For the past few weeks, we’ve witnessed Jimmy O continuously lie to SAMCRO about the whereabouts of Cameron and Abel. Though it initially seemed like he was simply trying to protect the cause while he awaited their next move, it now appears that he isn’t very happy about Father Ashby’s decision to make Cameron’s death public and refuse to return Abel to his family. Jimmy warns Ashby that SAMCRO will eventually arrive in Belfast with guns blazing, but Ashby doesn’t want to use Abel as a bargaining chip, and he seems content to just see how things play out.
What Jimmy doesn’t realize is that this is all a ploy to get rid of him, as he’s recently been recruiting youngsters off the streets to join the IRA, and Ashby doesn’t approve. So if he can convince the Sons that it was Jimmy who’s been lying to them all along, then he may be able to get them to do his dirty work for him without marring their business relationship. He’s even instructed Maureen to contact Gemma and tell her that Abel is in Belfast, so he clearly wasn’t planning on keeping father and son apart forever.
And Jimmy is playing right into Ashby’s hands, calling Jax to inform him that Abel wasn’t with Cameron in Belfast and therefore must still be in Vancouver somewhere. That means that the Canadian adventure is still very much on, but first, Jax and Clay head up to Oregon to pick up Gemma, who’s busy preparing Nathan for his trip to the nursing home. And since just about everybody else is wanted by the police, Gemma asks Nathan to sign over his power of attorney to Tara so that she can tend to his affairs.
Of course, Tara would much rather be out with everyone else searching for Abel, and when Jax suggests that she start acting like an old lady and do what she’s told, Tara childishly confesses to aiding Gemma in Amelia’s murder to prove that she’s deeper in than he thought. That doesn’t go over well with anyone, especially Tig, who’s surprised to learn that the very person who told him not to say anything to Jax about Amelia was the first to open her mouth. Gemma, meanwhile, is worried that crossing the border will only make her look guilty, and when Tig proposes that she disguise herself by dying her hair red (an obvious reference to Katey Sagal’s “Married… with Children” character), she tells him that she’d rather shave her head. It’s nice to see that the writers still find room to inject a little humor in the story, because this season has been particularly dark so far.
The side story involving Happy, Bobby and Piney’s trek up north to help a pharmacist friend ward off some invading rednecks definitely had more of a Season One-type vibe to it. The ending to the whole standoff was great as well, with the leader of the rednecks asking Piney why they were doing this, only for him to reply quite matter-of-factly, “Because we’re the good guys.” In exchange for their help, Happy got some meds for his sick mom, Bobby got some inhalers for his son Tiki, and Piney got a big wet kiss.
Unfortunately, the celebration is cut short when Clay learns that Gemma – all emotional after saying goodbye to her dad – has gone back home to Charming to see baby Abel. And if the discovery of his absence wasn’t worrying enough, then Maureen’s conveniently timed phone call sent her over the edge… and crashing to the ground, ostensibly from a heart attack. Perhaps Clay and Jax should have told her about Abel sooner, because in this condition, Gemma’s not going to be able to stay on the run for much longer. In fact, it’s hard to imagine she won’t have to go to the hospital for treatment, so I’ll be curious to see how she manages to stay out of jail now that the cops know she’s back in town. Maybe Agent Stahl will come to the rescue. I mean, what other reason did Gemma have for calling her?
