Thoughts on Sons of Anarchy

Is it just me, or is this season of Sons of Anarchy just not as good as the first two? I'm not willing to go as far as to say that it has jumped the shark, but it seems to be slowly approaching the shark with its knees bent in the anticipation of flight. The acting on the show was never superb, but it seems like this year the actors, Katey Sagal excluded, are pretty much mailing it in. Actually, the guy who plays Chief Hale has turned in a few good scenes, but the guy that plays his newly corruptible fellow officer has been awful. He screams lines that would be better served with a bit more subtlety, plus if the video evidence isn't proof enough of his involvement with the white supremacist movement, his hair style certainly is. His hair style is like a cross between Don Draper and Adolph Hitler.

This season is particularly disappointing because it should be badass. On paper, this year's villains are a million times more villainous than the past seasons. So why are they so much less interesting than Ally Walker's cuntastic Agent Stahl or the girlfriend stalking ATF agent played by Dutchboy? (Remember when he squeezed the life out of that cat on the Sheild? Riveting.) I mean, come on, I love Henry Rollins, but could he be any more lifeless as the neo-Nazi side-kick/gang-rapist aficionado? (By the way, do they have to show the scene with the baby doll in the van, followed by the shot of the pack of Nazi's tearing off Jemma's jeans in every episode's "Previously On"?)

While I am on the subject of complaints about Sons of Anarchy, don't you think that the show would have been better served if SAMCRO, instead of being gun-runners, was in the drug business (meth cookers/pot growers/coke importers)? It seems pretty unlikely that urban street gangs obtain their firepower from a bunch of bikers who are supplied by the IRA. This is America, right? Can't you pretty much buy a gun anywhere? I guess I could be way off base with this. Admittedly, I know very little about the underground weapons trade.

Final bitch about the show: As much as I like Jax the character and Charlie Hunnam the actor (he played Lloyd, the British collegiate playboy in the extremely underrated FOX comedy Undeclared (This show features a a young Seth Rogan and folk music legend Loudon Wainwright III in a hilarious father-figure role)), there is something about his costume that drives me crazy. Don't get me wrong, he pulls it off amazingly well (and I'm pretty sure my girlfriend wants to sit on his face), but I have never seen anyone wear white shell toes, a wallet chain, baggy blue jeans with a knife holstered to the pant leg and a sleeveless leather biker jacket. I realize the full-on biker look doesn't look right on anyone who came of age after the Tet Offensive, but I don't think combining it with the mid-nineties suburban skater look works well either. While we are on the subject of costumes, I have to give the show props for having the cast sport those badass SAMCRO t-shirts this season and you gotta love the little blue SAMCRO beanie Jax's baby wears. Speaking of Jax's baby, what the hell every happened to his mother, a tweeker Adriana La Cerva (I don't remember what her character's name on SOA was)? She is a pretty damn good actress, it seems like a shame that she wasn't on the show longer.

I will wrap this monstrosity up by giving Sons of Anarchy some props. First to Katey Sagal. She is absolutely great on the show. One of the only things that keeps me tuning in each week is the trust that she will get some sweet revenge on those Nazi-fucks one of these episodes (I think it moved when Jemma went tearing through that parking lot with the piece in her hand). Also, SOA has one of the most kick-ass theme-song/opening credits ever.

That's all for now, check back tomorrow for my thoughts on either Modern Family or Glee (I haven't decided which one I will watch, they are both off to a strong start) and maybe even some thoughts on the first night of MLB playoffs (maybe not...).

-The Crow Flies Straaaaiightt!