'Sons of Anarchy' on FX

[Phil]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sons-anarchys-theo-rossi-juice-390057

 

?I think Juice knows that the dominoes are coming down. What do you do here? You go into survival mode,? Rossi tells THR.

 

?I don?t think he was prepared for this,? he adds. ?This isn?t about hanging yourself anymore. This is the realization that you are most likely going to get massacred. You are most likely in a lot of trouble.?

 

?This is an absolute no-win situation for this guy, and I think that that?s played out pretty magnificently by Kurt,? he adds.

 

While Rossi can?t say too much about where Juice goes from here (or if he even survives the season), he did talk about the unexpected growth of his character from the comedic relief into a man dealing with secrets that push him into situations that can have very tragic consequences.

 

?I?m just so lucky to have a character on a television show that I couldn?t be more proud of, who gets to explore all of these emotions,? says Rossi. ?This show has changed my life in more ways than I could ever say.?

[Phil]

http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/11/19/this-weeks-cover-sons-of-anarchy/

 

http://img2-1.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/11/19/Cover-EW-1235.jpg

 

Most times, he can’t — which is why the network has been “really generous on time” by giving Sutter four 90 minute-episodes to wrap the drama’s fifth season, ending Dec. 4. But he still had to make tough choices. “I just can’t get it all in,” laments Sutter to EW. “It’s interesting because my scripts keep getting tighter in terms of page count and yet I keep getting directors cuts that are longer and longer. A scene that would normally play out in two minutes now takes like 3? minutes because they’re much more emotionalized. It’s really about letting those scenes breathe so they can have the life they’re supposed to have, because there is so much more at stake.”

[Phil]

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/11/20/sons-of-anarchy-to-thine-own-self-preview/

 

http://img2-1.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/11/19/Nero-Padilla_510x317.jpg

 

1. That turn Jimmy Smits told us Nero would soon be taking? As you can probably tell from the photo above, it’s time.

 

2. The episode is 90 minutes because Jax has a lot of maneuvering to do in a short amount of time after Romeo and Luis find out their leverage, the RICO case, is gone.

 

3. Donal Logue, who’ll guest in the season’s final three episodes, makes his debut. His character’s identity is a mystery within the show, but EW had the first look at him, so if you want that spoiler now, click here. (If not, you won’t be able to resist after seeing the episode.)

 

4. You’ll be reminded just how much you like Unser (and Dayton Callie).

 

5. Happy gets a chance to be Happy.

 

Oh, and Dave Navarro is going to be guest starring in the final two episodes as well:

 

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/10/15/dave-navarro-to-guest-star-on-sons-of-anarchy/

 

A rock star will join the rock stars who make FX’s most-watched drama.

Dave Navarro will guest star in the last two episodes of Sons of Anarchy this season as a member of the Biz Lats gang with close ties to Nero (Jimmy Smits). And here’s the added bennie of luring the famous guitarist to the motorcycle club: Navarro’s band Jane’s Addiction will do a cover of “Sympathy for the Devil” for the SOA finale.

[Phil]

Nero just brought war on Diosa, and as a result, the Sons.

[Phil]

For those curious who Donal Logue is playing here:

 

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/10/17/sons-of-anarchy-scoop-donal-logue/

 

Donal Logue — who last appeared in the network’s series Terriers — will play a brilliant and dangerous U.S. Marshal named Lee Toric who is forced into retirement because of his history of violence. He’ll appear in the drama’s final three episodes before it wraps its current season on Dec. 4.

 

“Lucky 2B part of amazing finish on this seasons’s Sons of Anarchy [Creator Kurt Sutter] pushing TV boundaries-shockingly awesome stuff coming down pike,” Logue recently tweeted.

 

My guess is that the nurse Otto killed was related to Toric, or was his girlfriend/wife, and that's why he's doing everything he can to make sure Otto's last days on earth are miserable.

 

--

 

On a related note, this is the preview for next weeks' episode, entitled "Darthy":

 

[video=youtube;-EkS8b4Qy9s]

 

The Clay/Bobby/Jax thing aside, the most interesting thing for me is that Pope comes calling for Tig. Anyone think Jax is really gonna turn him over? If not, I have no idea how you get him out of that situation unscathed. It's hard to get a read on the situation, especially if you think back to last nights' episode where Jax asks Tig if he still loves him, and then kisses him on the cheek. Jax is impossible to get a read on right now.

 

I will say this much, though — the body count was high early on, but I highly doubt considering the vitriol coming out of last seasons' season finale, that we escape this season without another major death, even if they take the safest route and just off Juice. Clay, Juice, Tig are all on the chopping block as far as I'm concerned, with a wildcard/dark horse in Bobby. There's also Unser, but he's going to die regardless, especially if the Chemo scene had anything to say about his future.

[I am Scags]

They also left us with Tara and the kids being followed out of the hospital, wonder where that's going?

 

Bobby really pissed me off last night. I guess you had to figure some of the old timers would have mixed allegiances and feelings to both Clay and Jax (we saw how Clay was trying to win back Tig), but Bobby just saw what Jax was able to pull off, in fact he noted that himself by getting them out of drug mess; and then he hears the truth from Jax and goes to protect Clay??

 

Yes, Pope asking for Tig coming is a major deal. I have no idea where thats going to go.

[-ERIK-]

They also left us with Tara and the kids being followed out of the hospital, wonder where that's going?

 

Bobby really pissed me off last night. I guess you had to figure some of the old timers would have mixed allegiances and feelings to both Clay and Jax (we saw how Clay was trying to win back Tig), but Bobby just saw what Jax was able to pull off, in fact he noted that himself by getting them out of drug mess; and then he hears the truth from Jax and goes to protect Clay??

 

Yes, Pope asking for Tig coming is a major deal. I have no idea where thats going to go.

 

He's not really trying to protect Clay,he is protecting Jax trying to stop Jax from becoming Clay,at least thats how I see it.Without those documents he can't kill Clay so if he does he just looks like he's acting on his vendetta against him.

[Fuhgeddaboudit]

Have a huge dilemma, this is the hardest show to follow this season. Not sure why, but I am iffy about it right now.

 

Maybe it's the length of the episode or what-not.

[Phil]

Have a huge dilemma, this is the hardest show to follow this season. Not sure why, but I am iffy about it right now.

 

Maybe it's the length of the episode or what-not.

 

Hardest in what sense? Most difficult to understand?

[Fuhgeddaboudit]

Hardest in what sense? Most difficult to understand?

 

 

To follow, I don't know. Like I love the show when the drama is intense and the fight/shooting scenes are amazing. But after that, the whole politics thing gets annoying. I just find myself drifting off, much more in this season than the others.

[Phil]

Might not be for you. SOA is always a mixture of dialogue/politics and action, and the politics are in full gear right now with Jax shifting to the head of the table.

[Phil]

Sutter is doing such an insanely great job of transitioning Jax to Clay, despite all the hatred Jax has for Clay. He truly is becoming Clay.

 

Clay being out is huge, but look the fuck out if he gets on that plane to Ireland. Sons are gonna be in for a major civil war if that old warhorse can rally his troops in Belfast. Fuckin' Bobby, man.

[Phil]

Theories on how the finale will play out? What's the deal with Juice and Clays gun? Is Tara going to prison? Any chance Clay/Gemma get out with Galen? Does Tig actually get turned over to Pope, or go back to prison to rot (we saw a glimpse of that in the preview, with Jax pulling a gun on him)? Will Lee Toric (the ex-U.S. Marshall) make a run at the club, or Jax?

 

What a rollar coaster this season has been!

[I am Scags]

Theories on how the finale will play out? What's the deal with Juice and Clays gun? Is Tara going to prison? Any chance Clay/Gemma get out with Galen? Does Tig actually get turned over to Pope, or go back to prison to rot (we saw a glimpse of that in the preview, with Jax pulling a gun on him)? Will Lee Toric (the ex-U.S. Marshall) make a run at the club, or Jax?

 

What a rollar coaster this season has been!

 

Somehow I think Tara stays out of prison. I think Clay does get out but Gemma stays stateside. She still has a place in heart and still loves Clay and she really could use a break from her wreckless life, but I just can't see her leaving everything behind, her son, Nero(wherever thats going) to be with Clay in Ireland.

They made it look like Tig is going down or gets handed over to Pope, but I think they may have something else up their sleeves on that.

As far as Toric, IMO they want you to think that he's going to be a big player in this while i'm of the opinion he's just another distraction in the countless other distractions and issues that Jax has on his plate.

I really think the biggest issuesare still going to be Clay/Irish vs Samcro moving forward as well as other issues like the cartel who IMO won't just go away easily.

 

Phil, what's your opinion on the cartel barging in on the Irish meeting? Any ideas why that really happened

[Phil]

Somehow I think Tara stays out of prison. I think Clay does get out but Gemma stays stateside. I think a part of her still loves Clay and she really needs a break from her wreckless existance, but I just can't see her leaving everything behind, her son, Nero(wherever thats going) to be with Clay in Ireland.

They made it look like Tig is going down or gets handed over to Pope, but I think they may have something else up their sleeves on that.

As far as Toric, IMO they want you to think that he's going to be a big player in this while i'm of the opinion he's just another distraction in the countless other distractions and issues that Jax has

on his plate.

I really think the biggest issue is still going to be Clay/Irish vs Samcro moving forward as well as other issues like the cartel who IMO won't just go away.

 

Phil, what's your opinion on the cartel barging in on the Irish meeting? Any ideas why that really happened

 

Absolutely. I said the same earlier. If Clay gets over to the IRA, I have a feeling we're going to be seeing something of a civil war to end the series, where battle lines get drawn between both countries, across all of the Sons of Anarchy MC, and it won't end until one of Jax or Clay dies (or both).

 

As to the cartel barging in on the Irish, that was payback for the way Jax handled the whole business of getting SAMCRO out of the muling/drug business in the first place, without going to Romeo & co. to explain what he was doing.

 

The big thing for me here is the Tig/Jax/Pope scenario. Remember when Jax met with Pope's right-hand man at Charming Heights? He said something to him about his being loyal... and patient. To me, that's foreshadowing that the "handover" we got a glimpse of is actually going to end up being the death of Damon Pope, who's going to end up getting fucked here, because at the end of the day he's still the man who ordered Opie's death, and there's just no way Jax is going to be buddy-buddy with that piece of shit much longer.

[I am Scags]

Absolutely. I said the same earlier. If Clay gets over to the IRA, I have a feeling we're going to be seeing something of a civil war to end the series, where battle lines get drawn between both countries, across all of the Sons of Anarchy MC, and it won't end until one of Jax or Clay dies (or both).

 

As to the cartel barging in on the Irish, that was payback for the way Jax handled the whole business of getting SAMCRO out of the muling/drug business in the first place, without going to Romeo & co. to explain what he was doing.

 

The big thing for me here is the Tig/Jax/Pope scenario. Remember when Jax met with Pope's right-hand man at Charming Heights? He said something to him about his being loyal... and patient. To me, that's foreshadowing that the "handover" we got a glimpse of is actually going to end up being the death of Damon Pope, who's going to end up getting fucked here, because at the end of the day he's still the man who ordered Opie's death, and there's just no way Jax is going to be buddy-buddy with that piece of shit much longer.

 

Ahh I thought the same thing!! Popes has been made out to be this almost larger than life untouchable gangster that knows everything and can't be harmed. We just know that relationship with him and Jax can't end smooth, and I think Jax sees it as if he can take out Pope and a few of his top guys that his entire organization could crumble.

[Phil]

Ahh I thought the same thing!! Popes has been made out to be this almost larger than life untouchable gangster that knows everything and can't be harmed. We just know that relationship with him and Jax can't end smooth, and I think Jax sees it as if he can take out Pope and a few of his top guys that his entire organization could crumble.

 

I don't think it goes that far at all, actually. I think Jax will take him out, or offer to on an under the table deal, again without SAMCRO knowing, as a means to get his predecessor into power and free Tig.

 

The whole conversation Jax had about wanting revenge, which we're lead to believe is about Clay, IMO is actually about killing Pope — the clubs' main source of revenue right now. That is what I think Jax was referring to when he was talking about doing something against the wishes of his club, even though it screamed of killing Clay.

[Phil]

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/11/28/sons-of-anarchy-donal-logue/

 

? What makes Toric a different kind of foe for SAMCRO:

?A lot of people have come into their world from my world ? even though I?m not active law enforcement anymore ? because their job is to go after different organized criminal groups. It?s just their job. We?re doing it in this town in northern California, we might be doing it in South Carolina next. And it?s kind of like a competitive sport. I remember years ago talking to Kurt about that. There?s almost a respect, too, in this regard: Your job is to be the cop, my job is to be the robber. But in this case, this guy?s coming into their world like Outlaw Josey Wales?. It feels like a weightier threat because he comes from such a different world, and he?s so powerfully motivated with revenge and he?s so mysterious. Even the Popes in the world, who are very scary and powerful guys, you know they?re based out of Oakland, you know where they are. This guy?s kinda coming in from a satellite in outer space and is very rogue and like a lone assassin.

 

? On the significance of Toric reading Watchfiends & Rack Screams, a collection of works by Antonin Artaud:

?Artaud was this French writer who spent a lot of time in mental institutions. He walked that thin line ? he was a genius, and he was mentally ill, probably?. He thought that art?s duty was to be as real as life, to be shocking and brutal, and to hit you in your face so hard that it broke the kind of comfortable veneer with which you perceive reality. ? The way I saw it, in terms of Lee Toric, is that Artaud would basically say, ?Okay, you kind of like violence, you like war. Let me take you down to the morgue and just shove your face into a dead body, just so you can see. Now, do you like what this is?? ?Cause he feels like society is always like, ?I think we should go and do this!? But no one?s looking at the bodies on the floor, no one?s standing there, no one?s getting their face shoved in it. And he said the only way that people can come around and see things and have a correct perception for how they should really be is if that happens to them through art or through life. On one level, that?s what Sons is kind of about. On the other level, I think Lee Toric feels like he chose ? probably almost 30 years ago when he went into the military ? that he was gonna take on the bad guys?. He fought crime. He was involved in some high-level, big, intense, dark stuff when he was a U.S. Marshal. And I think his thing is, I dip into all these worlds where people can say, ?In the cartel world, in the motorcycle club world, stuff happens. People get killed. You know the rules.? And it?s kind of, like, amoral in this way. To make you see what?s right and wrong, I?m gonna come at you 10 times heavier. I think that that?s what was kind of genius about Kurt?s choice of who he?d be reading to get strength and buffet his crusade. He?s on a crusade.?

 

? On Toric?s background:

?Toric is a Harvard-educated special forces guy who was a rogue-ish U.S. Marshal? In the scene with Tara, where she?s tough and she?s been playing this game for years; he?s been playing this game for decades. And it?s like, ?I think you?ve seen some stuff. I?ve seen bodies hanging from bridges. This is the world I?ve come from, and I?ve been doing it for a long time. So go plot, go spin, go try and figure out what I?m up to. But I?m five steps ahead of you.?

 

? On whether Toric is crazy, in light of us seeing those pill bottles in his hotel room: ?I don?t know the full story. He might be dealing with some kind of pain. I don?t think he?s crazy. I had this interesting conversation with David E. Kelley years ago, when I was on The Practice for a little bit. [My character] was mad at their law firm because I was an assistant district attorney and this guy that we?d been chasing for a long time, that had $300,000 worth of cocaine on him, was basically successfully defended by their law firm and sent back into public. And everybody kept referring to my character as ?The D-ck? because it was my name [ADA Richard 'Dickie' Flood], but it was a joke that I?m a d-ck. And I?m like, hold on. ? ?I?m just somebody who?s trying to keep cocaine off the streets. Why am I the a?hole? I get it, you?re slimy, good defense lawyers ? the country needs it, and I respect it.? [but just like on SOA], I?m not a jerk for being intense about someone smuggling a murder weapon in to kill my sister. I would probably be a jerk if I was nonplussed about it. It?s Outlaw Josey Wales-style. It?s like, you picked the wrong person. You just weren?t aware of who you messed with. If you mess with someone, you?re always taking that risk that they have a family and they have people who are vengefully minded. My character?s are always utterly sympathetic to me.?

[Patrick Bateman]

Clays gonna go into hiding but a talent scout will sign him to be the voice for commercials

[Phil]

Clays gonna go into hiding but a talent scout will sign him to be the voice for commercials

 

He should be the "previously on Sons of Anarchy" guy.

[Phil]

TVLINE | How do you, as an actor, feel about Clay and his current standing going into the season?s final hours?

 

It?s always been a tightrope walk on this show because clearly [creator] Kurt Sutter is the only one that knows where he?s ultimately taking everyone ? and he?s always been the only one who knows where he?s taking us in the interim, while he?s getting us to where we?re ultimately going to end up. So, a lot of this has been seat-of-your-pants stuff. There are certain promises I had to make to myself in order to continue to play Clay and admire the character, because even though I?ve played a wide swath of bad guys or troubled individuals, there?s always something about their wiring that attracts me to them; there?s some sort of deep-seated nobility. Sometimes it?s very buried, and sometimes it?s short-circuited by psychological misfires that create some reprehensible behavior. In this particular instance, it?s a TV series where you haven?t read the whole script and you?re not performing something that you know the beginning, middle and end of; you?re having to reserve judgement.

 

One of the promises I had to make to myself is that I would never, ever judge Clay, I would only try to understand what his move meant in the moment and what it means in the bigger picture. The thing that I?ve always tricked myself into believing, perhaps, is that ultimately he?s a very heroic figure; he is somebody who?s a born leader, somebody who you can really, really trust in a foxhole. He will make what appears to be completely unacceptable and barefaced, ruthless moves, but in his mind it?s always for the greater good of the family. Having said all of that, there have moments where I?ve been given certain things to execute by Kurt that I?ve had trouble with, and I?ve had to go to him [asking] how I manage to get past my disdain for this specific act and play him in a way that fits into my overall overview of Clay, which is that he?s a flawed hero. So, it?s made for some lively discussions.

 

But I would rather be having those kinds of discussions with this kind of material, playing somebody as complex as Clay, than pretty much anything I could ever imagine doing in television. It?s always exciting, it?s always challenging, it?s always keeping you on your toes and it?s always forcing you to never become complacent? These guys are really complex and they?re not one thing or another; they?re not good or bad, but a compilation of all those things. You?d be surprised if you really examine people?s behavior and what they?re willing to do ? especially when their back is against a wall and their family is at stake; we?re not that far afield [from society]. Having said that, it?s a family story, ultimately, and it?s about protecting the family?s values.

 

TVLINE | The scene where Clay breaks down was pretty heartbreaking. What exactly was he grieving in that moment?

 

Oh man. The reason why he finally breaks down and does it in a way that?s so cathartic and so physical is probably because it?s everything. Whatever he was trying to save is destroyed? Having some sort of a functional relationship with his stepson is destroyed. His standing in the community, which he worked his entire adult life for, is destroyed. He?s now finally been sent into the wilderness; he?s a man without a country, he?s a man without a family, he?s a man without anything. Even though he?s trying to hold one thing ? probably the most important thing, which is Gemma ? he?s not even that sure about that. It?s just this release. The sins have finally, irrevocably come home to roost, and this is something that even he and all of his cleverness and ruthlessness cannot reverse. This is a done deal. Kurt has not given me that many opportunities to have that kind of emotional release in five years. He was very specific the way he wrote this, that he wanted it to be a violent release of emotion, and I can only assume it?s because it?s a guy who?s lost everything he ever valued.

 

TVLINE | The last scene of this penultimate episode strongly suggests that Jax is more than on his way to becoming Clay. Do you see it that way?

 

One of my favorite scenes of the season was kind of a minor one, but [it] really resonated deeply with me and turned out to be kind of an epiphany as to what Kurt was trying to explore. It was the one where Clay makes some comments about Jax?s leadership to Bobby, and he gets really defensive [and says] that Jax is doing a great job. Clay then said, ?That?s exactly what I?m saying: He?s doing such a great job, but there?s no way he?s going to not be corrupted by the seat and the gavel.? It was kind of a warning shot that Bobby doesn?t take seriously, and the audience doesn?t even know if Clay is saying this just to get even or because he?s got a personal beat on what the ravages of power do to a person and the price of it; that you cannot stay who you started out to be. The epiphany for me is that ultimately what Kurt is doing here is exploring the ravages of power; what it does to the purest of men and whether, in one?s intrinsic destiny or karmic wiring, one is able to come back from going to a very dark place or doing things that are truly reprehensible.

 

More here: http://tvline.com/2012/11/27/sons-of-anarchy-season-5-recap-spoilers-ron-perlman/

[Fuhgeddaboudit]

Jax might turn exactly like Clay was... jesus. Having a hard time liking him right now, but a lot of the actions are understandable.

[Phil]

http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/12/04/sons-of-anarchy-season-5-finale-predictions/

 

Does Tig live to see Season 6?

Does Clay get to make his great escape to Ireland?

If you HAD to bet on someone dying in the finale, your money would be on?

Who'll get her way — Tara or Gemma?

Will Juicey make it through the episode without crying? (LOL)

 

Any other predictions for tonight's season finale?

[jjweimar]

http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/12/04/sons-of-anarchy-season-5-finale-predictions/

 

Does Tig live to see Season 6?

Does Clay get to make his great escape to Ireland?

If you HAD to bet on someone dying in the finale, your money would be on?

Who'll get her way — Tara or Gemma?

Will Juicey make it through the episode without crying? (LOL)

 

Any other predictions for tonight's season finale?

 

Tig goes to prison

Clay makes it out until half way through next season

Juicey dies

Tara and Gemma have another fight and it starts more bad blood

Juicey def cries

 

other: huge twist in either the cartel or pope storylines

[Phil]

My predictions:

 

Does Tig live to see Season 6? Yes, and leaves with Clay for Ireland.

Does Clay get to make his great escape to Ireland? Yup, with Tig. Gemma will flake on him because of her love for Nero.

If you HAD to bet on someone dying in the finale, your money would be on? Damon Pope.

Who'll get her way — Tara or Gemma? Gemma, because Tara is going to prison.

Will Juicey make it through the episode without crying? (LOL) Hell no, but he'll live.

 

Any other predictions for tonight's season finale? Jax is gonna swerve everyone with Tig and end up killing Pope after setting Tig up, making Pope believe he was going to turn him over. In turn, Pope's second-hand man will take his place and keep all their agreements in place.