Sons of Anarchy

Welcome to Charming

Sons of Anarchy is Kurt Sutter's crime drama about SAMCRO, a motorcycle club whose garage business shares a home with illegal arms dealing. It ran for seven seasons on FX, from 2008 to 2014.

Charlie Hunnam plays Jax Teller, the club's vice-president. Having grown up in Charming, California, he knows the people and the rules. His late father's writing makes him question whether the club is living by the principles it claims to defend.

The family and the club

Jax's stepfather Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) is the club president. His mother Gemma (Katey Sagal) has considerable influence of her own. Their family relationships make disagreements about the club far more difficult than an ordinary dispute at work.

Ryan Hurst plays Jax's friend Opie Winston, and Maggie Siff plays Dr. Tara Knowles. Around them, Kim Coates, Tommy Flanagan, Mark Boone Junior and Theo Rossi give the membership its mixture of humour, experience and volatility.

What to expect

This is an involving ensemble drama with forceful performances, loud action and a strong musical identity. Its best scenes often concern the cost of belonging: who owes what, who gets forgiven and who is permitted to make a different choice. Some stretches are overextended, but the relationships give it a substantial pull.

Expect strong violence, language and adult themes. For more on the performances and the recommendation, read the Sons of Anarchy review. The Shield and Peaky Blinders make useful companion viewing.