Sons Of Anarchy: Well Written But Very Painful To Watch

If you've enjoyed SOA so far, and have come to care greatly about characters like Jax, Terra, and Opie--this is a painful season to watch. Watching these people become more and more unlikable, or otherwise changed for the worse, is a difficult thing to do. What works this season is how it moves the narrative forward, how it keeps you guessing, and how the pieces ultimately fit together by the end of the season.

sons of anarchy still

What stood out to me particularly about Season 5 is the heightened degree of cruelty about everything, which is largely the result of the machinations of Damon Pope in the first episode. Harold Perrineau does a great job of playing an utterly ruthless and sadistic villain. SAMCRO gets dragged into Pope's world, which is an even darker place than that of the Mexican drug cartel or the Aryan nation from previous seasons. It's hard to see how this negatively impacts Jax as well, as we watch him drift further and further away from the ideals that he once held sacred.

There is at least one source of light at the end of the tunnel, however, which comes from an extremely likable new character, Nero, played by the incredibly talented Jimmy Smits. You'll like Nero right away, and like him even more as the season progresses. In a story where there are very few "good guys" left, it's refreshing to see there's still an outlaw with a heart of gold. Another surprising and welcome development comes from Tig, who becomes much more sympathetic than he has been in the past. By the end of the first season I thought he was a rotten guy, but seeing what he endures in Season 5 really changed my perspective. I actually felt for the guy, and didn't want to see him suffer any more. I think that's a testament to Kurt Sutter's writing ability, in that he can turn our viewpoint of a character around in a natural manner, that doesn't feel contrived or forced.

I do have to say that I still greatly disagree with the choice kill off a certain character this season, but I won't spoil it. Like I said, painful to watch, but still good.