While Sons of Anarchy has been off the air for a while now, it's hard not to forget the impact the show had. The events that took place in the sleepy town of Charming are well over now. Most of the characters we knew and loved are dead and gone. One of the biggest characters, Clay, was eventually punished for the destruction he caused and met his death by his own step-son... spoiler alert for those who haven't seen it.
We all know Clay Morrow as the tough, fearless leader of SAMCRO. Well, at least in the beginning. He may have made some very questionable choices, but for the most part he wasn't someone you particularly wanted to mess with. He caused a lot of death and destruction basically wherever he went, and most of the time he didn't really feel bad about it, either. And that's what made him so terrifying sometimes. It's also how he was able to have certain members of the group serve as his minions basically whenever he needed to cover something up or get a dirty job done. In honor of this madman brought to the small screen by the always fantastic Ron Perlman, we're taking a look at the ten times Clay Morrow said very intimidating things.
Don't Mess With Grandpa
"Anything happens to my grandson—anything—I promise you I'm gonna shove a gun barrel up that bony a*s of yours and I'm gonna blow that black heart of yours out."
Let's face it. Clay is definitely the kind of grandfather you'd want in your camp because you know he'd always have your back. That's how he felt about his grandsons, Jackson's children, Abel and Thomas. When Abel is kidnapped, everyone steps in. That's one thing about the whole SAMCRO crew. They may be tough and scary, and may not hesitate to kill you. But family is one of the most important things. If you mess with any of the SAMCRO family, you're going to get a whooping, you can guarantee that.
Take His Treats Seriously
"Look, I don't know what Darby told you, and I don't know what your angle is. But let me be real clear. Nobody threatens SAMCRO, and nobody tells us what we can and can't do; black, brown, or white. So why don't you just climb back into your little German clown car and drive back to Nazi town, because the next time you piss all over my shoes, I will kill you. And I don't give a sh*t how many witnesses there are."
That's another thing about Clay. If he threatens to kill you, he's probably not joking. If you've done something to anger him, you should probably just run away as fast as you can. This is especially true if he feels that you're being a threat to the rest of the club. It's basically true for any of the SAMCRO members, to be honest. But when Clay says things like this, you'd better believe he'll kill you.
Keeping The Pets Safe
"Anything happens to this bird, Gemma will stuff you in this cage, make you wear a beak, and sh*t on newspapers."
Technically the threat here comes from the actions Gemma is going to do, but hearing it come out of Clay's mouth is pretty freaky. At this point, Clay is saying this to the prospect who he's leaving in charge of Gemma's bird. While the prospect replies that it seems fair, deep down he's probably terrified. That's a lot of pressure to put on taking care of one little bird. You wouldn't say that to someone who is watching your dog for the weekend. But to SAMCRO, threats are just another part of reality.
His Rising Tension With Jax
"Sam Crow deals guns. You had your little romp as porn king. You tied us to prostitution. You got one of our member's old lady killed."
This quote is particularly intimidating because Clay says it to Jax in a very heated moment. He is accusing Jax of making all of these deadly mistakes without acknowledging his own actions in the past. He is very much responsible for Opie's wife's death, and accusing Jax is hypocritical and very dangerous. These two start out as being like father and son, but the bad blood begins to boil throughout the first few seasons. The tension that rises between Jax and Clay is particularly intimidating to watch because neither of these two will stop until the other is basically dead.
Telling Agent Stahl What's Up
"You're a fascist pig, and what Otto did to you is just the tip of the iceberg."
Clay is telling this to agent Stahl, one of SAMCRO's major enemies. Stahl is the reason that Opie's wife dies, as well as the reason that some of the club members end up in jail, that Abel gets kidnapped, and that Half-Sack dies. At this point, she's already been beaten up by Otto, the club's behind-bars force to be reckoned with. But Stahl just won't stop. Clay doesn't really care whether the person he's threatening is female or male. He will tell off anyone he needs to in order to scare them out of doing something against the club. Unfortunately for Stahl, she doesn't really take Clay's threats seriously.
An Unexpected Life Lesson
"Nothing more dangerous than a guy who knows he's already dead."
While this may seem like a basic life lesson from Clay, it can also be interpreted to be very intimidating. The guy has been around for some time now and, as the president of the club, he's got some great wisdom to share. He's basically saying here that a guy who thinks he's already dead has nothing left to live for and has virtually no limits to what he'll do if you trigger him. That's pretty intimidating if you ask us.
More Wise Wisdom
"Don't go setting fires where there's nothing to burn."
This is another Clay-ism you could probably interpret as a life lesson. However, this can also be taken in a very intimidating way. Clay is not-so-subtly hinting here that some damage is going to be done if you go and cause drama where there's none to begin with. The irony in this statement is the fact that this is actually the reason a lot of the dramatic and conflicting events happen throughout the show. Many people end up dead because of unnecessary drama. Clay is telling this to Gemma, who is notorious for causing drama where there is none. Does it work? No. But he tried.
His Prediction For Jax's Future
"You wanna challenge me? Fine, I don't give a sh*t. But the minute it stops becoming about this club and it starts becoming personal, they'll know that. They'll lose respect for you, and they won't trust you anymore. And then you'll be handling everything on your own. Think about that…son."
Another line that Clay says to Jax in the heat of some tension, this one had to have stung Jax a little bit. Clay is telling him that what he's doing is selfish and that everyone is going to turn their backs on him when they find that out. Part of Clay's whole persona is that wise-man wisdom coupled with thinly veiled threats that really get under peoples' skin. And if there's one person whose skin Clay is great at getting under, it's Jax. This is particularly intimidating to Jax because he is constantly struggling with a need for power and control, but he's recklessly impulsive and constantly paranoid that everyone is against him.
The Step Father Who May Kill You
"If you mention Donna or the incident again, I'll kill ya."
This is another line that Clay says to Jax. But it goes to show how serious and terrifying he can really be. He would be willing to kill his own "son" over the club. Jax is upset by the fact that Clay has been getting away with being responsible for Opie's wife's murder for some time now. He is always finding a way to remind Clay how terrible his actions were. However, Clay doesn't enjoy this constant reminder. He makes it known that he's not afraid to do what it takes to silence Jax. Pretty scary stuff to hear from your step-father.
Some Recommended Business Advice
"I been doing business with the One-Niners for a long time. I always respected our arrangement. I never sold "gun one" to the Mexicans. Now I need for you to show me a little respect, and give me a few more days for delivery... And I'm telling you, brother... giving me some more time? Really smart business."
During this particular business deal, Clay is asking for more time, but he's implying that giving him more time is the best decision Laroy could make. Without saying it out loud, he's implying that if he doesn't get more time, Laroy will regret it, and it'll probably cost him his life. That seems to be how a lot of the business deals tend to go with SAMCRO. If you don't give these guys what they need, you will regret it.