Sons of Anarchy: “Ablation” (Episode 5.08)
Photo courtesy of Prashant Gupta, FXThe truth is starting to surface in many different ways on Sons of Anarchy, but it doesn’t look as if it will set anyone free. Gemma, after getting high and running into a tree and nearly killing her grandsons, awakens in the midst of a storm brewing inside SAMCRO. Of course, most of it surrounds her previous actions.
“Ablation” resolves the crash early on. All three victims are as safe as expected (minor surgery required), but Gemma’s actions set off a chain of events. Once Clay finds out Jax was run off the road, he uses this to cover Gemma’s altered state of mind to make it seem like the same van that went after Jax went after Gemma and his boys.
Jax started the series as a conflicted man wanting to get his family as far away from the motorcycle gang life as possible; yet, now he is running the bloody circus and slowly descending into madness. This episode finds Jax investigating who went after him. Because the assailant was black, he immediately assumes Pope, his former enemy and now ally, was behind the drive-by. In fact it wasn’t Pope, but was an out-of-town ex-con who Jax discovers was hired by someone wanting him dead.
This brings the home invasions back to the forefront as SAMCRO uncover the shooters were hired by Frankie Diamonds, the only Nomad still alive who was secretly taking orders from Clay. Piece by piece Jax finally comes to understand what we’ve all already known: Clay has been setting the stage for one final showdown between him and Jax.
For all that happened in this episode, it all comes down to three key facts. Jax knows Clay was behind the home invasions. Gemma is dead to Jax’s family. The club is at war, but I’m not sure if they realize with whom.
Everything that goes down is terrifically orchestrated. This episode marked the beginning of the final act of the season. Curtains open after a cliffhanger, final plots are set in motion and characters are larger than life. Even though we may seem to understand where this season is going, the remaining five episodes are sure to feature twists and turns multiple times an episode. New secrets are surfacing, and as they do, the truth boils over. No one is safe for long, and this overly dramatic season is most certainly going to end in a bloodbath.