Pilot (Sons of Anarchy)
Encyclopedia
"Pilot" is the first episode of the FX television series Sons of Anarchy
, the pilot episode of the series. It was written by series creator Kurt Sutter
, and directed by Alan Coulter and Michael Dinner
. It originally aired in the United States on September 3, 2008.
, tells one of his men to torch the place. Unknown to them, two women are hiding beneath the building. At a nearby convenience store, Jax Teller
, the Vice-President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club
, purchases condoms and a pack of cigarettes. When he isn't looking, the salesgirl slips into his bag a children's book that he was looking at. He spots the book, but is distracted by the fire coming from the nearby warehouse.
Members of the Sons of Anarchy MC then arrive at the warehouse, after driving past a road sign reading "Welcome to Charming
". Charming, a small town in Northern California
, is watched over by the outlaw motorcycle club
calling themselves the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original Charter (aka SAMCRO or "Sam Crow"), who are also involved in gun running. Finding that the police are already there, Clay Morrow
, the club President, speaks to Sheriff Vic Trammel about the blaze. He claims that propane tanks inside the building exploded, but suspects arson due to the bootprints around the area. He then shows SAMCRO the charred corpses in the basement, and Clay tells him to dispose of them. They were Mexican
illegal immigrants being housed in the building by Tig Trager
, SAMCRO's Sergeant-At-Arms, in exchange for sexual favours. After Jax gives him money in order to alert the fire department about the incident, Trammel asks what he's "supposed to tell the boys up in East Bay
", referring to the One-Niners, a street gang who buy weapons from SAMCRO. Clay responds by telling him to set up a meeting.
At the Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair, an auto shop owned and operated by SAMCRO, new member Half-Sack Epps
has joined the club as a Prospect. He explains how he got his nickname after losing a testicle while fighting in Iraq. Jax has recently moved back in with his mother Gemma Teller Morrow
and stepfather Clay after splitting up with his wife Wendy Case due to her methamphetamine
addiction. She is also pregnant with their child. Gemma calls Jax for dinner, and tells him to bring Half-Sack. However, she then tells him not to when she discovers that Epps is a Vegan. Meanwhile, Wendy tears apart her home looking for a spoon, before preparing to inject a needle into her hand. But, being heavily pregnant, she then decides against it.
Clay meets with Laroy Wayne, the One-Niners leader, in the East Bay and tells him what happened to the guns and the warehouse. Laroy is upset as he needed the guns, which he planned to sell to the Mayans. After an argument, Laroy gives Clay more time to get some more guns.
Jax begins looking through boxes of old belongings in his parents' garage, finding old photographs of his late father John, who founded the club after returning from service in Vietnam
. He also finds a journal entitled The Life and Death of Sam Crow: How the Sons of Anarchy Lost Their Way, written by him for his sons Jax and Tommy (who died in 1990). When he is called away to a club meeting, Jax hides the journal. At the clubhouse, all charter members have gathered in the "Chapel", the club's meeting room. Intelligence officer Juice Ortiz
has located the guns stolen from the warehouse, now being stored by the Mayans in San Leandro
. Clay wants to find the guns, steal them back, and torch the place where they were found. However, Bobby Munson
, the club Secretary, cannot attend as he is performing an Elvis impersonation in Lake Tahoe
that night.
When Gemma goes to visit Wendy at her home, she finds her collapsed and unconscious on the floor. She takes her to the hospital and calls Jax, who then also shows up at the hospital. Dr. Tara Knowles
, Jax's high school sweetheart, tells him that track marks were found on Wendy's hands and feet, and that an emergency C-section had to be performed on her, leaving the baby boy born ten weeks premature. Because of this, the baby has a heart defect and a tear in his abdomen. The latter is from Wendy's drug abuse, but the former problem is likely a genetic defect. Together, both defects are near-fatal, leaving him with just a 20% chance of survival. Jax decides not to visit his baby, named Abel, and instead flees the hospital. He brings Bobby with him to a sleazy bar where he beats Wendy's dealer repeatedly with a pool cue. He later visits his best friend and lapsed club member Opie Winston and convinces him to come along on the approaching raid on the Mayans' warehouse. Opie, an explosives expert, is uncertain, however, as he was recently released from a five-year prison sentence which he served for the club after being caught during a similar raid.
Back at the clubhouse, Jax suggests to the club that they look into other ways of earning money instead of dealing weapons, especially with so many rival groups on their back. Clay says they should first deal with regaining their weapons. Later, Clay tells Jax that he can't be "getting cold feet" about the club, especially with an expensive baby in the world. He tells him that he and Jax's father served time, lost brothers and spilled a lot of blood to get the club to where it is today.
Jax then visits Wendy in hospital. She promises that she'll get clean, and says that the doctors told her Abel is getting stronger, but she herself is facing a charge of fetal abuse as a stash of drugs were found at her home. She asks him to get rid of the stash before she faces time in jail. When he arrives at her home, he finds his mother feverishly cleaning it. He tells Gemma that Abel will die, which angers her; she slaps him and tells him that he's the only one his son has got. She goes on to tell him about the strength of the Teller men, and Jax asks her about his father's original vision of the club. She responds that it was to create a brotherhood, a family. Jax tells her about the writings he found, and how his father wanted a social rebellion, not an outlaw club. Jax then encourages Gemma to finish cleaning tomorrow, and she leaves. He finds Wendy's drugs and a handgun
in a drawer. He flushes the stash down the toilet and takes the gun.
That night, Gemma and Clay prepare for bed and talk about Jax's questioning of the gun running, and his idea for not rebuilding the gun factory. Gemma tells Clay to stop Jax's new found mode of thinking, and nail him down. She doesn't want "the ghost of John Teller" poisoning Jax and destroying everything they've built together.
The next day, the club members discuss the recent parole of Ernest Darby
who leads the Nordics, a White supremacist
gang of meth dealers. Clay, Jax and Bobby later meet up with Darby at a diner, and warn him to keep his drug dealing out of Charming.
At the hospital, Tara recommends that Abel's heart surgery happen today, and asks to privately talk to Gemma. She asks her to talk to Wendy and let her know that she has somebody, but Gemma says she would only give her vitriol. Tara asks if she has a problem with her being involved with the case, to which Gemma replies that as long as she's a good doctor, she couldn't care less. The two argue, with Tara claiming she's a different person to how she was 10 years ago. Gemma lifts up the back of her shirt, briefly exposing a biker tattoo. Tara claims that she has kept it to remind her that her past is behind her. Gemma exits, calling her a bitch as she leaves.
That night, Jax goes to Opie's house to bring him along on the raid and finds that his wife Donna is angered because Opie is again involved with the club. Jax tells Opie to stay with his family, and makes an exuse to Clay that one of his children had an accident that needed his attention.
Meanwhile, when Bobby arrives in Tahoe with Half-Sack, he is informed by the owner of the club where he is performing that there has been a double booking and that he will have to make a booking for another time. The other act that night is also an Elvis impersonator but is Asian
and there are a number of Korean tourists going to see him, which means that he is favoured over Bobby. Half-Sack goes to the Asian's dressing room and beats him up so that he can't perform and Bobby can.
In San Leandro, Clay, Jax, Tig and Chibs Telford
have rode into town and they soon find the Mayans' stash of guns and heroin. However, after they break into the warehouse, a group of guards show up and Clay and Chibs shoot and kill the first few (wearing Mayans vests), leaving one that Clay forces Jax to kill. This man is White
and has a Swastika
tattoo, implying that he is a Nord (and that the Mayans and Nords now have an alliance). Jax is hesitant to kill the man, implying that he truly is getting cold feet about the club, and Clay eventually does it when the Nord reaches for a gun. The group then use explosives to blow up
the stash, and the corpses in the process, before riding back to Charming with the guns.
Tara performs successful surgery on Abel and Gemma visits Wendy, ridiculing her and telling her that the District Attorney
is dropping any charges against her. Wendy says that she will get clean, now that she has her baby. Gemma threatens her, saying that if she tries to get custody of the child, she will kill her. Gemma then gives back the Bible
Wendy was reading when Gemma entered the room, recommending she turn to Jesus
. She leaves, and Wendy opens the book, discovering a needle inside. Jax also returns to the hospital, and reunites and embraces with Tara. She notices the blood on his clothes, and tells him to clean himself up. Wendy has an overdose in her hospital bed, as the doctors desperately try and save her. Jax finally visits his son.
was cast in the role of Clay Morrow
and an entire pilot episode was filmed with him. However, series creator Kurt Sutter
decided to go in a different direction with the character and re-cast Ron Perlman
in the role, and Clay's scenes were re-shot. Also, the One-Niners street gang who buy weapons from SAMCRO first appeared in The Shield
, which Sutter produced.
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
, the pilot episode of the series. It was written by series creator Kurt Sutter
Kurt Sutter
Kurt Sutter is an American screenwriter, director, producer and actor. He worked as a producer, writer and director on The Shield, also appearing on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy on FX and writes, produces, directs and performs for the series,...
, and directed by Alan Coulter and Michael Dinner
Michael Dinner
Michael Dinner is an American director, producer, and screenwriter for television. Prior to his TV career, he was a recording artist for Fantasy Records.-Directed:*The Wonder Years *Chicago Hope...
. It originally aired in the United States on September 3, 2008.
Starring
- Charlie HunnamCharlie HunnamCharles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam is an English actor. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 hit drama Queer as Folk and to US audiences as Vice President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson...
as Jax TellerJax TellerJackson "Jax" Teller is a fictional character and the central character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Charlie Hunnam. He is the Vice President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club's Redwood Original chapter based in Charming, California, despite only being in his early 30s... - Ron PerlmanRon PerlmanRonald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
as Clay MorrowClay MorrowClarence "Clay" Morrow is a fictional character in the FX television series Sons of Anarchy. He is played by Ron Perlman. He is the President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, but is also something of a vigilante as he does everything in his power to ensure that drug dealers and rapists stay... - Katey SagalKatey SagalCatherine Louise "Katey" Sagal is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She first achieved widespread fame as Peggy Bundy on the long-running Fox comedy series Married.....
as Gemma Teller MorrowGemma Teller MorrowGemma Teller Morrow is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Katey Sagal. Gemma is the wife of Clay Morrow, widow of John Teller, and mother of Jax Teller... - Maggie SiffMaggie SiffMargaret "Maggie" Siff is an American actress best known for her television roles, notably department-store heiress Rachel Menken Katz on the AMC drama Mad Men and Dr. Tara Knowles on the FX drama Sons of Anarchy...
as Tara KnowlesTara KnowlesDr. Tara Knowles is a character on the FX drama Sons of Anarchy played by Maggie Siff. She is the love interest of the main character, Jax Teller, and the mother of his second child Thomas Teller.-Early life:... - Ryan HurstRyan HurstRyan Douglas Hurst is an American actor who perhaps most notably starred as Gerry Bertier, an All-American linebacker in Disney's Remember the Titans and as Alison's brother, Michael, in the show Medium. He also played the role of football player Lump Hudson in The Ladykillers, appeared in the...
as Opie Winston - William LuckingWilliam LuckingWilliam Lucking is an American film, television, and stage actor perhaps best known for his role as Piney Winston in the drama series Sons of Anarchy.-Film and television:...
as Piney WinstonPiney WinstonPiermont "Piney" Winston was a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by William Lucking. He was a member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, and was one of the Club's founders .-Character biography:... - Kim CoatesKim CoatesKim Coates is a Canadian-American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American movies and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire and in the lead role of Macbeth performed at the Stratford Theatre...
as Tig TragerTig TragerAlexander "Tig" Trager is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Kim Coates. He was the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club's Charming, California chapter and is the gang's second most violent member. Trager is extremely fond of women, and... - Mark Boone JuniorMark Boone JuniorMark Boone Junior is an American actor perhaps best known for his roles as Bobby Munson in FX's Sons of Anarchy and in two films by Christopher Nolan, Memento and Batman Begins...
as Bobby MunsonBobby MunsonRobert "Bobby Elvis" Munson, is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Mark Boone Junior. He is the Secretary of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club's Charming, California chapter... - Tommy FlanaganTommy FlanaganThomas Lee Flanagan was an American jazz pianist born in Detroit, Michigan, particularly remembered for his work with Ella Fitzgerald...
as Chibs TelfordChibs TelfordFilip "Chibs" Telford is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Tommy Flanagan. He is a Medic & member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club and, unlike most of the gang's members who are American, he is Scottish... - Theo RossiTheo RossiTheo Rossi is an American actor, best known for his role on the FX series Sons of Anarchy as Juan Carlos "Juice" Ortiz....
as Juice OrtizJuice OrtizJuan Carlos "Juice" Ortiz is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Theo Rossi. He is the Intelligence Officer for Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club... - Johnny LewisJohnny LewisJonathan Kendrick "Johnny" Lewis , also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, is an American actor.-Life and career:Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens with guest starring roles in American Dreams , Boston Public , and The Guardian , among others...
as Half-Sack EppsHalf-Sack EppsKip "Half-Sack" Epps is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Johnny Lewis. He was a prospective member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, which often results in hazing and him being given undesirable tasks...
Guest Starring
- Sprague GraydenSprague GraydenSprague Grayden is an American television, film and theater actress. She appeared in the television drama Jericho, playing schoolteacher Heather Lisinski.-Early life:Grayden was born in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts...
as Donna Winston - Tory KittlesTory KittlesTory Kittles is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as Malibu's Most Wanted, Get Rich or Die Tryin, Next, and Miracle at St...
as Laroy - Drea de MatteoDrea de MatteoDrea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...
as Wendy Case - Mitch PileggiMitch PileggiMitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is an American actor. Pileggi is known for playing FBI assistant director Walter Skinner on the long-running popular series The X-Files. He also had a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis as Col. Steven Caldwell...
as Ernest DarbyErnest DarbyErnest Darby is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Mitch Pileggi. He is one of the show's early antagonists and is the leader of the Nordics, a White supremacist drug dealing street gang.-Biography:... - Glenn PlummerGlenn PlummerGlenn E. Plummer is an American film and television actor.Plummer was born in Richmond, California. He has appeared in numerous films and television series, primarily in supporting roles or small bit parts, such as High Top in Colors. His prominent roles came in the films Menace II Society, Speed,...
as Vic Trammel - Emilio RiveraEmilio Rivera-Early life:Rivera was born in San Antonio, Texas of Mexican descent. He is the oldest child of four brothers and three sisters. As a young boy, he and his family moved to Elysian Valley, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.-Acting career:...
as Marcus AlvarezMarcus ÁlvarezMarcus Álvarez is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Emilio Rivera. He serves as one of the main antagonists on the show and is the leader of the Mayans, a Mexican-American biker gang.-Biography:... - Dendrie Taylor as Luann Delaney
- Jon Jon Briones as Asian Elvis
- Johnny Drocco as Dude Seated at Bar
- James Geralden as Male Back-Up Singer
- Cameron GoodmanCameron Goodman-Biography:She was born in Texas but grew up in Washington D.C. She attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. after transferring from Syracuse University in New York.-Career:...
as Louise Hoffman - Wandah Kay as Female Back-Up Singer
- Stevie Long as Long John
- Alan Mueting as Hospital Visitor
Plot
Members of the Mayans, a Mexican-American motorcycle gang, break into a warehouse and begin stealing the hundreds of guns inside. The leader of the gang, Marcus AlvarezMarcus Álvarez
Marcus Álvarez is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Emilio Rivera. He serves as one of the main antagonists on the show and is the leader of the Mayans, a Mexican-American biker gang.-Biography:...
, tells one of his men to torch the place. Unknown to them, two women are hiding beneath the building. At a nearby convenience store, Jax Teller
Jax Teller
Jackson "Jax" Teller is a fictional character and the central character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Charlie Hunnam. He is the Vice President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club's Redwood Original chapter based in Charming, California, despite only being in his early 30s...
, the Vice-President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club
Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club
The Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original or SOA, is a fictional outlaw motorcycle club and organized crime syndicate from the FX television series Sons of Anarchy. The club was formed by John Teller and Piermont "Piney" Winston, two Vietnam War veterans, in 1967 in Charming,...
, purchases condoms and a pack of cigarettes. When he isn't looking, the salesgirl slips into his bag a children's book that he was looking at. He spots the book, but is distracted by the fire coming from the nearby warehouse.
Members of the Sons of Anarchy MC then arrive at the warehouse, after driving past a road sign reading "Welcome to Charming
Charming, California
Charming is a fictional town in the television series Sons of Anarchy. It is located in the San Joaquin Valley of California. According to a sign on the edge of town, its population is 14,679 and its motto is "Our Name Says It All"....
". Charming, a small town in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, is watched over by the outlaw motorcycle club
Outlaw motorcycle club
An outlaw motorcycle club is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-World War II USA, centered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the...
calling themselves the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original Charter (aka SAMCRO or "Sam Crow"), who are also involved in gun running. Finding that the police are already there, Clay Morrow
Clay Morrow
Clarence "Clay" Morrow is a fictional character in the FX television series Sons of Anarchy. He is played by Ron Perlman. He is the President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, but is also something of a vigilante as he does everything in his power to ensure that drug dealers and rapists stay...
, the club President, speaks to Sheriff Vic Trammel about the blaze. He claims that propane tanks inside the building exploded, but suspects arson due to the bootprints around the area. He then shows SAMCRO the charred corpses in the basement, and Clay tells him to dispose of them. They were Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
illegal immigrants being housed in the building by Tig Trager
Tig Trager
Alexander "Tig" Trager is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Kim Coates. He was the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club's Charming, California chapter and is the gang's second most violent member. Trager is extremely fond of women, and...
, SAMCRO's Sergeant-At-Arms, in exchange for sexual favours. After Jax gives him money in order to alert the fire department about the incident, Trammel asks what he's "supposed to tell the boys up in East Bay
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
", referring to the One-Niners, a street gang who buy weapons from SAMCRO. Clay responds by telling him to set up a meeting.
At the Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair, an auto shop owned and operated by SAMCRO, new member Half-Sack Epps
Half-Sack Epps
Kip "Half-Sack" Epps is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Johnny Lewis. He was a prospective member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, which often results in hazing and him being given undesirable tasks...
has joined the club as a Prospect. He explains how he got his nickname after losing a testicle while fighting in Iraq. Jax has recently moved back in with his mother Gemma Teller Morrow
Gemma Teller Morrow
Gemma Teller Morrow is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Katey Sagal. Gemma is the wife of Clay Morrow, widow of John Teller, and mother of Jax Teller...
and stepfather Clay after splitting up with his wife Wendy Case due to her methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
addiction. She is also pregnant with their child. Gemma calls Jax for dinner, and tells him to bring Half-Sack. However, she then tells him not to when she discovers that Epps is a Vegan. Meanwhile, Wendy tears apart her home looking for a spoon, before preparing to inject a needle into her hand. But, being heavily pregnant, she then decides against it.
Clay meets with Laroy Wayne, the One-Niners leader, in the East Bay and tells him what happened to the guns and the warehouse. Laroy is upset as he needed the guns, which he planned to sell to the Mayans. After an argument, Laroy gives Clay more time to get some more guns.
Jax begins looking through boxes of old belongings in his parents' garage, finding old photographs of his late father John, who founded the club after returning from service in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He also finds a journal entitled The Life and Death of Sam Crow: How the Sons of Anarchy Lost Their Way, written by him for his sons Jax and Tommy (who died in 1990). When he is called away to a club meeting, Jax hides the journal. At the clubhouse, all charter members have gathered in the "Chapel", the club's meeting room. Intelligence officer Juice Ortiz
Juice Ortiz
Juan Carlos "Juice" Ortiz is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Theo Rossi. He is the Intelligence Officer for Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club...
has located the guns stolen from the warehouse, now being stored by the Mayans in San Leandro
San Leandro, California
San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...
. Clay wants to find the guns, steal them back, and torch the place where they were found. However, Bobby Munson
Bobby Munson
Robert "Bobby Elvis" Munson, is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Mark Boone Junior. He is the Secretary of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club's Charming, California chapter...
, the club Secretary, cannot attend as he is performing an Elvis impersonation in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
that night.
When Gemma goes to visit Wendy at her home, she finds her collapsed and unconscious on the floor. She takes her to the hospital and calls Jax, who then also shows up at the hospital. Dr. Tara Knowles
Tara Knowles
Dr. Tara Knowles is a character on the FX drama Sons of Anarchy played by Maggie Siff. She is the love interest of the main character, Jax Teller, and the mother of his second child Thomas Teller.-Early life:...
, Jax's high school sweetheart, tells him that track marks were found on Wendy's hands and feet, and that an emergency C-section had to be performed on her, leaving the baby boy born ten weeks premature. Because of this, the baby has a heart defect and a tear in his abdomen. The latter is from Wendy's drug abuse, but the former problem is likely a genetic defect. Together, both defects are near-fatal, leaving him with just a 20% chance of survival. Jax decides not to visit his baby, named Abel, and instead flees the hospital. He brings Bobby with him to a sleazy bar where he beats Wendy's dealer repeatedly with a pool cue. He later visits his best friend and lapsed club member Opie Winston and convinces him to come along on the approaching raid on the Mayans' warehouse. Opie, an explosives expert, is uncertain, however, as he was recently released from a five-year prison sentence which he served for the club after being caught during a similar raid.
Back at the clubhouse, Jax suggests to the club that they look into other ways of earning money instead of dealing weapons, especially with so many rival groups on their back. Clay says they should first deal with regaining their weapons. Later, Clay tells Jax that he can't be "getting cold feet" about the club, especially with an expensive baby in the world. He tells him that he and Jax's father served time, lost brothers and spilled a lot of blood to get the club to where it is today.
Jax then visits Wendy in hospital. She promises that she'll get clean, and says that the doctors told her Abel is getting stronger, but she herself is facing a charge of fetal abuse as a stash of drugs were found at her home. She asks him to get rid of the stash before she faces time in jail. When he arrives at her home, he finds his mother feverishly cleaning it. He tells Gemma that Abel will die, which angers her; she slaps him and tells him that he's the only one his son has got. She goes on to tell him about the strength of the Teller men, and Jax asks her about his father's original vision of the club. She responds that it was to create a brotherhood, a family. Jax tells her about the writings he found, and how his father wanted a social rebellion, not an outlaw club. Jax then encourages Gemma to finish cleaning tomorrow, and she leaves. He finds Wendy's drugs and a handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
in a drawer. He flushes the stash down the toilet and takes the gun.
That night, Gemma and Clay prepare for bed and talk about Jax's questioning of the gun running, and his idea for not rebuilding the gun factory. Gemma tells Clay to stop Jax's new found mode of thinking, and nail him down. She doesn't want "the ghost of John Teller" poisoning Jax and destroying everything they've built together.
The next day, the club members discuss the recent parole of Ernest Darby
Ernest Darby
Ernest Darby is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Mitch Pileggi. He is one of the show's early antagonists and is the leader of the Nordics, a White supremacist drug dealing street gang.-Biography:...
who leads the Nordics, a White supremacist
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
gang of meth dealers. Clay, Jax and Bobby later meet up with Darby at a diner, and warn him to keep his drug dealing out of Charming.
At the hospital, Tara recommends that Abel's heart surgery happen today, and asks to privately talk to Gemma. She asks her to talk to Wendy and let her know that she has somebody, but Gemma says she would only give her vitriol. Tara asks if she has a problem with her being involved with the case, to which Gemma replies that as long as she's a good doctor, she couldn't care less. The two argue, with Tara claiming she's a different person to how she was 10 years ago. Gemma lifts up the back of her shirt, briefly exposing a biker tattoo. Tara claims that she has kept it to remind her that her past is behind her. Gemma exits, calling her a bitch as she leaves.
That night, Jax goes to Opie's house to bring him along on the raid and finds that his wife Donna is angered because Opie is again involved with the club. Jax tells Opie to stay with his family, and makes an exuse to Clay that one of his children had an accident that needed his attention.
Meanwhile, when Bobby arrives in Tahoe with Half-Sack, he is informed by the owner of the club where he is performing that there has been a double booking and that he will have to make a booking for another time. The other act that night is also an Elvis impersonator but is Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
and there are a number of Korean tourists going to see him, which means that he is favoured over Bobby. Half-Sack goes to the Asian's dressing room and beats him up so that he can't perform and Bobby can.
In San Leandro, Clay, Jax, Tig and Chibs Telford
Chibs Telford
Filip "Chibs" Telford is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Tommy Flanagan. He is a Medic & member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club and, unlike most of the gang's members who are American, he is Scottish...
have rode into town and they soon find the Mayans' stash of guns and heroin. However, after they break into the warehouse, a group of guards show up and Clay and Chibs shoot and kill the first few (wearing Mayans vests), leaving one that Clay forces Jax to kill. This man is White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
and has a Swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
tattoo, implying that he is a Nord (and that the Mayans and Nords now have an alliance). Jax is hesitant to kill the man, implying that he truly is getting cold feet about the club, and Clay eventually does it when the Nord reaches for a gun. The group then use explosives to blow up
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
the stash, and the corpses in the process, before riding back to Charming with the guns.
Tara performs successful surgery on Abel and Gemma visits Wendy, ridiculing her and telling her that the District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
is dropping any charges against her. Wendy says that she will get clean, now that she has her baby. Gemma threatens her, saying that if she tries to get custody of the child, she will kill her. Gemma then gives back the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Wendy was reading when Gemma entered the room, recommending she turn to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. She leaves, and Wendy opens the book, discovering a needle inside. Jax also returns to the hospital, and reunites and embraces with Tara. She notices the blood on his clothes, and tells him to clean himself up. Wendy has an overdose in her hospital bed, as the doctors desperately try and save her. Jax finally visits his son.
Production
Originally, Scott GlennScott Glenn
Theodore Scott Glenn is an American actor. His roles have included Wes Hightower in Urban Cowboy , astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff ,Emmett in Silverado , Commander Bart Mancuso in The Hunt for Red October , Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs and The Wise Man in Sucker Punch -Early...
was cast in the role of Clay Morrow
Clay Morrow
Clarence "Clay" Morrow is a fictional character in the FX television series Sons of Anarchy. He is played by Ron Perlman. He is the President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, but is also something of a vigilante as he does everything in his power to ensure that drug dealers and rapists stay...
and an entire pilot episode was filmed with him. However, series creator Kurt Sutter
Kurt Sutter
Kurt Sutter is an American screenwriter, director, producer and actor. He worked as a producer, writer and director on The Shield, also appearing on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy on FX and writes, produces, directs and performs for the series,...
decided to go in a different direction with the character and re-cast Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
in the role, and Clay's scenes were re-shot. Also, the One-Niners street gang who buy weapons from SAMCRO first appeared in The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
, which Sutter produced.
Music
- "Hard Row" by The Black KeysThe Black KeysThe Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
- "Fool and You" by Year Long DisasterYear Long DisasterYear Long Disaster is a Stoner rock band from Los Angeles, California.-History:The band had its beginnings in 2003 when guitarist and singer Daniel Davies met bassist Rich Mullins of Karma to Burn in a Hollywood grocery store; at the time Mullins was having drug problems and was homeless...
- "Writings on the Wall" by Album Leaf
- "Plenty Strong, Plenty Wrong" by Maylene and the Sons of DisasterMaylene and the Sons of DisasterMaylene and the Sons of Disaster is an American, Southern metalcore band formed in 2004 in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2005, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster signed to Mono Vs Stereo and released their self-titled debut album...
- "No Generation" and "Machine" by The LionsThe LionsIn geography, The Lions are located in the North Shore Mountains north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The service organization Lions Clubs International is often referred to as "The Lions."...
- "Kick Back" by Fireball MinistryFireball MinistryFireball Ministry is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1999.- Biography :Conceived in Cincinnati in the late '90s by James A. Rota II and Emily Burton, the band moved to New York City before settling in Los Angeles. In 2000 they performed at the two-day "November...
- "Like the River" by Sun Kil MoonSun Kil MoonSun Kil Moon is a music project of singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek, best known for his previous band Red House Painters. Sun Kil Moon sees Kozelek undertake the writing, composing, singing, and guitar playing, accompanied by Tim Mooney and Anthony Koutsos on drums, and Geoff Stanfield on bass...
- "Bobilicious" by Gia Ciambottie
- "Tus Ojitas" by Campanas de americaCampanas de AmericaCampanas de America is an innovative twelve-piece musical ensemble mariachi band founded in 1978 in San Antonio, Texas. The band was named after Belle Ortiz, the wife of the band's musical director and manager, Juan Ortiz...
- "Stop" by Black Rebel Motorcycle ClubBlack Rebel Motorcycle ClubBlack Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. BRMC is known for their garage rock, blues, folk revival, neo-psychedelia sound. They are influenced by bands such as: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Verve, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, T...