'Sons of Anarchy' Takes its Farewell Ride

After seven seasons of lies, madness, mayhem, blood and tears, Sons of Anarchy has come to a resounding conclusion. After much anticipation, we learn the final destiny of Jax Teller and the rest of the outlaws that make up Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO). Like most of the series, it didn’t sell out or disappoint.

If there’s something to be said for Sons of Anarchy, stemming from the show’s creator Kurt Sutter, is that it’s daring and provocative. I can’t think of another television series that killed off as many main characters over the duration of a series, and all done in dramatic fashion. Donna, Half Sack, Deputy Chief Hale, Agent Stahl, Otto, Piney, Clay, Eli, Tara, Bobby, Juice, Unser, Gemma. The list goes on and on. There was none that was more shocking and devastating than Opie, Jax’s best friend and family man that is sucked back into the outlaw life after doing a five year stint in prison for the club. Since rejoining the Sons, events in Opie’s life start to spiral out of control, beginning with the shooting of his wife Donna by another member of SAMCRO in a case of mistaken identity. A fan favorite, Opie ends up sacrificing himself to save Jackson. It was a brutal scene to watch, but Jax knew deep down that Opie was looking for a way out since the Donna's death, which Jax would later admit to the rest of the club. It was a moment that showed the extent that Sutter was willing to go for the sake of the story, and that no character was safe.

From the beginning, the show could be viewed as the legacy of the Teller family. It was a Shakespearean tragedy on Harleys. Early on in the series, Jackson finds the writings of his late father John Teller, who was a co-founder of SAMCRO. In his journal, JT expresses that the club had lost its way from its original purpose of brotherhood, mainly since the Sons had delved into the gun-running business. It becomes Jackson’s purpose to fulfill his father’s vision to legitimize SAMCRO, only to see his efforts bring the club further into transgressions, deceit and bloodshed. As the series progressed and Jackson dug the club deeper into turmoil, the episodes became more in depth, longer, and overall the show became better.

This last season saw Jax hell bent on seeking revenge for the murder of his wife Tara, leading a trail of chaos and bodies in his wake. As an audience we all knew it was the matriarch Gemma that killed Tara in a fit of rage, thinking Tara had made a deal with the district attorney to rat on Jax. Little did Gemma know that Jax was willingly turning himself in for the sake of Tara and their two sons. It was probably the first decent act by Jackson throughout the series, and it lead to the untimely death of his wife. It’s when Jax learns the truth about his mother and the eventual events triggered because of her lies that leads to his last selfless act. As the final scene of the finale shows, Sutter also had a knack for choosing the perfect song for the many musical montages throughout the series.

Charlie Hunnam as Jax Teller

Unlike other antiheros similar to Jax in recent television dramas (Walter White, anyone), Jax comes to a realization about himself and what he must do to as his final resolution. “I’m not a good person. I’m a criminal and a killer. I need my sons to grow up hating the thought of me,” he admits Jimmy Smits’s Nero, Jax’s friend and business partner. At Jax’s insistence, the club votes unanimously for him to meet Mr. Mayhem. When Jax makes one last visit to District Attorney Patterson to tell the truth about Tara’s murder, she asks him what’s going to happen at the end of the day. “The bad guys lose,” is his only response. He then in Michael Corleone fashion, he finalizes all club business before taking his final ride.

One of the underlying questions going into this season was what was going to be Jax Teller’s fate. Also, how was he going to leave things with Gemma when he found out the truth about Tara? The final scene between Jax and Gemma was something we all expected. Even Gemma knew it had to happen. There was no real surprise there. Although ultimately Jax didn't fulfill his father's wishes, he finally understood who JT was and what he was trying to accomplish. He didn't legitimize the club, but he made things right for SAMCRO and more importantly, his two boys. The way he went out could be viewed as over the top, but for an entire series that was known for its outrageousness, it was a fitting way for the wild ride of Sons of Anarchy to end.