Kurt Sutter knows what epic is all about. The 90-minute season finale of "Sons of Anarchy" was an exercise in television done right, a heavy-hearted cliffhanger that provided just as much fertile new story ground as devastating solutions to long-burning dilemmas.
SAMCRO's revenge against the League was certainly satisfying, though far more brutal than anticipated. Zobelle gets some help from the FBI, in exchange for his turn as an informant against politicians and other powerful players attached to his business. When the testimony against Weston fails, he's released from jail and arranges for a cop-monitored bonding session with his son at the tattoo parlor. But once he sees Jax, Opie and Chibs waiting for him, and realizes what's about to happen, Weston tells his son that he loves him, and to say nothing to the cop when he leaves the room. It's Jax who pulls the trigger in this heartwrenching scene, but there's plenty more death on this dance card.
Cameron orders his son Edmond to kill Agent Stahl, but things go horribly awry when she takes the gun from Edmond and, by accident, sends him off to the big biker rally in the sky. The chain reaction is a vicious one, as Polly discovers Edmond's dead body and takes out her own gun, unaware that Gemma is right behind her with her own set of plans. With Stahl looking on, Gemma shoots Polly and escapes, but not before turning her weapon over to Stahl, who turns and pins the death of Edmond on Gemma. This results in Gemma running off with partner-in-crime Unser for a murder that she didn't commit, as well as Polly's death.
Blaming the wrong person for his son's killing, Cameron knifes Half-Sack to death, then kidnaps baby Abel and escapes by boat as Jax and the Sons look helplessly on. Zobelle is off to Budapest to re-group and mourn his daughter, and nothing at all is right in the world of "Sons Of Anarchy". But damn, is it a gripping tale. It's going to be a long wait before Season Three kicks off, but somehow, after this mother of an episode, I think it'll be worth the wait.
