The third season of the American

television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...

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 7, 2010, and concluded on November 30, 2010, 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. 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 An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of Cruiser (motorcycle), cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and chopper (motorcycle), choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate fre ...

operating in Charming, a fictional town in

California's California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...

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 then–vice president of the club, who begins questioning the club and himself in the aftermath of his infant son's abduction. Season three attracted an average of 4.9 million viewers per week, making it FX's highest rated series ever at the time, surpassing FX's other hits ''

The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt poli ...

'', ''

Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...

'', and '' Rescue Me''. ''Sons of Anarchy'' is the story of the Teller-Morrow family of

Charming, California ''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 ...

, 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. In 2018,

Universo Universo is a Legion of Super-Heroes supervillain in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan, and first appeared in ''Adventure Comics'' #349 (October 1966). Pre-Zero Hour Universo first ...

announced the season 3 premiere of

in Español on 29 October 2018.

Plot

Gemma has been hiding in

Rogue River, Oregon Rogue River is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 2,407. History The settlement was known as "Woodville" for many years, but was changed to "Rogue River" about 1912. The Woodville post offi ...

with Tig at the home of Gemma's father, Nate (

Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...

), who suffers from

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

. Gemma struggles when she takes Nate to his new

assisted living An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is s ...

home, and he pleads to be taken back to his house. She returns to Charming to reunite with her grandson, unaware he has been kidnapped. The return of A.T.F. agent Stahl twists the facts about the murder of Donna, Stahl attempts to make a deal with Jax behind the club's back. Father Kellan Ashby's sister, Maureen, contacts Gemma at Ashby's request and tells her Abel is safe in Belfast. Upon learning of her grandson's abduction, Gemma suffers a

cardiac arrhythmia Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults ...

and collapses in the Teller-Morrow lot. After the club returns from Northern Ireland and brings home Abel, agent Stahl double crosses Jax and tells the club about the side deal Jax made with her, unaware that Jax and the club had it planned all along knowing Stahl would back out of the deal. Jax, Clay, Bobby, Tig, Juice and Happy are hauled away to jail. While Opie, Chibs, Piney, and the Prospects are all en route following Stahl. Chibs finally gets revenge on Jimmy by killing him and Opie kills Stahl as revenge for the death of his wife, Donna.

Cast and characters

Main cast

as Jackson "Jax" Teller *

Katey Sagal Catherine Louise "Katey" Sagal (; born January 19, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing Peggy Bundy on '' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997), Leela on ''Futurama'' (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2023), Cate Henne ...

Gemma Teller Morrow Gemma Teller Morrow (''née'' Madock) is a fictional character on the FX television series ''Sons of Anarchy'', played by Katey Sagal. Gemma is the widow of John Teller, a founding member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original ...

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 *

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 *

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 ...

Wayne Unser 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. Cast ...

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 Alex "Tig" Trager *

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

as Filip "Chibs" Telford *

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 *

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 *

Theo Rossi John Theodore Rossi (born June 4, 1975) is an American actor and producer. He portrayed Juan Carlos "Juice" Ortiz on the FX series ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014) and Hernan "Shades" Alvarez in ''Luke Cage'' (2016–2018). His film roles i ...

as Juan-Carlos "Juice" Ortiz *

Maggie Siff Maggie Siff (born June 21, 1974) is an American actress. Her most notable television roles have included department store heiress Rachel Menken Katz on the AMC drama ''Mad Men'', Dr. Tara Knowles on the FX drama ''Sons of Anarchy'' for which sh ...

as Dr. Tara Knowles

Special guest cast

Paula Malcomson Paula Malcomson (born 1 June 1970) is a Northern Irish actress. She is sometimes credited as Paula Williams. She is known as Trixie in ''Deadwood'' (2004-2006), Maureen Ashby in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2010), and as Abby Donovan in ''Ray Donovan'' ...

as Maureen Ashby *

Ally Walker Allene Damian "Ally" Walker (born August 25, 1961) is an American actress. She made her television debut in the NBC daytime soap opera '' Santa Barbara'' (1988) before landing the leading roles on the short-lived dramas '' True Blue'' (1989–199 ...

as Agent June Stahl *

Kenny Johnson Kenneth Allen Johnson (born July 13, 1963) is an American actor, producer, and model. He is known for his roles as Detective Curtis Lemansky The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield'' ...

as Herman Kozik *

Mitch Pileggi Mitch Pileggi (born April 5, 1952) is an American actor. He played Horace Pinker in '' Shocker'', Walter Skinner on ''The X-Files'', Colonel Steven Caldwell on ''Stargate Atlantis'', Ernest Darby in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and Harris Ryland in th ...

Ernest Darby 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 ...

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

as Bachman *

Sonny Barger Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger, Jr. (October 8, 1938 – June 29, 2022) was an American outlaw biker, author and actor who was a founding member of the Oakland, California chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in 1957. After forming the O ...

as Lenny "The Pimp" Janowitz

Recurring cast

* David LaBrava as

Happy Lowman 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 ...

* McNally Sagal as Margaret Murphy *

Jose Pablo Cantillo Jose Pablo Cantillo (born March 30, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Ricky Verona in '' Crank'', Miguel in ''Cleaner'' (2007), Pepe in ''Streets of Blood'' (2011), Detective Martinez in ''El Chicano'' (2018), Hector Sala ...

as Hector Salazar *

Michael Marisi Ornstein Michael Marisi Ornstein (born 1963) is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Chucky Marstein on Sons of Anarchy 2008–2014) and its spin-off ''Mayans M.C. (2019-present). Early life Ornstein studied acting as a child a ...

as Chuck Marstein *

Titus Welliver Titus B. Welliver (born March 12, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of the Man in Black in ''Lost'', Silas Adams in '' Deadwood'', Jimmy O’Phelan in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and the title role in the television seri ...

as Jimmy O'Phelan *

James Cosmo James Ronald Gordon Copeland , known professionally as James Cosmo (b. 1947), is a Scottish film and television actor known for his appearances in films including '' Highlander'', ''Braveheart'', ''Trainspotting'', ''Jagame Thandhiram'', ''Tro ...

as Father Kellan Ashby *

Jeff Kober Jeff Kober (born December 18, 1953) is an American actor, known for his television roles as Dodger in ''China Beach'', Jacob Hale Jr. in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and Joe in the fourth season of '' The Walking Dead''. He is also known his movie role ...

Jacob Hale Jr. ''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 ...

Zoe Boyle Zoe Boyle (born 1 January 1989) is an English actress known for her roles as Lavinia Swire on the series ''Downton Abbey'' and Trinity Ashby on ''Sons of Anarchy''. Education Boyle attended the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, at the ...

as Trinity Ashby *

Winter Ave Zoli Winter Ave Zoli (born June 28, 1980) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Lyla Winston in FX's TV series ''Sons of Anarchy'', Amy Snyder in '' Bosch'' (2017-2018), and for '' Deserted'' (2016). Zoli also appears ...

as Lyla Winston * Andrew McPhee as

Keith McGee Keith Edward McGee (born May 7, 1981) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the Nos. 22 and 27 Ford F-150s for Reaume Brothers Racing. He has also previously compet ...

Arie Verveen Arie Verveen (born 28 September 1966) is an Irish actor. He has received an Independent Spirit Award Nomination (1997)and two Satellite Awards from the International Press Academy for his roles in the feature films ''Caught (1996 film), Caught'' ...

Liam O'Neill Liam O'Neill is a Gaelic games administrator, who served as the 37th president of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He is from County Laois. Biography A former chairman of the Leinster Council, O'Neill initially sought the GAA presidency at the ...

* Pamela J. Gray as Agent Amy Tyler *

Marcello Thedford Marcello Thedford is an American film actor, television actor and power lifter known for his roles as Kelvin "Buffalo" James on the ESPN dramatic series ''Playmakers'', Semi in '' Employee of the Month'', and in eight episodes of '' ER'' as Leon, ...

as Lander Jackson *

Michael Beach Michael Anthony Beach (born October 30, 1963) is an American actor. He has appeared in films '' Lean on Me'' (1989), ''One False Move'' (1992), ''Short Cuts'' (1993), ''Waiting to Exhale'' (1995), ''A Family Thing'' (1996), ''Soul Food'' (1997), ...

as T.O. Cross *

Joel Tobeck Joel Tobeck (born 2 June 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand) is an actor known for his roles in the television series ''Tangle'', ''The Doctor Blake Mysteries'', ''Xena Warrior Princess'', ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and '' Young Hercules'' ...

as Donny *

as Nate Madock *

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 * Darin Heames as Seamus Ryan *

Q'orianka Kilcher Q'orianka Waira Qoiana Kilcher (; born February 11, 1990) is an American actress, singer, and activist. Her best known film roles are Pocahontas in Terrence Malick's 2005 film ''The New World'', and Kaʻiulani in ''Princess Kaiulani'' (2009). In ...

as Kerrianne Larkin-Telford *

Bellina Logan Bellina Logan is an American television and film actress. She is known for her roles in such films and television shows as ''Interview with the Vampire'', ''Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American mystery serial drama television series c ...

as Fiona Larkin *

Emilio Rivera Emilio Rivera (born February 24, 1961) is an American film and television actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his portrayal of Marcus Álvarez in ''Sons of Anarchy'' and its spin-off, ''Mayans M.C.'' He is also known for his dep ...

as Marcus Alvarez * Jamie McShane as Cameron Hayes *

Monique Gabriela Curnen Monique Gabriela Curnen (born September 7, 1970) is an American actress. Early life and education Curnen was born on September 7, 1970. Her mother is from Puerto Rico, and her father is of German and Irish descent. She grew up in Framingham, Mas ...

as Amelia Dominguez *

Kristen Renton Kristen Louise Renton (born September 14, 1982) is an American actress who had a recurring role as List of characters from Sons of Anarchy#Ima Tite, Ima Tite on ''Sons of Anarchy'' and also portrayed Morgan Hollingsworth on NBC's soap opera ''Day ...

as Ima Tite *

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 *

Michael Fairman Michael Fairman (born February 25, 1934) is an American actor and writer. Career He is best known for his various roles during his long career, which started when he was 31 years old. This includes the role of Nick Szabo on the daytime drama, ...

as Lumpy Feldstein *

Robin Weigert Robin Weigert (born July 7, 1969) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for portraying Calamity Jane on the television series '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award f ...

as Ally Lowen * Marcos de la Cruz as Agent Estevez *

Taylor Sheridan Taylor Sheridan (born May 21, 1970) is an American filmmaker and actor. Sheridan portrayed David Hale (Sons of Anarchy), David Hale in the FX (TV channel), FX television series ''Sons of Anarchy'' and Danny Boyd in ''Veronica Mars'' (2005–2007 ...

as Deputy Chief David Hale *

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 *

Kenneth Choi Kenneth Choi (born October 20, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for playing Henry Lin on the television series ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014), Chester Ming in Martin Scorsese's '' The Wolf of Wall Street'' (2013), and Judge Lance It ...

as Henry Lin *

as "Big" Otto Delaney *

Keith Szarabajka Keith Szarabajka (; ; born December 2, 1952) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Mickey Kostmayer on '' The Equalizer'', Daniel Holtz on ''Angel'', Gerard Stephens in '' The Dark Knight'' and Adam Engell in '' Argo''. ...

as Victor Putlova

Guest stars

Leo Fitzpatrick Leonardo Aurellio Randy Fitzpatrick is an American actor and co-director of the Marlborough Chelsea gallery. He is best known as Telly in ''Kids'' (1995) and Johnny Weeks in ''The Wire'' (2002–2004). Career He was discovered at age 14 by d ...

as Prospect Shephard * Bob McCracken as Brendan Roarke *

Dorian Missick Dorian Crossmond Missick is an American actor known for his role as Damian in the television series ''Six Degrees (TV series), Six Degrees'' (2006) and for voicing List of characters in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories#Victor Vance, Victor Van ...

as Pony Joe *

Olivia Burnette Olivia Burnette (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress who began her career as a child actress at the age of six. She is perhaps best known for her role in the NBC sitcom ''The Torkelsons'' (1991–1993), Homeless Woman in ''Sons of Anarc ...

as Homeless Woman

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 North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...

. 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 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.

Reception

Some critics felt the third season was dragged down by the previous season's cliffhanger. On review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the season has an approval rating of 90% based on 20 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "''Sons of Anarchy'' returns with risk-taking writing, thrusting its characters into fascinating and unexpected turmoil." James Poniewozik of ''TIME'' called the season three premiere "breathtaking" and praised Sagal's performance with Holbrook. He later stated that Abel's disappearance helped return the show to its central problem: Jax's allegiance to the club. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

''’s Ken Tucker agreed that Holbrook and Sagal’s scenes were "beautiful". He also commented that the series handled themes of loyalty and family especially well. Maureen Ryan commented that the third season divided critics and fans alike, suggesting the expanded Belfast cast made it harder for the audience to invest in the characters' journeys. Ryan later questioned the credibility of Hector Salazar's story, noting that he was inferior to other villainous characters such as Stahl, Zobelle and Weston. However, she praised

's performance, comparing her character to ''

''s

Vic Mackey Victor Samuel Mackey, played by Michael Chiklis, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the FX crime drama series ''The Shield'', which ran for seven seasons. Mackey is portrayed as a corrupt and brutal detective in the Los Angeles Poli ...

. Critic Alan Sepinwall said the season was "interesting but uneven", noting that the plot gained traction in later episodes. Tim Goodman of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' said "Sutter should be applauded for shaking things up", calling the slower pace a "creative necessity".

Episodes

Home media release

The third season was released in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

and

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

on August 30, 2011.

References

External links

''Sons of Anarchy''
at FXNetworks.com * {{Sons of Anarchy 2010 American television seasons