This week's Sons of Anarchy was a certain improvement over the last three episodes, and it finally shows a direction and intensity that was missing from the previous episodes.
For starters, this week's episode, "Poor Little Lambs," provided some great excitement, and also some deep and depressing drama. I'm specifically talking about the last ten minutes of the episode or so, when not only does the ice cream store get blown up in a grenade attack (more on that later), but when the escorts are all brutally murdered by Lin's men. This scene reminded me of something out of a great mafia film, ala The Godfather, seeing the aftermath of some extraordinary scene of violence, with bodies littering the floor and blood and bullet holes on the wall. The scene was extraordinary, and I thought the up-tempo music playing over the scene added some sort of ironic twist to the scene which somehow made it that much more depressing and impacting. The scene gave me chills, what with Hunnam's performance, the blood, and the dark, visceral images of the innocent bodies littering the floor. When a scene gives me chills, I have to give it due credit and respect, no matter the content or execution. I can't help but think what the scene would look like without the montage music, or for that fact, what it would look like actually SHOWING the massacre. I can only think that FX refused to show the violence, as it would be too graphic.
The grenade scene also provided some much needed excitement, although on a more silly and tongue-in-cheek way. I can't tell if the scene was supposed to be portrayed as being serious, but I couldn't help but think how insane and unrealistic it all was. First of all, there is no way anyone would be walking out of that store without some sort of major injury. It's a grenade, which shoots out shrapnel, and it was in an enclosed area, providing more deflection and various pieces of flying glass and furniture to further injure the gang. I can take this scene with a grain of salt, and this show has never been the most realistic, but this scene took my imagination a little too far and created an exciting but very silly scene.
The episode was not at all excitement and greatness, though. Gemma and Juice's monologues seemed very awkward and unneeded. It is no secret that this show was greatly influenced by Shakespeare's tragedies, specifically Hamlet, but while Shakespeare's soliloquies come across as natural and poetic, the soliloquies in these scenes only came across as confusing and very funny. I can't take Juice seriously when he's sitting on the bed talking to himself while the shower is running. It was supposed to be "deep" and "philosophical," but it only came across as very silly and unintentionally funny.
Another awkward scene (for me) was Tig's kiss with Venus. It's an interesting approach to Tig's character, and it was somewhat sweet, in a very warped way, but it didn't really come across as natural to me. Tig has always been a psychopathic ladies' man who loves porn, not a sweet man interested in a relationship. It's supposed to add nuance and depth to Tig's character, but I didn't like it. But, again, that's just my opinion; I've heard mixed things about that scene.
Things are definitely taking a turn in the right direction. Last week I criticized the show for treading water, but my concerns have been shot down in this episode. We are finally achieving some sort of forward direction, what with the massacre at the restaurant, Lin's knowledge of the Sons' involvement, and Juice's relocation to Gemma's father's cabin (which will most likely not have a good result, what with both of them packing guns). It was also interesting to see Chibbs make a move on Jarry, as it gives him something to do other than be the moral compass to Jax's destruction.
We're one quarter done the final season, and at this point, things are finally heating up and bubbling over. I can't wait to see where we're going next, and who's going to live to see the final credits roll.
+ Final ten minutes
+ I like the Chibbs development
+ Good use of music in the final scene
+ Performances
+ Good direction for the series
– Silly grenade scene
– Tig and Venus's kiss
8.5/10 A
COULDN'T HAVE DONE WITHOUT: That final scene. Obviously plot wise we couldn't have done without it, but it definitely sealed the episode as a classic for me. It was dark, it was violent, it was twisted, it was perfect.
COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: The monologues of Gemma and Juice. They were simply unnecessary and quite goofy.
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