AMC

Even as Clay Morrow walks to his certain death you’re quite certain he’ll escape it. The show’s teflon dong could have died 15 times before now. Sons of Anarchy put off killing Clay like Prince Charles put off explaining to Prince Harry why he doesn’t look like his daddy. It’s Jax who does the deed – putting a bullet in the throat and a few more in the carcass of the man who killed his father and so much else besides.

Sons of Anarchy put off killing Clay like Prince Charles put off explaining to Prince Harry why he doesn’t look like his daddy.

Jax tells Patterson where and where the drop for the guns will be. By a curious coincidence it’s exactly when Clay is being transported between lock-ups. How wild is that? She’s got the immunity agreements for the Sons and their families all signed – to be executed when the Irish are delivered. She gets together 35 TAC teams with automatics, hand grenades, rocket launchers and flamethrowers. If these Micks decide to cut up rough? Oh Patterson’s got something for they ass. Time to go ghetto, sister.

Except of course they never show. Jax was merely diverting all the manpower to the other side of town so the Sons and the Kings could spring Clay – an operation they pull off with the minimum of fuss, if by minimum of fuss you mean killing a county sheriff and incurring a gunshot wound to Bobby that will kill him if he doesn’t see a proper doctor. Unfortunately no proper doctor is available so they go to Tara instead.

Bobby will die if he doesn’t see a proper doctor. Unfortunately no proper doctor is available so they go to Tara instead.

At first Tara is miffed that she’s being asked to play mob doctor again. “Did you even see that shit?” she complains “It was cancelled after like 3 episodes” But it’s Bobby, one of the lesser cocks in the club so she agrees to help him out.

Tara is a bit miffed that she’s being asked to play mob doctor again. “Did you even see that shit?” she complains “It was cancelled after like 3 episodes”

As they drive her to Saint Thomas to get supplies Patterson rings arranging a meeting in her office where Tara can usually be found faking assault, pregnancy and miscarriage. The immunity deal for her is back on the table, Claudette tells her, provided she gives up the Sons. Full witness protection would need a RICO case, a real slamdunk one too something proven by, I don’t know, a bullet from a murdered county sheriff’s weapon retrieved from a shot gang member with his DNA all over it? Can Tara fix it? Yes. Yes she can.

Patterson rings arranging a meeting in her office where Tara can usually be found faking assault, pregnancy and miscarriage.

Jax meanwhile delivers Clay to Galen and then things get all like random and weird? Jax shoots Galen in the head and his henchmen gets it too. Clay correctly figures that he’ll be next and that it will be staged to look like a gunfight between the three of them. He’s allowed to say goodbye to Gemma which is awwwwww. A few minutes later Clay is wormfood and after some seriously amateurish staging the scene is set. When Connor arrives Jax explains to him that it had to go down this way. Connor has to sell the lie to the Kings and the Micks have to deal guns with darkies. Yeah I can totally see the Irish being happy with that.

Connor has to sell the lie to the Kings and the Micks have to deal guns with darkies. Yeah I can totally see the Irish being happy with that.

Jax softens towards Tara. He tells her he understands why she did it. She’s got a bullet in her pocket that can put him away for 35 lifetimes. And what about Happy with the Chinese? Presumably he’ll be kept prisoner infinitely like Huell stuck in the safe house in Breaking Bad.

And what about Happy with the Chinese? Presumably he’ll be kept prisoner infinitely like Huell stuck in the safe house in Breaking Bad

I’ll say this though: it was surprisingly affecting when Clay got his. Very few characters have earned their death like this one but Ron Perlman does sorrow and regret like few actors on the planet so when he got plugged it had power. I don’t quite know how it keeps this going for another season but it will. In its own plot-heavy, plausibility-light way Sons of Anarchy will bull its way through, raising hell every turn and leaving carnage in its wake. I’ve enjoyed this season quite a lot.

The verdict: Clay Morrow! Clay Morrow! I love ya Clay Morrow. You got shot just like a cuuuuuuuunt.

Marks out of 10: 8