Half-demise Sack’s in season 2 of Sons of Anarchy was one of the show’s most memorable endings, and here’s why.
In season 2 of Sons of Anarchy, prospect Half-Sack was stabbed to death, which was one of the show’s most startling and sad deaths. But why was Half-Sack killed off so quickly? Sons of Anarchy, a crime-drama TV series that Kurt Sutter created in 2008, immersed viewers in the world of motorcycle clubs from the show’s initial episodes. Sons of Anarchy was able to continue because of this success for a total of seven seasons, ending in 2014 after many betrayals, arguments, and some incredibly tragic incidents.
Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), the club’s vice president and the son of one of its founding members, led Sons of Anarchy and later rose to the position of MC president. The series’ events start when Jax discovers a manifesto his father had written detailing his goals and ideals for the club, which were in opposition to those of Clay Morrow, the group’s current president and Jax’s stepfather (Ron Perlman).
Jax embarks on a personal journey that causes him to reflect on his career, place in the club, relationships, and more as a result of these and other problems. Jax allowed spectators to see how the club operated and introduce them to some of its most renowned members, like Half-Sack (Johnny Lewis).
In Sons of Anarchy season 1, Kip “Half-Sack” Epps made his debut. He was a prospect of SAMCRO, which meant that he was assigned all of the unpleasant jobs that no one wanted to do but had to do, yet the other members of the club were frequently kind to him while assigning him these tasks. Half-Sack was a recurring character on Sons of Anarchy for the first two seasons, and he won fans over with his loyalty, obedience, bravery, and innocence. Sadly, though, his time on the show was brief, and in the season 2 finale, he was killed at Lewis’ request.
Kurt Sutter said in a 2009 interview with Alan Sepinwall (via Looper) that Lewis asked for Half-Sack to leave Sons of Anarchy because Johnny “wasn’t happy on the show” and “creatively, he really wanted out of his contract.” After discussing Half-Sacks’ fate with Lewis, they decided to find an honorable method to send him off. Years later, Michael Lewis, the father of actor Johnny Lewis, revealed (via LA Magazine) that Johnny left Sons of Anarchy because “the show was turning into gratuitous violence,” and he didn’t want to transmit that.
In Sons of Anarchy, Half-Sack was given a heroic send-off after being assigned to guard over Gemma and Tara, but the former fled to seek revenge on Polly Zobelle. Half-Sack went back to Jax’s house, but Cameron Hayes was right after him, threatening to kill Jax’s son Abel Teller in retaliation for the murder of his son. Half-Sack charged Cameron, who stabbed the young hopeful, to defend Abel and Tara.
Lewis made appearances in the films The Runaways, Lovely Molly, Magic Valley, and 186 Dollars to Freedom after leaving Sons of Anarchy, but he unfortunately suffered head injuries in a motorcycle accident in 2011, which resulted in a lot of legal issues and negatively impacted his mental health in the months that followed.
Lewis was found dead in September 2012, and his death was declared an accident after a highly complex investigation that involved the murder of his landlady. One of the most notable recurring characters on Sons of Anarchy was Half-Sack, played by Johnny Lewis. Neither the show’s protagonists nor its fans ever forgot how Half-Sack risked his life to defend Abel and Tara.
