Albification

"Albification"
Sons of Anarchy episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 1
Directed by	Guy Ferland
Written by	Kurt Sutter
Production code	2WAB01
Original air date	September 8, 2009 (2009-09-08)
Running time	45 minutes
Guest appearances
Adam Arkin as Ethan Zobelle Ally Walker as Agent June Stahl Tayler Sheridan as Chief David Hale Dayton Callie as Wayne Unser Mitch Pileggi as Ernest Darby Jamie McShane as Cameron Hayes Callard Harris as Edmond Hayes Sarah Jones as Polly Zobelle Jeff Kober as Jacob Hale Jr. Henry Rollins as AJ Weston Julie Ariola as Mary Winston Marcos de la Cruz as Estevez

"Albification" is the second season premiere of the FX television series Sons of Anarchy. It was written by Kurt Sutter, the original series creator, directed by Guy Ferland, and staff-written by Misha Green. It originally aired in the United States on September 9, 2009.

This episode marks the first appearance of Adam Arkin (Ethan Zobelle), Henry Rollins (AJ Weston), and Sarah Jones (Polly Zobelle).

Production

The title "Albification" means a process used to make something white.

Plot

The SAMCRO is divided in the wake of Donna's death. Clay sets up a new gun deal with the Real IRA. Meanwhile, a white supremacist group takes root in Charming and threatens more than just SAMCRO's control over Charming; the Michael Myers-like masked L.O.A.N. gang kidnaps and gang rapes Gemma, and tells her to stop SAMCRO from selling guns to blacks and other non-white gangs.

Production

This episode got 4.29 million viewers on its original network in the United States.

Music

• "Leda Atomica" by Year Long Disaster

Reception

IGN gave "Albification" a 7.8/10.0 rating, stating; "Supposedly, Sons is loosely based on Hamlet. There are major differences from the two—there's no one resembling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, for instance—but it fits. Jax is the princely Hamlet; Clay is Claudius, Gemma is Queen Gertrude and Jax's father's manuscript is the ghost that visits Hamlet in the beginning to warn poor Hamlet. But Hamlet is a terrible play to emulate."

Zach Handler of The AV Club gave "Albification" an A- rating, stating; "The episode title, "Albification" means "the process of making white." On the one hand, we've got Zobelle and Weston doing their level best to purify the races, preaching "separatism," and demanding Clay stop selling guns to the Niners and the Mayans (a bad demand even in the best of times, but given the financial pressure the club is under, it's not a request that goes over too well). But there's also the way Jax, Clay, and Tig just want to pretend everything's clean when it clearly isn't. Some stains won't stay gone, no matter how many times you paint them over."