Sons of Anarchy
Season 3 - Episode Review
"Caregiver"
“Don’t do anything stupid," Dr. Tara Knowles issues a warning in a scene of this week’s upcoming Sons of Anarchy. A short while later and while conducting some quick clean up work, Alex ‘Tig’ Trager points out the obvious but important fact that stupid feats can be accomplished in as little as ten minutes.
The aftermath of what happens when people do things that could be categorized as stupid -such as dying or starting an unnecessary brawl- is engagingly explored in “Caregiver,” the third episode of Season 3 of “Sons of Anarchy.” Not surprisingly, such behavior has consequences on both sides of the Atlantic. What constitutes a foolish act is highly subjective but let’s point out some of the obvious incidents in this episode listed by perpetrator.
Harry ‘Opie’ Winston (Ryan Hurst) - I’m convinced now that if this MC thing doesn’t pan out for him, he should moonlight as the ultimate party-crasher. His actions reminded me of something that my friend Raymond Seidel said to me regarding our on-going discussion about vices and how to get friends started in them. Ray commented the other day that jealousy was the “only vice that gives no pleasure.” In the spirit of that wisdom, all I can say in regards to Opie is as follows: “Poor dude!”
Chief Wayne Unser (Dayton Callie) - Will the Chief get into bed with the devil once again via it’s most recent reincarnation (Jacob Hale)?
Nate Maddock’s caretaker Amelia Dominguez (Monique Gabriela Curnen) - The Guatemalan’s Latin-American street smarts causes ruckus.
Tig Trager (Kim Coates) - If you were worried for Tig and his firearm wound, rest assured that he’s all right and back to his usual self. Tara’s medical training will come handy yet again…or maybe not (See below).
Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff) - All that Tara has been going through becomes more transparent in this episode but she gets help from Gemma in making decisions that complicate matters.
The dynamics between these two former enemies is worth exploring further. Tara and Gemma Teller Morrow continue to navigate through situations which are worthy of a show of its own: “The Adventures of Thelma and Louise.” Yes, you read that well because my intended slip stems from my observations of how they relate to one another as well their reasons behind their behavior. Gemma and Tara have partnered up to deal with their present challenging circumstances; love and loyalty to their family is what drives their actions. Although they don’t truly confide in each other like regular women do (similar to Thelma and Louise), they do watch each other’s backs in spite of the bad choices that they make. They justify their actions and decisions as something they HAVE to do to help and protect their love ones. Their relationship no longer appears complicated in the surface but the fact that there are critical things that they don’t tell each other is meaningful.
A knife cuts both ways and soon Tara and Gemma find themselves in a jam. This is where reknown author Stephen King enters the scene, playing a Harvey Keitel-ish role. King’s character, Bachman, is an ‘independent’ (biker) that happens to be partial to 80s music and is an expert in sanitizing practices. (Coincidentally or not, Keitel played a sympathetic cop in the previously mentioned Susan Sarandon/Gena Davis film).
If one of the themes for last week’s episode was the idea that people had to do what they needed to do, this one takes the idea further. It’s about characters being torn between two worlds: the one that they wish for and the one that they are bound due to a sense of duty or personal circumstances. Opie and Lyla are two examples of characters that deal with this.
As usual, the title of the episode - "Caregiver”- is relevant to the action. Although the title gives the illusion of being a straight forward one, it has an intimate connection that circles back to the ‘torn’ dilemma, taking it actually several layers deep. Its relevance to the storyline is not as much as who the caretaker is but what the take care does or has failed to do.
Tara, Gemma, Nate, Maureen Ashby, Jax Teller and Amelia are some of the characters that understand - via recent/current experiences or the past - the emotional stress of coping with a present difficult situation that calls for tough choices while wanting for things to be different.
Hal Holbrook gives us a masterful performance in showing us how Nate is a man stuck between two worlds: semi-blissful Alzheimer’s oblivion and present day hell as guilt weighs heavy on him. He considers himself a failed caretaker to his late wife.
Gemma continues to be torn by dealing with scars from the past, her love for her father and the issues facing the MC family that she so fiercely protects.
Even though we’re still being introduced to Maureen Ashby, it’s evident that the woman has faced and is about to make some tough calls again. The conversation between her and her brother, Father Kellan Ashby, is of importance. Particularly intriguing, is the elusive use of the word “we” as she discusses events from the past.
Of all of the characters facing the ‘wants vs. needs’ dilemma, Jax wins the contest of carrying the heaviest emotional load. The man is trying to help turn around the meager state of affairs of the motorcycle club he co-leads while dealing with the impact of it all on his relationship with the woman who is the love of his life as he also tries to figure out his eight-month old son’s whereabouts.
A scene at the beginning of the episode is very telling of the emotional state in which Jax is. It shows an upset Jax pacing as his MC brothers deal with Jimmy O’s men. Jax’s movements mirror those of the slick big cats we find at zoos and in which the animals show their impatience and frustration at being kept caged in. Jax appears to be in pressure-cooker mode.
Regardless of what happens this season in regards to Tara, Abel or the club, Jax’s dilemma may not be fully resolved until he figures out whether or not he can reconcile the realities of his lifestyle and the life he longs for.
But not all is doom and gloom in this episode. The father/son relationship between Jax and Clay appears to be healing and the bonding between them is echoed at the club level. The Charming chapter is unified and determined to find a way out of the hole that they are in spite of dealing with town discontent, local politics and legal pressures. They keep on pursuing Abel’s and Cameron’s trail, hustling other organizations for weapons, assistance or information.
The brotherhood moments are real. “You’re all really unbalanced individuals,” Jax points out to his fellow MC mates in one scene and for a reason. The feeling of hope is also interjected into the action when we’re reminded that someone with recent ties to Charming is in Ireland… and I'm not talking about baby Abel.
The gentlemen that follow the show will be really happy to see the Caracara ladies make an appearance. Their emergence has some near public service announcement implications as viewers can benefit from several key “takeaways”:
- Catering to porn star fetishes could be a profitable niche market
- If you’re a female that looks like someone’s kid sister, you can make a good money-making run in the porn industry.
- Don’t judge, there are porn stars out there with a heart of gold.
Theo Rossi’s character -who I would like to see get more significant lines this season to fully showcase his acting talents - comes through in the last minutes of the episode. Juice unveils some critical intelligence regarding Abel’s kidnapping and that sets up the cliffy for the following week’s episode. In the mean time, details from John Teller’s past continue to creep into the present just as a rat in the SoA Belfast chapter peaks its ugly head.
Stephen King makes acting his debut in "Sons of Anarchy." He plays a character named Bachman who is mysterious but partial to 80s music.
Kim Coates, Katey Segal and Stephen King.
Photos are courtesy of FX Media Relations.