"A Mothers Work" - Sons of Anarchy Season 6 finale

Where do you even start after such a blood filled season of "Sons of Anarchy"? Well, let´s start by warning everyone who has not watched the finale yet....do NOT read on if you don´t want to know what happened! This is your official SPOILER ALERT!!

And now I´ll give you a summary of "A Mother´s Work" and after you read what happened in the last few scenes, you will know whats coming!

Okay, so just a quick reminder where we stand right now: At the end of 6x12 Tara took Abel and Thomas and it seemed that she was really ready to rat. After little Abel asks his mum if his dad is going to be at the place where they are going, she thankfully changes her mind. But with the DA waiting for her and Jax finding out that his kids are gone, no one really knows whats next for Tara Knowles......

"A Mothers Work" starts off at the cemetery and as weird as this sounds, this is the place where I was sure Jax would be! With his best friend Opie, at a time of his life, where he really needs his best friend.

We hear a voice over by Jax as he writes in his diary. After he lost his way this season it was kind of comforting seeing him taking his time to reflect on things and trying to explain something to his sons. We haven´t seen him with his diary in a long time, so that´s a good sign right?!

"There are lessons to be found here, but mostly I do this so u can know me. Lately as I write these I realize they are as much for me as they are for you. This is one place I can be completely open. The pen and paper has no judgement, no vote. It simply receives my truth and allows me to turn the page, and today, this is my truth. I am terrified a great deal of the time. I'm afraid of what I've done, of what I'm doing and what i might have to do. It's not a crippling fear, in fact it's just the opposite. I thrive on it, I crave it. I need that rush of terror to get me out of bed in the morning. It's in my DNA. I have tremendous remorse for the acts of violence I've committed, both planned and spontaneous. But I think what brings me the most sorrow is that I've learned to justify this behavior. I always find a reason, a cause, a need. That allows me the karmic lubrication to stuff my guilt into a savage compartment. I've become the thing, the one I hated. And with that awareness comes periods of days, sometimes weeks when I have to avoid looking into a mirror. My self hate is so deep, so palpable. I fear I'll lunge at my own image, shatter the glass and cut myself with shards of broken reflection. Since my best friend was killed, I've lost my center. Ope was always my pullback to true north. Now my doubt and sense of fraudulence barks so loudly in my heads that most of the time I can't hear anything else. Love can route to freedom. All the things I want from this life are lost in the den. Forgive my indulgence sons, but today may be a day we both remember. A defining day. And i want you to look back at this entry and know at the very least your father was completely honest. So you know I speak the truth when I tell you, you are the most important thing to me. I will never hurt you, never abandon you. I love you Abel, I love you Thomas, more than anything or anyone. I always will. Everything I do is for my sons"

Well not exactly....after the usual 5 minute montage where nothing really happens we see a white dove on the road....and every SOA fan knows that this can only mean trouble....especially after this dove is being run over by Jax;) So the next thing that we find out is, that the DA still does not have any idea, where Tara is.....a very good sign, because this means if they don't know where she is, they can´t arrest her!!

Let´s see what the MC is up to in their little "candy shop"....after a quick and kind of weird talk between Gemma and Juice the DA shows up and wants to talk to Jax. The two sit down and one of the best speeches ever on the show is delivered by Mrs. Patterson:

      Are you willing to letting your family pay the price for your mistakes?

         It´s gonna destroy you and everything you love.

       You are a husband and a father and a man before all of this. Own your place.

I don't know about you guys, but I thought that these words really got to Jax, because he kind of heard them before.......from his father! At least I thought they did.....a few minutes later, when the club was at the table I wasn´t to sure anymore.....Jax got the MC up to speed with everything going on with his wife and they decide to find her. Tig:"To convince her that the club depends on her." and Jax replies:"To convince her not to rat!" which seems way more important for him then letting his wife know that she is needed. And when Juice asks the kind of obvious question: "And if we can´t?" his president gives the worst answer he could have given:"Then we do what we have to do." Wow, would Jax really hurt the woman he loves?The mother of his children? The tension is rising at this point!

The meeting is interrupted when Alvarez shows up and wants to talk to Jax. He fills him in about his plans on opening chapters in Stockton and that Nero is fine with all of this, actually he wants him to be there when he meets with August. To say that Jax is surprised would be the understatement of the year;)

So let´s see what Tara is up to: She is still at the Hotel with the kids and steps outside for a minute to call.....her lawyer! Tara wants him to check the deal and see if she would get everything she wants, they agree on meeting up later that day. Wow, will Tara really rat? Would she do this to Jax and the club??

 Well it sure seems that way...when she goes back into the hotel room she has the "everything will change and I need you to be strong" talk with Abel....who does the cutest thing ever after Tara tells him, that she thinks that his brother is a little scared: He jumps on the bed to his brothers side, says "Hi stinky monkey" and "honks" Thomas´nose:)

Back in Charming the SONS, the MAYANS and August Marks are supposed to meet up...it turns out, that August is not there. This gives Jax and Nero a few seconds to talk....just enough time for "king Nero" to tell his business partner that he does know about what happened to Darveney and threatening Jax. After the SONS leave the MAYANS kill some of Mark´s crew members.....wow this will stir some s**t up!!

Let´s see how Gemma is doing today....after all this must be a hard day for her today; not only are both of her beloved grandkids missing but also there was Clays funeral (by the end of the article you guys will know that I meant this sarcastic). And in my opinion he got the funeral he deserved: With no one being there but Unser (who is just always around anyways, so he doesn´t really count ;) ), buried on a prison graveyard!

So after Wendy is shipped off to rehab, lets see if Tara is really going to take the deal, that the DA offered her.....she meets up with her lawyer and he assures her, that she will get everything she wanted, but she probably has to testify in court. After Tara thinks about it for a minute, she tells the lawyer, where she is staying and when the DA can pick her and the boys up. A few scenes later we see her still at the park with Thomas and Abel when all of the sudden Jax, Bobby, Happy and Juice show up. The look on Taras face, when she sees her husband is just pure horror, she instantly fears for her life. After Jax tells Happy and Juice to play with the kids and Bobby gives them some distance Jax and Tara sit down and do what they should have done way earlier....the finally TALK. Okay to be fair, Tara does not really have a choice, since she feels threatened by her husband, but still, it´s a start! It would not do this epic scene justice, if I just tell you, what happens, so here is the whole scene for you guys to read:

Jax:”I just need to talk to you. I know you feel like you need to do this, but I can´t let you.” 

Tara:”Please don’t hurt me in front of the kids.” (she is so scared of the person she loves)

    Jax:”That’s not what I want.” 

Tara:”But that’s all there is. There is no other ending. I have sacrificed everything for you. I tried to see what you see, how you see it but I can´t! All I see are the lies and the violence and how it´s changed you…turned you into a monster. I´ll go if I have to at least I´ve tried  to safe them from becoming what you are.”(she can´t look him into the eyes when she tells him that)

     Jax:”I´ve never forced my life on you. You came back to me. You are part of what I am  Tara, you always have been.” 

Tara:”That was my mistake, thinking that our love and our bond would be stronger then the history but its not. You are going to break the cycle…I know you mean well Jackson, I feel the pain you life with every day…and now you can damn your sons to that same torture? They will suffer…with you.You have to let me say goodbye to them before you take them from me!”

      Jax takes her hand: ”I´m not going to hurt you….I´m not going to hurt them. You don’t have to run…not anymore.” 

Tara:”What am I supposed to do?”

        Jax:”Just be a good mother. Save OUR boys. Please!”

This scene gave us a glimpse of what made those two so special: They never gave up on each other and somehow the trust in each other was always there! The fans have been waiting for this connection all season long and finally, it was back! To be honest I was kind of shocked, when I realized, that Jax really gave Tara the "ok" to go and "safe" their kids! There is nothing more heroic than putting your own needs behind the things you love the most...in Jax case his children. He knows, that everything, that Tara just told him is the truth and he can no longer hide from that!!

So on a "lighter" note Nero broke up with Gemma, because she (surprise, surprise) could not give up her life in Charming for him. No surprise there kids, I saw this break-up coming...Nero was just WAY to good hearted for Gemma!

Back at Taras hotel, the DA shows up and is caught off guard, when she sees Jax there too. Jax explains to her, that there is a new deal: He will turn himself in for the involvement in the school shooting and only he is going to be charged, not his club. Also Taras will be free of all her charges and be able to go anywhere she wants with their children. Wow, talk of a twist you guys!! Jax just sacrificed himself for his families! Somewhat I felt, like the old Jackson from the earlier seasons was back, the one with a conscience!! And I really liked it. After Tara assures her, that this would be the only deal there is, the DA sets everything in motion. And yet another moment the J/T fans have been waiting for all season long is finally here and I think it´s written perfectly by Kurt Sutter. The big issue between Jax and Tara in season 6 was this inexplicable distance between them.....and this distance is crushed down by Tara, when she realizes, that she got everything she wanted:

There it is....the "I love you!" and the closeness we have been asking for in season 6!! Thank you Kurt Sutter for giving this back to us....even for just a few minutes....

It was one of these quiet moments of the show that make it so special....two persons reuniting, just perfect. But at the same time it was that moment, when I realized that this is SOA and things are moving way to smooth!!

The next scene shows Jax, Bobby and Chibs at the table in their improvised club house. It seems like Jax just filled the two in on the deal and especially Chibs is heartbroken. But both of them understand Jax´s intentions and that there is no other way. In an other twist Jax wants BOBBY to be the next president of the Sons....I was as surprised as Bobby and Chibs....well especially Chibs" The look he gave Jax when he realized that he as the freaking vice-pres would not be able to step up was just, well confused and kind of pissed!

At the end of their little meeting there is just one thing left to do....they need to vote on Juice and his betrayal! Although we don´t actually get to see the decision, the "hate kiss", that Jax gives Juice a few scenes later pretty much explains everything.

How is Old Lady Gemma doing after her pimp broke up with her you ask?! Well....she is miserable: She sits at home, dunk and high, when Unser comes in and brings her up to speed:

"I got a call from Taras lawyer….looking to pull police archives from Charming. They are arresting him.I guess Tara made a deal."

Really Unser?!?! Didn´t they teach you anything in cop school.....you need to have facts and evidence before you can spill stuff like that!! As you can imagine, Gemma is freaking out. After she refuses to be driven by Unser she fakes heart problems, to get rid of him for just a few seconds....just enough time to steal his truck...and I think that everyone knew where she was going....!!

So after Unser realizes that Gemma is probably on his way to Tara´s he figures, it´s a good idea to let Jax know, that she took his truck and he has no idea where she is (again.....REALLY UNSER?!). Juice tells Jax, that he´ll look for Gemma and the truck.

So let´s see how Tara is doing: Eli brings her home and tells her, that he´s glad that everything turned out the way it did.....and I think he speaks for a lot of us;) So after he leaves Tara stands in the living room and is finally able to smile a beautiful smile of relief!!! I loved that scene and it was so great to see her smile again!

But this smile is interrupted by some noise coming from the kitchen....and lets be honest you guys: we knew exactly who would be waiting there!!

So Tara enters the kitchen and finds GEMMA there, they do not even exchange any words....Gemma just right on attacks her with an flat iron when Tara tries to run. A quick and painful fistfight follows and then Gemma holds Taras head underwater (in the freaking kitchen sink) and stabs her with a roast fork!! She downright slaughtered her daughter in law!! After Eli and Juice hear some noise from inside the Teller house, they go in to find a dead Tara on the floor and a confused and shocked Gemma right next to her. Just when Eli wants to call in the murder Juice shoots him in the back!! but not before Eli can tell Gemma, that Tara was not the one who made the deal, but Jax! Wow....this was one hell of a scene...so hard to watch, well so I thought!!!

After saying his goodbyes to the kids and the club members a very emotional Jax is leaving for his home, to say goodbye to Tara. I was praying to every god there is out there, that he was not about to find his dead wife in the kitchen. And everything looked good so far: Jax comes home, takes of his cutt and brings out a casual "Babe?" as he is about to walk into the kitchen. He was just that....a husband coming home to his wife! When he is about to turn the corner, he sees someones (Eli´s) feed and he pulls his gun as he walks into the kitchen.....the rest of the scene is just to horrible for me to write down, so here are some gifs of the more then Emmy worthy performance:

You could feel every single emotion and Paris was right, it sure it the most emotional scene you´ll ever see on tv. I can not imagine, how you can "top" that. What a brilliant writing AND acting job! Wow!!!! Just wow! But what does this mean for Jax? Will S7 be about revenge, his grief or will he turn into someone he never wanted to become??!!Will he be able to get out of prison? So many unanswered questions....we have to wait and see.

Okay so this was the most heart braking episode I ever had to watch....I knew something was going to happen, that would leave us breathless...but this and more precisely, the way it happened?! No way did I see that coming!!

So let everything sink in for a second and do not forget to breath *exhale* *inhale* *repeat* :)

I needed some time to process all of what happened in "A Mothers Work" and I´m still struggling with it. Kurt Sutter has made a bold move, killing of such a beloved character. In this past season there where a lot of "Tara-haters" out there, claiming, that she destroyed Jax´s life by trying to divorce him and taking the kids away from him. Everyone who knows the show must have known, that Sutter would not let Tara do that. So going into the finale, most of us had this feeling, that either Jax would let Tara go (without the kids) or someone, I´m looking at you Gemma, would kill her. Then why am I so shocked that Tara died?! Well, it´s not really the fact that she is not alive anymore that destroys me, it´s the circumstances. After all that she has been threw the last few years and especially this past season I just wished for a quick and "quiet" death. Wow, writing that down really sounds horrible, but I hope you understand;)

As a mother Gemma should have thought of Jax and what he wants for his kids, her grandchildren, first. With Tara´s death and Jax in prison there is no way that Gemma will be able to take care of the children. This murder will come back to haunt her. Don´t get me wrong here.....I still think that she is one bada** woman, who, in her own little world, did everything to pay back her son. But this murder does not have anything to do with being bada** or proving a point; she downright slaughtered an "innocent" woman (Jax´s words). The minute she realized it she got unexpected help from someone I thought would be immune to her poison-esque behaviour: JUICE!! 

I was on his side all those seasons....the early ones, where he was this happy go lucky guy, cheering me up in every single episode. Even when he ratted I could not bring myself to hate him, because it was not his fault, he was being blackmailed. He always referred to the club as his "family", how can he just keep on betraying them? I even was on his side, when he told Nero, what Jax made him do to Darveney....because he was not in his right mind when he did it. One could argue, that he is finished with the club after Jax gave him the "You betrayed me" kiss, but for me there is still no explanation for me why in the world he would let Gemma get away with it. There is no way that Jax will not find out who killed his wife and I´m convinced that this is a kind of deed, that Gemma will not be able to life with. When she gave Clay the "okay" to kill John she had someone on her side, who loved her and convinced her, that what she did was right, but now, she is all alone. In my mind there is just no way that I could see Juice and her working together next season. Juice will either be killed by the club or he´ll leave the SONS and so there is just no one left for Gemma.

I thought the episode title "A Mothers Work" is very fitting for the season 6 finale; because the season started with one mother getting everything in line to get her kids out of Charming and it ended with another mother murdering the women she learned to hate, to keep her grandkids in the town she calls home. I think the DA needs to give Gemma the speech, that she gave to Jax in the candy shop, to remind her that the people around her are actual human beings who deserve to have a life beyond the club. She couldn´t understand Dana, when she refused to let Gemma help her and she could not bare the fact that Tara really was the smart one, who after trying to live the club life put all her power in protecting her children! 

My only hope for season 7, the last "Sons of Anarchy" season, is that we get to see how all the bad decisions she made come back to haunt Gemma  and eat her up. I can not stand the fact that she never got to bleed for the pain that she has caused others, so the least that Kurt Sutter can do is to let Gemma live in mental pain....the feeling of guilt should eat her up (plus in that way Katey Segal can show off her acting skills even more).

And now to end this blog post, here comes my ode to Maggie Siff/ Tara Knowles-Teller:

Seriously, the Sons of Anarchy family could not have asked for anyone better then her to portray such an amazing character as Tara Knowles-Teller was! From the second she appeared on the screen in season 1 you just knew, that she is one to watch....and so is Maggie. She is blessed with so much talent and you could see it in every single take, how much she just loves her job and her character.

Tara Knowles was this fierce woman, that always seemed to be resistant against the schemes and life that the MC represents. Like she said in this weeks episode, she tried for the sake of her love to Jax, to see it from his perspective, but her conscious ALWAYS won! And I think this is, why Gemma hated her even more then Wendy (and that really has to mean something)......Gemma is a person, who can not understand, how an Old Lady is supposed to have an opinion. She is so focused on the life that she has built for herself, that she somehow forgot how it feels to have your own life. The minute she thought, that she would be all alone, without her son and her grandchildren, she decided to take the one thing her son loved the most:Tara!! Don´t get me wrong I really tried to give her the benefit of a doubt, but what she did to Tara was just too much! Even IF Tara would have made the deal with the DA and would have send Jax to jail, as a mother she should have known, that Jax´s love for Tara was a special one...one that will never die. He already robbed her own son of his father...how could she rob Abel and Thomas of their mum???

The character, that in the beginning of the show no one thought could stick around for long has proven so many people wrong by growing over the years....by trying to fit in for the sake of her husband and her children. Tara always fought for the things that meant the most to her:Jax, Abel and Thomas! When she had to more or less give up on one of them to safe the other two, she lost her last fight. And all of this just because of some snap judgement on Unsers and Gemmas part!

Well at least Maggie Siff was able to put all of her acting talent out there, not just in this episode, but in the entire season! It really was "Tara´s season" and I´m very glad, that I was a part of it! Thank you Maggie for the laughter, the cries, the love and the hate and every emotion in between. Thank you for bringing Tara to life, the way you did and thank you for a hell of a fight! We will miss you!!

So you guys...let´s hear it!

Let´s talk tv!!

xoxo Nici

(sources fo all gifs & pics: tumblr)