free counter with statistics FX renews Sons of Anarchy | Scathing Reviews for Bitchy People

sons-of-anarchy.jpg


Sam Crow to Hog it Out for a Little Longer

An Eensy-Teensy Quasi-Review / Seth Freilich

Trade News | October 7, 2008 | Comments (12)

Yesterday, some folks were asking where the Pajiba review of “Sons of Anarchy” is. While I’m not sure if any of our other writers are watching the show, and I’ve been too damn busy with my bloody real job to give the show a full review. But here’s the short version.

I’m mostly digging it. Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal are pretty fantastic, and it took me two episodes before I even realized that the nurse was Maggie Siff, “Mad Men’s” Rachel Menken. Everyone’s very solid, and although there’s something a bit off about Charlie Hunnam’s lead character. But I think it’s less a performance thing and more that the show itself hasn’t really worked out the character’s dichotomy between being a violent biker and trying to rise above the violence and immoral aspects at the same time. “Sons of Anarchy” is a relatively bleak show and could use a little more levity and black humor, but I find myself enjoying enough of the performances and interested enough in the world and the subject matter to keep coming back, even though the plotlines themselves don’t do a whole lot for me.

I’m not sure if that’s the kind of thing that will keep me coming back in the long term, but I guess we’ll find out, as FX has picked the show up for a second season, the news of which is what inspired this quick write-up. So if you’re curious, but hate checking out new shows only to have them quickly yanked away, you can safely try the show knowing that it’ll be around for at least a little while. And while there has been some obvious background laid down, I don’t think it’d be too hard to jump right in if you don’t feel like waiting for FX to rerun the series from the begging.


← DVD Releases 10/07/08 | Religulous →



Comments

Its a solid show , but Charlie Hunnam throws me off as well .

Posted by: GILP at October 7, 2008 11:34 AM

I really love the show. It and "Its Always Sunny" are the only two shows I bother to watch at all now a days. Katey Sagal has a timeless beauty and its telling how she has been able to completely shed the stigma of "Peggy Bundy". Plus, anytime I see an Elvis impressionist is great by me.

Posted by: Diablo at October 7, 2008 11:46 AM

Pretty dead on. Solid but not exactly vital show. It's on late enough that there's a good chance I won't be watching TV, and I just can't bring myself to watch the tivo'd version with all those episodes of Always Sunny so tantalizingly close.

Posted by: tdehr at October 7, 2008 11:53 AM

I started watching, decided to DVR 5 or 6 before I reeaally get down and pay attention.


What I saw of it was a little too "self-aware" for my taste.

/reserves judgment

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at October 7, 2008 12:08 PM

Eh, I wasn't all that impressed. There have been to many representations of motorcyclists = nasty mofos. What about those of us who keep it classy and don't need to wear a full suit of black leather? I don't really care for the looks of disapproval as I get off my bike (a BMW, for god's sake!)

Plus, the show is a total downer. And the pilot PLUNGED the audience into the drama storyline - no testing the water temperature with the toes or inching in until you are waist deep and know it's time to just go for it. This was a full body cannonball into murky water with no knowledge of how deep the swimmin' hole really is.

Posted by: epimethea at October 7, 2008 12:39 PM

Mr. PaddyDog loves this show. I sort of see it as Sopranos-lite on bikes. However, I am fascinated by the fact that almost every ep so far has featured at least one significant shoot-out in which no-one on the SoA side gets even scraped by a bullet.

Posted by: PaddyDog at October 7, 2008 1:39 PM

I'm loving this show. All of the eps are on Hulu, for those who want to catch up.

Posted by: vinniedelpino at October 7, 2008 3:22 PM

I love the show. It's entertaining and interesting enough to hold my attention for an hour but not so significant that I'm afraid to miss an episode. I'm sure next season the writers/directors/actors will get into their groove and it'll be pretty freakin' amazing. For now I'll just enjoy the stress-free, Ron Pearlman badass 55 minutes leading up to testical removing/skin-scarring finale.

Posted by: ThunderSacTriumph at October 7, 2008 3:59 PM

meh, I'm not hooked. It's like Hamlet on hogs. And I hate meh-ing anything with Ron Perlman.

Posted by: ohgrl at October 7, 2008 7:23 PM

It's managed to keep me vaguely interested thus far. But mostly because I'm a shallow bastard and Charlie Hunnam is (tongue roll on the r) verrrrrrry easy on the eyes.

Posted by: monkey_b at October 7, 2008 11:29 PM

I'm watching an somewhat enjoying - and am giving it a chance, but here are some of the things that make it hard to love the show b/c they jerk you out of the story:

Everyone is a little to clean, polished and seemingly educated for me to believe this is a down and dirty Hell's Angels type motorcycle gang. It's like they want the audience to relate to the characters so they clean them up and make them middle class people - but that destroys the reality and grittiness they seem to be gowing for.

And the idea that a motorcycle gang entirely owns what appears to be a middle-class suburban town is a bit much to swallow.

And, in at least one gun-fight with a rival gang, thousands of rounds were fired and only one person actually shot. And, they were at close range with fully automatic weapons.

And finally, a woman who left/escaped the town and the gang to become a doctor, but returns to the town and pines after a gang memeber? Really? A medical doctor? I find that hard to believe. I know it's possible, but it think it highly unlikely.

Every time I watch the show there are other things that pop out at me making it difficult to fully enjoy the show, but can't think of them right now.

And, nobody else has mentioned that the ex-wife of the lead character is Drea from the Sopranos.

Posted by: MonkeyTrainer at October 8, 2008 12:43 PM

Quick follow up, just deleted from my Tivo schdule. I couldn't get through the latest two episodes - too much like a bad soap opera.

Posted by: Monkeytrainer at October 13, 2008 3:32 PM