[S1E3] Sucker Punch

Next, we have another brand of preposterousness entirely, as Kayce tries to remove an old stump by pulling it out with a tractor and chain. He upends the tractor, which sends him into a huff, so he retrieves the explosives and the rifle, as we Montanans are wont to do. Then he shoots the explosives, causing a massive explosion that atomizes the stump, scares his wife, and reveals a (get ready for the preposterous part) full, intact dinosaur fossil skeleton. I mean, this sucker's a real museum piece. It's the sort of thing that would send any paleontologist worth their salt into paroxysms of animal lust. Thank goodness that giant explosion didn't seem to damage it much! These two decide they're going to dig it up themselves.

[S1E3] Sucker Punch

And he apparently talks the man into it, because he offers no further resistance, only requesting that he get to enjoy one more of those nice little cigarettes. Rip doesn't even let him have that, shivving or maybe kidney-punching the man (hard to tell which) into unconsciousness before beginning to microwave some metal lab equipment and pulling out the oxygen hose. Evidently, this is supposed to look like a suicide, but I think the show is trafficking in more absurdity here: first in that Rip is capable of talking a man into being suicidal (even a formaldehyde addict), and second that any educated lawman would look at an exploded coroner's office as a way of committing suicide.

Sons of Anarchy season 5 nearly wore fans down in its dark and traumatizing first two episodes, so it was like a final sucker-punch to the gut when creator Kurt Sutter pulled another shocking moment of horror out in episode 3 - a moment that would trump just about anything the series had pulled before. 041b061a72