From the minute it started, I called FX’s hit series, Sons of Anarchy, “Sopranos on Motorcycles”. For people dying for a different kind of mafia fix to ease their wounded New Jersey hearts, this show had the flavors required to fill the void. Kurt Sutter’s Hamlet themed drama series about a biker club that lives in the fast lanes of drugs, weapons and outlaw activity has provided an assortment of thrills throughout its 6 seasons. Charlie Hunman’s work as the heart and soul of the series, club leader Jax Teller, has redefined the idea of anti-hero.
On one hand, there’s no need to like any of these characters or what they do.They punch, kick, shoot, stab and destroy anything in their path. However, due to the fact that the club is family, a viewer is inclined to love them anyway. The dirty dozen supporting cast has included Ron Perlman, Sutter’s wife Katey Sagal, Kim Coates, Tommy Flanagan, Mark Boone Jr. and recently, Peter Weller.
The seventh and final season picks up Jax in an unstable state. He has lost his wife and has NO idea how it happened. He is suspected for the murder of his wife. His club is in disarray due to the fact their leader is in jail. Jax’s mother, the secret holding and devilish Sagal, isn’t close to telling her son how his wife died. For the last three seasons, Jax has told his club that drugs and guns don’t line the path or fit the makeup that his father once envisioned for the club. He has been trying to lead them away from it. As TV viewers can attest, nothing civil or positive will come out of good intentions from our protagonist. They just lead to more ruin. Instead of calling his club SAMCRO, Jax should pull a page from Springsteen and coin it, “My City of Ruins.”
Sons of Anarchy is entertaining television that reaches to be something more with its Hamlet infused centerpieces like Teller, who is involuntarily dominated by his mother’s evil doings and is powerless to change it. His best friend, Opie (Ryan Hurst) aka Horatio, tried to ease him into the cleaner path of living but it was resisted. Some critics don’t like shows like SOA reaching for more instead of inclining to stay put. I applaud Sutter’s attempts at creating something more than just another drama series. He wants to teach us something about power. It can twist, pull and tug at everything we care about. The fact that he has taught us this with a biker club as the moral center is three steps short of genius.
Tune into Sons of Anarchy on Tuesday’s on FX at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
Share your thoughts on Sons of Anarchy in the comments below and stay tuned to Comic Booked for Fall Television Previews on many more shows.
can’t wait! seriously one of the best shows on tv… pretty much ever!
I really like this show but I am sooooo far behind.
Check it out boys. Good stuff.