Sons of Anarchy (season 2)

Sons of Anarchy (season 2)
Season 2 DVD cover
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	13
Release
Original network	FX
Original release	September 8, 2009 – December 1, 2009

The second season of the American television drama series Sons of Anarchy created by Kurt Sutter, about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in California's Central Valley. The show centers on protagonist Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam), the vice president of the club, who begins questioning the club and himself.

Season Two of Sons of Anarchy premiered on September 8, 2009, on cable network FX.

Plot

The season opens with the arrival of a new threat in Charming, white separatists called the League of American Nationalists (LOAN).^[1] LOAN's leader and backer, businessman Ethan Zobelle, and Zobelle's enforcer, A.J. Weston, seek to drive the Sons of Anarchy from Charming. To send a message to SAMCRO, Zobelle has Gemma kidnapped and gang raped by Weston and two others. Zobelle's own daughter, Polly, lures Gemma into this trap. Gemma chooses to keep silent about her rape to prevent her husband and son from retaliating.

From prison, Big Otto reaches out to SAMCRO, asking them to help his wife, Luann, and her pornography studio after a raid from law enforcement and intimidation from a rival pornographer, Georgie Caruso (Tom Arnold), threaten her business. Jax proposes that SAMCRO partner in Luann’s porn business and offer protection to her and her performers, a move he hopes will raise money for the club legitimately while they rebuild their other revenue streams.

Opie, struggling to deal with Donna’s death, throws himself fully into the MC and, consequently, becomes increasingly distant from his children. Fueled by SAMCRO’s role in Donna’s death, still not known by Opie and the majority of the MC, the rift between Clay and Jax continues to widen, with Jax challenging most of Clay's decisions. When a LOAN car bomb nearly kills Chibs, Clay demands immediate retaliation. But retaliation was what LOAN wanted, and Clay, Jax, Bobby, Tig, Juice, and Happy are arrested by the San Joaquin sheriffs for the club's botched attempt to attack Zobelle. While in jail, ATF Agent Stahl returns in an attempt to get SAMCRO to rat out their IRA connections. Although SAMCRO does not give up the IRA, Stahl succeeds in provoking Clay and Jax into a physical confrontation in jail.

Out on bail, the club's divisions only worsen. The tension between Jax and Clay reaches a breaking point when the porn studio burns down shortly after Clay announces he wants SAMCRO out of the porn business. Jax initially believes Clay had the place torched and announces that he is going "Nomad". Most of the SAMCRO members are upset with Jax's decision but ultimately vote in favor of his going Nomad. In order to convince Jax to stay, Gemma tells Jax and Clay about Weston's raping her, which reunites Clay and Jax.

The club, however, nearly falls when Tig, overcome with guilt, confesses to Opie that he murdered Donna because Agent Stahl and the ATF had made it look as though Opie had become a rat. At the same time, Chibs agrees to help Stahl take down the IRA and its head, Jimmy O, who is in town to close a gun distribution deal. Based on information supplied by Chibs, the ATF is able to apprehend Edmond Hayes, whom they then want to use to apprehend Edmond's father, Cameron, and Jimmy O. Opie later witnesses Chibs leaving a meeting with the ATF and informs the club of what he saw but asks them to confront Chibs before acting. Chibs, already having doubts about becoming an informant, reveals to the club what he did.

Meanwhile, the Sons learn that Ethan Zobelle's true intentions are not racially motivated; rather, he wants to do business with the Mayans on the prison heroin trade. The MC is able to exploit this information when they reveal it to AJ Weston, who is deeply committed to his racial beliefs and will not tolerate doing business with the Hispanic Mayans. This causes a split between AJ and Zobelle.

Weston is soon arrested in connection with the fire at Luann's porn studio. Later, Hale arrives at Impeccable Smokes as the Sons are confronting Zobelle. In an attempt to save his and his daughter's lives, Zobelle informs the police that he is in possession of narcotics and is arrested. However, both are released from custody and Unser learns that Zobelle, unbeknownst to both the ATF and Weston, has actually been an FBI informant for the past three years. With the loss of Weston's support, Zobelle turns to the Mayans for protection.

Weston, however, is on his own. Jax and others discover him in a tattoo parlor with his son. They instruct the tattoo artist to jab Weston so that Weston must wash the cut in the bathroom. Jax is waiting in the bathroom for Weston, but Weston has his young son with him. Weston sends his son away with instructions never to tell the police anything. Resigned to his fate, he sits on the toilet as Jax shoots him several times.

Agent Stahl continues to hold Edmond Hayes, in an attempt to use Edmond to lure and arrest his father. Out of loyalty to his father, Edmond attempts to kill Stahl, who shoots him when he tries to escape. Shortly afterward, Ethan's daughter Polly, who had been having an affair with Edmond, arrives at the safe house. She has been followed there by Gemma, who then shoots her. Stahl witnesses the shooting and lets Gemma escape but then proceeds to frame her for Edmond's shooting. Falling for the frame and becoming emotionally distraught, Cameron breaks into Jax's home and stabs Half Sack before threatening Tara and kidnapping Abel.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Sons have ambushed Zobelle and the Mayans, forcing the Mayans to retreat, while Zobelle flees on his own. The Sons follow Zobelle, who stays in public places, knowing the Sons will not attack him in the open. Zobelle calls Hale for help, but is ignored. After a strange call from Tara, Jax returns to his home, where he discovers Half Sack's body and finds Tara tied up; she tells Jax that Cameron has taken Abel. Jax calls Clay, who returns to help track down Cameron without killing Zobelle. The Sons pursue Cameron, who makes his way to the docks, where he takes Abel and boards his boat. Chief Unser, after receiving a phone call from Gemma, is last seen driving in his police cruiser with her past Charming's city limits, apparently running off with her. Ethan Zobelle is seen quickly getting on a chartered plane back to Budapest without his dead daughter, Polly. The season ends with the Sons' arriving just as Cameron is leaving the docks.

Cast and characters

Sons of Anarchy is the story of the Teller-Morrow family of Charming, California, as well as the other members of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO), their families, various Charming townspeople, allied and rival gangs, associates, and law agencies that undermine or support SAMCRO's legal and illegal enterprises.

Main cast

• Charlie Hunnam as Jackson "Jax" Teller (13 episodes)
• Katey Sagal as Gemma Teller Morrow (13 episodes)
• Mark Boone Junior as Robert "Bobby Elvis" Munson (13 episodes)
• Kim Coates as Alex "Tig" Trager (13 episodes)
• Tommy Flanagan as Filip "Chibs" Telford (11 episodes)
• Ryan Hurst as Harry "Opie" Winston (13 episodes)
• Johnny Lewis as Kip "Half Sack" Epps (10 episodes)
• William Lucking as Piermont "Piney" Winston (7 episodes)
• Theo Rossi as Juan-Carlos "Juice" Ortiz (10 episodes)
• Maggie Siff as Tara Knowles-Teller (13 episodes)
• Ron Perlman as Clarence "Clay" Morrow (13 episodes)

Special guest cast

• Adam Arkin as Ethan Zobelle (12 episodes)
• Ally Walker as Agent June Stahl (6 episodes)
• Tom Everett Scott as Rosen ("Gilead")

Recurring cast Dayton Callie as Wayne Unser (11 episodes) Henry Rollins as A.J. Weston (11 episodes) Taylor Sheridan as Deputy Chief David Hale (10 episodes) Winter Ave Zoli as Lyla Winston (10 episodes) Callard Harris as Edmond Hayes (8 episodes) Jamie McShane as Cameron Hayes (7 episodes) Sarah Jones as Polly Zobelle (6 episodes) Julie Ariola as Mary Winston (5 episodes) Mitch Pileggi as Ernest Darby (5 episodes) McNally Sagal as Margaret Murphy (5 episodes) Marcos de la Cruz as Estevez (5 episodes) Kristen Renton as Ima Tite (4 episodes) Kurt Sutter as "Big" Otto Delaney (4 uncredited) Emilio Rivera as Marcus Alvarez (4 episodes) Tory Kittles as Laroy Wayne (3 episodes) Bellina Logan as Fiona Larkin (3 episodes) Michael Marisi Ornstein as Chuck Marstein (3 episodes) Patrick St. Esprit as Elliott Oswald (3 episodes) Dendrie Taylor as Luann Delaney (3 episodes) Titus Welliver as Jimmy O'Phelan (3 episodes) Kenneth Choi as Henry Lin (3 episodes) Jeff Kober as Jacob Hale, Jr. (2 episodes) Glenn Plummer as Sheriff Vic Trammel ("Gilead") Guest stars Tom Arnold as Georgie Caruso (2 episodes) Cleo King as Neeta (2 episodes) Olivia Burnette as Homeless Woman (2 episodes) Kenny Johnson as Herman Kozik ("The Culling") Production Although Sons of Anarchy is set in Northern California's Central Valley, it is filmed primarily at Occidental Studios Stage 5A in North Hollywood. Main sets located there include the clubhouse, St. Thomas Hospital and Jax's house. The production rooms at the studio used by the writing staff also double as the Charming police station. External scenes are often filmed nearby in Sun Valley and Tujunga.[2] Interior and exterior scenes set in Northern Ireland during season 3 were also filmed at Occidental Studios and surrounding areas. A second unit shot footage in Northern Ireland used in the third season.[3] Episodes No. overall  No. in season  Title  Directed by  Written by  Original air date  Prod. code  U.S. viewers (millions)  14 1 "Albification" Guy Ferland Kurt Sutter September 8, 2009 2WAB01 4.29[4] With the club divided in the wake of Donna's death, Clay sets up a new gun deal with the Real IRA. Meanwhile, a white supremacist group takes root in Charming and threatens more than just SAMCRO's control over Charming. 15 2 "Small Tears" Stephen Kay Jack LoGiudice September 15, 2009 2WAB02 3.71[5] Following a traumatic event, Gemma finds herself unable to tell either Clay or Jax about it. Meanwhile, a rival porn producer, Georgie Caruso (Tom Arnold), moves to put Luanne out of business, and Clay takes exception to Jax's hasty decision-making. 16 3 "Fix" Gwyneth Horder-Payton Dave Erickson September 22, 2009 2WAB03 3.49[6] Ethan Zobelle (Adam Arkin) cooks up a "temporary problem" for Hale to solve as a way to undermine SAMCRO, Gemma's secret is undermining her relationship with Clay, and Jax's involvement in Luanne's porn business is getting to Tara. Meanwhile, Clay tells Bobby, who needs a job, to do the bookkeeping at CaraCara, Luanne's porn studio. 17 4 "Eureka" Guy Ferland Kurt Sutter & Brett Conrad September 29, 2009 2WAB04 3.76[6] Tensions between Jax and Clay escalate when they disagree over strategy for rescuing Tig, after he's captured by bounty hunters on a gun running mission. Back in Charming, Gemma is rattled by a graphic reminder of her attack, and she sets out to do something about it. 18 5 "Smite" Terrence O'Hara Chris Collins October 6, 2009 2WAB05 3.66[7] Charming and its small-town appeal become vulnerable to The League, which finds new ways to provoke SOA members. Tara's compassionate efforts to help a distraught Gemma don't go unpunished. 19 6 "Falx Cerebri" Billy Gierhart Regina Corrado October 13, 2009 2WAB06 3.31[8] Incited by Zobelle, Clay sets a course for retaliation, forcing Jax to turn to an unlikely source to save the club from destruction. Gemma shows Tara how an old lady handles her anger. 20 7 "Gilead" Gwyneth Horder-Payton Kurt Sutter & Chris Collins October 20, 2009 2WAB07 3.70[9] With nearly every SAMCRO member behind bars, the club must make new alliances in prison to survive. ATF Agent June Stahl uses this imprisonment to test Clay and Jax's relationship. 21 8 "Potlatch" Paul Maibaum Kurt Sutter & Misha Green October 27, 2009 2WAB08 3.39[10] Zobelle's business dealings with SAMCRO's rivals exacerbate divisions within the club, which are already strained by the Jax-Clay split. Complicating matters further, Georgie Caruso's thugs attack Luanne's studio. Meanwhile, Clay comes to an agreement with Elliott Oswald (Patrick St. Esprit), and Chibs' estranged wife, Fiona, shows up at his hospital bedside. 22 9 "Fa Guan" Stephen Kay Brett Conrad & Liz Sagal November 3, 2009 2WAB09 3.52[11] When SAMCRO's adult film business becomes a hindrance to the club, Clay seizes the opportunity to revive the gun running cartel. As Jax and Clay continue to clash over club activities, their relationship reaches a new level of antagonism. 23 10 "Balm" Paris Barclay Dave Erickson & Stevie Long November 10, 2009 2WAB10 3.38[12] Agent Stahl takes notice of the handsome profits SAMCRO is reaping. Meanwhile, the Jax-Clay standoff forces Gemma to make a difficult decision. 24 11 "Service" Phil Abraham Story by: Brady Dahl & Cori Uchida Teleplay by: Kurt Sutter & Jack LoGiudice November 17, 2009 2WAB11 3.48[13] Chibs contemplates making a secret deal in order to protect his wife and daughter. Deep in emotional turmoil, Opie seeks both revenge and reconciliation. 25 12 "The Culling" Gwyneth Horder-Payton Kurt Sutter & Dave Erickson November 24, 2009 2WAB12 3.44[14] The entire SAMCRO family goes on lockdown inside the clubhouse, as Jax and Clay prepare to battle the League. A.J. Weston learns the truth about Ethan Zobelle's business dealings in Charming. Applying what she has learned from Gemma, Tara ensures her position at St. Thomas Hospital. 26 13 "Na Trioblóidí" Kurt Sutter Kurt Sutter December 1, 2009 2WAB13 4.33[15] As SAMCRO attempts to rid Charming of Ethan Zobelle and the League permanently, familiar faces present new challenges. Reception The second season saw a substantial increase in positive reviews. Writing for Chicago Tribune, Maureen Ryan called the second season “engrossing”. She elaborated that “the pacing is better [and] the plotting is tighter” and commended Sagal and Perlman for their performances.[16] Variety’s Stuart Levine called the new season "compelling” and complimented the acting skill of Perlman, Sagal, Hunnam, and Siff.[17] James Poniewozik of TIME called Sagal's performance "devastatingly powerful" and named the series on his list of Top 10 Shows of 2009.[18] Home media release The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on August 31, 2010.[19] References Gallagher, Danny (2009-09-08). "Sons of Anarchy: Albification (season premiere)". TVSquad.com. Retrieved 2009-09-16. "Sons of Anarchy Filming Locations". Internet Movie Database. "First pictures Sons of Anarchy". Chicago Tribune. June 8, 2010. Seidman, Robert (September 9, 2009). "Sons of Anarchy revs up huge ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 29, 2011. Berman, Marc (January 30, 2010). "Sons of Anarchy Ratings". Mediaweek. Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2015. Seidman, Robert (September 30, 2009). "Sons of Anarchy staying strong for FX with 3.76 million on September 29". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 29, 2011. "Cable Ratings for the Week Ending October 11, 2009". TV Aholics. October 14, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2015. "Cable Ratings for the Week Ending October 18, 2009". TV Aholics. October 21, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2015. Seidman, Robert (October 27, 2009). "Cable ratings: Football, Baseball Monk, White Collar, Jeff Dunham, and Sons of Anarchy top weekly cable chart". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 29, 2011. Seidman, Robert (October 28, 2009). "Cable Ratings: Ouch! Sons of Anarchy loses to The Forgotten". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 29, 2011. Seidman, Robert (November 4, 2009). "Cable Ratings: Sons of Anarchy averages 3.5 million and a 1.8 adults 18-49 rating". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 29, 2011. Seidman, Robert (November 11, 2009). "Sons of Anarchy rides to 3.38 million viewers and wins night on cable with adults 18-49". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 29, 2011. Seidman, Robert (November 18, 2009). "Tuesday cable: Sons of Anarchy beats The Forgotten and ties The Jay Leno Show with adults 18-49". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 29, 2011. "Cable TV Ratings for the Week Ending November 29, 2009" (PDF). TV Aholics. December 15, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2015. Seidman, Robert (December 2, 2009). "Sons of Anarchy Renewed for a third season". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 29, 2011. "'Sons of Anarchy' revs up the pace in its compelling new season". Chicago Tribune. September 3, 2009. Levine, Stuart (September 4, 2009). "Sons of Anarchy Season 2". Variety. "The Top 10 Everything of 2009". TIME. December 8, 2009. Lambert, David (May 28, 2010). "Sons of Anarchy - Fox's Full Press Release for Season 2 on DVD and Blu-ray!". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved May 6, 2013. External links Sons of Anarchy at FXNetworks.com Sons of Anarchy at the Internet Movie Database Sons of Anarchy at TV.com