It probably wasn’t the best idea for Jax to pin the shooting on “some black guys,” but no one could have expected that Tig would take the news so personally. I can understand why he feels like it might be his fault after turning his back on Clay, but to just retaliate on the Niners like that without any proof they were even responsible was really stupid. Tig was lucky to get out of that situation alive, because you can be sure that’s not the last we’re going to see of the Niners. Though Laroy made it out in one piece, his wife/girlfriend/someone important was killed in the initial attack, and two more of his men died in the ensuing chase. Geez, just when all the gangs in Charming we’re starting to play nice with one another and Tig had to go and mess it up.

Meanwhile, Gemma looks like she’s finally done protecting Clay (either that, or she just wants to be on the winning side) and decides to open up to Tara about all the horrible things that Clay has done lately. It was obviously just a ploy to make her feel guilty about using John Teller’s letters as leverage, but it worked, because Tara gave Gemma the key to the storage unit where they were hiding all along. After reading through the letters, however, Gemma took out the ones that implicated her and Unser and handed the rest over to Jax, which ultimately led to her spilling the beans on years of secrets – from Clay’s initial attempt to kill JT by sending him into a Mayan ambush, to rigging his bike to crash, to shooting Piney in the cabin and even putting out the hit on Tara.

All in all, it was a pretty clever attempt at getting Jax to stay in Charming and take over his rightful place at the head of the club, but Gemma wasn’t expecting Tara to outwit her. This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen the good doctor evolve as a result of spending so much time around Gemma, but it is the first time that she’s let her know it. Tara knew all along what Gemma was going to do with those letters and even had the gall to brag about it. In fact, she’s so confident that Jax will keep his word about leaving town that she’s willing to help kill Clay (using a blood thinner, natch) and allow him to wrap up business with the IRA and the cartel before heading off on their merry way, and Gemma definitely wasn’t happy about it.

What neither woman realizes, though, is that Jax is about to walk in to a world of trouble. Forced to take Clay’s place at the meeting due to his (ahem) condition, Jax is given assurance by Romeo that despite what Lennie the Pimp may have told him about Otto striking a deal with the Feds, his inside source has confirmed that it’s not true. Now, either Romeo knows something that the Sons don’t or they need to find better sources, because if Jax and Chibs get caught at the meet, they’ll be arrested as part of the RICO case. And when you think about it, that only makes Juice’s cooperation with Lincoln that much worse, since those are the two guys (particularly Chibs) who were there for him after his suicide attempt. Kurt Sutter always has an ace up his sleeve, however, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with this time around.

After Gemma learns that Opie has found out the truth about Piney’s death, she begins to worry that he’s going to kill Clay, and even scolds Unser for telling him. If Unser looked a little confused, it’s because Gemma doesn’t seem to know what she wants anymore, and the poor guy was left scratching his head just like I was while watching it. It wasn’t that long ago that she went to Unser demanding that Clay needed to die at the hands of a Son, so why the sudden change of heart? You’ve got me, but whatever the reason, she’s obviously decided that she no longer wants Clay dead, and even makes the effort to warn him that Opie is coming for him with a vengeance.

But before we jump to that juicy showdown, it’s worth discussing the events that occurred right before it. Is it just me or is Clay having second thoughts about killing Tara? The previews for this week’s episode hinted at Clay finishing the job himself, but after talking with Romeo about the botched hit, he didn’t seem too convinced that she needs to die anymore, even after Romeo offers to handle it personally. Instead, his visit to Tara’s hospital room was actually quite diplomatic, even if it was a bit of a threat in disguise. He claims that he’s willing to help Jax and Tara get out of town in exchange for John Teller’s letters, and I actually believe him. All he cares about now is saving his own neck, and if Tara is no longer a threat, then it’s actually in his best interest to get her and Jax out of his way so that he can continue his reign over the club.

Of course, Clay wasn’t expecting a wild card like Opie to interfere. Though I’m a little surprised that Opie could even think that Jax knew about Piney’s murder, he refuses to rely on the club to decide Clay’s punishment and heads to the clubhouse to dole out some good old fashioned justice on his own. Jax’s threat to kill Opie if he shot Clay seemed pretty stupid at the time, but thinking back on it now, I guess you can argue that Jax didn’t actually know for sure that Clay was responsible. Nevertheless, Opie just smiled at the comment and shot Clay twice, although from the look of it, he only hit him in the shoulder, which means that Clay is probably still alive.

Meanwhile, it looks like Otto won’t be reneging on his agreement with Lincoln after all. He’s signed the papers confirming his testimony and, after making Bobby read a list of all the crap he’s done for SAMCRO while in prison, hands him over to the Feds, who throw him into lockup with Juice. You’d think that Otto would have at least want to talk to Bobby before ratting the club out, but since the meet happened after the fact, it wouldn’t have even mattered if Bobby told him the truth about Georgie. Surely Bobby is screwed whether Lincoln takes down the Irish or not, so does he become the new Otto?

Other thoughts from the episode:

* Ryan Hurst has always been one of the best things about “Sons of Anarchy,” and his performances these past few weeks have been nothing short of phenomenal. It isn’t easy to stand out in a show filled with so many great actors, and yet he manages to do exactly that almost every time he’s on screen. It would be criminal if Hurst wasn’t recognized at some point before the end of the show’s run.

* Although it happened prior to the climactic showdown, Jax’s admission that he no longer thinks Opie is ready to lead the club brings up an interesting debate. Granted, I don’t believe for one second that Jax is actually leaving Charming, but it’s interesting to at least imagine how differently the club would operate under the command of Bobby and Chibs, who Jax suggests take over as President and VP when Clay steps down.

* I get that Kurt Sutter likes to have some fun with the show – it is his show, after all – but that offhand comment by Jacob Hale about Charming’s mayor was a little too cute for my taste. Mayor Quimby? Really guys?

But after witnessing Clay make a similar verbal promise to the Wahewa chief knowing full well that he was lying through his teeth, you could tell that Bobby wasn’t buying Clay’s faux act of sincerity any longer. Not that it really matters, because the decision went through even without his vote, albeit with plenty of drama. Piney should have known better than to go behind Clay’s back and involve Gemma in club business – and it’s likely earned him a permanent spot on Clay’s shit list (not to mention a death threat) as a result – but Gemma also needs to keep her nose out of where it doesn’t belong. Still, the look on her face after Clay’s outburst suggests that she’s never seen that side of him before, so it’ll be curious to see how that affects their relationship going forward.

And at the rate she’s going, Gemma might not have many allies by the time this season is over. She was already pushing her luck by breaking into Tara’s office once, but by doing it again, she was practically begging to get caught, which is exactly what happened when Tara’s boss walked in on her snooping around. That may have forced Gemma’s hand to take the more direct approach and confront Tara about Maureen’s letters, but while she claims that nothing good can come of Jax reading them, Tara seems to believe that she has another agenda – namely, protecting the truth about John Teller’s death. Tara clearly already has her suspicions just from the way she’s been behaving around Clay lately, but the fact that she’s gone through the trouble to make copies of the letters proves that she thinks Gemma is up to no good. SAMCRO’s queen bee may have finally met her match, and I don’t think she’s fully realized it yet.

Meanwhile, after his RICO case was seemingly ruined following the death of his undercover agent, Lincoln has turned his attention to SAMCRO in order to use their criminal dealings with the Russians and Real IRA to keep the investigation alive. He doesn’t have much to go on at the moment besides speculation about the Sons’ involvement with the Galindo cartel, so he sends Roosevelt into town to shake things up by attempting to turn Juice against the club. Apparently, Juice’s biological father is African-American, and Roosevelt thinks that SAMCRO wouldn’t take too kindly to that information. I find it hard to believe that the club would exile Juice because he’s half-black (he doesn’t even look it), so I’m hoping that nothing comes of this revelation, because the writing on this show is far too strong to fall back on such a weak subplot.

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.

Clay, Jax and the rest of the guys may be ready to get back to work, but there’s a new sheriff in town in the form of Eli Roosevelt who’s going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn’t happen. Not only does Roosevelt have the full backing of Jacob Hale (who’s now mayor of Charming and moving ahead with plans to build luxury housing), but he’s a real by-the-books kind of guy with previous experience working with gangs, which apparently SAMCRO is now considered under the letter of the law. He also has another powerful ally in Lincoln Potter (what’s with all the characters named after former presidents?), an Assistant U.S. Attorney who requests Roosevelt’s help on a case that he’s quietly building against the Russians, the Real IRA and SAMCRO that would allow the FBI to take out all three of them in one fell swoop under the RICO Act.

Though the Russians weren’t too happy with the way that SAMCRO double-crossed them at the end of last season (nearly killing Jax in prison as retaliation), the two parties have since managed to make peace in order to continue doing business together. Meeting with Russian boss Putlova over the conditions of that deal was at the top of Clay’s to-do list as soon as he was released from prison. But when he realizes that the club is being watched like a hawk by Roosevelt’s men, the Sons devise a clever plan to distract the cops so that Clay, Jax and Opie can meet with Putlova without anyone knowing. And that ultimately proved to be more important than it was made to seem, because SAMCRO’s newfound partnership with the Russians didn’t last for very long.

You almost have to feel bad for those silly Ruskies, because who would have thought that the Sons would screw them over twice? Getting rid of their new partners may have been a necessary move, and it even helped Clay’s plan to ruin Hale’s housing development by dumping the dead bodies on his land, but they’re going to be in for quite the surprise when they learn that one of the Russians that was killed was actually an undercover FBI agent. It’s hard to tell whether or not that will expedite Lincoln’s investigation or actually buy SAMCRO more time, but as always, I can’t wait to find out.

Other thoughts from the episode:

* It’s cool to see that Kozik was finally voted into the Redwood charter (although word on the street is that Kenny Johnson is only going to be around for a handful of episodes this season), but why is Tig suddenly okay with it? And perhaps more importantly, why do they seem so buddy-buddy all of a sudden? Doesn’t Tig hate Kozik?

* If there’s ever a nuclear holocaust, I’m now convinced that three things will survive: cockroaches, Keith Richards and Otto. I thought for sure that he was a goner after slitting his wrists in the opening montage, but it was just a ploy to get him into the same room as one of the Russians so that he could exact revenge for the attack on Jax. Even still, it’s incredible what this guy has managed to survive over the last few years.

* This isn’t the first time that Clay’s arthritis has been mentioned, but it’s clearly got him thinking about how many more years he has left in the club. Fans shouldn’t worry too much, though, because he’ll likely stick around as long as the show is still on the air.

* And that brings me to my next point. After Jax proposed to Tara, she voiced her concerns about marrying into the outlaw life, leading him to reveal his plans to leave SAMCRO for good once Clay is forced to step down. Unfortunately, I think that they’re going to be waiting a little longer than either of them expects, especially if Gemma has anything to say about it. That woman has a way of always getting what she wants.

* That had to be one of the most unconventional weddings that I’ve ever seen. Opie at least threw on a nice dress shirt underneath his cut, but Lyla looked more like a stripper than a bride. Let’s also not forget that the whole celebration was used as cover for the Sons’ slaughter of the Russians, which is in and of itself pretty hilarious.

* As a fan of “The Shield,” it was great to see David Rees Snell pop up as one of the ATF agents working for Lincoln. I’m not sure how big of a role he’ll play this season, but Benito Martinez is also scheduled to appear, so it’s almost like a mini-reunion. Does anyone want to put a wager on who the next “Shield” alum to guest star will be?