What I’m Watching: Sons of Anarchy

Sons of Anarchy: Season 3, Episode 2 “Oiled” (B)

It hardly seems fitting that Hale doesn’t even get so much as a funeral. He was one of the show’s most intriguing characters who probably actually represented the most genuinely good person in Charming, and it’s a shame to see him go without much recognition. This episode is hardly the most exciting of the series since it’s mainly exposition and important but slow plot development, but even the weakest episode of this series is almost on par with some of the strongest installments of many other dramas on the air today (with a few notable exceptions). What’s stalling things somewhat is the fact that Abel doesn’t feel like a living, breathing character because of his young age. The fact of his abduction can so easily be concealed from Gemma because it’s plausible that he might be fast asleep and incapable of speech every time she asks to speak to him. The execution of Cameron is also extremely troubling because Abel hasn’t been certifiably located yet. I often lose track of which gangs are which and why they might have a beef with SAMCRO, but I’m confident that things will be sorted out soon enough. Jax also needs to start accepting the fact that Tara is ready to be there for him and has already gotten into the lifestyle enough to continue living in it. And for anyone who thought Hal Holbrook wouldn’t be trouble, shooting Tig because he thought he was screwing his wife is definitely a problem that Gemma and SAMCRO did not need to have.