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Sons of Anarchy – Seems like a solid plan

This episode raises some philosophical questions: Namely, what is the actual point of an outlaw biker gang if you're broke all of the damn time?

- Season 4, Episode 2 - "Booster"

Look, it’s no secret that I’m in love with this show. But as I’ve mentioned before, my love doesn’t come from a deep fascination with outlaw life or motorcycle clubs. In fact, I could give a shit about motorcycles in general. So maybe that’s why the driving reasons behind SAMCRO make absolutely no sense to me.

Isn’t the point of crime to make money? To live a lifestyle that can’t be afforded by a “straight” job? Then why the fuck are these guys so broke all of the time? Seriously. The club’s lack of cash has been a major plot point every single season. I would understand if Opie and the guys are broke, much like street-level crack dealers end up making less than minimum wage, if SAMCRO had some sort of kingpin. However, Clay, who would be the de facto kingpin in this operation, is just as cash poor as the rest of these folks. So what’s the point?

If these guys gave up gun running and put half of the effort that they currently put into busting skulls into their mechanic business, it seems as though they’d be a lot better off financially. Sure, Jax is only a decent mechanic now, but that’s because so much of his time is devoted to having the shit kicked out of him, getting shivved in prison, and traveling halfway around the goddamn world to go find his infant son who was kidnapped by a grieving IRA member and then given up for adoption by an unethical priest, and then kidnapped again. Imagine what an excellent mechanic Jax could be if he didn’t have that bullshit to deal with.

So, the point is, running coke for a Mexican cartel on top of your already peril-fraught gun running business? Seems like a solid plan, you guys. Seriously I can’t think of a single thing that could go wrong with that one. I mean, one big score before retirement? That always works out. In fact, movies and television are riddled with success stories about dudes who are all, “Shit. Being a criminal is tough. Let’s double our risk and double our reward. Oh look, it worked. That was easy.” THE END.

Maybe I’m lazy; maybe I’m not seeing the big picture, but I watch this show, with all of the punching and the shooting and the general shittery of their lives and I just think, “Damn. Don’t any of y’all just want to pick up dinner from Chipotle and go read a book?”

On the plus side, the boys get to mix it up with some pretty awesome characters: Danny Trejo, who was born to be on this show, finally shows up, and who does he bring along with him? None other than David Aceveda (Benito Martinez)! I love how more and more cast members from The Shield keep cropping up the longer SOA is on the air. We definitely need more Kenny Johnson too. Watching him and Tig together is pretty amazing.

Gemma finds the letters this week after some pretty impressive snooping. I’m not entirely convinced that she murdered John Teller, but she’s certainly acting like a woman who has something to hide. Not only that, but it looks as though Unser is hiding it with her. I’ve got to think though, that if it was a murder plot hatched by both Gemma and Clay in order to get John out of the picture so they could be together, that Clay would seem a little more concerned about the whole situation. Instead, he’s barely raised an eyebrow, while Gemma looks like she’s about to shit a particularly large brick.

Gemma is clearly going to be making some moves soon. My only hope is that they include shoving that carton of chocolate milk into Potter’s overly-quirky face and giving Roosevelt a million splinters for damaging the table. The table!


 

Photo Credit: Prashant Gupta / FX

4 Responses to “Sons of Anarchy – Seems like a solid plan”

September 14, 2011 at 9:40 AM

I didn’t recognize Benito Martinez at first..he seemed a little heavier. Maybe it was because he wasn’t wearing a good looking suit?
I am thinking that every week I will be yelling at the tv..Jax, just leave, pack up and run, Tara’s a doctor for god’s sake!! But then there would be no show!
I wonder if Jax was there when Roosevelt took the ax to the wall would he have been able to contain himself as well as the rest of the club. Then Roosevelt entered Church and did damage..he’s gonna pay for that one!!!

September 14, 2011 at 10:57 AM

Your premise reminds me of an episode of the Mentalist. Jayne mentions, that an average drug dealer would earn more money waiting tables at a fast food joint.
The problem with criminals is, that they always think that they’re above average. Maybe that’s the downside of the American Dream.

September 14, 2011 at 11:04 AM

The way the career criminal mind works is really interesting. I first learned about the minimum wage thing in reading this: In Search of Respect Selling Crack in El Barrio.

I’m pretty sure they touch on it in Freakonomics as well (also, I’m bad at html).

September 14, 2011 at 11:35 AM

No love for Ronnie (David Rees Snell) from The Shield?

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