TV Review: Sons of Anarchy 5.7, “Toad’s Wild Ride”

rating: 4

I€™ll give Kurt Sutter this: he definitely knows how to play the long game. We€™re seven episodes into this season of Sons of Anarchy, and while the wheels are turning in multiple different directions, where they€™re all headed is anyone€™s 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 staff€™s decision to play their cards close to the chest. We€™re still not sure whose side Pope is on. He€™s made moves to include the Sons in a business venture, but he€™s also the man who was the club€™s 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? He€™s set up a partnership with the club, but his intentions are still vague enough to warrant a sense of distrust. Of course, there€™s also all the other minor variables to consider. Juice€™s newfound allegiance to Clay. Tig€™s forced support of Jax€™s every decision. Gemma€™s downward spiral. Tara€™s 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, there€™s 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, let€™s focus on what we have. €œToad€™s 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. It€™s 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 Unser€™s 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 it€™s likely that the race between Jax uncovering the truth or Clay extinguishing it will be the primary focus of the next few episodes. Again, it€™s interesting to see the difference in approach. Here, Jax is both upfront and reactionary, and it€™s a fault that the more cautionary and manipulative Clay uses to his advantage. They€™re 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 it€™s his own fault he has to give chase means it€™s much less likely that he€™ll win the war. Then again, it€™s impossible to know just how many moves Jax has planned ahead, and given the show€™s tendency for misdirection, it truly feels like anyone€™s game.
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Cole Zercoe hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.