DVD Reviews

Sons of Anarchy: Season One – Blu-ray Review

By Dana Rae Aug 27, 2009, 14:53 GMT

FX Network’s original series, “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 ...more

Sons of Anarchy: Season One comes to life on Blu-ray with a great gritty feel. From creator Kurt Sutter (The Shield), comes a wonderfully tense drama about a biker gang and the problems they face.

Though violent, criminally oriented, and at times depraved, the characters of Sons are some of the best on television and you will find yourself rooting for them and hoping they continue to run their guns and dodge whatever the law throws at them.

Set in the town of Charming, California, the show centers on the character of Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) who is conflicted. He is pulled between loyalty to the Sons and his own integrity (he is haunted by the death of his father and a tell-all book his father wrote). Jax could be better, and is often pitted against his step-father, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman), who is president of Sons of Anarchy.

Adding to the emotional mix is Jax’s relationship with his ex-wife Wendy (Drea de Matteo) who is a recovering drug addict and has caused the near-death of their newborn son.

When old flame Tara (Maggie Siff) enters his life, things become more complicated as Jax is willing to even commit murder for her safety. The character of Jax continues through the season to be touchingly sincere (as we see in his love for his son and his relationship with Tara), but also increasingly violent. Hunnam plays the character of Jax with great sensitivity, walking that fine edge of violent tendencies with grace and style.

To further complicate the emotional disarray is the character of his mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal), who has a personal dislike of ex-wife Wendy (with very good reason, as Wendy put her grandson’s life in jeopardy) but doesn’t really like Tara, either.

One of the most intriguing mothers portrayed on television, Gemma lives in the world of the Sons and puts up with Clay’s unfaithfulness (the biker rule is that the men don’t bring their affairs home, which makes for an interesting episode!). She is an incredibly strong female role and never easily dismissed.

She is as ruthless as the men, but balances her life with love: love for Clay, love for Jax, and love for her grandson. But that love is challenged as there are many, many secrets in the world of SAMCRO.

The strongest character and easily classified as the most callous and evil is Clay Morrow - played by the ever-great Ron Perlman in one of his best roles. The story of Hamlet unfolds in a different way, a modern equivalent: Clay is the ruler of his realm, and has married Gemma. Caught in the middle, of course, is Jax, who is loyal to his dead father, but must maintain loyalty to the Sons.

Yet there is also the conflicting balance that is so well-maintained in every aspect of the show: violence tempered with gentleness, family and love. The character of Clay is not an exception to the show’s undercurrent of family ties. For it is very clear that Clay and Gemma have a loving relationship, not a usual one, but one that is built of mutual respect and partnership.

Also filled with a spectacular supporting cast that includes members of the gang is well as law enforcement agents, other conflicts in the different episodes are of the Sons living on the wrong side of the law and running their guns through their IRA contact, as well as the FBI going after the women of the members of the gang.

Of worthy mention are the roles of Opie (Ryan Hurst), Opie’s father, Piney (William Lucking), Bobby (Mark Boone, Jr.), all of whom add tremendously to the show.

Special features include audio commentary on selected episodes, The Making of Sons of Anarchy Season 1 Featurette, and two additional featurettes, plus deleted scenes and a special feature called Anarchy on the Set.

Sons of Anarchy on Blu-ray is well-worth the money for fans, or for those that missed the show on the original air dates. It is truly one of the best shows on television: gripping, emotionally intense, and thoroughly entertaining. It is well-casted with suburb acting and will not disappoint. Highly recommended.