'Sons of Anarchy' Casualties: Season 2

The Scapegoat*

"Albification" (season 2, episode 1)

RIP: Elian Perez

Death by: Bullets

Reason: Fearing that Opie (Ryan Hurst) couldn't bear to hear that the club—his family—was responsible for Donna's (Sprague Grayden) death, Jax (Charlie Hunnam) allowed Clay (Ron Perlman) to pin the murder on the Mayans as payback for SAMCRO setting the Mayans up for Niner slaughter. The scapegoat was ex-con Elian Perez (Joey Anaya), who Opie, Jax, Chibs (Tommy Flanagan), and Tig (Kim Coates) spotted dealing drugs near a school. They chased him.

Result: Opie put his gun in Perez's mouth and wanted to hear him admit that he'd killed Donna. Perez denied it. As Jax and Chibs took Opie aside and Opie explained that he needed to leave with no doubt that he'd killed the right man, Perez told Tig that the Mayans had no beef with SAMCRO. Tig shot him through the cheek to silence him. When Opie and the boys returned, Tig told them Perez had reached for his gun and he had to take the shot. Jax assured Opie there was no doubt. Opie put a bullet in the Mayan's head—and carved the SOA's 'A' symbol into his torso so the Mayans would know who was responsible.

Reverberations: Jax said he'd take care of the body. He shot more holes in Perez's chest to mask the 'A' and dumped his body with his hands holding up nine fingers so it'd look like the work of the Niners. Jax making that call on his own fueled what would become a season-long war with Clay. It also made the Mayans want to buy more guns from SAMCRO to retaliate against the Niners. Clay told Alvarez (Emilio Rivera) with the ATF heat, SAMCRO wasn't selling. Then Clay tipped off the Niners that the Mayans were gunning for them and arranged to sell Laroy (Tory Kittles) weapons. The Mayans crashed that exchange and bullets flew. Opie walked into the fray fearlessly (or with a death wish).

*Click here to start from the beginning and go to our season 1 SOA death tally.

Juice Bait

"Gilead" (season 2, episode 7)

RIP: Dion

Death by: Beating

Reason: The season 2 premiere had introduced new foes for SAMCRO: Ethan Zobelle (Adam Arkin), head of the white separatist organization the League of American Nationalists; his deceptively innocent-looking blonde daughter Polly (Sarah Jones); and his right-hand muscle, true believer AJ Weston (Henry Rollins). Determined to push SAMCRO out of Charming, Zobelle had Polly kidnap Gemma (Katey Sagal) so Weston and two of his minions could gang rape her. They threatened to do it again if she didn't tell Clay to stop selling guns where Zobelle didn't want them. Though Gemma kept the attack a secret from the club, SAMCRO did know that Zobelle was working with Darby (Mitch Pileggi) to bring meth into Charming. If SAMCRO couldn't keep the town safe and drug-free, the town would turn against the club. It was on: Opie blew up Darby's lab; Zobelle had an Aryan take out Otto's (Kurt Sutter) eye in prison and Polly arranged a car bombing that nearly killed Chibs. Knowing SAMCRO would retaliate, Zobelle tricked them into storming a Christian Center looking for him. Weston fired shots that everyone assumed came from SAMCRO. They were arrested.

Result: Inside, Clay needed to secure himself, Jax, Juice (Theo Rossi), Bobby (Mark Boone Junior), Happy (David Labrava), and Tig protection against the Aryans until Gemma and Tara (Maggie Siff) could secure bail—ultimately with the help of Oswald (Patrick St. Esprit). Clay went to Laroy's cousin Russell (Ronald William Lawrence), who'd offer Black Guerilla Family help if SAMCRO delivered two rats—one of them being Dion (Michael Bentt), an inmate in protective custody who liked "buff brown boys." Tig punched Juice in the ribs so he'd get sent to the infirmary, where Dion was waiting. Dion's seduction was cut short when Juice let in members of the Family. We presume Dion did not survive.

Reverberations: On his way back out into the yard, smiling Juice was stabbed by an Aryan.

The Setup

"Gilead" (season 2, episode 7)

RIP: Sheriff Trammel

Death by: Bullets

Reason: The second snitch was a transgender dealer named Venus Bell (Jazzmun). Opie, who hadn't been arrested, got cocaine from a dealer who delivered to his new lady friend, porn star/single mom Lyla (Winter Ave Zoli), and planted it in Venus' car. The plan was for Sheriff Trammel (Glenn Plummer) to find it, arrest Venus, and send her to County where the Family could handle it.

Result: Trammel pulled Venus over, but she shot him in the gut. Trammel told Opie to call in "officer down," but since we never saw Trammel on the show again, we presume he didn't make it. At the very least, his affiliation with SAMCRO was dead.

Reverberations: Receiving word that the second rat wasn't delivered and they were unprotected was only half the club's problems. ATF Agent Stahl (Ally Walker) was back in town with her sights now set on bringing down the True IRA, whose Cameron Hayes (Jamie McShane) and Edmond Hayes (Callard Harris) had met with Zobelle about selling him guns instead of SAMCRO. Stahl worked on Clay first, trying to get him to turn on the IRA and letting him know that Deputy Chief Hale (Tayler Sheridan) had told her that Jax had figured out Clay was behind Donna's death. After Clay and Jax had a bloody, two-minute throwdown in their cell, Stahl tried to turn Jax. But Jax knew she had nothing if she was desperate enough to risk SAMCRO tipping off the Irish that ATF was on to them. Bail was posted. When the guys returned to the clubhouse, Clay went one way and Jax went the other.

The Breaking Point

"Potlatch" (season 2, episode 8)

RIP: Luann Delaney

Death by: Beating

Reason: Earlier in the season, the Feds had raided Otto's wife Luann's (Dendrie Taylor) porn studio, Cara Cara, and frozen her assets, leaving her talent to be preyed upon by rival porn producer Georgie Caruso (Tom Arnold). Since SAMCRO didn't have the cash to pay back Luann's loan to them, the boys made sure Georgie backed off, and Jax had the idea for the club to become partners in Cara Cara. The gun warehouse they'd just built would be her new studio, and they'd split the profits. The club voted unanimously to get into "pussy." Later, when someone broke into Cara Cara, shot the guard dog, and stole equipment, Jax and the boys paid Georgie another visit to collect it and threaten him again. When one of Georgie's goons asked him how they respond, Georgie gave a look that said he was done playing.

Result: Luann's body was found—the splinters suggested a bat had been used to beat her to death. Hale notified the club at a family dinner hosted at Gemma and Clay's.

Reverberations: Clay blamed Jax for dividing the club and for getting Luann killed. "I'm not the one murderin' women," Jax shouted back. In the next episode, "Fa Guan," Clay wanted to close Cara Cara, and when the studio was burned down, Jax assumed Clay was behind the blaze (when it was really Weston and Darby). Even after Unser (Dayton Callie) told Jax the fire wasn't Clay's work, Jax and Clay believed it best that Jax leave SAMCRO and go to Nomad—and SAMCRO voted to release him in "Balm." That's when Gemma finally told Clay and Jax that she was gang raped, knowing their hatred for Zobelle and Weston would reunite them. Jax sewed back on the Vice President and Redwood Original patches he'd cut off; Clay told Jax he needed him because the retaliation needed to be smart. "How do you want to handle it?" Clay asked. "We kill 'em all," Jax said. Tig went on a bender and almost slept with Gemma, who assumed Clay would never touch her again. Lost Tig told Opie the truth about Donna's murder, and how Stahl had wired his truck and phone. Opie put a gun to Stahl's head but showed mercy. Clay also showed mercy after Piney (William Lucking) attempted to shoot him on Opie's behalf. Opie stayed in SAMCRO, and Clay showed Gemma that he still wanted her. The club was whole again.

Divide and Conquer

"The Culling" (season 2, episode 12)

RIP: Ule (and a couple of workers)

Death by: Bullets

Reason: SAMCRO had figured out that Zobelle was working with the Mayans to move heroin behind true believer Weston's back. The boys shared that information with Weston, who ultimately shot and killed Zobelle's trusted associate Ule (Jason Matthew Smith) and the two women he had packaging the heroin with him. Weston broke ties with Zobelle over their differing racist ideologies and, after Jax arranged for child services to pick up Zobelle's two sons, accepted Jax's offer for an old fashion rumble—Weston's 10 best against SAMCRO's 10 best. "Either you or me goes home in a bag," Jax said.

Result: Weston's crew showed up to the no-weapons brawl with guns, but they dropped them once the Niners and Lin Triad walked up behind SAMCRO armed. Jax and Clay had convinced Laroy and Henry Lin (Kenneth Choi) that helping SAMCRO end Weston and Zobelle would hurt the Mayans' access to both guns and a larger heroin pipeline. The fair fistfight began, but Hale broke it up and arrested Weston on suspected arson after Cara Cara bookkeeper Chucky (Michael Ornstein) gave an eyewitness statement on the fire. Hale also arrived at Zobelle's cigar shop before Clay could put a bullet in him, and Zobelle told Hale that he and his daughter were in possession of illegal narcotics so Hale had a reason to arrest them, too.

Reverberations: At the start of the season 2 finale, "Na Triobloidi," the club was waiting outside the station for word on Zobelle and Weston. Chief Unser told Stahl he needed something to tell SAMCRO about why Weston and Zobelle were each going to walk: Felon Chucky was an unreliable witness to Weston's arson, and Zobelle had been an FBI informant for three years now—he ties his organization's dirty deeds to senators, clergymen, and judges and names Aryan shotcallers.

The Revenge

"Na Triobloidi" (season 2, episode 13)

RIP: AJ Weston

Death by: Bullets

Reason: The club got word to imprisoned Otto that Zobelle was a rat so he could pass it along to the Aryan shotcallers. That put SAMCRO back in their good graces, which meant Otto could kill the Aryan who'd taken his eye (death by: stabbing) and there'd be no blowback when they took out Weston and Zobelle.

Result: Jax, Chibs, and Opie tailed Weston to a tattoo parlor, where he was getting new ink while on a supervised visit with one of his sons. Opie asked the tattoo artist to send Weston alone to the restroom, where they'd be waiting. But Weston took his kid with him. Seeing the SAMCRO trio, Weston told his son to never talk to the cops and that he loved him, then he had the boy leave. "He never sees this," Weston told Jax. Weston walked into a stall, sat down on a toilet, and looked up at Jax, who put six bullets in him. Back at the clubhouse, Clay told Jax he was a good son and everyone toasted "to sons."

Reverberations: Zobelle was next, but he'd already replaced Weston with new protection—the Mayans.

The Rat

"Na Triobloidi" (season 2, episode 13)

RIP: Edmond Hayes

Death by: Bullets

Reason: Stahl wanted to nail the True IRA's Jimmy O'Phelan (Titus Welliver), and had almost had Chibs onboard as a rat: Jimmy O was responsible for both Chibs being booted from the IRA and the scars on his face, and Jimmy had married Chibs' wife and raised his daughter. But when Stahl couldn't promise immunity for SAMCRO, Chibs clammed up and came clean to the club. Needing to repair SAMCRO's relationship with the Irish for the weapons they'd need to take down Zobelle (and to keep Jimmy O from looking Chibs' way), Clay showed Jimmy O the photo of Cameron and his son Edmond with Zobelle. They told him Edmond had ratted.

Result: Cameron told Edmond the only way to prove himself faithful to Jimmy O was to kill Stahl. Edmond said his dad would meet him at the safe house and would have equipment to pick up any wires or communication, so only Stahl should be with him so his dad wouldn't spook. Back at the house, Edmond got a gun hidden in the bathroom and shook as he held it on Stahl. She knew about the gun and had replaced the bullets with blanks. She took Edmond's phone and texted his dad that she was dead and it was okay to come get him. When she told Edmond that his father had raised "an Irish pussy," he punched her below the belt and ran. She shot him twice in the back and killed him.

Reverberations: Stahl's team heard the shots. To buy herself some time, she told them Edmond had fired the blanks and to take down the wire—Cameron was on his way.

God's Plan

"Na Triobloidi" (season 2, episode 13)

RIP: Polly Zobelle

Death by: Bullets

Reason: Zobelle had arranged for the Mayans to escort him and Polly to a chartered plane that would take them home to Budapest, where he could regroup. Polly, who had been sleeping with Edmond, wanted to see him first (and perhaps ask to stay with him). Gemma and Tara were out getting supplies for the clubhouse, which was on lockdown as this war was waged, when Gemma spotted Polly and followed her to Edmond's house.

Result: With the men of SAMCRO risking their lives and freedom for her, Gemma wanted to do her part. Thanks to a recent spiritual awakening, she believed she had God's blessing: "God's put her in my path so I can fix that part of me that they ripped open. I'm supposed to do this," she told Tara before sending her home. Gemma went inside Edmond's house. Polly had seen Edmond's dead body when she entered and heard a noise coming from where Stahl was hiding out of sight, so she already had her gun drawn when Gemma made her presence known. Polly assumed Gemma had killed Edmond. She turned to fire on Gemma, but Gemma shot her once in the chest.

Reverberations: Polly's assumption gave Stahl, who Unser had told about Gemma's rape to get the info on Zobelle being an informant, the idea to pin Edmond's murder on Gemma. Stahl told Gemma she'd give her a headstart so she could at least see her family before they picked her up for Polly's murder—then Stahl tossed her gun at Gemma, so it would have her prints on it. "Goddamn, you are a smart bitch," Gemma said. Gemma fled and went on the lam (she called Unser, who drove her out of Charming). Stahl, meanwhile, fed her team a lie: Cameron didn't show, but Polly Zobelle did. Before Edmond could get rid of her, Gemma arrived and suckerpunched Stahl, took her gun, and shot Polly. Edmond panicked, ran for the door, and Gemma shot him in the back with Stahl's gun. Cameron overheard that Gemma had killed his son...

Son for a Son

"Na Triobloidi" (season 2, episode 13)

RIP: Half Sack

Death by: Kitchen knife

Reason: Seeing the Feds flood Edmond's place, SAMCRO prospect Half Sack (Johnny Lewis), who'd been assigned to watch Gemma and Tara, went to Jax's house to update Tara. Cameron walked in just as Tara was phoning Jax, who, along with the rest of SAMCRO, had finally scared off Zobelle's Mayan escort and had Zobelle cornered solo in a convenience store full of schoolchildren. Jax heard Tara scream, and he, Chibs, and Opie left to go to her.

Result: Cameron told Tara that Gemma had killed his son, so he was there to kill an old lady to even the score. But then baby Abel started crying. "Son for a son, seems about right," Cameron said. As he moved a large kitchen knife toward Abel, both Half Sack and Tara lunged at Cameron. Half Sack got there first, and Cameron stabbed him. (That was still a Son for a son.) Cameron picked up Abel. When Jax's trio finally got there, they found Half Sack dead and Tara gagged and tied to a chair in the baby's room. She told them Cameron had taken Abel.

Reverberations: Jax called Clay and said, "I need you." We'd seen Zobelle phone Hale for help and Hale almost delight in telling him that his daughter was dead and no one would be coming to rescue him. All Clay had to do was wait for the schoolchildren to leave and Zobelle was his. But Clay decided Abel was more important than settling this score: "We gotta go. Irish took my grandson," he told the guys. Zobelle checked in for his flight as SAMCRO raced, then sprinted to the docks. They were too late. "He took my son. He took my son!"Jax yelled as he watched Cameron's speedboat in the distance. He fell to knees, and as Clay comforted him, he screamed.