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Can Gemma Avoid Meeting Mr. Mayhem?

One of the things I love about Sons of Anarchy is its constant ability to throw me for a loop. Just when I think the story arc is going to go left, Kurt Sutter and his deviously genius mind drags me to the right. So, of course, this makes predicting SOA 's Season 7 finale all the more difficult. But if there's one thing viewers should be absolutely certain of, it's the fact that Jax will find out that Gemma killed Tara. There's just no way this show will let a huge secret like that slide. The only question that remains is, what will happen when he does. And while many have contemplated the fate of SAMCRO's matriarch, what it all boils down to is one very important question: will the club kill Gemma once they find out what she's done?

It certainly would seem logical for Gemma to die, especially given the massive body count her lies have created this season. It's not just Tara's blood on her hands anymore, which is bad enough in and of itself and would more than qualify her to meet Mr. Mayhem. (Others have faced worse for far less, after all.) But could Jax actually kill his own mother? The promo for Tuesday night's episode "Greensleeves" definitely wants us to think so, but those clips tend to be misleading. I highly doubt Jax would be able to physically harm her when push comes to shove. And I'm pretty sure each member of the club would feel the exact same way.

I mean, this is Gemma Teller we're talking about. The one person SAMCRO is most protective of above everyone else. She's comforted each of them; served as a shoulder to cry on; and basically dedicated her life to serving the club's needs. Remember how fast they all turned against Clay, their President, once they saw what he did to her face? So their steadfast love for her would definitely factor into the equation.

Not to mention that Gemma is not actually a club member. As much as her life has been ingrained in SAMCRO, she technically doesn't have to adhere to their rules, making her betrayal out of the reach of the Mr. Mayhem vote. But even if that wasn't the case, I still doubt they'd have her killed. There's just too much history there.

However, that's not to say she'll get off easy by any means. In fact, I can think of a few punishments that could be considered to be a fate worse than death, at least to Gemma anyway.

Jax Could Disown Her

If there's one thing Gemma loves most in this world it's her family. So if Jax were to take that away from her and not allow her to see either him or her grandchildren, odds are she'd rather face death instead of suffering through the pain of such a permanent separation. Jax threatened her with something similar to this before after the whole car accident nightmare, but he never followed through with it. If he did, I'm sure it would kill her, if not on a physical level then certainly on an emotional one.

They Could Send Her to Jail

As much as Gemma loves the club, she hates law enforcement even more. What if SAMCRO decided to make her their scapegoat and somehow dump all of the responsibility for everything that's happened onto her. She'd be in jail for the rest of her life with no family and no friends. Gemma thrives off the love she's able to give and receive from others, and without that exchange she'll completely lose her self worth.

Jax Could Fake His Death

On the off-chance Sutter will opt for a happier ending than the bloodbath we're all expecting to see, Jax could arrange for his own death to be faked, so that he and the boys could leave Charming (maybe even with Wendy) and get a fresh start — just like Tara would've wanted. Gemma would live the rest of her life blaming herself for her son's death, which would be the worst form of torture Jax could ever hope to deliver.

Either way, Gemma's future is a dark one indeed, even if it doesn't end in bloodshed. But just because someone isn't killed on this show, doesn't mean they can't still feel dead inside.

Images: James Minchin/FX; kateyxsagal/Tumblr (3); FX; Wifflegif