OMG…Sons of Anarchy.
OMG…I get to see some icons of my childhood being bad asses.
OMG…a member of one of the best bands in history had his character killed off. Maybe that makes him even more bad ass, perhaps on a level with Optimus Prime!
OMG…Jax has 99 problems and a bitch accounts for at least a few of those.
OMG…another ass shot of Juice? I can’t un-see that!
OMG…they just killed my favorite character! Kurt Sutter, have you been talking to George RR Martin AGAIN???
OMG…I just spent how many hours binge watching this show and now I need to clean my house, cook dinner and oh yeah, sleep since I need to go to work tomorrow as I don’t think Jax and co. can pay my bills, as awesome as they are.
In other words, I love Sons of Anarchy. I just finished watching all seven seasons (seven!) over the space of about two months (two months!) and all I can say is OMG.
As in OMG, this show is so incredibly well written, with fantastic acting and I can’t really think of a bad thing to say about it. Not one, single, solitary bad thing. And the ending was heart-breaking, but soooo well done and soooo satisfying. In fact, I can’t remember when the last time I was that satisfied…ok, to my husband (if you are reading this) I hope you know I’m kidding about that!
But seriously, Sons of Anarchy is one fantastic show. And it was actually a cable show, which makes it even more amazing, as it can be difficult for a show that deals with controversial topics (racism, gang rape and spousal abuse are just a few of those tough subjects that Sons of Anarchy dealt with on a regular basis) to be amazing, due to the limitations constant, unnecessary censorship that network television is subject to. But somehow, the genius otherwise known as Kurt Sutter managed to make it work. And he made it work brilliantly.
And I think that the reason this show worked so well was because of the writing. Charlie Hunnam, Kurt Sutter, Katey Sagal and several others did some amazing acting. However, the fact that the writing was tighter than grandma’s butthole (sorry grandma!) didn’t hurt either! Kurt Sutter always managed to keep us guessing, and threw in quite a few curve balls. And he was not afraid to go for the jugular when it was called for…I really can’t recall when the last time was that a TV show made me gasp, cry and even laugh so much, oftentimes in the same episode!
Which leads to this post. Sons of Anarchy, as stated before, pushed the envelope. And pushed it quite often, sometimes in ways I had never seen before…
So I present to this blog post: My top OMG moments from the show Sons of Anarchy. No particular order or anything, these are just moments that stood out to me. Some are tragic, some are simply gruesome and some are even funny. But put them all together, and you weave together the incredible tapestry known as Sons of Anarchy.
Oh, and this should go without saying but I will warn you anyway…
The head in the chili (Season 4, episode 8)
Well, don’t eat before watching Sons of Anarchy. That warning goes without saying…
However, I don’t think I have ever had to warn anyone off of chili…until I saw this episode.
Yes, after watching this episode, the thought of eating chili may make you lose your head…
In all seriousness, this moment in this episode is gross. Really gross. But also hilarious. Bodily functions are hilarious. And so are heads in a pot of chili. In fact, heads in a pot of chili may be even funnier than bodily functions. Alfred Hitchcock was known for inserting a little dark humor into his films, and this moment was a perfect homage to Hitchcock as well. In fact, I am sure Hitchcock was looking down and smiling after he watched this episode (this show is actually so awesome that dead guys watch it too).
Chucky was also an odd character (in a great way), and it was nice to see him have a moment to shine as well.
Gemma choking Wendy and causing her to overdose (Season 1 , episode 1)
Sometimes, you just have to set the tone. And the pilot episode to Sons of Anarchy certainly accomplished that.
Especially when one of the shocking acts was committed by a female. And the victim was another female.
Ah, yes…Gemma. Referred to as “the matriarch”, she takes the role seriously. Actually, seriously is too tame a word to describe the lengths Gemma will go to in order to protect her family, especially her son Jax, if she feels that anyone or anything is a threat to her family. So maybe psychotic would be a better way to describe Gemma…
And I am sure Wendy would agree with that. Especially as she was on the receiving end in the first episode, when Gemma strangled her and injected her with heroin, in the name of protecting her grandson Abel, who was born 10 weeks prematurely, partially due to Wendy’s heroin addiction.
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And Gemma’s actions certainly did the trick. As in, set the tone for the series, and establish Gemma’s character, allowing the viewer a glimpse into just exactly what Gemma is capable of.
Oh, and Gemma’s actions also did the trick in terms of frightening Wendy, as Wendy stayed away from Gemma and her family for a couple of years…
Clay’s Amen for Pussy Sermon (Season 6, episode 9)
Not only are bodily functions hilarious, body parts can be hilarious too.
And in this case, the bodily part in question is the vagina aka pussy (and no we are not talking about cats!)
Usually, its penises that are funny. In fact, penises are just downright hilarious. But I am equal opportunity I have a juvenile sense of humor and I am not ashamed of that fact and firmly believe that kitty cats er vaginas can be hilarious as well. In fact, anything remotely sexual is just fucking hilarious!
Which brings me to this moment: Clay’s Amen for Pussy sermon. As I stated before, this show is dark. And it deals with lots of serious topics. But the show is also funny at times, and Clay’s Amen for Pussy sermon is a perfect example of that. And the fact that this scene takes place in prison church makes it even better, as it adds levity to a serious situation. It is also unexpected…again, a prison chapel? Who expects to have prisoner preach about sex in prison chapel? I sure didn’t, which made this scene one of the gems in the series.
Also, the show has some funny characters (like Tig and Chucky). However, Clay is not one of those funny characters, for the most part. Hell, when I watched some episodes I wasn’t even sure if he had teeth, since he never smiled. So it was refreshing to see a different, somewhat unexpected side of his character.
The Cleaner (Season 3, episode 3)
I love Sons of Anarchy. And I really, really, really love Stephen King (who has been the subject of many a blog post and somehow made his way into some of my other non-King related blog posts, since he is that awesome).
So Sons of Anarchy AND Stephen King? Is that a really nerdy, wet dream come true for me?
Well, actually yes. The master did guest star in one episode of Sons of Anarchy. And his character was true to form. King played a weird guy named Bachman (I see what you did there, Kurt Sutter) who was hired by Tig to help dispose of a dead body. And Bachman took part of his payment in the form of a macabre souvenir, and had a penchant for listening to 80’s music, as he took measurements and set up shop so that he could properly dispose of this dead body so no one would find out about the dead body…
Pretty creepy, huh? Almost sounds like something out of a Stephen King novel, actually…
But seriously, this show has had many unexpected guest stars. In fact, probably too many to count. But I think one with my favorite writer deserves a special place on this list.
Oh, and apparently poor old Dickie Bachman did not die of cancer of the pseudonym. No sir, he passed on to the Sons of Anarchy level of The Tower, where he listens to 80’s music while quietly disposing of dead bodies.
Otto removes his own tongue (Season 5, episode 13)
Oh Otto, you can’t blame the cat on this one, can you?
Nope, only you are responsible for the loss of your tongue. All felines have been cleared in any wrongdoing in this case.
Again, Sons of Anarchy can be gruesome (I am serious about that warning about not eating while watching this show. Quite serious). And Otto Delaney biting his own tongue off is certainly the textbook case of gruesome. Really, if anyone were to actually write a textbook on gruesome, this moment ought to be included.
This moment also showcased Otto’s character, letting the viewer know that he would always remain loyal to SAMCRO, no matter what extremes he needed to go to.
Apologies if that last statement sounded tongue in cheek (see what I did there).
Jax and Tara make love in the same room as the dead body of Tara’s ex (Season 1, episode 8)
So you’ve just killed your former high school sweetheart’s asshole of an ex, who has been stalking your sweetie and apparently can’t leave well enough alone. Now you’re horny and feel an urge to get it on. And it looks like the weird, creepy guy who takes payment in blood-covered souvenirs is not around to help with the “cleaning”…what on earth are you going to do?
Well, getting a room is obviously out of the question, so you do the next best thing…
As in, follow the lead of these guys:
No, not commit incest! Are you sick or something?
Not commit incest, but make love right there in the same room as the dead body, like most sensible people would do, right?
And maybe the fact that your boyfriend was the one who killed your ex (or rather, helped you finish off the job) is an aphrodisiac. After all, when the urge strikes, sometimes you can’t fight it.
This scene is also memorable in that it sets the tone for Jax and Tara’s relationship. Even early in their relationship, the couple is plagued by violence, and also by secrets that may come back to haunt someone later. This incident is just one of many that will test the relationship, and make one wonder just how far Jax and Tara will go to protect one another.
The fact that my hero Jax Teller killed a man who coincidentally shared the same last name as my rat bastard ex husband is just icing on the cake.
Clay’s savage beating of Gemma (Season 4, episode 10)
In Sons of Anarchy, no one is safe. This not only includes individual people, but couples too. Even the strongest couples will struggle under the influence of SAMCRO, as loyalty to the club can test anyone’s bond.
And those bonds include Clay and Gemma’s. At the beginning of the series, it seemed as if that relationship was one of the strongest and could actually withstand the pressures of the club and the lifestyle that came with it. Sure, Clay and Gemma had some volatile moments, but it seemed that they were a rock solid couple and would be able to work through anything together…
Until Clay tried to hurt Gemma’s family, by attempting to kill Tara, which resulted in Tara’s hand being injured and her career as a surgeon nearly being ruined. And as stated before, no sane person ever tries to hurt Gemma’s family. EVER.
Apparently, Clay never got the memo and tried to hurt Gemma’s family anyway. And was then rightfully confronted by Gemma. What followed next was a savage beating. And it was issued by Clay to Gemma, instead of the other way around. Spousal abuse is always brutal, but this instance was especially brutal, as it appeared that Clay and Gemma were previously a loving couple. The fact that Clay and Gemma were such a loving couple made this scene that much more emotionally crippling.
This scene was also a major pivotal point in the series. Clay was traveling a dark path, but it seemed that there may still have been redemption for him. However, this beating of Gemma foreshadowed the eventual downfall of Clay, in much the same manner as the fall of Claudius from Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, and the rise of a new leader in Jax.
The death of Donna Winston (Season 1, Episode 12)
Everyone is expendable in Sons of Anarchy. Everyone. No one is safe, not even the innocent folks (as few and far between as those folks may be).
And Donna Winston was one of those few truly innocent people. She was troubled by her husband Opie’s involvement with SAMCRO, due to the time he spent in prison on behalf of the club, but also stood by her husband. She was also the mother to their two children, and was fiercely protective of her children. In short, she tried to do the right thing.
Not only was Donna innocent and the victim of a bullet meant for her husband (due to Clay’s paranoia), her death was unnecessary. Clay believed that Opie had betrayed the club, but that belief could not have been further from the truth. However, Clay was still determined to have his son’s best friend and fellow member Piney’s son pay for his sins. This backfired horribly, and the club and Donna’s remaining family was left to pick up the pieces.
In other words, Donna’s death set the stage for even more OMG moments on Sons of Anarchy.
Jax double crosses Damon Pope and uses Tig as bait (Season 5, episode 13)
When you’re a gunslinger member of SAMCRO, sometimes you have to make tough decisions…
Sometimes, you have to throw your friends to the wolves, so to speak.
But good gunslingers members of SAMCRO know how to use trickery to their advantage. And that is exactly what Jax did to get rid of his arch nemesis Damon Pope: he used trickery. And that trickery would have made a certain gunslinger proud, and perhaps even a little envious. Oh, and this allowed Jax’s buddy to take revenge on the monster who burned his buddy’s daughter alive. Oh, one more thing…this was another step in the downfall of Clay, and the rise of Jax as a leader, as the death of Pope was actually placed on Clay and not Jax (stealing your stepfather’s gun can be a good thing sometimes).
And Tig survived, which made me happy. Jax may be my favorite character, but Tig would do in a pinch. In fact, I could have seem fun with Tig, if he just gave me one night…hey, what can I say, he doesn’t judge, and people who don’t judge are just hot!
The gang rape of Gemma (Season 2, episode 1)
Again, Sons of Anarchy is shocking. And violent. Brutal, at times. And one of the most brutal moments was the portrayal of the gang rape of Gemma.
Gemma Teller Morrow was one of the most complex female characters in television history. She was tough, smart and charismatic. Often, her actions left the viewer scratching his/her head, and sometimes those actions were more brutal than those of any other character on the show, including those of the male characters. This is exactly why she was a fascinating, if somewhat unpredictable character: she was capable of surprise, both good and bad.
And this is exactly why the gang rape of Gemma was one of the most painful scenes in the entire series. The viewer had seen enough of Gemma to sympathize with her, even if her actions were not always admirable. The shows producers pulled no punches with this scene, including the build up, where Gemma was kidnapped by none other than another female. The subsequent fallout and Gemma dealing with the trauma in later episodes, along with the reactions from the men in her life once the rape is revealed to them (as Gemma kept it a secret to protect the club before she finally cracked), were emotionally devastating…there is simply no other word to describe it.
I’ve been known to ugly cry over emotional scenes in books, TV and movies, and this scene was one of those moments. In fact, very few scenes in any book, TV show or movie have made me react this way.
The death of Gemma (Season 7, episode 12)
Building something on lies is like building a hut made out of sticks: it may hold up for a while, but eventually the wolf will find it and blow it away like the hair on his chinny chin chin.
And like the little pig that chose to build his house out of twigs instead of bricks, Gemma chose to build hers on lies instead of the mortar of truth. And her house may have held up for a little while, but eventually the big bad wolf found the lies and the house was blown down, exposing its non-existent foundation.
Gemma murdered her daughter-in-law Tara in a fit of rage, and blamed it on members of a rival gang known as The Lin Triad. Jax sought revenge, and things got bloody. Very bloody. However, the truth was eventually revealed to Jax. And things go from bloody to tragic. Gemma’s lie sets in motion a chain of events that culminates in her own death, at the hands of her one surviving child, Jax. And the path Jax had been traveling was dark. But when he murders his mother, that path becomes even darker, and Jax now knows that his fate is sealed.
The imagery in this episode was wonderful. The red and white roses, along with the blood spattered white sneakers, fit the theme of the episode so well, and also provided excellent foreshadowing for Jax’s fate.
Now, I know I said that I was not ranking any of these moments in any particular order. However, this blog post is about to prove that is a lie, as there is one moment that stands out to me and that I will never be able to forget…
So here we go…
Opie’s death (Season 5, episode 3)
Many members of SAMCRO made some tremendous sacrifices and suffered greatly, all in the name of protecting the club (Otto immediately comes to mind). However, no one suffered in the name of protecting the club as much as Opie Winston, son of Piney and best friend to Jax.
Not only did Opie serve jail time for the club, he also lost his wife Donna due to the misguided actions of members of the club. And the club was also responsible for the death of his father, Piney. SAMCRO dealt huge losses to Opie, and he had every right to be hurt and angry.
And Opie was hurt and angry. However, his loyalty to the club remained steadfast. His loyalty was so strong that Opie made the ultimate sacrifice for the club: his life.
For once, I have no words to describe the death of Opie. Brutal and heartbreaking don’t seem to be nearly adequate. Again, the show spared no detail, and I watched as Opie was clubbed to death in front of his friends, who were also helpless to stop it. It was simply one of the most painful and heartbreaking moments I had ever witnessed, yet I was helpless to stop watching. And this was yet another incident that provided some foreshadowing for the dark path Jax would travel down and his eventual fate.
“I got this.” These are Opie’s last words. Never has that phrase sounded so chilling.
And there you have it. My top OMG moments for Sons of Anarchy. I am sure I have missed a few, but this show is chock full of them. And its chock full of so many other things: humor, great characters, great symbols, witty one-liners and some awesome literary references. But more importantly, Sons of Anarchy is chock full of great writing. So if you find yourself whiling away a Sunday afternoon and doing absolutely nothing productive, at least while your afternoon away watching Jax Teller and his friends…you will have no regrets, I promise!
Nerd girl power! 