Even though there’s been some criticism that season 6 of Sons of Anarchy has crossed over into soap opera territory and left the outlaw drama behind, we still consider it to be one of the top shows on television. FX and Kurt Sutter, creator of Sons of Anarchy, have delivered fans another well-articulated season that questioned the politically correct and capitalized on murder, mayhem, and mommy-issues.
The 13-episode season, which aired this fall, included more than a handful of episodes that extended past the 60 minute mark, and a season finale that not only made our jaws drop but was a whopping 2 hours long. Viewers experienced almost twice as much Sons of Anarchy than FX originally prescribed back in earlier seasons of the show. This is one of the things we enjoy most about the network that houses SOA – they’re never afraid to give us more of what we want.
Sons of Anarchy is known for keeping fans on their toes, but this season in particular gave us some of the most outrageous episodes to-date. Things started off strong with the school shooting which Sutter personally explained as a necessary evil to set up the rest of the story arc. This was particularly controversial because of how close it tied the show to reality with school shootings becoming increasingly prevalent in the U.S. Most people were able to look past this parallel and move along with the story, quickly exchanging any protest for theories on what the aftermath would mean for our favorite characters.
The shooting became a catalyst for Jax’s (Charlie Hunnam) movement to get the club out of guns – a theme that has extended over several seasons already. There were a few episodes that sort of meandered after that where plans were made, people were convinced, and arguments were had. This all led up to the Irish retaliating by blowing up the SAMCRO clubhouse. This was one of our favorite episodes of the season. It gave us everything that we expected from Sons of Anarchy and more – plus, Jax managed to save everyone, which is worth holding onto since it’s been almost impossible for the club to avoid collateral damage these days.
Season 6 had several layers of plot. One of the underlying arcs being Clay (Ron Perlman) and his road to redemption, and another being Tara’s (Maggie Siff) master plan to get her sons out of Charming and away from the violence that surrounded them. Both of these ended in death, but they nonetheless left us with a sense of satisfaction. Clay accepted his fate and gave us a memorable final performance after months of finally playing the good guy role. Tara’s death was a little more unsettling, but ultimately was necessary and will propel the show through its final season.
With only one season left, and another 9 months to wait, Sons of Anarchy still gives fans a reason to tune in.
