TV Review: Sons of Anarchy 5.7, “Toad’s Wild Ride”
rating: 4
Ill give Kurt Sutter this: he definitely knows how to play the long game. Were seven episodes into this season of Sons of Anarchy, and while the wheels are turning in multiple different directions, where theyre all headed is anyones guess. Granted, every season of the show tends to pile on an increasingly large number of plot threads in order to bring them to an eventual collision point, but the way in which these narrative pieces will all eventually fit together has never been more hazy. This is due in large part to the writing staffs decision to play their cards close to the chest. Were still not sure whose side Pope is on. Hes made moves to include the Sons in a business venture, but hes also the man who was the clubs greatest and arguably most powerful enemy only a few short weeks ago. Clay is shaking things up from the inside, but Jax is already suspicious of his involvement. And where, exactly, does Nero fit into all of this? Hes set up a partnership with the club, but his intentions are still vague enough to warrant a sense of distrust. Of course, theres also all the other minor variables to consider. Juices newfound allegiance to Clay. Tigs forced support of Jaxs every decision. Gemmas downward spiral. Taras dealings with Otto. It all matters the question now is, to what degree? Although one could argue this narrative fog is the result of a season with no direction, theres an air of intent behind it all that instills enough faith to give the writing staff some credit. The sheer number of narrative possibilities alone is enticing. But for now, lets focus on what we have. Toads Wild Ride is notable for returning to one of the greatest narrative threads the show has at its disposal: the power struggle between Clay and Jax. Its interesting to see how different the two men are when it comes to their strategies. After nearly being discovered by Unser, Clay fights his way out of an impossible situation in the same way he always has: by crafting a lie and destroying everything that threatens it. In this case, he murders two of the three nomads responsible for the home invasions and convinces Unser of his innocence in the process. The way in which Jax and Clay differ in strategy revolves around how Clay came to make those moves in the first place. As it turns out, Jax is not the subtle manipulator his former club president undeniably is. Upon learning of Unsers suspicions that the home invasions are an internal issue, Jax barely stops short of spewing an outright threat towards the nomads. Of course, this tips Clay off, and sets off the chain of events that leads to where the narrative now stands. Luckily, one nomad remains, and its likely that the race between Jax uncovering the truth or Clay extinguishing it will be the primary focus of the next few episodes. Again, its interesting to see the difference in approach. Here, Jax is both upfront and reactionary, and its a fault that the more cautionary and manipulative Clay uses to his advantage. Theyre both capable of making chess moves, but Clay has proven himself, time and time again, to be the stronger of the two when it comes to masking his overarching motive. Even if Jax wins the battle and reaches the third nomad before Clay does, the fact that its his own fault he has to give chase means its much less likely that hell win the war. Then again, its impossible to know just how many moves Jax has planned ahead, and given the shows tendency for misdirection, it truly feels like anyones game.