The image above is a wallpaper that I made last year as the show "Sons Of Anarchy" was coming to the end of it's first season.
Every TV show aims to have at least a couple "signature episodes," in their resume. What I mean by signature episode is that all or most of the elements that make the show stand out, give it that extra bit of depth that makes you appreciate that you're watching something special, are in it while continuing to tell the story. I am not an expert on TV show writing/storytelling, but I would assume this is something those involve in the storytelling process would agree on.
The second season of "Sons Of Anarchy," continues the power struggle between Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) who serves as the president of a motorcycle club/gang and the prodigal son Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) who everyone knows is the eventual heir to the throne. At the same time, the second season introduce a dangerous element in the form of a white supremacy group that aims to clear out the club.
Last night's episode titled "Falx Cerebri," saw the club attempting to get retribution for the supremacy group's actions on the club, specifically trying to take out two of their members in violent ways. Since the beggining of the series, Perlman and Hunnam have danced around the ring about how the club ought to conduct business. Perlman believes in the old school ways, while Hunnam inspired by the ghost of his father seeks new ways to bring back the glory days of what the club had once been. The episode continued the powder keg tension between the two leaders. Hunnam tried to push the alternative of going by the book, while Pearlman simply wanted heads on a silver platter. Those familiar with the show know that the tension between the two is something that won't go overnight or in spirit of the club, at a bender rally with other screaming biker gangs.
Every so often, "Sons Of Anarchy" likes to interject a little humor which you would think might be odd given the very dark and dangerous world that the story resides in. Yet like other "gritty" shows like "The Shield," "The Sopranos," and "The Wire," you can still find humor even if it is coming from lawless individuals who you do not want to meet in a dark alley. Once in a while even the humor can come from those on the good side who at times can find themselves in a strange alliance with the lawless.You could look at it as trivial, potty humor and it actually is, but it provides a nice relief in a gripping episode. In fact, I applaud the editors for being crafty and placing it literally in the middle and giving us the viewers a human moment, through Juice Ortiz (Theo Rossi) and Wayne Unser (Dayton Callie) who in the show's brief life have proven to have blundering boob moments. There is another component to the episode in which the women of the motorcycle club continue their cautious bonding process, through target shooting and finding common ground in destroying an adult film actress' car.
The moment of humor was needed especially in the episode particularly one moment where the club closes in on the house of a member of the supremacy group. We all know that there still lies one part of society that believes that white supremacy groups are still relevant and the shocking yet sad truth to this is that people involved in those groups pass down those ideologies to their children. The club discovers in this house two children who have been brought up in that way of life and it racks the senses, but it's honest truth that this is what happens in parts of the world. No matter what advances have been made in how people treat each other, there still are deep and dark corners.
Going into a further detailed recap of last night's episode will get lengthy as much as I would probably spoil something for those that have the show on their DVR. The point of the matter is, last night, "Sons Of Anarchy," hit that signature episode moment in which from start to finish you saw the characteristics of the story that made you a fan all while progressing the story into unsettling matters with some characters stepping up (I'm looking at you Deputy Chief David Hale played by Tayler Sheridan). I know I'm repeating myself when I say this, but show creator Kurt Sutter has done a remarkable job telling a story that has no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
My gut reaction to the end of last night's episode was that I couldn't believe that the greater of the two evils once again had the one up on the motorcycle club and you can see the peices being set for what you hope for is their prevailing moment to get their revenge. That's the beauty of stories where the main characters are anti-heroes. You shouldn't root for them, but you end up doing so, not because the storyteller is forcing you to, but you grow into it because under all of the leather, grit and violence, they are human.
"Sons Of Anarchy" has done this and last night's episode is prime example of it.
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