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Hercules Rides Along With FX’s New Biker-Gang Drama SONS OF ANARCHY!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
“The Sopranos” Meets “Hamlet” on motorcycles, “Sons of Anarchy” is the new drama from longtime “Shield” writer-producer Kurt Sutter about a doobie-loving California biker gang trafficking in illegal weapons. It stars Charlie Hunnam (“Undeclared”) in the Hamlet role of Jax, Ron Perlman (“Hellboy”) as his Claudius-esque stepfather Clay and Katey Sagal (“8 Simple Rules”) as his Gertrude-y mother Gemma. Clay isn’t really Jax’s uncle, but Jax’s late father used to run Clay’s titular motorcycle club, so there is a pronounced family dynamic. Sexy Maggie Siff (who turns up sometimes as Rachel Menken on “Mad Men”) turns up here as an Ophelian local doctor who apparently slept with a Son or two before she fled to med school.
“Shield” fans will be interested to learn he Sons are all arguably bigger badasses than Vic Mackey, if badassery is what one craves. Apropos the Danish monarchy’s Nordic heritage, the Sons go about their business like Vikings, beating, burning, clubbing and impaling the forces that impede their conquests with a brutality that might send detective Vic scurrying beneath bedsheets like a frightened toddler.
(If you’re left at the end of the pilot confused as to who “Sam Crow” is, know that SAMCRO in an acronym for “Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original.” )
What’s good? Hunnam. The plentiful beatdowns. The pleas from Asian Elvis’ dressing room. The music. Guest star Drea DeMatteo’s first scene. The name of the gang.
What’s not so good? When Jax suggests getting out of the gun business, he should maybe suggest an alternative or two. Sagal’s showdowns are too much like something out of “Las Vegas.” The joke about giving a deer a blowjob doesn't even work on a shock-value level.
Having sampled the first two episodes, am I willing to roll a little longer with these guys? At least until new episodes of “South Park” return next month.
Reviews are mixed:
USA Today give it one and a half stars (out of four) and says:
… The first two episodes are littered with flashes of violence and basic cable's fondness for mild profanity. Still, in its early going, Sons is mostly interested in establishing the Sons as a tight-knit community — at the expense of plot and sense.… Sons wants us to care about their hopes and struggles, but gives no clue as to why we might do so.
TV Guide gives it a 6 (out of 10) and says:
… Well-made, but heavy-handed and hardly inviting. …
The Wall Street Journal says:
… even viewers who can overlook the gang's psychotic propensity for mayhem and murder, and see them as anti-heroes, will surely notice through the squalor that these guys are all total losers. …
The Associated Press says:
… With "Sons of Anarchy," FX is adding to its roster of outstanding dramas … Raw and often bitterly funny …
The New York Times says:
… it isn’t half-bad. … Mr. Perlman is a problematic link in the show — he’s performing all ’30s gangster on us. But, as with “The Shield,” the casting is otherwise quite impressive. … call me a girl, but so far I’m enjoying it more as a soap opera than as an addendum to “The Wild One.” …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… There are moments that require you not to think too hard, and some of the black humor doesn't overcome its fundamental nastiness. But on the whole, it's a superior package, intelligently constructed and handsomely executed. …
The Chicago Tribune says:
… It's tough to follow in the footsteps of "The Shield," and though "Sons" has its moments, it's quite a bit darker than the cop drama, and it remains to be seen if its characters will ultimately be as compelling as Vic Mackey and his crew. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… a real gem … Sutter shows in the first two episodes that he's a storyteller who can lay down an intriguing narrative framework.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… I got a chance to see the first episode of "Sons of Anarchy" this week and I enjoyed it. I won't review it until I can see more episodes (and watch it while writing a story), but my first impression was positive.…
The Boston Herald says:
… You can’t do better than draw on the Bard for inspiration, but you probably couldn’t do worse than FX in adaptating his material for “Sons of Anarchy” … These big wheels don’t spin for anyone.
Variety says:
… Eager to occupy the mob turf vacated by "The Sopranos," the series features an intriguing cast and introduces a bleak new world. Once that's accomplished, though, there's not much momentum to the story, other than fits of nastiness designed to establish that this is one dangerous group of hombres. … Admittedly, "The Shield" felt a trifle cliched at the outset too -- corrupt cops in L.A.? -- before finding novel ways to develop and prolong its cat-and-mouse scenario. Given that, there's still modest hope for "Sons of Anarchy" -- the disclaimer being that before the series gets much further down the road, somebody better check the steering.
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… the relentlessly grim and wrenching "Anarchy" is what you get when the thuggery quotient travels off the scale and it becomes nearly impossible to stomach spending time in the same room with the savage characters populating it. … Disturbing and graphic and almost casually sadistic, the series breaks from the starting gate without the darkly comic edge that defined so many on "Sopranos." Everyone here is either too vile or weak to work up much compassion for. …
10 p.m. Wednesday. FX.
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It looks pretty good. I'll give it a chance
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I'll probably check this out, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventally.
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Sex Pistols? Does Johnny Rotten at least have a cameo? What sort of Anarchists are these people?!
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If it's half as good as The Shield it'll be worth watching.
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....sounds interesting. And I like Rachel Mencken...
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The "bad ass" quotient isn't what brings me to their shows.
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A very sexy lady.
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Is this all cable is now? "Hey, here's a show about a friendly serial rapist. The critics will love its edgy darkness!"
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That flick was pants.
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As an actual anarchist I can only say: "The kid is not my son."
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A positive review goes up the same day advertising goes up on the site, weird...
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"Lost in the '80's": http://tinyurl.com/5shv2b . Gee, NBC already did this - when it was called Freaks and Geeks.
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THAT'S what's important! There hasn't many decent sex scenes on FX as of late.
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Is Christina Hendricks nominated for an Emmy? Herc listed her name in the nominations but, everywhere else she's no where to be found. AMC doesn't even mention her being nominated when they're doing their promotions for the show.
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Pants is better. As in "Hell Ride made me happy in the pants."
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I'll second that emotion: http://tinyurl.com/635ajj
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He'd have them working for him within a week.
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But what about freakin' hot as hell Christina Hendriks from Mad Men and Firefly fame?!? Do you think she's too old to do a nude scene in a flick, dear gawd I hope not. Also, do you think the carpet matches the drapes? I would venture to guess it does. All I know is that Nathan Fillion most likely got to see her mams during that one episode, and so that makes that dude one lucky SOB!
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Even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of this thread, I'll second Christina Hendricks. Saffron. Mmm. Yes, she is drop dead gorgeous with an amazing body.
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Your protagonist on cable has to be somewhat of an asshole and do some reprehensible shit because well...that's what makes it artsy and complex.
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They'd be running guns for him and basically doing his bidding, whether they knew it or not. Vic is The Man.
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Sep 03, 2008 11:20:13 PM CDT
Lots of problems after first episode (ahem Segal/Perlman BJ)
by gravitysrainbow
This show is trying too hard to follow in the mold of The Sopranos and The Shield. In fact, the things Sons of Anarchy tries to emulate (black comedy, "messed up" type shock, an abundance of violence) comes off second rate and amounts to nothing. Look, just because you copy the character descriptions from one of Shakespeare's play doesn't mean your show is going to be any good. Random note here, but how about Katy Segal on her way down for an off the screen BJ of Ron Perlman as the most unintentionally awkward moment on TV in recent years? While I love her work on Futurama, I just couldn't take Segal serious in her "threatening" tone. It was weird seeing Maggie Siff on something besides Mad Men. Hopefully episode 2 picks up a bit.
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but did not hate it eiter. I will give it about 5 eps before deciding to stay or quit.
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Apparently they appear. Not people we've seen in the Shield, but the same gang. So is this just a nod, or are anarchy and the Shield in the same world?
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before deciding, but in agreement with most of the posts here. not completely sold on this show after 1 episode.
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I guess like everyone else I wasn't blown away (pardon the pun after the afromentioned Peralman/Segal BJ and the dick/head joke) haven't figuered out who Rosencranztz and Guildenstern are yet but will watch at least until they show upI'm guessing that since this was created by a former Sopranos/Shield writer they did the one-niners as a nod/possibable tie in...kinda like if they mentioned osmething about a certain crime family in NJSegal is normally a good actress both in comedy and drama (see her apperances on LOST) but here she seemed off, maybe it's because Gemma seems more like Lady McBeth then Gertrude and her scene in the hospital room she was laughably bad, Drea DeMatto sold that scene confined to a bed with little lines, but I guess this is what happens when you're married to the creator of the show. Peralman was solid as always and I really dug the opening credits and the supporting char. looked good, but the douche, I mean dude that plays Jax is just trying WAY to hard, I'll give it at least 5 episodesbased off the premire I'll say it's comparable to DIRT, cheesy, trashy and forgettable if it's not on and you're not tuning into F/X.
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Also is it me or is Katey Sagal getting hotter with age?
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on the show. The BJ scene was dumb, and nothing is less sexy than a woman who smokes. I'm talking about Sagal in general.
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spank me mother!
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Sep 04, 2008 9:17:40 AM CDT
BORRRRRING...Where is Quentin Tarantino When You Need Him?
by popparotzi
It's like watching "The Sheild" without the crisp dialogue and tension. I'll watch "Eureka" instead.
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I would have preferred a bleaker ending however, with Jaxx committing murder and cementing his future in the gang as his son dies in surgery. That would have been a ballsy way to start a show, just as the first episode of The Shield had Vic blowing away a cop. Regardless, I thought it was very entertaining and pretty hardcore, with plenty of room to grow.
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but seriously, she's had plastic surgery.
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I think the gang names are just coming from the shared talent in the Shawn Ryan/David Mamet writers' stable. The Byz Lats popped up in The Unit last season in 3x09.
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if the Sons of Anarchy are bigger bad-asses than Vic? It is my understanding that Herc doesn't watch The Shield.
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if the Sons of Anarchy are bigger bad-asses than Vic? It is my understanding that Herc doesn't watch The Shield.
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The Sons Of Anarchy are bigger bad-asses than Vic ? I thought you had a change of heart since you started using the terms sweet butter. But your Sons Of Anarchy comment showed you don't watch The Shield. I pity you because you are missing out on something.
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