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The first season of the American television drama series ''
Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club ope ...
'' premiered on September 3, 2008, and concluded on November 26, 2008, after 13 episodes aired on
cable network Networking cables are networking hardware used to connect one network device to other network devices or to connect two or more computers to share devices such as printers or scanners. Different types of network cables, such as coaxial cable, opt ...
FX. It is also the only season to air on Wednesdays before the show moved to Tuesdays for the remainder of its run. Created by
Kurt Sutter Kurt Leon Sutter (born May 5, 1960) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a producer, writer, and director on ''The Shield,'' and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of ' ...
, it is about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in California's Central Valley. The show centers on
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
Jackson "Jax" Teller (
Charlie Hunnam Charles Matthew Hunnam (; born 10 April 1980) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Pete Dunham in ''Green Street Hooligans'' (2005) and as Jax Teller in the FX series ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014). For the latter, he was ...
), the vice president of the motorcycle club, who begins questioning the club and himself. ''Sons of Anarchy'' is the story of the Teller-Morrow family of Charming, California, as well as other members of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO), their families, various Charming townspeople, allied and rival gangs, associates, and law agencies that undermine or support SAMCRO's legal and illegal enterprises.


Plot

The series begins with the destruction of a warehouse the club uses to store and assemble guns, which is their main source of income, by a rival MC right before the overdose of Jax's Methamphetamine-addicted, pregnant ex-wife Wendy. An emergency C-section is performed, and their son Abel is delivered ten weeks prematurely. Jax finds his father's memoirs when he visits a storage unit to collect some old baby clothes. John Teller, Jax's father, was one of the founders of SAMCRO, and the book describes his trials with and hopes for the club. Jax's mother, Gemma Teller-Morrow, is now married to the President of SAMCRO, Clay Morrow. Jax's best friend Opie has just been released from prison for serving time for a club-related crime. The first season deals with Jax trying to reconcile things happening to the club with what he reads in his father's memoirs, Opie trying to take a lesser role in the club, and local and federal law enforcement trying to shut down SAMCRO.


Cast and characters


Main cast

*
Charlie Hunnam Charles Matthew Hunnam (; born 10 April 1980) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Pete Dunham in ''Green Street Hooligans'' (2005) and as Jax Teller in the FX series ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014). For the latter, he was ...
as Jackson "Jax" Teller, a disillusioned club member who is Vice President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original in Charming. He discovers a written diary by his late father John that makes him question his life and the club. * Katey Sagal as Gemma Teller Morrow, Jax's mother and the queen of Charming. She is the matriarch of the club through her marriage to President Clay Morrow. *
Mark Boone Junior Mark Boone Junior (born Mark Heidrich; March 17, 1955) is an American character actor, best known for his TV roles as Bobby Munson in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–14) and Patrick "Pat" Brown in '' Last Man On Earth'', and film roles in Christopher ...
as Robert "Bobby Elvis" Munson, the Secretary and a former Vice President of SAMCRO, in Charming. *
Kim Coates Kim F. Coates (born February 21, 1958) is a Canadian–American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American films and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' and in the lead ...
as Alexander "Tig" Trager, a former Sergeant-at-Arms at the club. * Tommy Flanagan as Filip "Chibs" Telford, a club member from Glasgow, Scotland. He is SAMCRO's connection with the IRA. * Johnny Lewis as Kip "Half Sack" Epps, a prospect (prospective member) of the club, who often gets
hazed Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
by the club and is given undesirable tasks. * Maggie Siff as Dr. Tara Knowles Jax's high-school sweetheart. She performs successful surgery on his premature child Abel. *
Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...
as Clarence "Clay" Morrow, the President of SAMCRO. He is Jax's step-father and Gemma's husband.


Special guest cast

*
Drea de Matteo Andrea Donna de Matteo is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Adriana La Cerva on the HBO television drama ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2006), for which she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a ...
as
Wendy Case The following is a list of characters from ''Sons of Anarchy'', and its spin-off '' Mayans M.C.'' Both are American crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter. ''Sons of Anarchy'' aired from 2008 to 2014, ''Mayans M.C.'' since 2018. Cas ...
, Jax's ex-wife and Abel Teller's biological mother. She is a meth addict. * Ally Walker as Agent June Stahl * Tom Everett Scott as Rosen * Brian Van Holt as Kyle Hobart


Recurring cast

*
Dayton Callie Dayton Callie (born 1946) is an American actor, best known for playing Charlie Utter on HBO's '' Deadwood'', former Police Chief Wayne Unser on ''Sons of Anarchy'', and Jeremiah Otto on AMC's '' Fear the Walking Dead''. He has also voiced Wh ...
as Chief Wayne Unser * Theo Rossi as Juan-Carlos "Juice" Ortiz *
Ryan Hurst Ryan Douglas Hurst (born June 19, 1976) is an American actor, known for his roles as Gerry Bertier in ''Remember the Titans'' (2000), Sgt. Ernie Savage in ''We Were Soldiers'' (2002), Tom Clarke in '' Taken'' (2002), Opie Winston in the FX dram ...
as Harry "Opie" Winston * Taylor Sheridan as Deputy Chief David Hale *
William Lucking William Lucking (June 17, 1941 – October 18, 2021) was an American film, television, and stage actor, best known for his role as Piney Winston in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2011), and for his movie roles in '' The Magnificent Seven Ride!'' ( ...
as Piermont "Piney" Winston * Dendrie Taylor as Luann Delaney *
Sprague Grayden Sprague Grayden (born July 21, 1980) is an American actress. She played schoolteacher Heather Lisinski in the television drama ''Jericho'', Karen Kawalski in ''John Doe'', first daughter Olivia Taylor in the television thriller '' 24'', and Kri ...
as Donna Winston * Jay Karnes as Agent Joshua Kohn * Mitch Pileggi as Ernest Darby, a member of a white supremacist gang called the Nordics * Emilio Rivera as
Marcus Álvarez The following is a list of characters from '' Sons of Anarchy'', and its spin-off '' Mayans M.C.'' Both are American crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter. ''Sons of Anarchy'' aired from 2008 to 2014, ''Mayans M.C.'' since 2018. Cas ...
*
Tory Kittles Tory Kittles is an American actor. He has appeared in the films ''Malibu's Most Wanted'' (2003), ''Get Rich or Die Tryin (2005), ''Next'' (2007), ''Miracle at St. Anna'' (2008), and ''Dragged Across Concrete'' (2018). He is known mostly for hi ...
as Laroy Wayne *
Taryn Manning Taryn Manning is an American actress and singer. She is best known for portraying Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett in the Netflix original series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), Cherry in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2010), Nola in ''Hus ...
as Cherry / Rita * Keir O'Donnell as Lowell Harland, Jr. * Glenn Plummer as Sheriff Vic Trammel


Guest stars

* David LaBrava as Happy Lowman *
Patrick St. Esprit Patrick St. Esprit (born May 18, 1954)"Patrick St. Esprit"
Retrieved 5 June 2015 is an American character actor ...
as Elliott Oswald *
Kurt Sutter Kurt Leon Sutter (born May 5, 1960) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a producer, writer, and director on ''The Shield,'' and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of ' ...
as "Big" Otto Delaney * Olivia Burnette as Homeless Woman * Michael Shamus Wiles as Jury White * Kenneth Choi as Henry Lin * Michael Marisi Ornstein as Chuck Marstein


Reception

The first season received generally positive reviews from industry critics. Matthew Gilbert of '' The Boston Globe'' said the first season had "real potential". '' The New York Times''’ Gina Bellafante spoke highly of the cast's acting ability, particularly Sagal’s portrayal of Gemma. Brian Lowry of '' Variety'' gave a mixed review, admiring Sutter’s creation of the club and the town of Charming but observing the early episodes lacked direction. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 88% based on 24 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Rough and harsh, ''Sons of Anarchy'' features one of television's best ensemble casts."


Production

Although ''Sons of Anarchy'' is set in Northern California's Central Valley, it is filmed primarily at Occidental Studios Stage 5A in North Hollywood. Main sets located there include the clubhouse, St. Thomas Hospital, and Jax's house. The production rooms at the studio used by the writing staff also double as the Charming police station. External scenes are often filmed nearby in
Sun Valley Sun Valley may refer to: Places Australia * Sun Valley, New South Wales * Sun Valley, Queensland, a suburb of Gladstone United States * Valley of the Sun, a region that covers the Phoenix metropolitan area *Sun Valley, Arizona * Sun Valley, Los A ...
and Tujunga. Interior and exterior scenes set in Northern Ireland during season 3 were also filmed at Occidental Studios and surrounding areas. A
second unit Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...
shot footage in Northern Ireland used in the third season. Originally,
Scott Glenn Theodore Scott Glenn (born January 26) is an American actor. His roles have included Pfc Glenn Kelly in ''Nashville'' (1975), Wes Hightower in ''Urban Cowboy'' (1980), astronaut Alan Shepard in '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), Emmett in '' Silverado'' ...
was cast in the role of Clay Morrow and an entire pilot episode was filmed with him. However, series creator
Kurt Sutter Kurt Leon Sutter (born May 5, 1960) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a producer, writer, and director on ''The Shield,'' and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of ' ...
decided to go in a different direction with the character and re-cast
Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...
in the role, and Clay's scenes were re-shot. Additionally, Emilio Rivera was originally cast as a Sons of Anarchy club member named "Hawk," who eventually evolved into the character of Tig Trager.Emilio Rivera Talks SONS OF ANARCHY, a Guest Spot on THE MENTALIST, and Feature Projects
/ref> Also, the One-Niners street gang who buy weapons from SAMCRO first appeared in '' The Shield'', which Sutter produced.


Episodes


Home media release

The first season was released in the United States on DVD and Blu-ray on August 18, 2009.


References


External links


''Sons of Anarchy''
at FXNetworks.com * {{Sons of Anarchy 2008 American television seasons