The Sons of Anarchy characters experienced a lot throughout the course of the series. Their opening and ending sentences become especially moving as a result.
Few viewers could have anticipated how chaotic and dramatic Sons of Anarchy would become when it initially premiered. It was frequently compared as a biker gang-based version of a Shakespearean tragedy. This implied that the show’s major protagonists underwent some exhilarating trips throughout the course of the series.
Between the time they were introduced on the show and the time they left, a lot—often horrific things—happened to these characters. However, by examining their first and last lines in the episode, you can occasionally get a sense as to who the character was and what their overall trajectory was.
10 – Juice
“Still got meth labs outside of Lodi.” – “Just let me finish my pie.”
During a club meeting where they discuss the latest club business, Juice is introduced. Juice puts himself up as a sacrifice to aid the club after being expelled from the group and being imprisoned, but he begs to be given time to eat his pie.
The character’s sad course is not hinted at in the first line, which is otherwise unremarkable. The last sentence, though, is a suitable conclusion for Juice, who looks for a way to make amends even though the club will never know what he accomplished for them.
9 – Bobby
“Cowboy boots?” – “He’s got a gun.”
When the gang members examine the remains of their destroyed weapons factory, Bobby Munson and the majority of the other members are first introduced. Bobby is released as part of a transaction after being kidnapped and tortured by August Marks, but he is shot before he can tell Jax about the double-cross.
These scenes emphasize Bobby’s role as the club’s heart. He is the composed second-in-command in the opening scene, and the last scene demonstrates that, even in his final moments, he is still thinking about the other characters.
8 – Chibs
“Some yuppie creamed it up in the streams.” – “I’ll make you proud.”
Chibs is introduced as he drives a car with a deer through the windshield into the auto repair shop. After being selected to serve as the club’s next president, he bids Jax farewell in the last episode and pledges to uphold his reputation.
Apart from letting the reader hear Chibs’ distinctive Irish accent, the opening line doesn’t reveal anything about the character of Chibs. The final line, though, is a good surprise because he acted as a father figure to Jax in the later seasons and gives the team some hope for the future.
7 – Tig
“S***-eating Mayans, man.” – “No words.”
Another prominent club member, Tig, is introduced at the gun factory’s ruins. He immediately accuses the Mayans gang of carrying out the attack. In the climactic episode, as Jax gets about to leave the club, Tig hugs him and struggles to put his feelings into words.
The first scene does a terrific job of quickly establishing Tig as the group member with the shortest fuse and a propensity for violence. Given the delicate and explosive connection he had with Jax throughout the series, the last statement is particularly intriguing.
6 – Opie
“So everybody’s saying it was a gun factory that blew up out by the streams last night.” – “I got this.”
After the demolition of the weapons factory, which Opie learned about but not from the club, Jax goes looking for Opie. Opie quietly comforts the other club members as they are made to watch as he gives himself up to be killed by a rival gang while they are all imprisoned together.
The first line demonstrates that Opie has left the club and is attempting to lead a moral life. After being drawn back in, he recommits all to the group and ultimately sacrifices his life to save his comrades, making him one of the characters that the fans adore.
5 – Unser
“Hale’s not interested in friends.” – “This is all I got left.”
Unser is introduced as the policeman who collaborates with the group. He talks to Clay, whom he was unable to bribe, about his more law-abiding colleague Hale. Jax begs Unser to step aside so he may exact revenge on Gemma in the final season, but he tragically refuses and is killed.
Unser is introduced in the first line as a “friend” of the club, a term that gains greater significance as the narrative progresses. His last remark demonstrates that Unser’s decision to assist the club was motivated by affection for the members rather than money.
4 – Tara
“When was the last time you saw her?” – “Hey Wayne, is that you?”
Doctor Tara at the hospital speaks with Jax and his family about the ex-condition wife’s after she overdosed. Tara is Jax’s ex-wife. After being accused of being an informant, Gemma enters Tara’s house and kills Tara savagely.
In the first scene, Tara is seen separating from Jax’s life at the club and pursuing a career of her own before being drawn back into it. The stunning aspect of her death is reflected in her last line, in which she assumes Unser is in her house before being assaulted.
3 – Clay
“What the hell happened?” – “This good?”
The club’s president, Clay Morrow, takes the others on a tour of the abandoned weapons factory in the first episode. In the meantime, at the conclusion, after Jax explains that the club decided to kill Clay, he voluntarily agrees to stage the crime scene and even queries whether his current location is appropriate.
Clay is introduced in his first line as the head of this gang of dangerous people. His final comment demonstrates that he still cares about them and wants to help even as they are going to kill him after being humiliated and having a falling out with the club.
2 – Gemma
“Did you go to storage?” – “I’m ready.”
When Gemma contacts Jax about picking up baby supplies, she introduces herself as Jax’s mother and the biker club’s queen. In the final season, when Jax arrives to exact retribution, Gemma accepts her fate before being put to death by her son.
As a loving mother and soon-to-be grandma in the first sentence, the contrast in the last line is all the more striking. Jax and Gemma’s romance had a bright beginning and a tragic conclusion.
1 – Jax
“Hey, Louise.” – “I love you dad.”
At the first scene, Jax Teller is shown browsing children’s books in a general store before introducing himself to the cashier. His final statement is made when he goes to the scene of his father’s crash and tells him he loves and understands him.
These two scenes emphasize Jax’s difficulties. The cashier’s welcome is unimportant, but seeing him peruse children’s books demonstrates his desire to be a good father. He finally realizes what needs to be done to spare his boys from this existence, just as his father attempted to do for him.
