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[Cornballer]

Sons of Anarchy is back for Season 5 starting Tuesday, September 11th at 10pm on FX. Though it's not one of the more heavily discussed television shows on GAF, in recent years more and more people have been posting about SoA. The show puts up great viewership numbers on FX, and the acting talent is consistently praised by critics. While there have been a number of misteps over the years, the show remains entertaining for many. Created by Kurt Sutter (The Shield), Sons of Anarchy has been compared to The Shield and The Sopranos, as well as being described as "Hamlet on a Harley." With high calibre acting, dark humor, sex, violence, and profanity, this is tv for adults.

Summary

Sons of Anarchy is an adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club's (MC) desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, California remains exactly that, Charming. The MC must confront threats from drug dealers, corporate developers, and overzealous law officers. Behind the MC's familial lifestyle and legally thriving automotive shop is a ruthless and illegally thriving arms business. The seduction of money, power, and blood.

Jackson 'Jax' Teller (Charlie Hunnam) is SAMCRO's new President who must face the consequences of the MC's illicit deeds before it tears apart the club. Gemma Teller-Morrow (Katey Sagal) is Jax's formidable mother, Clarence 'Clay' Morrow (Ron Perlman) is Jax's stepfather, the last of the Original Nine and former President, and Dr. Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff) is Jax's old lady and mother of his second son.

This season begins with

Spoiler

Jax and Tara as the club's new king and queen after learning the truth behind Jax's father's death and facing the consequences of the club's illicit deeds. Stripped of his patch after Jax discovers he was complicit in John Teller's death, Clay recovers from gunshot wounds that nearly killed him while Gemma is faced with a new life without the comfort of her family. With the threat of RICO still looming, Jax has to find a way to protect his family and save his club as SAMCRO is pulled into a conflict with a potent new enemy.

Upcoming episodes

- Sovereign - Season 5, Episode 1 - 90 minute episode airs Sept 11th at 10pm

Spoiler

Jax presides over SAMCRO as a series of events begins to unravel Charming.

- Authority Vested - Season 5, Episode 2 - Sept 18th at 10pm

Spoiler

Jax and SAMCRO are challenged as past sins resurface.

- Laying Pipe - Season 5, Episode 3 - September 25th at 10pm

Spoiler

A desperate situation tests familial and club bonds.

Links

General
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia Episode Summaries
- IMDB
- Kurt Sutter's blog and twitter account

FX
- FX Main site
- Cast
- Videos

Old GAF Threads
- S1
- S2
- S3
- S4​

On Spoilers:

Regular TV thread rules apply:

• Once an episode airs in the US on the East Coast, it's fair game. Feel free to discuss anything that has aired without using spoiler tags.
• Anything that hasn't aired yet should be spoiler tagged including information from previews, loglines, trailers, interviews, and a few other places.

Videos

Promos: *spoilers*
- Teaser #1
- Sneak peek #1
- Promo #1
- Promo #2
- Promo #3: Tara
- Promo #4: Gemma
- Promo #5: Jax
- Promo #6: more Jax
- Survive
- Nero

Behind the Scenes Videos:
- Before the Anarchy #1
- The Bikes
- Tara
- Brotherhood
- SAMCRO's New Neighbors
- Juice

Recaps of Previous Seasons: (low quality youtube vids)
- Season 1
- Season 2
- Season 3​

Joining the cast or guest-starring this season:

Bobby Simone is moving to the wrong side of the law. NYPD Blue alum Jimmy Smits is joining the upcoming fifth season of FX’s flagship drama Sons Of Anarchy for a major, season-long arc. On the dark biker soap, Smits will play

Spoiler

Neron “Nero” Padilla, a Latino gangbanger with an exit strategy who becomes a dangerous mentor for Jax (Charlie Hunnam).

Sons of Anarchy has tapped Harold Perrineau to join the Season 5 cast in the critical role of Damon Pope. The Lost vet will play

Spoiler

the ex-drug kingpin whose daughter was murdered by Tig in the Season 4 finale, creating what series creator Kurt Sutter recently called a “clusterf***” for Jax and SAMCRO.

Wanda de Jesus (CSI: Maimi) has been cast in a multiple-episode arc on the upcoming fifth season of the FX biker drama Sons Of Anarchy. The actress, repped by Pantheon Talent and McGowan Management, will play

Spoiler

Carla, a smart and sexy associate of Nero, played by de Jesus’ long-time off-screen partner Jimmy Smits. Smits is doing a major, season-long arc on SOA as Neron “Nero” Padilla, a Latino gangbanger with an exit strategy who becomes a dangerous mentor for Jax (Charlie Hunnam).

Billy Brown (Dexter) has been cast in the major recurring role on another cable drama, FX’s Sons Of Anarchy. He will play

Spoiler

August Marks, the right-hand man to Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau).

Ashley Tisdale, who just booked the lead in the next Scary Movie movie, has been cast in an arc on the FX drama Sons Of Anarchy. She will play

Spoiler

Emma Jean, a high-priced escort who complicates the club’s life.

Also joining Tisdale this year for a multi-episode story arc is Community star Joel McHale, who’s playing

Spoiler

Warren, a handsome con man whose grifting ways put him into hot water with the wrong marks.

Promo pics from the first episode:

S5 Poster:

Gifs

 

[strafer]

All over my face.

 

[gdt]

Very excited for this to be back. S4 was great, but the finale was awful awful awful.

 

[Wuthering_Heights]

Diggin' Jax's new hair.

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

Can't wait! I watched all four seasons earlier this year. Amazing show.

 

[Nibel]

Incredible show

In my opinion, the show got better with each season - the 4th was insane. Great characters, great plot, great opening song which changes with the time.

Watch it!

 

[PhatSaqs]

Awesome. Cant wait.

 

[Ex:2]

Can't wait!!

 

[strafer]

Tara looking mighty fine these days.

 

[inm8num2]

Stoked.

 

[Yager]

Yes! S4 was awesome, despite the ending being a bit 'meh'. Really hyped for this!

 

[evilromero]

My new favorite show!

 

[StriKeVillain]

Awesome additions to the cast - Jimmy Smits (*swoon*) and WAAALT!

Excited to see what they bring this season. Great work as always CB.

 

[chris121580]

Man, I'm so ready for the new season. Can't wait!

 

[Paznos]

Can't wait.

 

[out0v0rder]

samcro, only diehards know what it means

 

[Entropia]

Really good guests this season! Can't wait for it.

 

[inm8num2]

Forever Samcro.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

hype +1

 

[bodyboarder]

Nice thread.

Hyped!

 

[ivysaur12]

Watch it please. I'll try to color commentate with something interesting that happened behind the scenes.

 

[Gr1mLock]

Fuck i gotta catch up before the premier.

 

[daw840]

HYPE!

 

[strafer]

I wanna see more angry Opie.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Watch it please. I'll try to color commentate with something interesting that happened behind the scenes.

you don't try, you do!

 

[Persona7]

Oh yeah! I saw some commercials but they didn't say when the show starts.

 

[ivysaur12]

you don't try, you do!

Will do.

I will say this: This is probably our best season.

 

[lazybones18]

Will do.

I will say this: This is probably our best season.

It better be!

 

[Messi]

I miss Jax's long hair, fuck this new halfway there style

 

[brianjones]

poor tara looks so out of place alongside all these greaseballs

 

[Cornballer]

Reviews are starting to trickle in: *some spoilers*

- Ken Tucker @ EW.com

SOA is pretty straightforward in its appeal: SAMCRO members fight with one another but band together to beat up anyone who threatens the club. In this, it's like your family, if your family rode motorcycles, did recreational drugs, and indulged in the favors of women whom, in an earlier era, we might have called ''loose.''

A-

- Columbus Alive

There is a palpable sense of action and excitement is Season 5, but I feel like stakes are nearly non-existent, based on past results. And this make me less forgiving to the occasional clunky dialog or plot contrivances “Sons” tends to employ. I’m still invested in (and mostly enjoy) this series, but I don’t view it as one of the best on television.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I feel like the columbus alive guy. I enjoy Sons, it's thoroughly entertaining and can be very exciting. But I don't place it in the pantheon.

But that doesn't imply anything negative for the most part.

 

[strafer]

Though the show is pretty brutal and raw at times I still wish they would use fuck.

 

[inm8num2]

Though the show is pretty brutal and raw at times I still wish they would use fuck.

But if they said fuck we wouldn't get all the great deliveries of, "Jeeezuus Chrrrryyyyyst!"

 

[strafer]

The shit Opie been through man.

Been in jail for five years.
Accused for being a rat.
Donna gets killed.
Piney gets killed.

Damn son.

 

[Cornballer]

samcro, only diehards know what it means

Heh. I wonder how many times that'll get explained in the thread this season.

I feel like the columbus alive guy. I enjoy Sons, it's thoroughly entertaining and can be very exciting. But I don't place it in the pantheon. But that doesn't imply anything negative for the most part.

Aside from the back end of S1 and most of S2, it's fallen a little short of what I want out of it. Still very entertaining, though. I liked S4 until they didn't really follow through on anything in the finale. Disappointing.

 

[Cornballer]

- TV Guide Interview: Sons of Anarchy's Ron Perlman Talks Clay's Undoing *some spoilers*

 

[wenis]

Yesssss, my television drought is done (this was a really hard week knowing that there was no Breaking Bad or Newsroom).

Time for some motorcylce violence and softcore sexual encounters.

 

[inm8num2]

The shit Opie been through man.

Been in jail for five years.
Accused for being a rat.
Donna gets killed.
Piney gets killed.

Damn son.

I'm hoping Opie goes rogue. Hate to see him sucked back into the Sons again, since they've caused him so much loss.

 

[ivysaur12]

In what could be our best episode ever:

Episode 3 - "Laying Pipe" (Airs September 25, 10:00 pm e/p) -

Spoiler

A desperate situation tests familial and club bonds. Written by Kem Nunn & Liz Sagal & Kurt Sutter; directed by Adam Arkin.

Kem Nunn is so great.

But if they said fuck we wouldn't get all the great deliveries of, "Jeeezuus Chrrrryyyyyst!"

Perfect.

Speaking of Kem Nunn, the writing staff:

Kurt Sutter
Regina Corrado (Deadwood)
Chris Collins (Crash, The Wire)
Kem Nunn (John from Cincinnati)
Liz Sagal (Charmed)
Mike Daniels (Pan Am, The Vampire Diaries)
Roberto Patino (Prime Suspect)

 

[Cornballer]

General articles discussing S5 (not really reviews, though they both contain some minor spoilers)
- Contra Costa Times: 'Sons of Anarchy' revs up for a blistering Season 5
- Variety: FX's 'Sons of Anarchy' Saddles Up for 5th Season

 

[Cornballer]

- Sepinwall and Fienberg with a brief review of SoA S5 on their podcast this week

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Heh. I wonder how many times that'll get explained in the thread this season.
Aside from the back end of S1 and most of S2, it's fallen a little short of what I want out of it. Still very entertaining, though. I liked S4 until they didn't really follow through on anything in the finale. Disappointing.

I think I agree for the most part.

Anyway I just want to see Tara mess everyone up. Ivy, does this happen. DOES IT?!

 

[ivysaur12]

I think I agree for the most part.

Anyway I just want to see Tara mess everyone up. Ivy, does this happen. DOES IT?!

Gemma and Tara have a threesome with Danny Trejo. First, Jax is pissed. Then, he starts filming it.

 

[inm8num2]

- Sepinwall and Fienberg with a brief review of SoA S5 on their podcast this week

Haven't listened yet, but I love the mini feud Sepinwall and Sutter have had the past year or two. Sepinwall loved S2 but had criticisms of S3, and to a lesser extent S4. Sutter started to group him into the "c*** bloggers". LOL Sutter.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Gemma and Tara have a threesome with Danny Trejo. First, Jax is pissed. Then, he starts filming it.

unorthodox, but I'll accept it!

 

[Cornballer]

unorthodox, but I'll accept it!

Just needs more Trinity.

 

[Nizz]

Awesome thread Cornballer. Can't believe it's almost that time again. Sons comes in to rescue my Tuesday nights. I mean damn, I literally have nothing to watch on Tuesdays at 10:00.

 

[Cornballer]

- Detroit News Review: 'Sons of Anarchy' still the toughest show on TV *spoilers*

"Sons of Anarchy" has always been one tough show. But this season, the Shakespeare-meets-motorcycles drama slams you right in the face with its first episode. It's an explosive beginning and there can only be more explosions on the way.

Grade: A

- TV Guide Interview: Harold Perrineau on His New Sons of Anarchy Character *spoilers*

 

[Cornballer]

- Maureen Ryan: 'Sons of Anarchy' Season 5 Review: Running Out Of Gas?

But there's a contradiction at the heart of "Sons of Anarchy," one that has become more apparent over time: It's a show about uncompromising men that too often compromise; it takes place in a brutal world yet it too often pulls its punches or retreats into clutter on a story level. Complications that result from characters conveniently keeping secrets, overstuffed plots that go in circles and consequences that are avoided or easily undone have made this world and these characters' dilemmas less resonant, less affecting, less real. It's weird that in the show's fifth season, the stakes actually feel lower than they did a couple of years ago.