Sons of Anarchy - 5th season

Katie Sagal and Ron Pearlman continue to amaze me.  Kurt Sutter has created  wonderful study in sociopaths. They really explain how some children grow up twisted.  Personally they’re great actors so it’s not them but the Biker Old Lady and ex Biker President they play.
All the lies and cover ups and betrayals.  All tribalism and empire. It’s better than any survival series.  This must have been the way early anthropological empires developed with racial gangs and territories.  I’m reminded of the Old Testament and Athens and Sparta.  Only here the only religion is money so it’s the new corporate America with the Roman Empire being the Feds.  The local police and CIA and prisons are all grey.  No one is black or white in this often racial drama.  Even one of the stars has to conceal his black father to be a member while the Irish and Italians challenge the Mexicans and blacks. All the while ‘legitimate’ business is being enacted in the mythical town of Charming, California without so many guns but just as much attitude.
I love Maggie  Siff as the Pediatric Surgeon mother whose in love with Katie’s son Jax , now the leader of the SONS, having taken over from Clay, played by Pearlman.  There’s cat fights and fist fights, murders, suicides, executions and mayhem.  Every minute there’s another bike chase or shooting with the sale of guns and the sale of coke.  Land deals and pornography.  I love all the locations, the street, the biker club house, the Sagal and Pearlman, old lady and ex press home and the Siff and Hunnan, now Pres, new home, the prison, the dockyards, the ex chief of police’s trailer, the call girl centre and the country.  It’s a truly moving adventure.
I’m in winter where sunny days are rare but I’ve been on a marathon watching this series in one sitting, with minor breaks here and there. The sun is setting outside and I think of all the errands I could have run, the things I could have done but here I’ve been, just eating up the action and drama.  I’m too old for this much "business" in life. It’s readily apparent watching the old guys and gals in this 3 age generation show,   that they’re all too old too.
Now if anyone asks, I’m just watching this as a ‘study’ in anthropology and social psychology. I’m not really loving this series. Every once in a while the gang is riding along on a nice road in summer. That’s when I can relate as a Harley rider.  I love the open highway and the maneuverability of the big machines.  I totally appreciate the lure of the big motorcycle and the attraction of the ride.  But being shot at, I’ll pass.
It’s like sailing in storms on the ocean. I thought that was more than exciting enough and when I thought of sailing vessels shooting cannon at each other I thought them crazy.  There’s more than enough to just riding a motorcycle on the open road without having to dodge bullets.  If there’s going to be bullets, give me a tank or an space craft escape vehicle.
But as a television series, from a biker perspective, it can’t be beat. I’ve yet to be able to just watch one episode.  All 5 seasons I’ve got in single seasons DVD and watched the whole seasons almost non stop. It’s definitely a marathon event when Sons of Anarchy is on. I don’t know how anyone can watch it on tv and wait for the next week to find out what happens to Bobby or Juice or if Katie stays with Ron or goes with the new latin lover.  I just loved the IRA blasting the 50 cal machine guns. The SONS have silencers for their pistons but that beauty was catastrophic in sound and damage.
The stuntmen in this series with bikes flying off roads, crashing people and cars, are incredible.  Great make up artists for the blood shots and body parts.
As I said, I’m not really watching this as entertainment. I may be entertained but this is really ‘serious’  educational material.  I just hope I don’t repeat any of the language I’m hearing.  That could prove very difficult in the wrong circles ( i.e. almost all circles).
And yea, I recommend it.  Totally.