We're back with the latest edition of the Sons of Anarchy Round Table.
In this installment, TV Fanatic staff writers Matt Richenthal, Christine Orlando and Carla Day are joined by Lindsey Roecker of Sons-of-Anarchy.net to breakdown "Andare Pescare," in which Gemma went back to a very dark place and Frankie Diamond ate a body full of bullets...
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What was your favorite scene from the episode?
Matt: Gemma's heart-to-heart with Jax. She was stripped down and honest and vulnerable and he still ordered her to sleep with Clay. It said an awful lot about both characters and where they are right now.
Christine: I have to go with Nero getting the love birds for Gemma. We just don't get to see many sweet moments on this show and I found myself wishing she'd tell him the truth about Jax's ultimatum and incredibly sad because I knew she wouldn't.
Carla: Eli's reaction after opening the back of the truck and finding Frankie Diamond. He may be a cop, but he crossed the line with his deal with Jax. What did he expect? In fact, the whole interaction between Eli and Jax was memorable.
Lindsey: I have two: the opening scene with Jax and Abel. We see a lightness that hasn't really been shown much this season since the death of Opie. The second was where Gemma was seeking confirmation (from Tara mostly) that if she did what Jax offered that she'd be welcomed back into the family. We've all seen Gemma sacrifice for her well-being or for a greater goal, but now we are seeing it be for the good of the club as well as the sake of seeing her family again. Jax knew she wasn't alright and yet asked anyway. He knows that if it comes down to it, Gemma will be his downfall.
Tara making like Otto with the perfume: WTH?!?
Matt: I really have no clue. We've seen Tara fully accept the life she has chosen this season, even sitting in the passenger seat while a body was dumped in her truck. But I can't compare that to her decision to go under the hood of her own car based on the same scene that drove Otto there.
Christine: WTH?!? pretty much covers it. The scene with Otto felt so sad and pathetic that her reaction to it really surprised me.
Carla: That was just crazy. Tara loses it in the oddest of ways. I really don't know what to say about her reaction at home.
Lindsey: Umm, yeah. Don't know what was in the perfume... but man. Tara's been on a dark path herself since the almost kidnapping Sons of Anarchy Season 4. I don't know if it was because Jax said "hold that thought" or just a crazy psychological connection to Otto or what. In a sense, they are both broken. Still speechless.
How should Jax handle Juice?
Matt: Pardon the VERY obvious pun, but squeeze him. Far better to use Clay's most trusted ally in the club against him via blackmail than his very own mother.
Christine: I love Juicy! But I don't know how he gets out of this one. Jax has gotten even more brutal since Opie's death. Things do not look good for Juice.
Carla: That's difficult to say. Since I, as a viewer, know the whole story, I think Jax should cut Juice a break. What I hope happens is that Juice trades what he knows about Clay for his life and perhaps even continued membership in the club. I'll be sad if Juice is killed.
Lindsey: In the eyes of SAMCRO, a rat is a rat. No matter who you're trying to save or what you're trying to save. There's always a choice, as Jax said. Juice really could've come clean at any time, which he did (half-truthfully) to Chibs. Will that come out? Juice could still be valuable to Jax, as Frankie spilled the beans on the Nomads before being taken out. But that may be where his usefullness ends. I think Jax will make a decision that will not sit well with him nor the others.
Nero: Too cheesy or too awesome?
Matt: Beyond awesome. However - SPOILER ALERT! - I just got off the phone with Jimmy Smits and her warns of a "turn" to come for Nero. It will involve "weaponry," he added.
Christine: Just awesome. He's sweet and funny and badass all at one. Plus, he's played by Jimmy Smits. Need I say more?!?
Carla: Love Nero. He's a loving guy. He has a questionable past, but for now, I think he is good for Gemma. The birds were an awesome and fitting gesture.
Lindsey: Too awesome. At first I was leery about him. But as we've seen more - his history, his son and how he's helped not only the club but Gemma as well - I've enjoyed watching him on the show. That's not to say there weren't some cheesy moments, but the awesome ones outweigh them.
Who would win in a fight, SAMCRO or The Mob?
Matt: Probably The Mob. But at least no SAMCRO member would go crying to a psychologist afterward!
Christine: They're both ridiculously violent, testosterone-driven organizations... but the Mob has more history behind it and probably a much longer reach. SAMCRO could find itself in trouble.
Carla: Probably the mob. They have a far greater reach and more manpower than SAMCRO. The Sons are small fish and could easily be squished by these Italians.
Lindsey: SAMCRO has more members and better reach to other charters, as well as ammunition and supplies