Sons of Anarchy isn’t a new show, and one would think it’s well known enough without needing a mention. Seven years is a long time though. Meaning, there may well be a fresh crop of TV addicts who have yet to give this one a look. The series began in 2008 and ended in 2014, running for seven seasons and at one point was one of the most watched shows on television. The show served as the first real opportunity for leading man Charlie Hunnam to show his worth to Hollywood, even becoming something of a sex icon in the process.
Sons of Anarchy isn’t a new show, and one would think it’s well known enough without needing a mention. Seven years is a long time though.
What looks like nothing more than a gang/crime series on the surface was actually constructed with quite a bit of depth and symbolism. Sons of Anarchy is loosely modelled after Shakespeare’s Hamlet, telling the rise and fall of its chief character Jax Teller (played by Hunnam). Teller is the Vice President of his motorcycle club the Sons of Anarchy, or SAMCRO. When he finds the journal of his deceased father, who was also a member of the motorcycle club, he learns of his plans to steer the club on a straight and narrow path. Teller thus makes it his mission to ensure SAMCRO goes legit, but the cost of his intentions comes at the price of many lives, and even potentially, his own morality.
It’s actually easier to state the things the show has as opposed to what it doesn’t have. Action, excitement, suspense, drama, sex, and soul are the epicenter of Sons of Anarchy, mainly thanks to the show’s creator Kurt Sutter. Sutter took part in the writer’s room and was an executive producer of the series, stamping his claim on everything good that ever came out of the show’s run. The storytelling was some of the best plotting on TV during its tenure, not to mention the sheer ruthlessness of its ability to shock an awe with each season finale. Part of the fun was also seeing both the development of Jax Teller’s character reflected in the writing, and, Hunnam’s development as an actor. As the scripts grew stronger, so did Hunnam’s performance qualities. At the time of his casting Charlie Hunnam had already been around a set or two, but Sons of Anarchy was the ultimate experience of ‘learning on the job’ and his growth as an actor is unquestionable during his time on this show.
Very few shows have the impact this one did, but it should also be said that this isn’t for everyone. It can be gruesome at times, very sexually intense, and morally reprehensible. None of these take away from the overall strength of the show, but not everyone can or is even meant to stomach much of what this show dishes out. Disney + is the current home of Sons of Anarchy, but truth be told, this one would not be a wasted purchase. It’s a story that can be enjoyed more than once, at least for those who’re brave enough.
