Sons of Anarchy (SoA).....why?

[Guest rebeldrummer]

So a buddy of mine swears up and down this show is soooo good. When asked why he said that I just need to watch it and find out. Well, until I have time to sit down and see what the hype is, I was hoping for a review from my fellow TGO'ers. So I will ask...give me your top 5 reasons why this show is worth watching. Thanks

RD

[Guest FIST]

I can't stand it. It's more of a drama than anything else. Do you like drama's?

[TMF]

I can't stand it. It's more of a drama than anything else. Do you like drama's?

Yep. I went through the first two seasons and gave up. Way too dramatic. I was hoping for Sopranos and got General Hospital with bikes.

[Il Duce]

Been watching since day 1 and still hooked. Just have to watch and yes from season 1 episode 1 as it is a long story. Its not a soap, but it is basically a modern day Hamlet.

Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[~48_South~]

Its really hard to explain what draws me to it, it always seems to keep you on the edge of your seat and craving more of the show. I got the first season thinking wth Ill give it a shot and see what this is all about 13 hours later I finished the first season and went and got the second(didnt start watching until 4th season was beginning) did the same thing on my off days with all of the other seasons. A friend of mine finally watched it after weeks of me telling him how good it was,same thing happened to him started on the first season and ended up wasting the whole day watching the first season and then went on to the next seasons as I did. This show will piss you off sometimes,make you sad others , and has some funny moments as well. I find it way better than the other shows people constantly talk about such as Dexter or Breaking Bad but thats just me. Netflix has the first couple of seasons now so if you have that just check it out and see what ya think.

[glowdotGlock]

I've never watched it. I don't think I would like it much anyway but I didn't think I would like the Walking Dead either. I have friends that say that they think Walking Dead would be dumb but I defend it because I've been a "Dead Head" since it came on. I think SOA may be one of those rainy/snowy days on Netflix for me.

[Murgatroy]

Been hooked since episode one of the first season.

In a nutshell I like the characters. The way they are written, they way they have developed, and now that we are many seasons in, the way they have grown and what they have become. Characters that you have grown to love have changed to where you greatly dislike them, characters that you never cared for have suddenly become favorites. The show has pulled some punches on occasion, but they haven't been scared to kill off some good and strong characters throughout the series.

The setting of a small town in Northern Kalifornia is nostalgic despite personal feelings of Kalifornia politics. It is a small, generally quiet town. SAMCRO, while a criminal organization, is close with LEA in the area to keep Charming, their small town quiet, no harm. This dynamic in interesting, as it is one of the things that changes as the seasons go on. The line between good guys and bad guys are often blurred, and in many cases obliterated, but you still have characters with a strong moral compass.

The soundtrack is superb. Sure, there have been a few weak songs, but overall the soundtrack has used well known songs in interesting ways. Good covers that don't deserve to be called covers. The emotion is often showed in the show through a silent montage with a fitting song being played. You will see a sad moment that effects the entire cast shown while someone mournfully sings "The House of the Rising Sun" to nothing other than an acoustic guitar accompaniment. While it may sound cheesy and cliche, it fits and it surprisingly powerful. Later in the episode you may have a powerful moment of blatant violence and revenge committed by various acts through the club, and it will be paired with an uptempo heavy metal song by a no name band, that really drives home. Things like this will set you one the edge of your seat and make you grin as you see justice (depending on your outlook) done.

The actors used to portray the characters are mostly medium name character actors. Other than Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal, I can't think of many names anyone will recognize. However once you start watching the show, you will realize that many of the characters are regulars from some of your favorite films. You will recognize Ryan Hurst, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior and Tommy Flanagan as soon as you see them, even if you can't immediately place them. Many of the guest stars that come through the show are also familiar faces if you watch much FX. A good part of the cast of The Shield and now Justified have appeared on the show.

The choice of villains in the show is bizarre and fascinating. From a corrupt and sociopath BATFE agent (or two) to a introvert ADA who just doesn't fit in anywhere, they light up the screen and create moments that are hard to forget. You have many characters in the show that 'make the hard choice.' A phrase used often. It is the right moral thing by the town, the club or a person. Often those choices will go against the norm, but at the end, the idea is a safer place for all involved. Many of the villains blur the line between good and bad. After all, our antagonists are career and legacy criminals. However, our protagonists range from Wyatt Earp Syndrome By the Book Cops to City Pillars and Officials looking for justice. It is hard sometimes to determine exactly who is right or wrong. One current subplot is the CIA funding a secret war within the drug cartels and using the IRA to arm them.

Sure, there is some unneeded drama. Sure there are some character interactions are over the top and unbelievable, but this is television. The writing is solid, the characters are portrayed well enough, and the music and editing is clean. I find it fascinating and I haven't missed an episode in five years. Some folks don't dig it, that is cool, I don't dig a lot of stuff that is mainstream. But at the end, it is one of three shows that I watch with zeal.

Oh, and they have guns. Lots and lots of guns. Big guns, small guns, BIG GUNS. There are some great moments of gratuitous violence every few episodes that are just fun, you know, if you are into that kinda thing.

[frankmako]

i watch it but i just don't know why i do.

[Mike.357]

I gave up on it.

The episode where Gemma smokes a joint then some time later is soooooo stoned she can't drive and has the wreck with the grandsons in the car.

Aside from being totally predictable it was finally way over the top in realism. Smoking a joint does not result in incoherent vehicle operation, especially not an hour or two later. It was ridiculous and unbelievable. As is a lot of the show. It was the final straw for me.

The show is more unbelievable than Walking Dead.

[Guest rebeldrummer]

hmm...mixed reviews. kind of what i figured. i have netflix so next time I get some down time I will see what its all about.