'Sons of Anarchy' Recap: Season 6 Finale - 'A Mother's Work'

Jax writes in his notebook to his sons while sitting at Opie's grave. He confesses that he really doesn't know what he's doing most of the time, and that he's terrified at what he's done and what he's become. He writes that he's become the one thing he hated, which is basically a man who justifies the violence and bad things he does. He's become Clay.

Roosevelt checks in with Patterson at her office. They both think Tara is in her right mind to go on the run, but they're also both unsure if Jax will kill her if he finds her. Patterson seems content on rolling the dice to find out if that's true.

Bobby's out and about, no longer confined to his bed. He and the rest of the Sons convene at the ice cream shop. Gemma is there as well, and is a little anxious because there are sherifs outside Jax's house. Bobby points out that if Tara gave up the club, the Sons would all already be in custody.

Just after Jax arrives at the shop, Patterson and Roosevelt walk in not too long after. Patterson tells Jax that Tara missed a meeting they had set. Jax tells the DA that Tara took the boys on a retreat for a few days. Patterson attempts to humanize Jax, telling him that if he let's his family pay the price for his mistakes, she thinks it will destroy Jax.

When Patterson leaves, Jax heads upstairs to talk with the rest of the club. He informs them that Patterson doesn't know where Tara is. Abel still needs to be near his doctors, so he knows Tara isn't going too far. He tells the guys they need to find Tara before Patterson, for the sole reason to convince Tara not to rat on the MC. Jax has the guys tail Margaret and Tara's new lawyer in hopes of finding her. The club's meeting is interrupted by Chuckie, who informs Jax that Alvarez is waiting out front.

Alvarez is worrisome about Marks taking over the gun business from the Sons. Jax explains that the Chinese had angered the Irish, and that that was an isolated incident. Marks taking over guns makes the most sense for everyone, as Jax explains, because Marks has the largest network. Alvarez then tells Jax that his shipment is two weeks late and he wants delivery that afternoon. Alvaez wants Nero at the meeting, which surprises Jax. Alvarez then tells Jax that the Mayans are expanding into Stockton, which also comes as news to Jax.

Tara calls her lawyer from her motel room. He tells her that the deal Patterson is offering is legit, and then Tara agrees to meet up and look it over. Juice and Bobby tail the lawyer as he leaves his office.

Jax and the Sons meet up with Nero and his crew, Alvarez and the Mayans, and the Niners, who are there to represent Marks. Jax asks Nero about the Mayans' move into Stockton, and he assures Jax that he didn't know until the day before. He tells Jax that he doesn't lie to friends, referring to Juice spilling the beans about killing Darviny. Nero tells Jax that it was Juice that told him, which spurs the whole "Juice can't be trusted" debate going through Jax's head again.

Alvarez seems to be a little upset that Marks isn't at the meet, but Tyler, the head of the Niners, tells Alvarez that Marks can't be seen on the streets for the business to work. Alvarez wants assurances that the street balance won't be upset given the recent events between the Sons and the Chinese. Tyler says that he'd already reached out to Lin and smoothed things over. Alvarez agrees to take the guns from Tyler and the Niners. He asks to see the guns before he leaves. Alvarez and his guns take out the guns and do exactly what Galen did to the Chinese. Nero and Fiasco watch as Alvarez and the Mayans shoot and kill all the Niners present.

While Jax is meeting with Barasky to talk business, he also asks him to keep an eye out for Tara. Mid conversation, Rat interrupts with news that Tara's been spotted at a park outside of Lodi. As Jax leaves with Happy, Barasky tells Tig and Chibbs that he'd just heard about a bunch of Niners found dead. Barasky seems to like Nero, but questions where he lies in this gun dispute.

Bobby and Juice wait at the park as Tara pulls up with her boys. She sends Abel to play while she sits down with her lawyer. He talks to her about having to testify and what she'll need to say in court. Tara tells her lawyer where she's staying so she can be picked up when it's time to meet with Patterson. The lawyer leaves to go call Patterson, and while he's away, Jax, Bobby, Juice and Happy walk up to Tara. Abel couldn't be happier to see his daddy. Tara couldn't be more terrified.

As Happy takes Abel back to the playground, Tara asks that Jax not hurt her in front of the kids. Jax has no intent on hurting his wife, he just wants her to be a good mother to their sons. He doesn't want to force anything on her, that was never his intention either.

Nero heads back to Diosa after his lunch with Alvarez. Gemma is there waiting for him. She can tell something's wrong, but Nero doesn't want to talk about it. Gemma gets into one of her little rages, and then Nero asks her if he'd run away with her and leave everything behind. Gemma tells Nero that she can't choose between him and the club. Nero says he knows she can't, but he has to. Gemma puts two and two together and comes to the upsetting conclusion that she's being dumped. She storms out of Diosa.

Patterson arrives at Tara's hotel room and is legitimately surprised to see Jax sitting in the room along with Tara. Jax offers to turn himself in as the source of the KG-9 in exchange for Tara being let off of everything and is free to take the boys wherever she wants. Jax's only stipulation is that he gets to spend the day with his boys and then he'll turn himself in that night at his house. Patterson agrees, and when she leaves, Jax and Tara exchange the only "I love you"s that seem to be genuine this season.

Back at the clubhouse, Jax explains the situation to Bobby and Chibbs. He says there's no other way this works out. Jax will be charged with possession and conspiracy, and could face 25 years with parole in 10, maybe seven years. Bobby then lies to Jax about the Alvarez/Niner gun deal when asked about it, not wanting to worry Jax about anything else. Jax then hands the gavel to Bobby, and suggests keeping Chibbs on as VP as well as staying in legitimate business. Bobby always wanted the club to go straight, and Jax knows he's the best man to get the Sons there. Jax's last food for thought for the two of them: support Tara with whatever she needs, and Juice can not be trusted.

Gemma ignores the knocking at her door. Unser lets himself in and tells Gemma that Jax is about to be arrested as per Tara's deal. Clearly, neither Gemma or Unser know the whole truth behind Jax's pending arrest. Gemma wants to go for a drive, but Unser won't let her; she's been drinking and smoking. The last time she got behind the wheel after that combo, it didn't end too well. Gemma then asks Wayne to get her pills from her room, and when Unser gets up, Gemma grabs his keys and leaves.

At the ice cream shop, Unser tells Jax to find Gemma to fill her in on everything. Juice offers to go find Gemma and tell her. Jax follows juice outside. As Jax hugs him, Jax leans in and whispers, "You betrayed me" into Juice's ear. Juice knows he doesn't have many more mulligans when it comes to Jax.

Roosevelt drives Tara home, and they both see Unser's truck in the driveway. Inside, Tara calls out for Wayne, but there's no answer. Roosevelt heads outside to wait for Patterson. Tara goes into the kitchen, and as she turns the corner, she sees Gemma standing there. Gemma immediately attacks Tara, bashing her in the head with an iron, then dunking Tara's head into the sink full of water. While holding Tara's head under water, Gemma grabs a carving fork and repeatedly stabs Tara in the back of the head. The sink fills with blood. RIP Tara.

Juice pulls up outside the house. He tells Roosevelt that Gemma was driving Unser's truck. After hearing a noise from inside, Roosevelt rushes in to see Gemma slinking to the floor next to Tara's freshly deceased body. "It had to be done…she made a deal, she betrayed him," Gemma says almost indiscernible. Roosevelt tells her that Tara didn't rat, that Jax gave himself up to protect his wife. Roosevelt picks up his radio to call it in, when…BANG…Sons drops another bomb on us. Juice puts two shots into Roosevelt, leaving another corpse on the kitchen floor. Juice goes to help Gemma up and then he goes into clean-up mode.

Jax kisses his boys goodbye. He makes his fond farewells to all the guys in the club. He tells the guys that Tara will be there to pick up the boys, and then rides home to turn himself in. Meanwhile, Juice disposes of evidence from the kitchen in dumpsters in a back alley. The ever present homeless woman enters the alley as Juice leaves.

The meeting between Alvarez and Lin seems to be going well. Both Alvarez and Lin are happy to see Nero walk in and sit down at the table. Nero seems hesitant the whole walk to the table, but it also seems that there's no way he gets out of this life.

Jax gets home. Patterson isn't there yet. He goes inside, and from the foyer, sees Roosevelt lying dead on the floor. As he turns the corner and sees Tara lying beside him, he breaks down crying. Patterson and some sherifs walk in as Jax is cradling Tara's lifeless body.

image: FOX