Episode Report Card DeAnn Welker: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT If You Incest
By DeAnn Welker | Season 3 | Episode 9 | Aired on 11.02.2010
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.There's a lot more ominous buildup this week, on both continents, as it all spirals toward what promises to be a bloody, heartbreaking end for someone (or someones). First up, in Ireland, Jax fills SAMCRO in on his conversation with Father Kellan Ashby but tells them all he doesn't want to kill Jimmy, because he suspects all is not as simple as the Father made it sound. Gemma wants to kill, kill, kill, but Jax's real reasons probably have more to do with the phone calls he keeps making to Agent Stahl (whose girlfriend may be onto her and onto Jax's whereabouts, by the way), who tells him she's not interested in any deals if Jimmy dies. SAMCRO doesn't tell SAMBEL their plan, which is to capture Jimmy and take him to the Father instead of killing him (though Jax's plan may be different even still). Which is a good thing, since Liam and McGee are in deep with Jimmy. While the SAMs ride around the Irish countryside and through boring police roadblocks, Jimmy pays a little visit to the ladies back at Maureen's: Gemma, Maureen, Fiona and Kerianne. Jimmy kills one Irishman who's there with the ladies, then trains his gun on Gemma to get Fiona and Kerianne to go with him. Then Trinity busts in and shoots Jimmy's guy, giving the ladies in the kitchen a chance to turn the tables. Gemma comes very close to killing Jimmy, until Fiona pulls a gun on her (to protect her from the fury that would reign down if she did kill him). Then she pulls her gun on Jimmy and tells him to leave her and Kerianne the eff alone. SAMCRO seems to mostly decide Jimmy needs to die. And Father Kellan Ashby continues to mastermind it, while floating above it all, untouched, being offered promotions from the Vatican. Jax comforts himself in the arms of his half-sister as Gemma tries not to vomit (but still doesn't tell him).
Back in Charming, Unser and SAMCRO are trying to figure out (separately) who hurt Lumpy. SAMCRO's smart enough to question Darby, who tells them it was Jacob, which is information they take straight to Unser. He pretends not to buy it, but then deviously questions Jacob without questioning him -- and it looks like Unser has more than a clue what Jacob's up to. SAMCRO also figures that the Mayans had nothing to do with it, and it had to be Salazar. They don't get to him soon enough, though, before he's threatening Jacob with blackmail to find out who Jax's lady is and then tracking her down (while she's with her boss -- who's all tatted up) on the way to the abortion clinic. As the episode ends, Salazar and his girl kidnap Tara and Margaret at gunpoint.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously: A lot of stuff happened, and then SAMCRO went to Ireland to get Abel back. No luck so far, but at least Jax is developing a crush on his half-sister -- and vice versa. So that's something. And they're still in Ireland (though stuff's still going on back in Charming, too, since some of the non-SAMCRO actors have contracts, too). This week's Irish episode title, Turas, seems to mean "trip." (Thank you, Irishionary and the former airline Aer Turas.)
Jax is still in a pew at St. Matt's, the church where Father Kellan Ashby bribed him last week that he would get his son back if and when he kills Jimmy. Needless to say, Jax is a little stressed. Enough that he moves to the front of the church -- the better for us to worship him, I guess -- and calls Agent Stahl to ask what she knows about Father Kellan Ashby. She whispers so her eavesdropping girlfriend doesn't get wind of her being in bed with Jax. Or in bed while on the phone with Jax. Whatever. She guesses Gemma's in Belfast if that's where he is, and he says he had no idea that shit was going down, and says they'll take care of Gemma's situation later, but right now he needs to know about Father Kellan Ashby. She says he's a friend of the Army, but Jax says he's more than a friend; he's a shot-caller. And he wants him to kill Jimmy to get Abel back. Stahl says that if Jimmy O dies, their deal is off. He knows, duh. Snoopy Girlfriend lurks into Stahl's doorway, so she pretends it's a totally casual conversation, all breezy: "I'll take care of it tomorrow." Then she runs off to shower her Jax off of her, and leaves her phone sitting there on the counter. Snoopy Girlfriend OBVIOUSLY picks it up and looks through it. Not that that's going to lead to anything important this episode, but I'm patient.
We Were Promised Jetpacks's (whoever chose the music for this episode doesn't know the difference between Scotland and Ireland, I guess) "An Almighty Thud" transitions us back to the exterior of St. Matt's. Then to Maureen looking at pictures: of her brother, Father Kellan Ashby, with John; John and her; and John, her, and baby Trinity. Jax heads into a different part of Maureen's place that morning for a makeshift SAMCRO meeting. Gemma's in her robe, because they were all clearly woken up for this meeting. But the SAMCRO guys look the same as always, since they sleep in their black leather and never comb their hair. Jax fills them all in on the situation with the great Father Kellan Ashby-Jimmy-Abel triangle: Jimmy wants Abel as leverage against Father Kellan Ashby getting Jax to kill him. Father Kellan Ashby wants Abel to get Jax to kill Jimmy. Jax wants Abel because he's his son. I think Jax actually has the moral high ground on this one. Gemma doesn't hesitate: "Then we kill Jimmy." Jax says it's not that simple, but doesn't reveal that it's all about Stahl. He just says he doesn't trust the priest, because they're all "smoky truth." The only thing they know for sure is that Father Kellan Ashby wants Jimmy, so Clay suggests finding Jimmy and handing him over. Jax agrees. And he doesn't want SAMBEL told about any of this: They need to believe SAMCRO wants Jimmy just to grill him about Abel. They guys all know where Jimmy's going to be later: a gun shipment pickup in Dungloe. Jax apologizes for walking these guys into that. They shake it off, and head back to bed for a few hours before all this major shit goes down.
Gemma stays up, though, to tell Jax how wrong this feels to her. She can't believe these people would use a baby like a goddamn poker chip. But Jax has a platitude for his mother: They're not innocent in this, because they deal guns with the Irish. Take your valuable lessons where you can get 'em on this show, because they're few and far between. Gemma agrees with me: Maybe that "profound awareness" helps relieve his guilt, but he needs to stop soul-searching and focus on the hate he needs to kill these Irish pricks. I do love that Mama Gemma is tougher than any of the Sons -- even if it also makes me hate her sometimes. Irish opening credits.
Charming. Lumpy's in a hospital bed with one of those cartoonish head wraps. Unser wants to know who did this, but Lumpy's not saying much. Unser says he's got to give him something, since SAMCRO's clearly not capable of protecting him anymore. A Prospect is eavesdropping from outside the hospital room as Lumpy tells Unser that the guy who did this to him was Mexican, and told him not to mess with the Mayans. Unser sighs and shakes his head. The Prospect lets Tig, Piney, and Kozik in to see Lumpy. Unser tells them they've "helped" Lumpy enough, and should let him rest. As soon as he's gone, Prospect lets them know that Lumpy said it was the Mayans. Kozik's surprised it wasn't Darby again, and Tig wonders why Alvarez would "shit on the deal." Piney doesn't question it: It's in his nature. Lumpy says there's too much damage now, and he'll have to sell.
When the guys leave Lumpy, they bump into Tara and Kozik tells her the guys made it to Belfast okay. Tig bickers with him about being loud enough for everyone to hear, and Kozik calls him a shithead. Piney tries to play peacemaker. It's all quite laughable and FILLER. Tara just thanks them for the info, and leaves them. Piney puts his arm around Kozik on the way out, and Kozik asks if he realizes one of them (he or Tig) will end up dead. Piney's counting on it.
Ireland. Two SAMs conference: CRO lets BEL know they'd like in on the Dungloe drop. They swear they just want to question him about Abel, because Father Kellan Ashby didn't shed much light on that situation. Liam thinks it would be good for these California lads to see what they go through in Belfast to put bread on their tables, so they're in.
Charming. The guys run into Darby in the hospital, and drag him into the chapel to grill him on what he's doing here. Darby says whatever they think he did, he didn't do, so Tig fills him in that Lumpy was roughed up later the same day that Darby paid him a visit. Darby says he did visit, but he didn't go back and do the job. Tig wants to know who put Darby up to visiting Lumpy in the first place. Darby says they wouldn't believe him if he told them, and there's no way to prove it.
Quick cut to Piney and Tig filling Unser in on Jacob Hale wanting Darby to rough up Lumpy because he wants to buy his gym. Unser asks what exactly they'd like him to do, and Tig says, "Uh, I don't know. Cop shit. Arrest him." Unser's a little skeptical, given that Jacob's family's been trying to shut down SAMCRO for two decades. He thinks it's a little convenient. Tig says it's not about their beef with the Hales, but Unser says it's still the word of two felons against the guy who'll be Charming's next mayor. Piney says they're telling him it wasn't the Mayans. Unser says he has witnesses who say a motorcycle flee the scene: a Harley, with ape hangers. Tig and Piney look at each other knowingly, as Unser asks if that's what Hale's riding these days. Unser gets a call, and excuses them so he can do some "cop shit." Outside the station, the guys quickly figure out it was Salazar and the Mexicans putting it on the Mayans. I'm glad they didn't stretch out that non-story.
Ireland. McGee gives Jimmy a call and tells him it's done; SAMCRO's coming, and they think it was their idea. Jimmy says they'll get it done right this time, and get Clay and his boys detained this time. McGee tries to warn Jimmy that these SA