The fact we’re still talking about Sons of Anarchy four years after it ended demonstrates the impact and legacy of the biker drama. It’s impossible to forget all the action and talking points it provided across seven seasons and we miss it to this very day.
Sure, the spinoff, Mayans MC, is due to be released in September, but will it have the same magic?
Describing what made the show popular to Digital Spy, Maggie Siff, who portrayed Tara, said, “For me, when I read it, it felt so different to anything that I had read and that was a really good sign.”
“Kurt [Sutter] is a really good writer, not just of dialogue, but the descriptions and movement. You can feel the adrenaline in it. It reads like a high drama, almost like a Greek drama. I was intrigued by the whole thing,” she said.
She continued: “It’s a window into a world we’ve never seen on television before. But I don’t think anyone ever expects to be in a hit TV show. You get used to doing so much stuff that falls away, so if something kicks off it’s always surprising.”
Undoubtedly, the writing was on point and often didn’t disappoint, but that isn’t to say that every character was a home run. Some of the folks introduced made a significant difference to the show, while others fell flatter than a Flat Earth theory.
Taking that into consideration, let’s take a look at the 10 New Character Additions That Hurt Sons Of Anarchy (And 10 That Saved It).
Hurt: Lyla
After the brutal passing of Donna, Opie was never the same again. It broke our hearts to see his lifeless eyes and general apathy towards life.
So, when Lyla (portrayed by Winter Ave Zoli) was introduced as a new love interest for him, it seemed like he’d have a second chance at happiness.
Unfortunately,
Lyla was a chore. Her intentions were noble enough, as she tried to do her best for her son, Piper, but she fumbled from one storyline to the next, as she failed to add any value to the show.
It didn’t help that she had zero chemistry with Opie, either, and looked uncomfortable around everyone else as well. After Opie’s passing, she quietly drifted off screen – something she should’ve done seasons before.
Saved: Nero
Let’s face it: Gemma was rotten to the core. After everything she did, she was served her just reward at the end.
However, when Nero (Jimmy Smits) came into her life, it opened up another dynamic and different side to her. We saw the potential for Gemma to have a happily ever after.
Much like Tara tried to act as a moral compass for Jax, Nero did the same for Gemma. He suffered for her, as he was pulled into her crazy and violent world.
After all the emotional (and physical) trauma, it was surprising to see Nero spared from the same fate as Gemma.
Still, he didn’t deserve to go down in flames, as his light was absolutely necessary on this show.
Hurt: Brooke
It’s understandable why Hayley McFarland took the part of Brooke Putner. After her starring role as Emily Lightman in Lie to Me, she wanted something a little meatier and daring to shake off the stigma of being seen as a stereotypical teenager.
While Brooke’s backstory is quite tragic and fits in with the Sons of Anarchy narrative, her character went nowhere rather fast.
She became just another old lady, serving as nothing more than Ratboy’s girlfriend.
In fact, if it wasn’t for her love story with Ratboy, would we even remember her today?
There was a lot of initial promise for Brooke, but like a lot of other characters she didn’t rev up to where she should’ve been.
Saved: Agent Stahl
Ah, Agent June Stahl. She truly was the law enforcement figure whom we all despised on the show, even though she was only doing her job. Well, for the most part – as she also liked to blur the lines of what was right and wrong.
For all her despicable actions, she threw a spanner into the works and added to the drama.
If there was no Agent Stahl on the scene, the MC would’ve gotten away with everything they did and it wouldn’t have made for riveting TV at all.
Credit needs to go to actress Ally Walker for her astounding performance as the well-meaning antagonist of the series. She played this role to a tee.
Hurt: Colette
The role of Colette Jane must’ve sounded intriguing and challenging to actress Kim Dickens. On paper, it had all the makings of a memorable part.
However, what Colette ended up being was merely another lady of the night who had an affair with Jax.
The whole Diosa angle felt a little over the top and predictable right from the get-go. Of course, it would’ve been one of the first spots targeted by the Lin Triad, with Colette meeting her demise with the other ladies.
Truth be told, not many fans can remember whether Colette lived or perished.
This only goes to show that the character didn’t that leave much of an impression, besides annoying the fans of Tara and Jax’s romance.
Saved: Venus
Not only was Venus Van Dam (Walton Goggins) one of the most entertaining characters introduced, but she also broke new boundaries on the show.
In the past, her relationship with Tig might’ve been seen as the punchline of some childish joke, but Sons of Anarchy showed a maturity behind its years.
Venus brought a realness here. The character didn’t receive a major arc or become a main cast member, but she became an integral part of the show as the light of Tig’s life.
When you think back and remember the MC and all the people around it, it’s likely that Venus’ name will come up as one of the top 10 characters. She’s certainly unforgettable.
Hurt: Georgie Caruso
Georgie Caruso was a producer of adult films and rival to Luann Delaney. He appeared in a few episodes but was responsible for Luann’s horrific demise. Eventually, the MC took care of him in the way that they usually did.
While Tom Arnold is a talented performer, he didn’t bring his A-game here. Georgie felt clownish and as more of a joke, even if he did commit a heinous crime.
Simply put, the impact of his actions wasn’t felt as strongly as it should’ve been because of Arnold’s demeanor.
Sure, the show liked to mix it up with a different range of performers, but Arnold was wildly miscast as Georgie here. What he did was no laughing matter.
Saved: August Marks
The MC encountered a variety of tough guys in their time, but one of the most memorable and powerful was certainly August Marks (Billy Brown), who first served as Damon Pope’s enforcer.
He didn’t mess around, either, telling Jax, “You know the biggest difference between me and Mr. Pope? Damon made his bones being the smartest guy on the street. I made mine being the [most lethal]. Don’t cross me, Jackson.”
August pulled the trigger on Bobby Munson after Jax betrayed him, giving us a major soul-crushing moment on the series. However, Jax finally got his revenge on August later on.
Even so, we’ll never forget what a terrific bad guy August was. He might be the best of the lot.
Hurt: Trinity
When the MC went over to Northern Ireland, it seemed a little too much like the setting up of a prequel or potential spinoff.
Still, some good did come out of the arc, and we met interesting characters. Trinity Ashby (Zoe Boyle) wasn’t one of them, though.
First off, there was a sense that Trinity was only featured to serve as a love interest for Jax when he went to Belfast – and things got complicated when the true identity of her father was revealed.
As it turned out, she was Jax’s half-sister. Yeah, it was good chuckle for us at home, but it was a disgusting storyline overall.
No one wants to see Jax and his sibling get down and dirty.
Saved: Ratboy
The reason for Half-Sack’s initial popularity is because he was a younger, vivacious member of the MC in a sea of old guys. When he met his maker, a hole was left in SAMCRO – until Ratboy (Niko Nicotera) stepped up as a prospect.
Ratboy was loyal to a fault and someone you’d want to take into any battle with you. Whatever was asked of him, he did it – no questions asked.
It took him a while to become a permanent part of the A-team, but when he did, there was no looking back and he was right at home.
All the way to the end, Ratboy showed loyalty to the MC and that’s something you can’t buy.
Hurt: Jarry
To this day, one of the biggest head-scratching storylines from Sons of Anarchy is Althea Jarry (Annabeth Gish) and Chibs’ relationship. It didn’t make sense how things got so intense between them, but then nothing.
Unfortunately, Jarry’s character felt like nothing more than a lovesick puppy for Chibs to play with.
What did she actually achieve on the show? Was there any growth in her narrative arc? Do we still even remember any memorable line that she uttered?
The answer to all those questions is a resounding no. Jarry was a wasted character and could’ve been replaced by absolutely anyone else for the same result.
No one would demand for her character to make a comeback if the show ever returned.
Saved: Ethan Zobelle
Ethan Zobelle, as portrayed by Adam Arkin, was the first major threat that the MC encountered on the show.
He had his muscle do the dirty work for him, while he used his brains and nefarious dealings to get ahead of the pack.
The fact that he was an FBI informant also made him even more sickening.
Zobelle manipulated situations and pulled all the strings to get what he wanted. He also appeared to have gotten away with everything as he boarded a plane to freedom.
However, a popular fan theory suggests that the plane exploded soon after.
Considering the current increase in hate crimes around the world, a villain like Zobelle is even scarier now.
Hurt: Thomas
Thomas Teller II was Jax and Tara’s son. Unfortunately, the poor kid lost the spotlight to his older half-brother, Abel, throughout the seres.
Every storyline was centered around Abel, while Thomas lingered around on the periphery of things, waiting for someone to care about him or even take notice.
In many ways, Thomas is to Abel what his uncle, the deceased Thomas, was to Jax. They’re the forgotten ones who have to watch their more popular siblings shine brightly and be fawned over.
Apart from bringing Jax and Tara together, Thomas was largely overlooked on the show and never even received his own arc.
It’s sad, really, because we’re sure he’s a good kid and deserved much more.
Saved: Ron Tully
Don’t get us wrong: Ron Tully was a complete scumbag and the scourge of humanity, but boy, did he bring so much anarchy to a show that’s built on it.
Everything he did was downright wicked and despicable, and he truly left his mark on the series’ seventh season.
Shock rocker Marilyn Manson portrayed Tully almost by chance. As he explained to Loudwire, the original plan was for Sutter to use one of his songs, “Worship My Wreck”, but he ended up getting a part on the show while the song wasn’t used at all.
Eventually, the role morphed into something bigger and he served a major role in the final season of the show.
Hurt: Orlin West
The simple fact that your first reaction is probably “who’s that?” is more than enough reason to justify Orlin West’s name on this list.
Douglas Bennett’s character had a terrific name, but that was pretty much it as he became nothing more than a Bebop and Rocksteady clone with his questionable ability to follow orders.
First, he was responsible for keeping an eye on Tara, yet allowed her to sneak out of the cabin.
His second failure proved to be his last, as he was put in charge of SAMCRO’s weapons but met his demise when Lin and his goons attacked.
SAMCRO makes a big show about prospects and being picky about who they select, but West showed they also pick buffoons.
Saved: Dondo
Look, let’s get one thing straight here: David Hasselhoff is an entertainment treasure.
Yes, he’s become a parody of everything he was famous for in his heyday, but Sutter tapped into that when he created Dondo, which the Hoff played with aplomb.
As an adult film star, Dondo was so over the top and beyond belief. That’s why you could only see one person in that specific role.
It wasn’t a crucial part or a long-term one, but it was fantastic to see Hasselhoff doing what he does best here.
People might think that Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 had the best Hoff cameo of all time, but Sons of Anarchy takes the cake here.
Hurt: Barosky
When the news broke that Peter Weller would be playing crooked ex-cop Charles Barosky on Sons of Anarchy, fans chuckled at how this could be an alternate timeline for RoboCop where Alex Murphy survived and gave up on the system.
Weller’s role started off with a bang and Barosky ruffled more than a few feathers as he exerted his power in Stockton, making sure the MC knew who the real sheriff in town was. But then his influence waned and he got popped by Jax not too long afterwards.
It was frustrating to see how it unfolded, because Barosky really seemed like an intriguing character to be explored. Unfortunately, he ended up as just another of Jax’s victims.
Saved: Henry Lin
The main struggle of Sons of Anarchy was establishing the villainous roles. Quite often, law enforcement officials were utilized as antagonists, but in truth, they were actually the good guys.
In order to give the outlaws someone dastardlier than them, the rogue needed to be ruthless and unforgiving.
Henry Lin (Kenneth Choi) proved to be the long-term answer. He appeared periodically across most of the seasons as he rose up the ranks and became the leader of the Lin Triad.
He caused so much chaos and trauma for the MC as a constant thorn in their sides that we wondered if he’d ever be stopped.
It happened in the final season when Juice put Lin out of his misery in a brutal manner.
Hurt: Cherry
Sweet Cherry (Taryn Manning) showed so much promise when she broke Half-Sack’s heart and got with Clay.
Then she got her face smashed in by Gemma and finally found love with Half-Sack.
Not long afterwards, she disappeared to Northern Ireland.
There was a time when it looked like Cherry might become a big-time player on the series, but it never came to fruition.
She did her time and waved sayonara to the MC, acting as nothing more than a plot device for Clay to put Half-Sack in his place.
It’s shame, really, because if you see what Manning pulled off as Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett in Orange is the New Black, she could’ve been a real asset to Sons of Anarchy for many more seasons.
Saved: Ima
Ima (Kristen Renton) infuriated fans as she tried to sink her claws into Jax. Naturally, Tara fought back, but Ima had the last laugh as she got her way in the end.
Then, she decided to go after Opie and succeeded, too.
Make no mistake about it: Ima knew what she wanted and made sure she got it at every cost. Sure, you could only trust her as far as you saw her, but she spiced things up on the series.
If you think about it, Ima brought excitement to the show by driving a wedge between the couples. You wouldn’t want to leave your partner alone with her, but she made for a heck of a character.
Tell us, which other Sons of Anarchy characters hurt or saved the show? Let us know in the comments section!
