Sons of Anarchy

Sons of Anarchy
Series Length: 4 Seasons, 53 Episodes
Schedule: Tuesday 10:00 PM et/pt on FX
Genre: Drama

Description: "Sons of Anarchy" is set in a quaint fictional town in Northern California called "Charming." It follows an outlaw motorcycle club and their adventures with family, street gangs, drug cartels, the ATF, the FBI, local and state law enforcement, white supremacists (including a bunch of guest appearances by Henry Rollins) and with each other. The show was created by Kurt Sutter, who also plays Otto Delaney in the series. The first season was began airing on FX September 2008.

Jackson "Jax" Teller is the main character and he is the son of one of the founding members of the club, John Teller. John's dead and his wife Gemma, played by Katey Sagal (of Married with Children fame), is married to the club's current president Clay, played by Ron Perlman. The story is largely a "coming of age" type of story in which Jax tries to find and secure his place within the club, his father's legacy, the direction of the club and his family.

The rest of the club is made up of several legacy members, their sons and new pledges. Most notable are Tig, Chibs, Opie and Juice (the names they are most referred to in the series). Tig is almost completely bereft of morals, but he's depicted in such a way that it's creepy and humorous at the same time. Chibs is an import from the Irish branch of the Sons and he's a surprisingly complex character. Opie is the son of another founding member who winds up losing his wife during a shooting that was meant for him. Juice has a personality that makes a person want to protect him from himself because it's clear that he's kind of naive but desperately wants to fit into some sort of family.

In around all of the clubs trials and tribulations with criminals and law enforcement, Jax's son is born to his drug-addicted wife, from whom he is estranged. Gemma manages to run her off while she helps Jax take care of his newborn son and begins to form a relationship with an old flame, Tara. Tara's a doctor who, despite her attempts to distance herself from the club, winds up completely embroiled in the drama.

The fifth season of "Sons of Anarchy" will begin airing in September 2012. At this point, we've seen Jax's son kidnapped and recovered, most of the club go to prison and Clay struggle to retain his hold as president of the club while wreaking havoc on its members. He's put out a hit on Tara, caused the death of Opie's wife, made a horrible deal with a cartel and a number of other badly planned catastrophes.

The show continues to, season after season, deliver an interesting plot with complex characters and surprisingly great acting. Jimmy Smitts will be joining the cast for the fifth season as well as a mentor to Jax and a Latino gang leader. With the ending of season four begging for some answers and emotional turmoil brewing among various characters, the fifth season is already looking good.