‘Sons of Anarchy’ Review: “Wolfsangel”

‘Sons of Anarchy’ season 6 roars out its fourth episode of the year “Wolfsangel ,” as the arrival of a new Nazi gang in down complicates Jax's already deteriorating relationship with the Irish, while Clay and Otto enact a deadly plan from behind bars, and Tara conspires with Wendy to get custody of their kids from Jax.

Last week’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ episode “Poenitentia” saw Lee Toric step up his game to incriminate SAMCRO and Nero, while Jax and Barosky (Peter Weller) dealt with fallout from the Iranians, and Clay faced his fate behind bars, so how does “Wolfsangel” keep the season rolling?  Will ‘Sons of Anarchy’ season 6 finally mark the end for SAMCRO?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Sons of Anarchy’ season 6 episode 4, “Wolfsangel!”

Unser awakes in his trailer, but finds himself faced with three masked men upon stepping outside, who savagely beat him and pull out a knife. Meanwhile at home, Jax is astonished to find Tig paying an early morning visit, having been visited by August Marks and his men the night before. Jax covers by claiming to have forgotten to send the prospects to help Tig, though when Tig questions their mutual Standing, Jax assures him all is well.

Sheriff Roosevelt arrives to Diosa to reveal Erin’s death to Nero, serving a warrant to search his truck and take him in for questioning, while Toric menacingly watches nearby. Jax visits with August Marks to learn that he spared Tig’s life as a test of loyalty for Jax, and that Clay’s murder of a white supremacist in prison may blow back on the club. Marks even offers to pick up SAMCRO’s gun business as a means to clear Tig’s debt as well. Back at Teller-Morrow, Gemma finds the garage trashed, with a bloodied Unser strung up by the lift with a swastika carved into his chest.

Jax arrives to find Unser recuperating, as San Bernardino SAMCRO member Les Packer (hey, Robert Patrick!) arrives and informs Jax his charter unfortunately turned down the gun business. Unser expresses his worry to Gemma that he might have had the kids present when the Neo-Nazis attacked, but Gemma refuses to consider keeping the boys away from the club. Moments later, Wendy calls to inform Gemma that Tara’s lawyer wants to meet to discuss guardianship.

At the table, Jax resolves to deal with the Nazi problem before meeting the Irish, visiting Ernest Darby (Mitch Pileggi) to see what he knows about the new crew. Chibs requests a moment alone with Jax, pointing out how often Jax resembles Clay by making decisions outside of the club, but Jax insists the state of the club and multiple ambient threats necessitate on-the-fly thinking . Elsewhere in DA Patterson’s office, the woman urges Toric to keep pressing Clay to sign her affidavit, lest he lose his badge and connection with the case.

Nero tells Sheriff Roosevelt he spent the night with Gemma, having no idea who might have killed one of his girls, but the pair soon realize they’ve both seen a little too much of Lee Toric hanging around suspiciously. Meanwhile, the Sons roll up to Darby’s job to press him for information about the Nazi resurgence, to which the former member admits that a man named Gerber attempted to re-recruit him. Darby reluctantly agrees to show them the location of the man’s property, as Jax tasks Tig and Rat to pose as father and son in infiltrating the group.

With Juice and Darby remaining outside the property, Tig and Rat arrive to the stronghold and do their best to fit in with Gerber and his associates, but Darby and Juice’s presence is quickly discovered. All manage to get away by holding Gerber hostage until they escape the property, unfortunately exposing Darby to them in the process. Elsewhere, Jax meets with Galen and the Irish to explain that San Bernardino fell through, though Galen insists Jax will still have to double their business. Jax invokes his father’s reasons for getting out of guns and denigrating the True IRA, starting a fight with Galen that ends with the Irish ominously agreeing to keep “hands off” the club for now, and stall their gun deal.

Roosevelt’s lieutenant brings the analysis of Nero’s truck, revealing hair, clothing and blood from the murdered girl, though Roosevelt realizes that Nero seems entirely too calm for someone potentially worried about police finding DNA evidence of a murder in his truck. Rather than take Nero into custody, Roosevelt instead requests the file on Lee Toric. Meanwhile, Toric pays another visit to Clay to remind him that his days are numbered, stepping on his hand to warrant a trip to the infirmary to see what’s become of Otto.

As the Sons regroup from their respective missions, Jax gets a call from Filthy Phil that the Irish have showed up with a shipment of guns, alarming the group. That fear proves founded, as Galen and his men promptly murder Phil and V-Lin, ominously instructing an underling to “get the saw.” By the time the Sons arrive, Jax and the others follow a blood-stained ground inside the barn, where Phil and V-Lin's hands have been left atop their vests, while their hacked up bodies lie nearby.

Roosevelt observes Toric’s file, opting to release Nero but hang on to the truck for the moment. Meanwhile back at the barn, the group finds the shipment of Irish KG-9s intact, as Jax goes against Chibs’ reservations to plan a retaliatory hit on the Nazis, wanting some measure of cathartic vengeance for the two members’ deaths.

On the ride home, Nero worries about the amount of bloodshed his association with SAMCRO has wrought, assuring Gemma that he loves her and would only consider leaving the life if she went with him. Meanwhile, Clay finds Otto in bad shape within the infirmary, apologizing for his pain as Clay slips him the knife to end his suffering. Back at Teller-Morrow, Gemma opts to give Unser a ride to the hospital after learning of Phil’s fate.

Toric offers Clay one last opportunity to sign the affidavit, pointing out that Otto could likely be turned once more in his weakened state, though Clay still refuses to sign. Over at the hospital, we learn that Tara and Wendy have been conspiring with Lowen to testify against Jax’s fitness as a parent, a meeting Unser accidentally steps into. Outside the room, Unser agrees to cover for Tara with Gemma, assuring Tara afterward he’ll later have questions about what he saw.

Riding up to the Nazi stronghold, SAMCRO lays waste to the entire house and all within, as Jax coldly orders both the guns, and the property burned to look like an internal beef. Meanwhile, Toric makes another effort to turn Otto, offering him a pad to write any of Clay’s crimes, but Otto instead writes a disturbing taunt about Toric’s dead sister. Toric attacks, before Otto shanks him in multiple spots, alerting the guards. Otto promptly slits Toric’s throat, as the guards finally put the SAMCRO inmate down for good.

Later, as SAMCRO burns the bodies of its fallen members, DA Patterson coordinates the grizzly aftermath of Toric and Otto’s deaths.

Yeesh. And we thought the school shooting was dark for 'Sons of Anarchy''s sixth season. You know, the horrific school shooting that proved a problem for SAMCRO's gunrunning for all of two episodes, without even meriting a mention in tonight's episode. We've stuck with 'Sons of Anarchy' for quite some time, even as plots and characters gave way to increasing contrivance, but something about "Wolfsangel" seems to have finally boiled over the absurdity of the omnipresent bloodshed.

Not only has Kurt Sutter's own Otto finally been put down for good, but along with him Lee Toric, our major (if cartoonishly underwritten) villain for the season. Add to that body count the most likable of background SAMCRO members, a dead hooker, and a house full of bullet-ridden Neo-Nazis, and we barely know where to begin dissecting this manic cycle of violence. Suddenly, Tara conspiring to steal her children away from SAMCRO seems to be about the only sensible action thus far in all of season 6.

So, where do we even go from here? Galen and the Irish will likely step up as larger villains in the season, given Donal Logue's contract only extended through ten episodes, two of which were used up in the fifth season. Jax's charter will surely need some new members to stay afloat, perhaps finally bringing Bobby and his crew back into the story, while Clay continues to pass the time behind bars.

An extraordinarily bloody hour for 'Sons of Anarchy,' one with seemingly little substance surrounding its many deaths, so hopefully next week will pick up with a bit less blinding darkness. R.I.P. Filthy Phil, you big, beautiful bastard. Just yeesh.

What say you? Did you get your fill of road-rashing ‘Sons of Anarchy’ action?  What did you think about tonight’s all-new episode, “Wolfsangel”? Join us next week for another all-new ‘Sons of Anarchy’ recap of “The Mad King,” and stay tuned as we bring you additional coverage on tonight’s episode with series creator Kurt Sutter!