Capybara (Sons of Anarchy)

"Capybara" is the eleventh episode of the FX television series Sons of Anarchy. It was written by Kurt Sutter and Dave Erickson, and directed by Stephen T. Kay. It originally aired on November 12, 2008.

The title of the episode comes from the animal of the same name, which is the world's largest rodent.

Plot

Clay receives a phone call at the clubhouse from Rosen, the club's attorney, and is informed that Luann has been cleared of all charges but that Otto is in trouble after assaulting Stahl in prison. Clay tells the rest of the men, and they laugh about Otto beating up Stahl. Just as they begin to celebrate, however, the clubhouse is raided by the ATF. The ATF agents put everyone on the ground and place Bobby in handcuffs. He is informed that he is under arrest for Brenan Hefner's murder. Clay tells Bobby that he'll call Rosen and everything will be fine. Gemma spits in Stahl's direction, and Stahl kicks her in the stomach.

After the raid, the rest of SAMCRO hold a meeting and Clay informs them that Bobby is being held in Stockton prison and that the ATF have an eye-witness to the murder. They then notice that Opie, the only member of the gang that is not present, and Juice tries, and fails, to contact him. Tig implies that he has come to the conclusion that Opie has become an informant, and Jax and Piney challenge him angrily. Jax then leaves and goes to Opie's home only to find that he is not there either. He uses a key under the door mat and goes inside, where he discovers Stahl's contact card on the table, and is worried that Tig's theory may become a fact. He then goes to the police station to talk to Unser, only to find that he has been detained in a cell on corruption charges.

Meanwhile, Wendy Teller returns home from rehab. She discovers that the locks on her doors have been changed, but gains entrance to her former residence through the back door. She later visits Abel at the hospital and tells Tara that she is now in a sober living house located in Lincoln Village.

Later at the hospital, Tara tells Gemma that Abel is almost ready to be brought home. They also agree that Jax is not ready for a child, but Gemma assures Tara that she will take care of Abel.

Jax goes back to Opie's neighbourhood and asks a neighbour if she knows where Opie went. She says that Opie and his family were picked up in sedans at around 2:30 am the previous night. At the clubhouse, Juice tells Clay and Tig that someone put a federal wire transfer into Opie's bank account that got rid of some of his debt. They are concerned that Opie is an informant, and the witness that will testify against Bobby. Clay tells Tig and Juice that this information must stay between the three of them, and that the ATF may have done this to make them think that he did. Tig is skeptical, however.

Opie's mother, Mary, visits Gemma at the autoshop and tells her that the ATF have phoned and asked her to pick up her grandchildren from a facility in Stockton. She, too, does not know why Opie and his family have been taken away. In the clubhouse, Jax tells Clay and Tig what the neighbour told him. Tig continues to be convinced that Opie is an informant, and claims that he has likely been in contact with the ATF since his incarceration and is now in witness protection.

Meanwhile in Stockton, Opie is being kept in a holding room at a facility which is used to transition informants into witness protection. His family is also there in another room. Stahl tells him that he is not charged with a crime as he was not positively identified by the witness but he must remain there for his own safety. He then begins to realize that the ATF are, in fact, trying to make him look like an informant.

Jax visits Abel at the hospital and runs into Wendy. He offers her the keys to his home and says that she can live there for a while. She declines, saying that Gemma would not be happy and that a hotel would be fine.

In a visitation room at Stockton prison, Stahl visits Bobby and notes that Hefner was a state official and therefore the attorney's office will likely seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Bobby tells her that he didn't kill anyone, and that if she has something to say she needs to talk to his lawyer. Stahl says that she has a witness statement, and asks if he can question it; she reads the statement exactly the way it happened, and even adds that she knows that Jax was the lookout and the getaway driver for them. Mary also goes to pick up her grandchildren from the facility, and asks Donna what is going on. She tells her that Opie is suspected of murder.

Clay and Tig meet with Rosen and ask him if he knows the identity of the witness who could help convict Bobby, and he tells them that the attorney's office will not release the information. He also tells them that the ATF know that Jax was involved in the hit. They claim the witness could not possibly identify Jax as he was on lookout, and therefore Opie is likely the witness.

Opie is then released and returns to Charming to a warm welcome at the clubhouse. While everyone is attending "Chapel", Tig goes outside and checks Opie's pick-up truck and mobile phone for listening devices at the orders of Clay. He finds one in a cab light in the truck, which was planted by the ATF without Opie's knowledge. Inside, Piney states that Opie's return proves that he is loyal to the club. When everyone leaves at the end of the meeting, Tig informs Clay that he found bugs in Opie's phone and truck and that he destroyed both. Tig is confident that they should kill Opie, and Clay hesitantly agrees. He states that they must keep the killing to themselves as a well-known murder of a brother could destroy the club.

Music

• "Coming Home" by Murder by Death
• "Money Man" by Sasquatch
• "The Firing of the Midnight Rain" by Howlin' Rain

External links

• "Capybara" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Capybara" at TV.com