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Season 2 | Season 4 |
"Bainne" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the FX original series Sons of Anarchy, and the series' thirty-seventh episode overall.
Synopsis[]
While the club's on a man hunt, Jax faces the toughest decision of his life.
Plot[]
From Ireland, Jax continues to try and get Stahl on the phone, but to no avail. He and Trinity - still coming to terms with their newly discovered relationship - are both relieved they avoided sleeping together. Stahl finally returns Jax's call; he tells her the IRA council has "marked" Jimmy O' for death. She tells him if he hopes to keep his deal with the Feds alive, Jimmy needs to be kept alive too. In the attic in Lodi a surprisingly strong Tara tries to reassure Margaret they will get out of their predicament alive. In Charming, Unser is surprised to learn - contrary to what Jacob Hale had promised - that the City Council has voted unanimously to let the San Joaquin Sheriffs take over the law enforcement duties in town. As the Sons discuss their next move, Maureen shows them an address she found in McGee's things; she thinks it may help in their search for Jimmy. Jax, Gemma, and Opie leave for the orphanage while Clay and the others follow their new lead. In a Belfast row house Donny tortures Sean Casey for information; once he gets what he needs, Jimmy puts a bullet through Casey's head. Jimmy tells Donny he has a deal with the Russians, who have offered him a safe haven.
Clay and the Sons arrive at the row house, and discover Sean Casey's body; Chibs worries the dead man was tortured for the location where Fi and Kerrianne are being kept. They call Juice, and tell him to move the women back to Ashby Alley. Deputies bring Jacob Hale into Unser's office; Unser confronts the would-be mayor about reneging on their deal. The Chief goes on to mention that Lumpy Feldstein died as a result of the beating, and hints at his suspicion that the attack on the gym was more about obtaining Lumpy's property than about gang retaliation. Hale acts suitably insulted by the assertion. Jax and Gemma arrive at the black-market orphanage to discover that Abel has already been adopted out; at first the nuns deny having any knowledge about the baby's whereabouts, but after Gemma (taking a page from King Solomon's playbook) threatens to kill one of the other babies, the sisters relent. The nuns tell Jax that Abel is with his adopted parents: Mark and Katey Petrie, who are staying at the Europa Hotel until they return to the US. Jax arrives at the Europa Hotel; he spots the couple, and sees his son for the first time since his abduction. Jax follows the family to an open-air market; he watches from a distance as the couple dotes on their new son. Clearly the Petries are good people and loving parents. Jax stands frozen as he watches Mark and Katey walking towards him; as they pass, Abel is within his grasp, but the now-conflicted father does nothing. Jax watches as Mark, Katey, and Abel disappear into the crowd.
Agents Stahl and Tyler arrive at the Charming PD; Stahl tells the Chief that St. Thomas has reported both Margaret and Tara missing. Stahl thinks the IRA may be involved. Admitting she knows some of the Sons are in Ireland, she asks Unser to arrange a meeting between her and the Sons who are still in Charming. At the SAMCRO clubhouse, Tig ends a phone call to Salazar. The former Mayan has given him instructions on where and when to make the ransom drop: now they just need to find the money. Unser, Stahl, and Tyler arrive at the compound; Stahl says she knows Tara is missing, and offers her help. Initially the Sons are skeptical, but when the Fed says she can get them the money for the ransom, they take her up on the offer. Tyler questions her partner (and lover) about why (in light of the revelation that the Irish aren't responsible for the kidnapping) she is still willing to join forces with the MC. Stahl confides that she and Jax are working together to bring down Jimmy, and she needs to make sure he stays focused on the task at hand. Later, Unser tells Piney and Tig that he suspects Hale may have had a hand in Lumpy's killing; they need to take Salazar alive in order to corroborate his suspicions. Jax returns to Ashby Alley empty-handed. As Maureen listens from another room, a tearful Jax tells Gemma about his realization that JT's manuscript was about more than changing the MC: it was about changing his legacy, and ending the cycle of familial violence. Abel deserves a father who isn't a murderer. Gemma is furious; she wonders how Jax will explain his decision to his "other son," and tells him about Tara's pregnancy. Jax has little time to process this new information before Juice arrives with Fiona, Kerrianne, and Father Ashby; Clay and the other Sons arrive shortly behind them. Clay reports that they found Sean dead. Father Ashby surmises that the torture was about finding Abel: Jimmy needs a way out of the country, and will use Abel as leverage to that end. Jax snaps out of his dolefulness, and springs into action. Knowing Jimmy's destination, he and the Sons jump on their Harleys and race to the Europa Hotel. Arriving at the Petries' room, the Sons make a grim discovery: Mark and Katey are dead, and Abel is gone. A guilt-laden Jax sinks to the floor, and reflects on what his earlier inability to act has wrought.
In the SAMBEL clubhouse, Father Ashby tells the Sons that as expected, Jimmy has proposed a deal with the IRA council: he will return Abel in exchange for his freedom; he says the council will want to meet with Jax to discuss the details. Jax confronts the priest, and accuses him of using the situation - and JT's memory - as a means to his own ends. Despite his words, the priest never really cared about helping his family. In Lodi, Luisa leads Tara to the bathroom; once inside and alone, Tara looks for something she can use as a weapon. Spotting a crack in the bathroom mirror she picks up a towel, and presses it against the fractured glass until it breaks. Meanwhile, at a public park, the Feds stake out the area where Tig prepares to drop the ransom money. Tig drops his backpack full of cash in a garbage can as instructed, and walks away. Suddenly two kids on bikes who witnessed the drop approach the garbage can, and grab the backpack; they flee on their bikes as Tig and several of the plain-clothed agents give chase. Salazar witnesses the pursuit, and realizes he has been set up; he flees. In the house in Lodi, Luisa's phone rings: it is Salazar, who tells her what has happened. Luisa kicks in the bathroom door, and enters; Tara leaps out, and uses a piece from the broken mirror to stab her in the neck: blood gushes from the wound. Showing no remorse, Tara takes Luisa's gun and leaves. At the park Stahl reports they have recovered the money, but Salazar has escaped. The Feds and the Sons each direct blame for the screw-up at the others. Salazar returns to the house in time to see Tara and Margaret hurrying down the stairs; he points his gun at Tara, and she points hers at him. She tells him Luisa is bleeding out in the bathroom; she'll help save the wounded woman if Salazar lets Margaret go free. He agrees.
Jax and Clay meet with Father Ashby and the IRA Council; they tell Jax they have granted Jimmy passage out of Ireland in exchange for Abel's safe return, and say Jax and the priest will meet Jimmy at the dock. Knowing there's nothing to stop them from killing Jimmy once they have Abel back, Clay wonders why he would agree to the deal; Ashby says there are "assurances in place." The IRA leaders add that they know Jimmy has reached out for help to the same Northern California Russians the Sons have been helping deliver guns to; they say at some point Jimmy will have to return to NorCal, and that will be the only opportunity SAMCRO will have to kill him. The council says that in return for the MC's help, they will give SAMCRO access to their full arsenal… which brings with it the opportunity to significantly expand their own gun-selling business. They also promise to share Jimmy's Rolodex of American contacts with the Sons. Clay agrees to the terms, which Jax realizes will put his deal with Stahl in jeopardy. Maureen reads though an old letter from JT; in it he writes about sensing the growing divide between him and the other Sons caused by his change of heart regarding the club and their violent ways. He writes that he can "feel" his own death approaching, and notes that he believes it would be in the best interests of Clay and Gemma (who seem to be growing closer day by day) if he were "to suddenly just go away." At the Belfast docks, Jax and Father Ashby meet with Jimmy; Jimmy hands Abel over to Jax. Father Ashby climbs into Jimmy's car: apparently the "assurances" the priest mentioned before include substituting himself for the infant hostage. Surprised by the turn of events, Jax notes that Jimmy will surely kill Ashby once he's escaped. The priest admits he's aware of his fate, but says his sacrifice is proof that contrary to Jax's assertion, he does care about Jax's family: "...and so did your father." Tig and Kozik arrive at the Charming PD, where Margaret gives her statement to police; Unser tells them about Tara's attack on Luisa, and the deal she struck for Margaret's release. Stahl says they are still searching for Salazar's car. In the Ashby apartment the joyful Sons - happy to have their youngest member back safely - toast to their success; meanwhile Maureen takes her stack of letters from JT, and slips them into Jax's duffle bag. On the side of a rural road, Salazar paces about as Tara tries unsuccessfully to save Luisa's life; she gives him the bad news. He reacts by slamming the doctor's head against the hood of his car, and pulling his gun on her. As the Sons say their goodbyes, Bobby's phone rings: it's Tig. Bobby hands the phone to Jax...
Church Meetings[]
Kellan: (to Jax) Jimmy has your son. He's reached out to the council. He wants safe passage to the States in exchange for the boy. I've advised they make the deal.
Jax: So what happens now?
Kellan: Council considers it, probably wants to meet with you. Until then, we wait.
Clay: None of this shit would of happened if you told us where Abel was when we first got here.
Kellan: I'm trying to help this family.
Clay: Help us? Are you serious? (angrily stands up, held back by Jax and Bobby) Are you serious?!
Jax: (to Clay) Hey. Hey. Hey. It's not his fault. It's my mistake. I'm done listening to dead men. (to Kellan) But don't pretend you were trying to help us. Greater good or not, we were just a means to your own end. You don't give a shit about this family. And the John Teller you knew 20 years ago, he didn't give a shit either.
Deaths[]
- Sean Casey - Tortured by Donny and shot in the head by Jimmy O'Phelan
- Lumpy Feldstein - Died of injuries caused by Hector Salazar
- Mark Petrie - Shot by Donny under the orders of Jimmy O'Phelan (Offscreen)
- Katey Petrie - Shot by Donny under the orders of Jimmy O'Phelan (Offscreen)
- Kellan Ashby - Killed through unknown means by Jimmy O'Phelan (Offscreen)
- Luisa - Neck slashed by Tara Knowles
Credits[]
Trivia[]
- "Bainne" means "milk" in Irish.
- This episode marks the last appearance of Maureen Ashby, Trinity Ashby, and Kellan Ashby.
Gallery[]
Featured Music[]
- Tara Holloway - "Boyfriend"
- Sun Kil Moon - "Alesund"
- Dixie Witch - "What You Want"
- Gary Clark Jr. - "Bright Lights"
- Bums - "Pecker"
- Jonathan Clay - "Gypsy Woman"
- Battleme - "Dead Man"