not immediately available. Nero tells her they are long gone but Juice comes out of the back sending Gemma into a blind rage. She finds Clay sitting on a massage table with a smirk on his face and his company coming out of the bathroom buttoning up her shirt. Gemma goes BSC and lays into the girl.

Okay, it’s time. Jax, Opie, Chibs, and Tig are brought to ‘the box’. Jax spills the beans on what is about to happen. He tells Tig that he is to remain alive, and inside for the rest of his life. Chibs figures it’s him because no way is Jax going to send his best friend to his death. Sarge comes in and says decision time. Opie, makes the decision for everyone and belts the sarge in the face with his forehead. It’s going to be Opie. They lock him into the room with 3, I call them assassins, and they give him a pipe to defend himself. He puts up a great fight but in the end, Pope’s goal of a dead SOA is achieved. Opie is no longer with us on the show. I always liked Opie but I thought he got a really raw deal from this MC. Let’s review for a second. S1 he just got out of prison after being betrayed by someone he was with (that someone had the club tatoo burned off of his back in a later episode). His wife was killed, by Tig at Clay’s direction in a botched drive by attempt on Opie’s life. Thanks to Clay and Gemma’s desire to hide the past, Opie’s father Piney, was killed by Clay. It seems many in the club barely trusted him but used him whenever it was convenient. Typical. I know Opie signed up for the club and all that but I doubt, he asked for this. RIP Opie.

Now, You didn’t think Clay was finished after he had his (paid) way with the little tart, did you? The parlor is raided. Everyone, including Gemma, is hauled off in handcuffs. Earlier, Gemma told Nero that as far as Clay was concerned, there is nothing there. Remember a couple weeks ago, I told you what women really mean to these clubs. That if they aren’t attached to a member, they are nothing. Most of them are little more than property, sometimes to be traded and passed around. The club will always come first. I don’t know if it’s going to help her that she is the mother of the President of the club instead of being the wife of the president, but she’s been replaced in the club women hierarchy, by Tara. I’m convinced that after Gemma’s outburst, and Clay and Juice left, they put the police on to the operation, to piss on Nero. Gemma forgot where she was and who she was dealing with I guess. We’ll see how that all works out for her.

Over at the Prison, Jax, on the way out of the box, Promises Sarge, that he’s going to die for his part in Opie’s death. No two ways about it. Jax, has just gone to the dark side and become Darth Vader in a sense. He meets with Pope and convinces him to allow Tig to leave with them. He’s a useful asset, for now, and when his usefulness is gone, Pope can light Tig up just as with his daughter.  One more thing… No more home invasions. Pope assures him that the Niners have nothing to do with it or at least better not. We of course know, it’s Romeo and Ramerez aka Cartel/CIA (I told you that last week). Jax calls Tara from the office phone to let her know, he’s okay. I’m sure the rest will find out Opie is dead shortly. Back in the pod, Jax has a private conversation with Chibs, and with Tig. He tells Tig that he’s secured his freedom but in exchange, Tig is NEVER again to go against Jax. Remember, the cause of most of Opie’s and the club’s woes (dead wife, and now dead himself) are a direct result of Tig’s actions.

I’ll recap, what I believe to be Gemma’s run with this club at a later date. That’s about all I have for you this week. See you next week when episode 4 airs. It’s on Tuesday nights, on FX at 10pm Eastern. Check your listings if you’re interested in watching the show but be prepared for some cold blooded violence. Even hollywood fake, it’s a little hard to take sometimes.

Til then, Peace.

MTH