On the occasion of the fourth season finale tonight I am coming out and admitting to my deep affection for the TV show Sons of Anarchy. This might seem a bit off based on what I usually write about, but my TV watching is very different from my movie watching. I watch a lot of male centric and crime shows on TV. I’m a big fan of Criminal Minds and you can’t find a Law and Order I won’t watch.
Sons of Anarchy is a bit different. What draws me to it is the great writing, the different kinds of characters and the fact that it is so off the wall that it makes me laugh and shake my head at the same time. I admit that I can’t always follow what’s going on. All these rivals gangs fighting over land, guns, drugs, women — whatever.
But the heart of the story is about family and loyalty. The show is based around a motorcycle club — Sons of Anarchy — based in “Charming” CA. There are chapters of the Sons in other places and these men treat each other like brothers. They protect each other to the grave.
Don’t get me wrong I have major problems with how the show treats most of the female characters. They are mostly porn stars and don’t really matter much to the guys except for being someone to screw at the end of the day.
And while the show might star Charlie Hunnam as Jax the heir to the club’s gavel, the person pulling all the strings is Gemma played by Katey Sagal (who is the wife of the show’s creator Kurt Sutter). It’s seriously like Hamlet. Gemma runs the show. She was married to Jax’s dad who started the club. She’s now married to the guy — Clay (played by Ron Perlman) — who killed Jax’s dad (and she was probably involved).
Gemma pulls the strings and sets things in motion with her trusty sidekick former police chief Wayne Unser who is also in love with her. And let’s not forget that Jax is head over heels in love with Tara played by Maggie Siff (remember her from Mad Men?) and she’s no slouch — she’s a surgeon. She knows that she needs to get her family away from the gang but we the viewers know that will never happen.
Can’t wait to see what happens tonight.
