The 30 greatest Sons of Anarchy moments
Sons of Anarchy may have finished in 2014, but it's still waiting patiently on Netflix for you to find, discover, and love. Well, maybe love isn't quite the word for it - it's tough to truly feel admiration for the majority of the cast or plot-points, but that doesn't mean this show is any less worthy. As such, we've chosen the very best Sons of Anarchy has to offer, so you can revisit your favs or tick off the best episodes as you start your new TV obsession...
Juice Murders Miles (Season 4, Episode 6: "With an X")
The Moment: In a deal with the cops, Juice (Theo Rossi) sneaks out a brick of coke to provide them with a sample - and gets caught by one of the prospects, Miles (Frank Potter). In the first of many terrible, terrible decisions Juice shoots him and then blames the coke-informant mess on him!
Why It’s Great: It was terrifying to see Juicy Boy stoop to such a level. He’s the good guy, right?
Hayes Kidnaps Abel (Season 2, Episode 13: "Na Triobloidi)
The Moment: The miasma of total batsh*t craziness in the final episode of season two climaxed when the IRA’s Cameron Hayes (Jamie McShane) mistakenly believed Gemma (Katey Sagal) had murdered his son. Exacting his revenge by hitting Jax (Charlie Hunnam) in the offspring, he steals his son Abel and after a lengthy chase with the Sons makes away with him on a speedboat. To Ireland.
Why It’s Great: Who knew Hayes had the balls to steal a baby? It was a most unexpected turn of events - especially with the vast quantity of murder and extortion in the preceding ten minutes.
Secret Sauce (Season 4, Episode 8: Family Recipe)
The Moment: Club dogsbody Chucky (Michael Marisi Ornstein) cooks up a batch of chilli in the clubhouse kitchen when a bunch of Charming deputies arrive unexpectedly. Not one to alienate guests, he serves them each a steaming bowl. Gem pops in to stir the pot and spies a severed head bobbing in it.
Why It’s Great: Sons rarely delves into out-and-out slapstick comedy but the look on Gemma’s face is classic.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
Gemma and Tara Bond (Season 2, Episode 6: Falx Cerebri)
The Moment: Gemma takes Tara (Maggie Siff) out to the backlot at Caracara, the club’s porn operation, and teaches her how to handle a gun. Spotting the car of Tara’s former rival, Ima, the pair riddle her luxury vehicle with bullets ’til it’s no longer roadworthy.
Why It’s Great: Considering the amount of time they spent at loggerheads in later seasons, this almost-forgotten tender moment between Gemma and Tara is one of the show’s funniest asides.
Tattoo Removal (Season 1, Episode 5: Giving Back)
The Moment: Former SAMCRO (that’s Sons Of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original by the way) member Kyle pops up in Charming still wearing his club tattoo. This is a big no-no. Club president Clay (Ron Perlman) asks him calmly if he’d like fire or knife. You know, for his preferred method of removal. Kyle picks fire. We’re not sure which is worse to be honest.
Why It’s Great: An early look at the club’s strict policies, its compelling while simultaneously making you gag.
Tig Isn't Dead! (Season 6, Episode 4: Wolfsangel)
The Moment: After Jax makes an agreement with August Marks (Billy Brown) to let him kill Tig (Kim Coates) as revenge for his shooting of Damon Pope - the curly-haired biker turns up at the President’s doorstep the next morning.
Why It’s Great: The stunned look on Jax’s face mirrored ours. Who cares why Tig was spared, he’s alive!
Venus Van Dam (Season 5, Episode 5: Orca Shrugged)
The Moment: In the midst of a plot to bring down a Charming councilman the club brings in Venus Van Dam (Walter Goggins), a transsexual escort, to pose with the passed out councillor.
Why It’s Great: Goggins’ typical onscreen persona does a complete 180 - from thuggish bastard to utterly loveable. The chemistry between Venus and Tig is possibly the only time we’d ever use the word ‘adorable’ discussing Sons .
Clay Kills Piney (Season 4, Episode 8: Family Recipe)
The Moment: One of the club’s founding members Piney Winston (William Lucking) retreats to the club’s cabin to clear his head. After learning from Tara that Clay was responsible for John Teller’s death he can’t sit at the club table any longer - Teller was his best friend. He’s not alone for long before Clay shows up and weighs up the odds. Unable to risk Piney getting loose lipped with the truth, he blows him away with a shotgun.
Why It’s Great: As sad as it was to see Piney go, now audiences had a real reason for their burning desire to see Jax kick Clay’s ass.
Otto And Toric's Showdown (Season 6, Episode 4: Wolfsangel)
The Moment: Smug arse and former US Marshal Lee Toric (Donal Logue) visits Otto (series creator, Kurt Sutter) - the man who killed his sister - to offer him one last chance to rat out Clay and save himself. Turns out Clay had already slipped Otto a shiv. In one quick motion, he draws the blade across Toric’s throat killing him instantly.
Why It’s Great: For Toric’s blackly funny line as he faces death, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”
Backstabber Stahl (Season 2, Episode 13: "Na Triobloidi)
The Moment: Ruthless ATF Agent Stahl (Ally Walker) kills IRA head honcho Cameron Hayes’ son, then hides when she is interrupted by Gemma arriving to off Zobelle’s daughter. It seems for a moment she isn’t quite the vile scum we’ve come to expect when she and Gem plot a way out of their predicament. Which is over less than a minute later when Stahl throws Gemma the gun used to kill Hayes’ son. With Gem’s dabs all over the weapon Stahl calls the murder in, landing Gem in the slammer.
Why It’s Great: Who knew that Gemma would meet her match?
Gem Seddon is GamesRadar+'s west coast Entertainment News Reporter, working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.
The tragic references in Arcane season 2's opening credits could be foreshadowing the fact that none of your faves are safe as act 3 closes in
Twisters director explains why his live-action adaptation of hit anime Your Name didn't work out: "I realized I had written something I just couldn't even shoot"