Sons Of Anarchy 7.1 - 5 Talking Points From The Season Premiere

5. Jax Takes A Walk On The Darkside

With the death of his wife Tara, Jax has willingly thrust himself further into the downward spiral he was inadvertently caught in during season six. All his efforts to keep the people he loves safe, while trying to legitimize the MC and move them away from the actions and business dealings that were leading them to early graves, have now seemingly been put on the backburner. Without the steadying hand of Tara to guide him toward redemption, Jax is now a man of unbridled rage and vengeance, letting his emotions govern him into making decisions that will negatively impact his club. When Opie€™s wife was murdered, he was asked to put it aside for the good of the Sons. When Tara befell the same fate, Jax decides to lead SAMCRO headfirst into a war with the Chinese. For a man who has always appeared to have a plan formulating, it€™s impossible to see how this will play out in the Sons€™ favor. It€™s a revenge move, pure and simple, and uncharacteristic of Jax€™s actions thus far in the series. He€™s a man unhinged, no longer held together by the thin threads of Tara and his children. And speaking of his children, he made no effort to see them at all this episode, avoiding them at all costs in what appears to be an obvious attempt to distance himself from them and distance them from what their father is about to do and the man he's become. From the opening scenes of the episode, with Teller mutilating the Aryan Brotherhood snitch to earn favor with Tully (played by Marilyn Manson, who has apparently spent his retirement money on Burger King), to the closing torture of Lin€™s soldier, we€™re seeing an unrepentant violent side of the SAMCRO president. It€™s disturbing, but it makes for fantastic television.