Sons of Anarchy, Ep. 5.03, “Laying Pipe”: Finding the hidden advantage

Sons of Anarchy Season 5, Episode 3: “Laying Pipe”
Written by Kurt Sutter
Directed by Adam Arkin
Airs Tuesdays at 10pm (ET) on FX

Guess last week truly was the calm before the storm. Right when Sutter has you thinking that he doesn‘t have it in him to send one of his leads down the final road we get hit with this… If you liked it or not, this episode is one for the books, as Opie’s death (unexpected at least to me, who ignored all Twitter and Facebook warnings posted in advance) hits right in the heart. Whether it’s beneficial for the show‘s development, which remains to be seen, it is most certainly a ballsy move on the writers’ end. Maybe that is why Sutter has shown such mercy to his SAMCRO members in the past, to wait it out and make this one count. Because let’s face it, as sad as it was to see Half Sack and Piney go, Opie eventually offering himself up as the sacrificial lamb, “Those are the things that turn players into kings”, as Pope rightfully comments during Jax’s and his talk right after Opie‘s death, proving once again he’s a villain with cool logic and very little sympathy.

But let’s see how this gruesome scenario unfolded during what has only been the third episode of season five yet. A few minutes in and Sutter already gets right to the nitty gritty; Shortly after the SAMCRO boys arrive in jail, Jax faces Damon Pope, who doesn‘t hold back in his demands: half of the money of each drug mule, Tig in jail for the rest of his life, and a son’s life as retaliation; in short, one bloody freaking moral mess for Jax to figure out. And while it’s clear from that moment that it has to be either Opie or Chibs to go, one wonders what Jax’s smart way out will be- the solution for everyone to remain alive. But the air at the gavel is thin and Jax is not running on the sidelines any longer, he’s the one having to make the decisions, despite the fact that it’s not his mess to clean up.

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