Sons of Anarchy - Season 3 Promo Analysis

I've given the Sons of Anarchy Season 3 promo a few more viewings and have some semi-coherent thoughts about it, let me share them with you all three of my dear readers.  Here's an HQ copy of it for you re-viewing pleasure.  Analysis follows after the jump.



First, the centerpiece of the promo is the dialogue between Clay and Jax:

Clay:  We represent the past, present, and future of this club. These men behind us, they respect you and they understand your grief but they're also wondering what you're going to do with it. You gotta make the hard choice, son.

Jax:  And what choice would that be?

Choices indeed.  My guess is that Clay is counseling Jax on how to react to Able's abduction from a club perspective.  We see Jax sulking shirtless on the floor and getting peeled off said floor by Opie and Chibs.  Graveside sulking and nekkid shower sulking also ensue.  (Side note:  Not that I'm complaining but the Jax shower scenes are becoming a bit routine--a trope if you will.  A friend of mine coined the regular showing of Jax's backside as Jaxass)   That's Jax's reaction as a father.  Not as a MC Vice President.  I'm thinking that Clay is encouraging Jax to take action because he needs it, because the club needs a leader, and getting revenge serves the club and the family.  Also notice that as promised/forewarned things are all nicey nicey again with Clay and Jax.  At least for now.

Second, things aren't looking so hot for Jax and Tara but I suspect there is some editing trickery afoot.  The dialogue is The Prince of Charming telling Tara in Able's room that:

You gotta get out of here

This has to be the end.  

There is some kissy-face but Tara trashing the nursery as well.  My guess is that there will be some reconciliation if/when Able is retrieved because Jax needs a nighttime nanny and a warm bed.  However, like most things in the SAMCRO universe, it wouldn't be an uncomplicated reunion.

Third, Gemma. Oh, girl, how I've missed you!  Gemma beats the shit out of a blindfolded woman in a nightgown.  Gemma and Clay are reunited and it feels so good.  Gemma's in disguise in a drab olive cap that isn't fooling anyone.  She tells Tig that "I'm going whether you like it or not."  Going?  Going where? Is this why she needs to start a car with a pocket knife?  To Belfast perhaps. Or perhaps on the raid where we see Happy, Opie, and Jax chase some dude through a house...  which leads me to....

Fourth, all of the major action in the promo appears to revolve around a drive-by shooting (carried out by persons unknown) that seems to occur at a funeral home.  The Bolton Hall Museum is the stand-in for the funeral home.  Anywho...  The best that I can surmise is that there is a drive-by at Half-Sack's funeral, somehow SAMCRO gets a bead on who is responsible and raids the joint.  Raiding/pillaging/revenge scenes occur in a house with a disturbing  number of framed cat pictures and jars of chemicals. Piney, Happy, and Bobby-Elvis open fire on some bearded long-haired dude in a flannel.  This is the same dude who asks  Piney, "Why the hell are you doing this?"  And Piney, bless his heart, gets the best line when he retorts "Because we're the good guys."  It appears that this is the same place where Piney and Clay have words while Bobby-Elvis looks on with concern.  And, at least in my multiple sad fangirl viewings, it seems that the dude being chased by Happy, Opie, and Jax is the same unfortunate chap who is buried up to his mellon in the desert.  WHICH IS FUCKING BRILLIANT AND SICK.
 
Nuts and Bolts:

• Where the fuck is Juice?  For that matter, where the fuck is Tig?  Juice is missing from the entire promo--aside from black and white cut-in shots-- and Tig is only present in the scene with Gemma.  Anyone care to guess where they are?
• Possibly related:  in the opening sequence of SAMCRO riding out en masse from Teller-Morrow Automotive, the guys are not in their usual formation.  Clay is still riding point, but instead of Jax being behind and to Clay's left, BobbyElvis is there in the VP spot.  And instead of Tig being in his Sergeant-at-Arms spot behind and to the right of Clay, Opie is there.  Jax is missing.  Tig is further back in the pack.  It could mean something or it could mean nothing.  
• Happy appears to be wearing a Redwood Original patch on the front of his cut.  Nomad no more?
• Opie appears to have gotten a new hat AND a haircut.  He's going to need it to rescue Lyla from the blowjob-a-thon that seems to be getting underway.
• Jax and Opie appear to be hanging at a dock, don't they?
• There's a car chase through Charming.  Vintage black sedan but I don't think it's Tara's.  
• Jax chases some guy into the oncoming path of Lyla's Prius.  Huh? 

That is an embarrassingly long recap for a mere 60 seconds of footage.  Dear God, is it September 7th yet?  Also:  Season 3 is apparently going to set the reset button for Season 4.  Sweet Baby Able, I can't even think about that because it nearly sends me into a fangirl panic.  Also-also:  Yes, I have the WWGD t-shirt.  There's more to come on that.  Also-also-also:  Yes, I'm going to finish the questionnaires.  I promise.