Sons of Anarchy’ season 5 comes to a screeching halt with its thirteenth and final episode of the year “J'ai Obtenu Cette,” as Jax prepares to hand Tig over to Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau), Nero fights to reclaim his old neighborhood, Clay finds his Ireland trip interrupted, and Tara faces a deadly obstacle in her efforts to leave Charming behind.

Last week’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ episode “Darthy” saw Jax’ dangerously attempting to smooth over his transition between the Mexicans, Irish and Chinese, while Clay threw himself at the mercy of the club, and Tara found herself threatened both by Wendy (Drea Di Matteo) and U.S. Marshall Lee Toric (Donal Logue).  So, how does “J'ai Obtenu Cette”  Close out the season?  Does ‘Sons of Anarchy’ season 5′s finale mark the endgame for SAMCRO?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Sons of Anarchy’ season 5 finale, “J'ai Obtenu Cette!”

Utilizing one of ‘Sons of Anarchy’s famous montages, we see Tara leaving for a doctor’s appointment in the morning, Gemma similarly leaving Nero’s bed (with a note to name their birds “Carl” and “Carla”) and Clay stewing with his freshly-blacked out tattoos.  Afterward, Jax pays a visit to Pope to arrange for delivery of Tig later that day, but not before Pope can draft a written letter of intent for all his promises regarding Charming Heights.

Over at Teller-Morrow, we see Juice covertly packing something into Jax’s bike, while Clay prepares for his upcoming trip.  Gemma assures her estranged husband that her suitcase is already in the car, but her expression from Clay’s happiness suggests otherwise.  Elsewhere, Tara learns that her hand has suffered no permanent damage from last year’s attack, freeing her to operate again in the future!  Her happiness is tempered by the arrival of Wendy, who confesses that Jax attacked her with the speed-ball of heroin, and advises Tara to skip town with the kids as soon as possible.

Nero learns from his neighborhood how gang-banger Dante has been terrorizing the locals, and running a nearby dog-fighting ring.  The Sons covertly infiltrate a fight in progress, disgusting Tig, who confronts a man outside about to put the losing dog down.  The boys convince Tig to relent against the man, before being directed to Dante himself.  Once they’ve found the drug lord, gunfights and chases ensue, culminating with Jax and Nero locking the disgraceful Dante inside a car with one of his angry canine subjects.

After Tara confirms her suspicions about Wendy’s story by listening to Jax’s lie, Jax learns from Unser that the mysterious Lee Toric has a host of commendations in his career, from which he was forced to retire due to misconduct.  Meanwhile at the prison, Toric oversees Otto (Kurt Sutter)’s latest interrogation, but the former SAMCRO member slams his head onto the table, severing his own tongue, before hurling it at the glass window to declare his silence.

Having intercepted a basket of flowers congratulating Tara, Gemma threatens her son’s wife not to take her family out of Charming, lest Gemma claim to the authorities that Tara asked for Otto’s cross purposefully, implicating her in conspiracy charges.  Unfazed by the threats, Tara assures the woman they’ll still be leaving.

Jax phones Pope to say he’ll be late, before luring Tig away from his new canine pal with the promise of busting up another fighting ring.  The duo arrive at an abandoned facility, and Jax pulls a gun on Tig as Pope and his associates drive up.  Tig curses Jax for handing him over to the man who killed his daughter, but Jax insists he brought it on himself.  Having received his Charming Heights papers, Jax watches as Pope takes Tig inside the facility, his death imminent.

Or is it?!  With Pope out of sight, Jax retrieves a pistol from his bike’s satchel, takes out the nearby members of Pope’s crew, and makes his way inside.  With Tig’s help, they manage to get the upper hand in the situation, training a gun on Pope.  Jax hands Tig the gun, watching as he cathartically shoots Pope dead amid the man’s protests.  Still shaken from Jax cavalierly using him in the plot, Tig realizes that the pistol in his hand belongs identifiably to Clay, but assures Jax it isn’t a problem.

Sometime later, Jax phones Sheriff Roosevelt at the scene of Pope’s murder, and directs the officer toward a nearby smokestack by which he placed Clay’s gun, eliminating both their problems.  Elsewhere at the hospital, club lawyer Ally Lowen relays the Otto incident to Tara, assuring her she won’t face any major charges, and dropping off guardianship papers to be signed by her and Jax.

Juice and Clay pack up the last of Clay’s home, Clay having forgiven Juice for finding the legal documents on Jax’s earlier orders, when a knock at the door arrives.  Sheriff Roosevelt enters, brandishing Clay’s discarded pistol and accusing him of the murder of Damon Pope!  Clay insists he was home all day, but when he asks Gemma and Juice to back him up, Gemma claims that Clay disappeared for several hours with the gun and talk of settling old scores.  Betrayed and broken, Clay leaves in handcuffs with the police.

Later, Jax confirms with August Marks that Clay has been implicated for Pope’s murder, claiming himself to have arrived too late to the meet.  Marks finds that Jax’s story fits together and works out for the SAMCRO leader just a bit too perfectly, but they agree to work together in the future.  After Jax departs, August orders a bounty put on Clay’s head, to be carried out before he even reaches a hearing.

Jax thanks Juice and watches Tig with his new canine companion, before Bobby corners him about Clay’s arrest.  Bobby presses on his leader that it wasn’t about Jax being smart enough to hurt Clay without betraying the club, but rather being smart enough not to.  Bobby laments that Jax could have avoided going down the same dark path as Clay himself, but Jax muses that perhaps they aren’t so different after all.

After Nero and Gemma reaffirm their relationship, Lyla interrupts to announce that Jax has arrived.  While Gemma listens, both Nero and Jax press on one another to get out of their violent lifestyles, and make a deal to walk away if the other does.

Later, Jax finds Tara’s legal documents waiting to be signed, and questions why Wendy is still listed as a potential guardian.  Tara protests that he shouldn’t have attacked Wendy as he did, and reveals that she plans on moving to Oregon in two weeks time with the boys to start her new job.  As his old lady, she hopes her strong decision will set an example for him to follow, so their children don’t wind up re-living the same lifestyle and mistakes.

The conversation is interrupted by a knock at the door, once again from Sheriff Eli Roosevelt.  Jax attempts to shoo him away, before Roosevelt reveals that he has actually arrived to serve a warrant to Tara, and take her in on  the murder conspiracy charges.  Tara seems dazed at first, but ultimately leaves in handcuffs with the officers.

Over the closing montage of the season, we see Bobby removing his VP patch, Nero settling back into his violent lifestyle and Clay sternly en route to prison, while Gemma passes Tara in the squad car and enters the home to comfort Jax.  Tara’s contracts torn, Gemma places an arm around her son, mirroring the pose held by Tara and Jax at the end of last season, and originally John Teller and Gemma herself.

And so, it has come to this.  Another chapter of 'Sons of Anarchy' come to a close.  Season 5 may have lacked a bit of the tension, and offered less bloodshed than the previous year, but nonetheless made for an entertaining ride.  We're a bit disappointed that Clay more or less managed to escape Jax's vengeance yet again, even with the late Damon Pope's men closing on him, but intrigued to see how Tara and Jax's relationship can endure her time in prison.

Hopefully Jimmy Smits' Nero and Donal Logue's Lee Toric will have more of a presence next year, as for now we found both season 5 and "J'ai Obtenu Cette" a bit light in weight.  Tig and the others live, with Jax perhaps not as heartless as we thought, but still.  RIP Opie.

Did you get your fill of road-rashing ‘Sons of Anarchy’ drama?  What did you think about the  season finale, or the season at large? Join us next year for more all-new ‘Sons of Anarchy’ recaps, and stay tuned as we bring you additional coverage on tonight's big finale with series creator Kurt Sutter!

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