Sons of Anarchy is a divisive show. Some people love the show's motorcycles, brutal violence, and Shakespearean story, while others hate the melodrama and overdramatic story. If there's one show that deserves to be called "a soap opera for guys," it's Sons of Anarchy.
But despite running between 2008 and 2014, the show has already aged in various painful ways. Such is the constantly evolving nature of television! Luckily, it has also remained timeless in various aspects as well, ensuring a nice balance between old school and relevance.
These are the five ways that Sons of Anarchy has aged poorly and five ways in which it's timeless.
Aged: The Declining Quality
The thing about re-watching shows is that they have to, you know, remain enjoyable throughout. Unfortunately, Sons of Anarchy quickly went downhill sometime around season five, and it significantly impacted the series' legacy.
Shows like The Wire, Deadwood, and The Sopranos have aged like fine wine thanks to their universality and consistent quality, allowing for endless re-watches. No one wants to return to a show that turns to crap. Sorry Sons, but we don't think anyone will be returning to you any time soon.
Timeless: The Shakespearean Story
It's no secret that Sons of Anarchy (at least the earlier seasons) were highly influenced by Hamlet. As such, it shares many of that story's universal themes: Frustrated child, hostile relationship between stepson and stepfather, inner conflict and pain.
All these things will forever remain universal, and luckily, Sons of Anarchy's themes are still as understandable as when the show first aired. Frankly, we would be shocked if they didn't, seeing that Hamlet is still kicking after five hundred years or so. We're not saying that future high school students will be studying Sons of Anarchy, but hey, the shared themes are certainly there!
Aged: The Violence
One of the major drawing points of Sons of Anarchy was its relentless and brutal violence. While many people watched the show for its personal conflicts and Shakespearean themes, others just wanted to watch some bikers hurt each other in the most brutal manners possible. And it certainly was violent...for its time.
Since then, countless shows have been released that have either upped the ante or bombarded us with violence to the point that we have become desensitized. It sucks that one of the show's major elements has now aged so terribly.
Timeless: The Appeal Of Bikers
There's a certain mysticism towards bikers and biker culture. No matter who you are, you can't help but feel curious when a massive group of bikers rides down the road while revving their engines. Pop culture and history have also infused biker culture, with various stories (either fictional or real) becoming ingrained in our consciousness.
Just think of the infamous Altamont Concert from 1969! Sons of Anarchy is probably the most mainstream and popular biker series ever put on television, and for that, it should always remain intriguing.
Aged: The Special Effects
The thing with special effects is that they tend to age quickly. Sure, some movies' effects have remained brilliant (looking at you The Thing), but for the most part, even once-amazing effects have now become dated and painful to watch (looking at you OG Star Wars).
While the visual effects on Sons of Anarchy were never the greatest, the passage of time has only made them worse. We're thinking specifically of the show's usage of green screens, which often look terrible and completely unnatural. The show didn't often employ this filming device, but when it does, you notice it.
Timeless: The Acting
Sons of Anarchy may get a lot of flak, but no one will deny that its acting was always commendable and reliable. The thing about acting is that it has only gotten better over the years. For example, what was once great in, say, 1942, now looks and sounds unnatural and "old-timey."
However, we think we have collectively perfected the art of acting (granted, that's probably what they said back then). The show has employed a brilliant cast, including the magnificent Ron Perlman and Golden Globe-winning Katey Sagal, and we don't think their talents will be overshadowed any time soon.
Aged: The "Grittiness"
Much like the violence, one of the biggest appeals of Sons of Anarchy was that we were watching "bad" people. When it debuted in 2008, the concept of anti-heroes and bad guy protagonists was still somewhat fresh, as it was riding on the anti-hero craze of the time that included Deadwood, The Shield, and The Sopranos.
However, the thing about the late 2000s was that EVERY show became some type of anti-hero drama. This resulted in a complete overabundance of similar themes and an over-saturated drama market, and frankly, we got a little sick of it. We still love Sons of Anarchy, but there's no denying that some of the show's initial luster has faded.
Timeless: The Anti-Heroes
The thing about anti-heroes is that it can go both ways. While the "grittiness" stemming from the anti-heroic protagonists has been overdone in recent years, the very fact they are anti-heroes should make the story more universal and compelling. No one is ever completely "good" or "bad," and those types of contrasting stories are typically very boring and safe.
Few people want to watch the traditional good guy vs. bad guy story, because we know exactly how it's going to turn out. Sons of Anarchy presents a far more nuanced and complex look at its characters, and for that, we must commend it.
Aged: Its Repetitive Nature
We hate to keep bringing up The Sopranos and The Wire, but there's a reason those shows are so timeless! They kept experimenting and trying new things - The Wire explored a different side of crime in Baltimore with every season, and The Sopranos both veered away from its mob story roots and presented more idiosyncratic themes and filmmaking styles like the dream sequences.
Sons of Anarchy, on the other hand, certainly got repetitive over the years. Heck, it isn't until season six that Jax finally disposes of Clay! That's a lot of constant back and forth and a lot of repeating personal drama and indecision! Granted, Hamlet is all about indecision, so maybe they're onto something here...
Timeless: Brotherhood
Despite all the gang drama, Sons of Anarchy remained a show about brotherhood and the unbreakable bonds of certain male friendships. It's no secret that Sons of Anarchy was aimed primarily at a male audience, specifically a middle-aged male audience.
There's a reason why it was so successful - yes, it presented all the blood and drama male audiences wanted, but it also presented a story about the inherent and unbreakable nature of male friendship. The Sons of Anarchy were a club, and a good club at that. As long as the concept of friendship exists (which will be forever), Sons of Anarchy will be there as a great representation.