“Clay can’t be saved.” – Gemma
Clay’s (Ron Perlman) descent into villainhood has been one of this season’s most fascinating aspects.
It’s been clear for a while now that at some point in the not too distant future, Clay is going to have to pay for his sins. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of “when” and “who.”
Prior to this episode of Sons of Anarchy, I thought I had come up with a pretty good theory about who would be the one to kill Clay. I thought that Potter (Ray McKinnon) would bust into the meeting between the Sons, the Cartel, and the Irish. The members of SAMCRO, disillusioned with Clay’s leadership, would manufacture a way for Clay to take the fall, landing Clay in jail. Coincidentally, Clay would end up in the same prison as Otto (Kurt Sutter). Otto would blame the Sons, and by extension Clay, for the murder of his wife. Otto would have motive and opportunity. What better way for a show to kill of its main character than having him die by the hand of the show’s creator (Sutter)? Kurt Sutter is precisely the kind of egomaniac that would try to pull something like this off.
However, after watching “Hands,” I’m starting to realize that I may have been over-thinking things. Sometimes the simplest answer is the most likely. In this case, the simplest answer is that Jax (Charlie Hunnam) will kill Clay. After all, Sons of Anarchy, has been laying the foundation for this inevitable showdown since the pilot episode.
I really enjoyed “Hands,” partially because it flew in the face of a criticism I made about the show last week. In my previous review, I argued that the show had become too predictable, too committed to remaining on a predetermined course. Last night, for the first time in a while, the show did something that truly surprised me. I’m talking, of course, about the Gemma (Katey Sagal) versus Clay slugfest.
Gemma confronts Clay after deducing that he was responsible for the attempted hit on Tara (Maggie Siff). “Maybe Jax needs to know the truth,” she threatens before pulling a gun on Clay. A scuffle ensues and Gemma loses control of the gun. She gets in a good punch or two, but Clay is simply too powerful. He savagely pummels her face, first with an open palm and then with a closed fist. It’s a tough scene to watch, and one of the few times this season that I’ve been genuinely shocked.
Soon after the confrontation, Unser (Dayton Callie) finds Gemma sitting in the dark, her face battered almost beyond recognition. This is a crucial turning point in the series. Until now, no matter how awful Clay has been, he has always had a willing accomplice and sympathetic confidante in Gemma. Not anymore. Gemma is fully on board with Team Jax now. Gemma tells Unser, “(Clay’s) gonna die…by the hand of the son.”
After a line like that, it would be a huge let down if Jax wasn’t the one to pull the trigger on his (step)father. Unless of course Gemma gets to do the honors herself…
Some stats and info about Sons of Anarchy, “Hands”
TV SHOW – Sons of Anarchy
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 4, Episode 10
AIRED ON – November 8th, 2011
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – FX
GENRE – Drama, Crime Dramas
CREATED BY – Kurt Sutter
CAST – Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Dayton Callie, Maggie Siff, Ron Perlman, David Labrava, Jimmy Smits, Drea de Matteo
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.