Despite how goodSons of Anarchyis as a whole, not all its seasons were at the same level, but the one regarded as its worst is secretly the show’s most important season. In 2008, Kurt Sutter took the audience to the fictional town of Charming, California, home to the motorcycle club Sons of Anarchy, also known as SAMCRO.
Initially led by President Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) and VP Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam),Sons of Anarchyfollowed the many conflicts, betrayals, wins, and tragedies of the club and its members. Through Jax, the audience met a variety of villains and allies throughout seven seasons, but not all seasons were at the same level in different areas.
Sons of Anarchycurrently holds an 87% critics score onRotten Tomatoes, and while its overall quality and success are undeniable, it has some weak episodes and seasons – however, the season that’s widely regarded asSons of Anarchy’s worst is actually one of its most important ones.
Why Sons of Anarchy’s Season 3 Is Widely Regarded As The Worst
Sons of Anarchy Was Different Than Previous Seasons
Sons of Anarchyis one of the most successful and popular TV shows of the 2000s and 2010s, but it went through a rough patch with its third season.Sons of Anarchyseason 2 ended in tragedy and chaos as Gemma (Katey Sagal) killed Polly Zobelle, but was framed by ATF June Stahl (Ally Walker), who killed Edmond Hayes.
Edmond’s father, Cameron, believed Gemma killed his son and wanted revenge. Cameron followed Half-Sack (Johnny Lewis) to Tara’s house with the intention of killing Jax’s baby son, Abel. However, Half-Sack protected Tara and Abel, leading to Cameron fatally stabbing him. While threatening Tara with the knife,Cameron tied her to a chair and kidnapped Abel.
Although Jax and the rest of the club rushed to find Cameron and Abel, it was too late, as Cameron had disembarked in his gunrunning boat with the baby.Sons of Anarchyseason 3, then, followed Jax’s efforts to rescue his son, who Cameron took to Ireland. There, Abel was put up for adoption by Father Kellan Ashby, the consigliere of the True IRA.
Sons of Anarchyseason 3 spent a lot of time in Ireland, as Jax and the rest did their best to find Abel and bring him home safely.It’s a different setting and a slightly different tone, with those episodes being slower but emotionally charged. Still, season 3 is widely regarded asSons of Anarchy’s worst, and not just because of the Ireland storyline.
Gemma’s storyline, in which she was hiding and spent some time at her father’s place, felt like a filleror a lazy way to bring the audience back to Charming, and there was also Jax’s frustrating deals with Stahl. However, despite its flaws,Sons of Anarchyseason 3 is very important to the show.
Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Revealed Key Details About The Teller Family
The Teller Family Kept Many Secrets
At the front and center ofSons of Anarchywas the Teller family, as Jax’s father, John “JT” Teller, founded the club alongside Piney Winston.Sons of Anarchykicked off whenJax found JT’s manifesto, in which he detailed his plans and vision for the club, as well as how and where it started going wrong.
Jax did his best to fulfill his father’s plans, but he ended up carving his own path as he learned more and more about the club and his family.Sons of Anarchyseason 3 introduced Maureen Ashby, with whom JT had an affair when his marriage to Gemma began to crumble (and Gemma was seeing Clay).
It was Maureen who hid the letters JT wrote to her in Jax’s bag so he could know his father better, but also learn some family truths.Tara found the letters and learned about Clay and Gemma’s involvement in JT’s death, and she later told Piney about them (and, sadly, this led to his death).
Gemma ended up getting rid of the letters that implicated her in JT’s death and showed the rest to Jax, who only learned that Clay had sabotaged JT’s bike, provoking his death. Tara having the letters also triggered a chain of events that led her to almost lose her job and her family, culminating in season 6 with her death at the hands of Gemma.
Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Saw The Death Of A Hated Villain
This Villain Was Responsible For Season 1’s Biggest Tragedy
Sons of Anarchyseason 3 was also the season that saw a long-awaited death: that of June Stahl.Stahl was quickly established as a villain in season 1, and her lies and manipulations to bring SAMCRO down led to the death of Opie’s (Ryan Hurst) wife, Donna. Stahl had made Clay believe that Opie had ratted on them, and he ordered his murder.
However, Opie and Donna exchanged places at the last minute without Tig noticing, and so he ended up shooting Donna.Opie eventually forgave Tig and Clay, but he deserved to avenge Donna’s death. Opie finally got the chance to do so in season 3’s finale, “NS”, where he and other SAMCRO members set her andJimmy O’Phelan (Titus Welliver)up.
While Chibs had his revenge and killed O’Phelan, Opie forced Stahl into the car at gunpoint, with Stahl sitting in the driver’s seat and Opie in the back seat. Opie ordered her to put her hands on the wheel, and as Stahl sobbed and begged for her life,Opie reminded her that Donna had no choice.
Stahl constantly messed with SAMCRO and showed more than once that she couldn’t be trusted.
Opie said “this is what Donna felt” and shot Stahl in the back of the head. Stahl constantly messed with SAMCRO and showed more than once that she couldn’t be trusted, and she went as far as to kill her lover to cover her tracks.Sons of Anarchyseason 3 not only killed Stahl, but also gave Opie the revenge he needed.
Sons of Anarchy Season 3 Has The Show’s Highest-Rated Episode
“NS” Is Sons of Anarchy’s Highest-Rated Episode
Sons of Anarchyseason 3 also happens to have the show’s highest-rated episode. The season finale,“NS”, is widely regarded asSons of Anarchy’s best episode, and it’s the one with the deaths of Stahl and O’Phelan, as well as the episode where Tara learned the truth about JT’s death thanks to Maureen’s letters.
“NS” set the ground for what would be one of the best seasons ofSons of Anarchy, and though it saw the end of two of the show’s biggest villains, these brought more trouble for the club in the subsequent seasons.Sons of Anarchyseason 3 might not appeal to everyone, but it was key for the rest of the show.
