Venus Van... DAMN!
That was quite the ending to Sons of Anarchy Season 7 Episode 4, wasn't it?
Following a couple weeks plotting and scheming against those he (wrongly) believes murdered Tara, Jax Teller saw his chickens come home to root at the conclusion of this intense hour.
And by "chicken," we mean employees at Diosa. And by "roost," we mean countless corpses were left covered in blood and brain matter as a result of an attack by Lin's people.
It was heartbreaking to watch, partly because we've grown attached to women there such as Collette; partly because (ironically) this was meant to be SAMCRO's clean business; and largely due to the reaction of Nero.
He stayed out of the gang banging game for years, only to be drawn back in toward the end of last season. Even then, however, he saw his role as peace maker, as the broker between warring factions.
And even though he's served that role well - as acknowledged by that phone call from Lin's employee this week - the business he worked so hard to cultivate and the women he saw as surrogate daughters have now paid the price in the worst way imaginable.
Jimmy Smits has been a truly outstanding addition to the series since Day One, but never more so than here. You could see the pain on Nero's face without hearing a sound from him during that closing scene. His entire world just got blown apart.
How will it affect his relationship with Jax? With Gemma? Heck, with himself? Will it knock Nero off the wagon?
Jax, meanwhile, has been playing fast, loose and dirty for too long. Who knows who tipped off Lin's crew to his plans (Tyler, perhaps?), but we're glad they did. Until now, Sons of Anarchy Season 7 has felt like a series of SAMCRO maneuvers, one after another after another.
It was confusing to remember who was doing what for whom and, even more troubling, it wasn't entertaining. It was akin to watching one long chess match. The stakes didn't even feel very high - but all that changes now.
The war is truly on between SAMCRO and Lin. How many more bodies will be dropped before Jax discovers the truth? Before he comes to the damning realization that his mother killed his wife? We all know this season is leading to that confrontation.
ELSEWHERE:
- You've gotta love Walton Goggins as Venus Van Dam. Aside from bringing some levity to things, Kurt Sutter has actually made Venus into a sympathetic, layered character. His bond with Tig may cause Jax to be "worried," but it's managed to bring out real emotion in both men. Impressive stuff
- What is Sheriff Janney's game here? She can't actually have feelings for Chibs, right? No offense, Chibs. You are very lovable. But it's safer to assume in this case that you're being played.
- Juice is armed for his road trip with Gemma. Gemma is armed for her road trip with Juice. This is not going to end well.
What did everyone else think? Go watch Sons of Anarchy online via TV Fanatic and react to that shocking conclusion now!
