Thursday, September 29, 2011

SONS OF ANARCHY SEASON 3: SONS ABROAD


I didn’t get turned on to this series until season two and was sorry I didn’t jump on immediately. Taking the whole outlaw anti-hero story and tacking it on to a biker gang is something original. When you insert the story of one of the main members seeking revenge against member involved that may have killed his father, it takes it to a whole new level.

At the end of season two we watched as Gemma Morrow (Katey Sagal) was framed for murder by conniving federal agent Stahl (Ally Walker) and the kidnapping of Abel, the son of the club’s VP Jax (Charlie Hunnam). This season opens with everyone trying to find the child and to keep Gemma safe.

As the series progresses we have an escape by Gemma, a meeting with her father and her subsequent return to custody as she tries to save not only her son but the club as well. Each step of the way agent Stahl just seems more and more dirty until she commits an act that shows her for what she truly is.

The club continues to try and find clues as to who kidnapped Abel while continuing to do business selling guns. Through various contacts they discover that the child has been taken to Ireland, where the guns have been coming from via the IRA. It is also a location that Jax father was fond of and where a chapter of the Sons has been going since his time there.

The plot lines twist and turn within each other as the Sons go global by popping across the ocean and heading to Ireland. But once there they discover things are not what they appear to be with both the IRA and the chapter of the Sons. Not only that but we’re also introduced to a woman that Jax father had an affair with as well as a child.

The story deepens, solutions are found and the club returns to their home base only to find more problems with their Russian connections. In the end a completely unexpected twists comes about that results in a set up for the current season.

This series plays out more like a movie than something you’d find on TV. I’m not just talking about the language or occasional nudity but the whole way it tells a story. And each episode never feels like it’s been padded down to make it longer or to draw the story out. Each piece of the puzzle fits snuggly into the next not just making the story a much more epic one but working bits and pieces of the past into the bigger picture that began with Jax search for the truth.

There are several other sub plots involved in this season but the above is the main focus. Through it all the Sons of Anarchy are confronted on all sides be it law enforcement, rival clubs, traitors in their midst, the IRA, the Russians or more. But they survive. And even though what they’re doing is illegal, even though these are violent men, you still find yourself rooting for them.

It’s difficult to keep a drama going from year to year or even week to week and still hold a viewer’s interest. But SONS OF ANARCHY does it and does it well. If you haven’t seen it, make a point of doing so. It might be too raw for some, but it’s a well made series that deserves to be seen.

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