A number of reviewers have compared the first episode of Sons of Anarchy’s fourth season to the Godfather trilogy. Which is cute, because it’s the most recent example of a similar crime-infested tragedy. But in looking at the episode, and Sons as a whole (Tuesdays, 10PM, FX), it’s become increasingly clear that show creator Kurt Sutter is following his original goal of aping Hamlet, with a little bit of of mythology destruction at the same time.
For the uninitiated, the Sons of Anarchy are a California motorcycle gang from San Joaquin County who traffic in guns. The president of the club, Clay Morrow, is protagonist Jackson “Jax” Teller’s stepfather, or something of the sort. They come into uneasy alliances with terrorists, cops and fellow gangs as it suits them. Oh, and for a deeper conflict, Jax Teller seems to be aware that his status as the heir apparent to the throne is going to lead to his own demise. This is a problem because his girlfriend and he share custody of one or more children (depending on how you like your spoilers).
Now that’s out of the way, it’s time to be amazed. I’ve watched all four seasons. So, when the show opens with most of the guys getting out of jail and grumble-rumbling into town, you sort of expect conflict. They get that from a new sheriff in town (lieutenant, if we’re being fair), who tells them that they can’t wear their “cuts” or vests. This is a sign of decline to the Sons, because previously, the chief of police had been a family friend of Morrow and Jax’s mom, but he kind of lost his job because he sort of wasn’t doing it. Problem one for the Sons in Season 4: A cop dedicated to actually investigating their criminal activity. He seems slightly more effective than Shaggy and Scooby. Also, he’s black. We’ll get to that in a second.
The second problem is Passion of the Caviezel, who is now the puppeteer masquerading as a new assistant U.S. attorney. The scope of the gun running that the Sons of Anarchy engage in crosses international borders (they were originally getting AKs from an offshoot of the Irish Republican Army), and they were last pursued by a psychopathic ATF agent who (SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE SHOW) shot her own girlfriend to cover her tracks. Unfortunately, our only indication that the new be-bearded AUSA is crazy is that he gives his business card in the form of a magic trick. However! He thinks that he can get the Sons of Anarchy, that IRA offshoot and the Russians who are the Sons’ current arms supplier under RICO. Which. No. I don’t know about the legal things… but I studied the Irish Republican Army for my schooling and I’m pretty sure the U.S. Congress doesn’t get to decide those things. Oh well. Not the least realistic thing that’s happened on the show.
The third problem is those Russians. Specifically, something happened while some of the Sons were in prison. Like a stabbing. A stabbing that takes a faked suicide (I think), a willing prison guard and about a half dozen murders to “rectify.” When do these gambits always get rectified? Like rapes (no, not kidding for you SOA newbies), in the first episode, always during a big shindig. In this case, it was the wedding of Jax’s best bud Opie to his porn star (though she’s not still in that biz, maybe?) girlfriend.
Which brings us back to the title. Blood Meridian is the most graphic mutilation of the Wild West and the mythical cowboy I’ve ever read. Cormac McCarthy shows the ceaseless and wanton carnage enacted by men with little use for the law and a fleeting bit of authority. In the book, babies and mothers and families are torn asunder, and I don’t mean metaphorically. Add that it’s white riders often devastating Mexican towns, and you’ve got a bit of racism, too. One of the riders in the group is a scant teen at the time. And through it all, he just tries to survive. He never really makes judgment on most of the actions, and his demise isn’t necessarily certain. But the point of the book was never to show his ultimate redemption.
And now that we’re in the fourth season of the Sons of Anarchy, I really don’t think that any of us want that for Jackson Teller. Realistically, he has half a mind and knows that being a 1 percenter is going to lead him into a bad end, especially in a group that is still quasi-racist (see his step-father describing the current sheriff in town). But the strictures of TV make it impossible for him to leave. And as he stays, it becomes harder and harder to see him, or really any other still living character on the show, as anything but a sociopath. Consider a man who proposes marriage under the promise that he’ll leave a gang, winks at quasi-fiancee during the nuptials, then goes stabby during the reception before finishing with a wonderful dance.
At this point, I’m still watching, but it’s becoming a slog. Sons of Anarchy doesn’t have a path for redemption for any of its characters, and increasingly, I’m just wondering if we’re watching another myth deconstruction. Because nothing good will come in Charming, California. The plot can’t support it, the show can’t support it, and the characters show no signs of anything other than disassociate identity disorder.
But, the guitar-driven music is good. The violence generally suits a point, and Charlie Hunnam is cute, even with short hair. So there’s that.
