Like Breaking Bad, SOA was something of a slow burner in terms of audiences tuning in live, and it grew on boxset binge-watching impressively. The problem with that of course, is that episodes can sometimes be relentless in terms of how dark they are, which we found out with the season two premiere episode, Albification. Coming off the devastating death of Donna in last season's finale, fans certainly weren't eased back into life in Charming. Although there was a little verbal jousting between SAMCRO and a newly moved in neo-Nazi group, it seemed like a typical bunch of bad guys who would only last a few episodes before we got onto the bigger story. However, when Gemma is attacked and raped by them and told that it will happen again if the club don't stop selling weapons to minorities the episode takes an uncomfortable, yet unforgettable turn. Albification is great because while the show is mostly known for its action and motorcycle chases, there's also a strong emotional element to it and this episode provides that for the entire season. While Gemma was a cool character in season one who would go to any lengths to protect her family, this episode gave her more to deal with outside of whatever was happening with the club and showed the audience how important she is as the SOA matriarch.
