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Harry Forrest Aragorn

Season 1

Back in '08, a new dramatic series called "Sons of Anarchy" could have gone nowhere fast: in the fickle microcosm of basic cable television, it's a minor miracle the show passed muster and didn't fade into oblivion. Instead, it's been a surprise hit for the network: "Sons of Anarchy" is FX's highest-rated drama, and the show has helped boost their 4th quarter profits last year by 20 percent, to $882 million. But more impressive than raw viewership numbers is the fact that the audience's biggest constituents are male 38 year-olds, essentially an advertiser's wet dream-- "even if the shows mostly revolve around unsavory story lines and characters not tailor-made to sell soap." And therein lies the question: the outlaw biker show has been dubbed by the New York Times "A Rough and Bawdy Ad Magnet," and their piece on the network's recent success makes you wonder who, exactly, is watching, and what effect it will have on motorcycling at large? Consider, if you will, this thought... but even if the show challenges the whole stereotypical Harley thing in a negative way, I think it's rarely a bad thing to see bikes on the small screen. Source: NY Times

Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter is in the process of penning the first script of season 5. But that doesn’t mean he came to Wednesday night’s PaleyFest panel without the best of his shareable scoop on what’s in store for SAMCRO in a season that finds them under the leadership of Jax. And when he and the rest of the cast (including wife/star Katey Sagal, Theo Rossi, Tommy Flanagan, and Dayton Callie) couldn’t say anything quite yet, they opted to fill the air with F-bombs and hilarious anecdotes (like one about Ron Pearlman’s lack of motorcycle skills). Here’s a recap of what we heard about the new season, which kicks off in fall: Jax’s struggle The season picks up around three weeks after the events in the finale, Sutter told EW on the red carpet, and finds Jax still sitting at the head of the table. The season will explore “the ripple effect that has on the guys — their loyalties and where people land [on the issue],” said Sutter. “For me, the dynamic that’s fun to play out this season is the struggle of being king. Can you be the leader of an organized crime syndicate and not become Clay? And if you’re not like Clay, will you be forced to suffer the same fate as John Teller?…For Jax, it’s the struggle between those two father figures and what he may and may not become.” GET MORE EW: Subscribe to the magazine for only 33¢ an issue! Tara, interrupted In past seasons, Tara has struggled with whether or not she’s wanted to be part of the SAMCRO world, but this season leaves little doubt, Sutter said. “She’s clearly in. But she’s now figuring out, ‘Who am I in this world?’ Can I still be Dr. Tara Knowles and be the supportive queen I need to be?” David Pope will debut As Sutter told EW after the finale, his season will introduce David Pope, the man whose daughter was killed by Tig (Kim Coats). He has not been cast yet. Opie will continue to struggle Poor Opie. A failing second marriage, a dead dad, and a club in shambles. What’s a guy to do? Well, season 5 will find Ryan Hurst’s Opie still trying to wrap his head around what’s going on in his life and whether or not there’s repair to be had. “We’ll really get to play that out with Opie and Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and see how that relationship has changed and if you can come back from that.” No Gemma/Tig action… probably While the world was crumbling in Charming, it didn’t escape fans that Gemma and Tig became especially close. (Though there had been hints of chemistry before.) Sutter, however, remains unconvinced it will lead to much more. “I don’t think Tig and Gemma have ever hooked up. There’s always been an attraction,” Sutter said. “Tig has been the third wheel in that relationship for years. I don’t know where that’s going to go.” More Shield vets on the way? A number of actors who once appeared on The Shield, which Sutter executive-produced, have made their way onto Sons, but don’t hold your breath for an appearance from Michael Chiklis. “I think it would be really difficult to bring Michael onto the show and not have that character be overshadowed by Vic Mackey. I’m still thinking of ways to do that because I love Michael, but that would be a tough one,” he admits. Scoops aside, Sutter also shined light on his efforts to produce a prequel to Sons that would explore the story of the first nine members. He’s expressed his desires to produce the show to FX, he said, but it remains on the sidelines for now. “It’s definitely out there,” he said. “I see it as a really different show … I see it more as a political and social [and] historical show, in terms of [incorporating the story with] everything that was going on in the ’60s — like Vietnam.” Memorable moment: Katey Sagal: Truly, all of us look forward to each new script. Dayton Callie (who plays Unser): Yeah, ‘Am I f—ing alive?!’ [Crowd laughs] Sutter: Spoken like a man with cancer. [Crowd roars with laughter] Callie: He’s been holding that over my head for four years!

Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter and a handful of cast members hit the stage at PaleyFest 2012 on Wednesday to preview the show’s upcoming fifth season. For starters, Sutter revealed that the premiere will begin “about a month” after the shocking events of fourth season finale, adding that the time lapse will give Tara time to process what her choice to stand by Jax means. “Tara’s clearly in [the club now],” he noted, “and [season 5] really will be her trying to figure out, ‘Who am I in this world? Can I still be Dr. Tara Knowles and be this Queen?’” Jax, too, will be dealing with personal conflict in the coming season. “I’ve always wanted to play this idea… of putting Jax at the head of the table, and the ripples of that and where people land,” the EP shared. “For me, the interesting dynamic to play next season is the struggle that Jax has of being King — how can you be the leader of an organized crime syndicate and not become Clay? And if you choose not to become Clay, are you forced to become [Jax's late father] John Teller?” As for the overarching story in Season 5, Sutter’s basic outline includes playing the fallout of “Tig’s clusterf— with accidentally killing [Damon Pope]‘s daughter. So, that will be some of the adrenaline that gets the season started.” Other topics covered during the panel: • Sutter stood by his decision to not have Opie join Jax at the table in the finale. “I felt that it wasn’t true to [Opie's] character to have him come in the room and sit at that table,” he said. “He’s a soulful, deep-thinking kind of guy. For him to get all of that information from Jax, it didn’t make sense that he would be able to rectify that within a couple hours and sit at that table. This season we’ll get to see how [their] relationship has changed and [whether or not Opie] can come back from that.” • “There’s always been an attraction” between Tig and Gemma, acknowledged Sutter, “[but] I don’t know where that’s going to go.” • Sorry, Otto lovers. Sutter said it’s unlikely we’ll see much of his nearly-blind alter ego next season. • Sutter, a former Shield exec producer, said that while he is still close with Michael Chiklis, he doesn’t really see a world in which he could appear on Sons. “I just feel like Michael’s character was so iconic on [The Shield], it would be really difficult to bring him on [sons of Anarchy] and not have him overshadow as Vic Mackey… I love Michael, but that would be a tough one.”