By Kyle R. Willis

In an era where shows are more and more geared towards writing flawed archetypes, and showing the beauty in humanity’s misgivings, comes Sons of Anarchy, FX’s new offering. Do you remember being a fan of The Soprano’s? You never actually killed anybody though, right? Well, likewise, you don’t have to have tattoos or own a Hog to appreciate the show Sons of Anarchy. If you despise the world where everything is black and white, and long for a broader gray area, than “Sons” is the show for you. This edgy new show delivers that tried and true mixture of bad, dangerous people, and does it well. The show romanticizes a group of Harley-riding outlaws as they fatten their coffers by almost any illegal means imagineable AND keeps them realistic.

Sons is not for the light of heart, let us not forget that this show is brought to you from the mind of a man who created, and then portrayed, a “Shield” hitman who dealt with his own foot fetish by chopping off the feet of his victims (Kurt Sutter). Much like the revered Soprano’s franchise (and monikered by some as “The Tattooed Soprano’s”), viewers wanted to know the ins-and-outs of being not only a boss, but the family and wife of the mobsters. Sons of Anarchy similarly shows us the struggle of the women who are in love with these toxic men, alert to their role amidst such a harsh setting. The women are as tough as the men in this hit drama, and they bring with them a touch of realness that draws you to the series. The relationships don’t feel forced, a polishing touch on what feels like an easily chosen win.

The core characters of the show are made up of Jackson “Jax” Teller – Charlie Hunnam, Clay Morrow – Ron Perlman, Gemma Teller Morrow – Katey Sagal, Robert “Bobby” Munson – Mark Boone Jr., Alex “Tig” Trager – Kim Coates, Kip “Half-Sack” Epps – Johnny Lewis, Tara Knowles – Maggie Siff, Filip “Chibs” Telford – Tommy Flanagan, Opie Winston – Ryan Hurst, Ethan Zobelle – Adam Arkin, AJ Weston – Henry Rollins. Taking place In the fictional Northern California town of Charming (fictional population: 14,679). The show revolves around biker gang SAMCRO, a militant-style abbreviation for the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original.

Clay Morrow is the clan’s fearless leader, played by Ron Pearlman to what some say is a scary degree of likeness to what one would envision a biker gang leader to be like. Jax is a character whose father struggled to take the clan in a more amiable direction and who secretly urges to seize control of the clan from Clay. Segal plays Clay’s wife who is brutally raped; a tense and nerve wrenching fact that she has to relive in order to bring the two men in her life back together (Jax and Clay) after internal conflict regarding the clan, without giving too much away. Rollins, a White-Supremacist Separatist, who some say was predictably cast, (I personally say he is a non-sequitur to his character) is a perfect fit for this show.

If you were looking for something raw and rough around the edges to liven up your nighttime television lineup, than you should be thoroughly pleased with Sons. Ironing out the kinks from season one, the Softmore year of Sons of Anarchy saw the gang graduate to a more refined clan, here to earn viewer’s respect and simultaneously sexy up the brand. The bad guys are written with their own set of morals, and places them among even more disdained types such as the white-supremacists, crooked cops, meth dealers, etc.The writers make the gun running bikers seem almost noble, once placed against despicable antagonists, softening them to the viewer over the course of the seasons while keeping the main characters just under the radar of contempt, allowing the viewer just enough room to fall in love with them without ever realizing it until it’s too late. Next thing you know, you’re sitting at Denny’s at 4am eating a Slamburger, talking about the latest episode.