Sons of Anarchy, Season 3, Episode 2 Oiled, Recap

I should begin the recap of Sons of Anarchy by saying something smart about what the show meant and then try to tie it all together but I just can't. Because... well... Tig was fucking awesome in Oiled. Let's engage in a bit of Tigapalooza  because I need to get it out my system before I can focus on the rest of the episode. I think that bottles of baby oil will become a sort of shorthand among fans of Sons of Anarchy much like skateboards are now. No Vaseline by the great warrior poet Ice Cube certainly takes on new meaning in light of this week's episode of Sons of Anarchy. Anyways... on to the Electric Tigaloo:

Oh, Tig, you creepy fuck. I've missed you. It seemed like you were so consumed by guilt about killing Donna that you might never get your mojo back. But boy howdy, did you ever. Was it the way you turned the Hummels around in the curio cabinet so they weren't staring at you? It was good start and a nice bit of art imitating life. Was it the short, pink, flowery satin robe that set off your curly locks so well? Perhaps. Was it the light reflecting off the bottle of baby oil that made your blue eyes sparkle? Maybe. Was it the fact that Little Tig is so big that the "humane" thing is to lube your joint up before you bump uglies with the help? Yeap. That's it. And the way you got your mojo back was so... animalistic. It's as if you've had a similar experience with a different species of mammal before. And even though you got shot by Gemma's dad, you still handled it with panache. (I'm putting a picture of Tig naked going to town on Amelia after the jump for those of you who haven't had the image burned into your memory.)

Okay, my dear three readers, on with the rest of the recap. Previously on as the Harley Rumbles, Gemma was reunited with her dad, Jax was sad/angry/naked, Tara grew a pair, Clay was awesome, and Hale was offed. 


First, let's start with Gemma because I gave her reunion with her father a short shrift in the last recap. How lovely is it that Nate Madoc is excited to see his daughter? The joy is truly touching. And the heartbreak of Nate not recognizing Gemma and her calm, gentle way of reminding her father that she is indeed his daughter. is so genuine that I can't make fun of it. But in the midst of all of this heartbreak and separation, Gemma is clinging to her family--her father and by pre-paid phone Clay, Jax and Tara. If Gemma only knew that there was only a fleeting sense of family left to cling to back at home... Meanwhile, she's go the Guatemalan Hottie to contend with. I'm still thinking that she is a plant. Nate with dementia, house that is about to be sold, nursing home bed waiting... the trio smacks of Stahl's handiwork.

Second, SAMCRO is trying to track down Cameron Hayes and Abel while trying to seek some form of retribution for the drive-by. But in all the elaborate plot points that bring the Sons in the (unpaid) employ of the bounty hunter and the fucking fantastic mellon-in-the-sand scene to get information about the motivations of the Mayans, they basically are rendered impotent. Not wanting another "Bloody 1992," they let the president of the Calaveras go in an effort to persuade Alvarez not to kill them/encroach on their territory. They can't get good information about Cameron out of any of their regular channels and obviously Jimmy O isn't forthcoming.

Third, Jax and Tara. Where do I even begin? Jax was teasing Gemma in Oiled because she runs everything, much like her mother. However, Jax doesn't respond favorably when Tara takes matters into her own hands, living out the What Would Gemma Do principle. He's not a fan of the beat down she gave to the Hospital Bitchface (who, I like much more after seeing her integrity swing both ways) nor does he like the idea of Tara taking a leave of absence from St Rednecks. Is Tara changing too much for Jax? Does he have too many Oedipal issues to find Tara's adoption of the WWGD philosophy acceptable? Does he love Tara because she is separate from the MC? Who the hell knows. But it's clear that Tara knows that Jax is wavering and she isn't falling in line or buying his line of bullshit. Bravo, Tara.

Fourth, and finally, the intrigue that is happening on two fronts. The Mayans are encroaching on Charming, by way of patching over the Calaveras to fulfill their end of the deal they struck with Zobelle and LOAN. There might be serious implications for that for SAMCRO and Charming down the road. On the Irish front, there's a shit-ton of intrigue and subterfuge going on. Father Kellan Ashby has got to be one of the scariest priests I've ever seen and this is coming from a non-practicing Catholic. He's the intermediary between Jimmy O and the Council (let's hope we get some more insight into the Council in future episodes).  Ashby carries out the sacraments and oversees the elimination of Cammie Hayes. Btw, how fucking horrific was that scene? I don't know if it was good acting or good makeup but Jaayysus, you could see veins in his face and shit. Anyways... there seem to be tensions between the old world and new world way of doing things, as evidenced by the tension between Ashby and Jimmy O. And there is the whole thing about pushing SAMCRO out that was mentioned but not elaborated on. And we have no idea how SAMBELL fits in with the council--perhaps through Maureen because of the SOA tattoo on her arm? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Odds and Ends

• When is Gemma going to find out about Abel, goddamnit? How long can this go on?
• So was Jax just charged with obstructing justice for attacking the guy at Half-Sack's wake? And not assault? Clay said that there were still assualt charges pending. Is that what he was referring to? Or was he talking about the season 2 raid on Zobelle's dinner of the faithful? Either my brain isn't working properly, there is a continuity/clarity issue, or Unser has some amazing pull to protect Jax from aggravated assault charges.
• Precious was... well... not precious but decidedly awesome. I'd clock Bobby-Elivs too for telling me that the check's in the mail when I haven't received a dime in child support in 6 months. 
• Opie's moment of reticence in the porn shop was pure acting brilliance. (Perhaps he could have picked up some lube for Tig while he was in the store? Just a thought.) The sorority swing that Luanne directed is on the shelves and reminded Opie that Lyla's career of choice is banging other guys. On film.   
• Jacob Hale disdained Unser as Chief of Charming PD last season and wanted him gone. All of a sudden he wants to protect Charming and wants to keep the sheriff out? This seems suspect to me. I wonder if Jacob got his application in to LOAN before Zobelle fled the country. It would fit in well with the Mayans cutting and packaging heroin in Lodi, wouldn't it? 
• What reason would Jimmy O have for not divulging Abel's whereabouts? 
• I love the African American MC from Lodi.
• There hasn't been enough Juice. Seriously. 

Just like last week, the screen caps come courtesy of Bobby Elvis' Bake Sale so go over there and check out the treasure trove of pics from Sons of Anarchy episodes--especially if you like Chibs, Opie, or Kozik.

Naked (NSFW) pictures of Tig after the break.

What did you think of the episode? The comments section awaits...


Poor Kim Coates for being a good sport......