If tonight’s episode taught us anything, it’s that SAMCRO has gotten a lot smarter about the way it handles business – whether it’s selling guns or killing gangsters. Though dumping those dead Russians on Jacob Hale’s property development reeked of the club’s involvement, the decision to use Opie’s wedding as their alibi is already paying off. Not that Roosevelt is necessarily buying their cover story, but Lincoln knows that there’s nothing they can do about it for the time being. Of course, if SAMCRO is willing to sever their ties with the Russians so easily, Lincoln suggests that it can only mean one thing: they’re working with someone even bigger.

And as it just so happens, he’s right, with Alvarez serving as the middle man for introductions between SAMCRO and the Galindo drug cartel, which is run by a guy named Romeo, who, despite being played by the always intimidating Danny Trejo, actually seems like a pretty nice guy as far as drug traffickers go. Clay has struck a lucrative deal with Romeo to provide guns to the cartel, but when Jax learns that their new business venture includes transporting cocaine for them as well, he’s not a happy camper. Though working with Romeo comes with its benefits (namely, protection from the Russians and friends in high place), Jax doesn’t like that Clay has agreed to the deal without speaking to the rest of the club about it first.

There’s a reason for that, of course – no one would ever agree to it – but Clay is so desperate to make some quick money before he’s forced to step down as President that he asks Jax for his backing when he puts it to vote. Though Jax is completely against the idea of getting mixed up in the drug business, he agrees to help out Clay on one condition: when he finally does step down, Clay will back his decision to leave the club and push the vote for Opie to become the new President. Clay has no other choice to agree, but I can’t imagine how Tig or Bobby (who clearly have more seniority than Opie) will react when that day comes. Then again, what’s to say it ever will? Plus, Bobby isn’t on very good terms with Clay after locking horns over the vote, and he’s trying to get Tig on his side by convincing him that they’re no longer part of Clay’s inner circle.

A munity is the last thing the club needs right now, however, because no matter how much the other Sons may disapprove of Clay’s latest deal, they’re going to have an awfully hard time convincing themselves that they don’t need the cartel’s protection after Jax and Opie were kidnapped by the Russians and held for ransom. Clay and the guys did everything they could considering the circumstances (more on that later), but it was Romeo and his crew who ultimately came to the rescue. They may end up being more trouble than they’re worth, but for now, the Galindo cartel is the only thing standing in the way of the ROC (that’s Russian Organized Crime for those who’ve been wondering what that acronym could possibly stand for) from ordering a total massacre of SAMCRO and everyone they love. Things are about to get very interesting in little old Charming.

Other thoughts from the episode:

* For someone who takes law enforcement so seriously, Roosevelt is surprisingly lax about following the rules himself. Not only did he exploit the city’s resources (in this case, what looked like the entire fire department) in order to gain entry into SAMCRO’s clubhouse, but he then proceeded to smash up the place with no reasonable cause. How in the world could that possibly be legal?

* Never one to stay out of trouble for too long, Gemma is surely only going to make the situation involving the mystery behind John Teller’s death worse by snooping around in Jax and Tara’s personal lives. Though Clay explicitly told her to leave things be lest she raise suspicion, Gemma just couldn’t help herself knowing that Tara was in possession of those letters from Maureen.

* Tara’s far too smart not to figure things out eventually (especially considering she already has a copy of the police report from JT’s “accident”), and though Gemma may think she’s more cunning than her, I think that we’re really going to see Tara evolve into more of a traditional “old lady” this season when Gemma tries to cross her.