Sons of Anarchy has always been a dark, violent show – it’s about a gun- and drug-running biker gang, what do you expect? But through the cast’s chemistry, and their commitment to storylines both lighter and darker, the show has managed to keep itself from embracing the omnipresent bleakness that pervades a show like, say, The Leftovers. Granted, SoA‘s sixth season was grim and Shakespearean, but Kurt Sutter (who writes or co-writes seemingly every episode, making him one of the most involved showrunners around) has never forgotten to show the guys having fun, to give us glimpses of the comraderie that binds them together and gives viewers more reasons to come back every week.
Then there are episodes like “Poor Little Lambs.” It wasn’t a bad episode – it was your typical hour of Sons, replete with an overstuffed storyline and bizarre celebrity cameos – but man was it bleak. I don’t think this show has had a body count this high since the season six premiere, and that ended with a school shooting. The one bright aspect to “Lambs” was the reappearance of Walton Goggins’ Venus Van Dam, one of the most human, natural, and wonderful portrayals of a transgendered character on any show. I’m not kidding.
Jax has been tasked by Tyler (leader of the One-Niners) with finding the wife of the pastor who got shot a few weeks ago. August Marks apparently needs to speak with her. But when they find the woman – thanks to Venus, who showed up in one of the pastor’s, um, “home movies” – she’s in no mood to speak, as she and her son make a break for it before Rat Boy causes them to drive into the lake. Quick thinking, Rat! To the club’s credit, Jax and Chibs immediately dive into the lake to rescue the woman.
Turns out August wants her to sign over a piece of the church property, so he can set up a front and use it for laundering money and holy shit with this subplot. I’d be surprised if Kurt Sutter even knows what’s going on anymore. The more convoluted it gets, the less I seem to care.
The most revelatory part of “Poor Little Lambs” is Walton Goggins as Venus Van Dam. He was Emmy-nominated for his first go-round as Venus, and the fact that he didn’t win is criminal. Venus gives a beautiful monologue to Tig, who’s got a belly full of buckshot, about being born a man then realizing her true calling as an angel. Goggins sells this wonderfully, and it’s not only the highlight of the show but maybe of this entire season. I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that Sons of Anarchy has a large contingent of frat boy meatheads who only tune in to see blood, drugs, and tits, so Kurt Sutter has a tremendous set of balls to portray Venus as sympathetically as he does. Venus is a great character, and thankfully not overused.
The rest of the episode, holy shit, so much violence. Jax, Chibs, and Bobby meet with Leland, Ron Tully’s #2, about unloading their heroin. They’re followed to the meet by Deputies Cain and Eglee – big mistake, guys. Leland’s crew immediately opens fire, killing Cain and wounding Eglee.
It gets worse: one of Lin’s men throws a grenade through the window of Scoops, blowing the place to shit, but luckily not harming anyone. Chibs offers Sheriff Jarry a ride home (they hold hands in the car), which means he misses out on the next bit of fun: Lin’s attack on Diosa. I was not expecting this, but my heart sunk when the four men walked into the room. Sutter – and episode director Guy Ferland – does a great job of showing that violence begets naught but violence. This was the episode where everything was supposed to hit the fan, and it did, beautifully and gruesomely. (Kim Dickens’ Colette Jane is among the dead; between this and her turn as Joanie Stubbs on Deadwood, I don’t think she’s cut out to be a Madam.)
Sons of Anarchy‘s swan song is narratively messy, and the violence has almost lost all meaning, but one thing you have to admit: Kurt Sutter is playing for keeps.
A Few Thoughts
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“Althea” – as in Sheriff Althea Jarry – comes from the Greek word for “healing,” which is the reason she came to Charming in the first place
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I was so happy to see Venus and Tig kiss
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I love how SoA treats the fluid nature of Tig’s sexuality. It’s almost a nonissue. He’s clearly attracted to Venus on an emotional and physical level, but remember a few weeks ago when he made Rat Boy pretend to go down on him and got hard as a result. Not to mention, in season one he alluded to necrophiliac tendencies. And he also has a daughter (well, had), so it’s impossible to say definitively if he’s gay, straight, bi, whatever. It’s not important. It’s remarkably progressive for a show like this, and Kurt Sutter should be applauded for his approach. It’s the same with Venus Van Dam: some people don’t need a label, some people just are
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That was an unrecognizable Courtney Love as Ms. Harrison, Abel’s teacher
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Tig said “Giggity” tonight. That stuck out to me for some reason
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I wonder if Jarry is just playing Chibs. Call me naive, but there seems to be an actual connection there
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Juice and Wendy are totally gonna hook up, right?
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Ron Tully speaking in code just because he misses his dogs was a great gag
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