Live Blog (Part 2)- Season One: Episode Three- "Fun Town"

       Well I am officially in shock, but I'm not sure why I should be considering the nature of Sons of Anarchy and the fact it revolves around a motorcycle gang. However, the issue of childhood rape is considered fairly taboo in society so I'm surprised this was a subject that the producers decided to cover. Keep in mind that this is a review of "Season One" and so many high-profile cases regarding childhood abuse, such as the Penn State scandal, had not yet come to fruition when this episode was created. One has to wonder if this would still be a plot had this idea been conceptualized in 2013.

         Another interesting aspect of this scene is the graphic portrayal of the girl in the woods. As I mentioned last post, she was found unconscious in a wooded area with her pants near her ankles. While the viewers cannot see any genitalia or anything of that nature, the visual of a helpless girl with her pants literally forced down may be an unbearable sight for some viewers. Again, I'm not sure if the producer or director was doing this for emphasis or wanted to keep with the rugged and borderline violent nature of the show that has drawn in viewers, but whatever the reason this scene has definitely brought out feelings of both anger and sadness in me. Quite an impact from a fictional show, but it just goes to show what kind of impact certain incidents can have, even when viewers know the scene is staged.

       As the episode continues, word about the rape has spread throughout the city of Charming. The father of the victim has chosen to approach SAMCRO about finding the individual responsible for this crime. The interesting aspect is obviously that the father has chosen to approach SAMCRO about this incident, as opposed to working directly with the police. While the police- including Hale- are working on the case as well, the father wants revenge and believes that SAMCRO can deliver it for him. The interactions between the father and SAMCRO are fascinating to watch, and showcase great acting. Viewers can see the pure emotion of a father who has just watched something terrible happen to his "baby girl." Anyone who has a child, niece, cousin, etc can try and feel/cope with what this man is going through. I just briefly reflected on what I would do if I was in a similar situation. Obviously good reasoning tells you to remove emotion from the situation and contact the proper authorities, but how can you remove emotion if something like that happened to you or a loved one? I don't think there is anyone watching that could blame the father for attempting to extract revenge and enlisting SAMCRO. Actually, not only do I think anyone could blame him, but I think most viewers WANT him to get that opportunity for revenge. I know I do....