Sons of Anarchy was full of ups and downs thanks to its combination of drama and action, but there are specific episodes that defined the show both for good and bad. In 2008, Kurt Sutter brought Sons of Anarchy, which took the audience to the fictional town of Charming in California to meet the title motorcycle club. Sons of Anarchy ran for seven seasons packed with action, drama, and many twists and turns, while also covering themes like brotherhood, betrayal, loyalty, revenge, and family, all through the complex story of SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original).
Sons of Anarchy kicks off with the club’s VP, Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), finding the manifesto written by his father, John “JT” Teller, one of the founding members of the club. However, JT’s vision and goals go against those of the club’s current President, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman). What follows are Jax’s struggles to fulfill his father’s wishes, keep the club afloat, maintain his personal relationships, and deal with a variety of enemies – from neo-nazis to fellow motorcycle clubs and even drug kingpins.
Throughout its seven seasons, Sons of Anarchy went through many ups and downs, with many losses but also key moments after which the show was never the same, both for good and bad. Some of those defining moments happened early in the show, setting the tone for it, while others happened towards the end, giving some final twists leading to its heartbreaking yet satisfying conclusion.
11 Albification
Sons of Anarchy season 2, episode 1
What makes “Albification” a defining episode is the introduction of Ethan Zobelle and A.J. Weston.
Season 1 of Sons of Anarchy successfully established the tone of the series and the type of twists and turns it would have, but season 2’s premiere was the show’s very first defining episode. “Albification” follows the aftermath of the death of Opie’s wife, Donna, at the hands of Tig, though it was an accident as he was supposed to kill Opie. However, what makes “Albification” a defining episode is the introduction of Ethan Zobelle and A.J. Weston, members of the League of American Nationalists.
Sons of Anarchy season 1 gave the idea that the club’s problems were either with other clubs and gangs or among its members, but the arrival of Zobelle and Weston to Charming showed a different threat that also directly impacted the club. What they and businessman Jacob Hale Jr. wanted was to take Charming back from SAMCRO, which also showed how influential the club was in town and how fiercely they defended their role in it. At the end of the episode, Gemma is kidnapped by Zobelle’s people and sexually assaulted, showing how far the show was willing to go.
10 Na Trioblóidí
Sons of Anarchy season 2, episode 13
The finale of Sons of Anarchy season 2 set the path for a change of setting for the club. A lot happens in “Na Trioblóidí”: Zobelle is released from prison as he’s an FBI informant, Weston is also released, and Cameron Hayes orders his son, Edmond, to kill Agent Stahl to prove his loyalty to the IRA. However, Jax manages to kill Weston, and Stahl kills Edmond. When Gemma follows Zobelle’s daughter, Polly, to Edmond’s place, Polly believes Gemma killed him and Gemma shoots her. Stahl emerges and frames Gemma for the deaths of Edmond and Polly.
“Na Trioblóidí” is Irish for “The Troubles”.
When Jax and the rest of the club find Cameron, he’s leaving on a boat with Abel, and so this sets up SAMCRO’s travel to Ireland to rescue Abel.
Cameron overhears Stahl’s report and goes to Jax’s house for revenge. There, he holds up Tara, kidnaps Jax’s baby son Abel, and stabs Half-Sack when he tries to stop him. When Jax and the rest of the club find Cameron, he’s leaving on a boat with Abel, and so this sets up SAMCRO’s travel to Ireland to rescue Abel, making way for a different and divisive season.
9 Bainne
Sons of Anarchy season 3, episode 11
Jax has a painful but eye-opening realization: Abel is safe and well, and he would be much better off as far away from SAMCRO as possible.
Season 3 is the one that sent SAMCRO to Ireland, and it has a different pace than previous seasons. It takes Jax and the club a while to find Abel, but they eventually learn that he has been given up for adoption. Jax is told where the adopting parents of Abel are staying and he goes there, but when he sees them with Abel, he has a painful but eye-opening realization: Abel is safe and well, and he would be much better off as far away from SAMCRO as possible. However, the couple is later killed by Jimmy O’Phelan, who eventually brings Abel back to Jax.
“Bainne” means “milk” in Irish.
In addition to that, “Bainne” is the episode where it’s revealed that Maureen, JT’s mistress in Ireland and mother of his daughter, kept in touch with him through letters until his death. In those letters, JT shared with her his suspicions that Clay and Gemma wanted him dead. Maureen slips those letters into Jax’s bag, and these unleash a series of problems (and some deaths) back in Charming.
8 NS
Sons of Anarchy season 3, episode 13
Chibs and Opie, with Unser’s help, kill Jimmy O’Phelan and Stahl, the latter being a satisfying moment for fans as Opie does it to avenge Donna’s death.
The season finale of Sons of Anarchy season 3 was also an important episode in the series. In one part, Jax, Clay, Bobby, Tig, Juice, and Happy are arrested and taken to prison after Jax makes a deal with Stahl and she tricks him – but in reality, she was the one tricked, as Jax and the club had anticipated her betrayal. While they are taken to prison, Chibs and Opie, with Unser’s help, kill Jimmy O’Phelan and Stahl, the latter being a satisfying moment for fans as Opie does it to avenge Donna’s death.
In another part, Tara reads JT’s letters to Maureen and learns of his suspicions about Clay and Gemma and his possible death. Tara learns that there’s a much darker and dangerous side to Clay and Gemma as they might have been responsible for JT’s death for their own benefit (and they were), which completely changes how Tara sees them and how she moves around them.
7 Out
Sons of Anarchy season 4, episode 1
Charming has a new sheriff, Eli Roosevelt, who has been working closely with U.S. Attorney Lincoln Potter to shut SAMCRO’s gunrunning operation down.
“NS” is followed by another defining episode with season 4’s premiere. Jax and the rest are released from prison and are welcomed with a couple of surprises, both good and bad, such as Tara giving birth to Jax’s son and Charming having a new sheriff, Eli Roosevelt, who has been working closely with U.S. Attorney Lincoln Potter to shut SAMCRO’s gunrunning operation down. Roosevelt’s presence means that SAMCRO no longer has an ally in the police force, and he’s very determined to end the club.
Potter, on the other hand, as eccentric as he is, also ends up becoming one of SAMCRO’s biggest enemies. His plans to build a RICO case against SAMCRO lead him to blackmail and use Juice against the club, which marks the beginning of a dark downward spiral for one of the club’s most loyal members, which, in turn, leads to his tragic demise later on in the show.
6 Dorylus
Sons of Anarchy season 4, episode 3
Speaking of Juice’s downward spiral in Sons of Anarchy, it officially started in season 4’s episode “Dorylus”. Roosevelt lets Juice know he knows his father was Black and thus he had been lying to the club. Juice had told SAMCRO he was Puerto Rican, as there was an outdated rule in the club that didn’t allow any Black members. It’s later revealed that this would never have mattered to SAMCRO as the rule was no longer active, but Juice wasn’t aware of that.
SAMCRO members have to make a decision about their deal with the Galindo Cartel, which marks the beginning of the club’s end under Clay’s command.
In another subplot, Clay threatens Tara to test how much she knows about Maureen’s letters and Gemma confronts Tara about them, asking her not to tell Jax about them. Meanwhile, SAMCRO members have to make a decision about their deal with the Galindo Cartel, which marks the beginning of the club’s end (under Clay’s command) as they get involved in drug trafficking.
5 To Be, Act 2
Sons of Anarchy season 4, episode 14
Sons of Anarchy’s season 4 finale was divided into two parts, but the second part is the defining one. Potter’s RICO case takes a turn when the Galindo Cartel’s true intentions are revealed: they are CIA agents, and they shut down the RICO operation. However, the most important part of this episode, and what earned it a place in this list, happens within SAMCRO.
As mentioned above, the deal with the cartel was a turning point in Clay’s time as President of the club, and Jax learns that Clay had ordered a hit on Tara. By then, Jax already knows of Clay’s involvement in JT’s death (but not Gemma’s, as she got rid of the letters that incriminated her). Back at the club, Jax takes over as President, thus marking the beginning of his reign as SAMCRO’s leader.
4 Sovereign
Sons of Anarchy season 5, episode 1
“Sovereign” is the first Sons of Anarchy episode with Jax as SAMCRO’s President, but, surprisingly, that’s not the important part of this episode. “Sovereign” is the introduction of Damon Pope, a drug kingpin and, perhaps, the most terrifying villain in all Sons of Anarchy. SAMCRO comes to Pope’s attention when Tig, believing the Niners were responsible for shooting Clay (when, in reality, it was Opie), tried to kill their leader but instead killed his girlfriend, who was Pope’s daughter.
Pope proceeds to burn Dawn alive in front of Tig, who can’t do anything to save his daughter.
Pope’s revenge consisted of many steps to make SAMCRO suffer, and the first was his personal revenge against Tig. Pope tasks his people with kidnapping Tig’s daughter, Dawn, and Tig, with Dawn chained in a pit and Tig chained outside. Pope proceeds to burn Dawn alive in front of Tig, who can’t do anything to save his daughter. This established Pope as a character to fear and who knew no limits, and it was only the beginning of many more atrocities.
3 Laying Pipe
Sons of Anarchy season 5, episode 3
Pope wants Tig to rot in prison but also wants the life of a Son, and forces Jax to choose which one of them will die in front of the rest.
“Laying Pipe” might very well be Sons of Anarchy’s most heartbreaking episode, and that’s saying a lot. Jax, Opie, Chibs, and Tig are in prison (again), but that’s also part of Pope’s horrible plans. Pope wants Tig to rot in prison but also wants the life of a Son, and forces Jax to choose which one of them will die in front of the rest. Jax plans to choose himself, but Opie steps in and attacks the Guard Sergeant, becoming the victim Pope wanted.
Opie is taken to the next room while Chibs, Jax, and Tig watch through a glass, and they see their friend being beaten to death. Opie was not only Jax’s best friend since childhood, but also one of SAMCRO’s most loyal and kindest members, and he’s, by far, the one the club failed the most. Jax wasn’t the same after Opie’s death, and there was a shift inside him that made him choose violent alternatives over less confrontational ones.
2 Aon Rud Persanta
Sons of Anarchy season 6, episode 11
Jax doesn’t just kill his stepfather in this episode, as he also seizes this chance to kill his IRA enemies and make it look as if they all killed each other.
Some deaths in Sons of Anarchy like those of Opie and Tara were unexpected and heartbreaking, and others were deserved and expected. Falling into the latter category is Clay’s death, which happened in season 6’s episode “Aon Rud Persanta”. Per SAMCRO’s rules, Clay’s involvement in JT’s death was enough reason for him to meet Mr. Mayhem, but he did a lot more than only add to his death sentence.
“Aon Rud Persanta” is Irish for “Nothing Personal”.
However, Jax doesn’t just kill his stepfather in this episode, as he also seizes this chance to kill his IRA enemies and make it look as if they all killed each other. Clay’s death proves that no one is exempt from SAMCRO’s rules, no matter their position, loyalty, and more, but it also speaks a lot about Jax as a person and President of the club, as he planned it all so carefully so he could get rid of more than one enemy, but that also showed how ruthless he had become.
1 A Mother’s Work
Sons of Anarchy season 6, episode 13
Gemma forces Tara’s head into the sink full of water and repeatedly stabs her on the back of the neck with a carving fork.
Just when viewers were starting to come to terms with Opie’s death, Sons of Anarchy had another surprise tragedy for them. Tara’s time in prison after Pamela Toric’s death led her to realize she had to find a way out of SAMCRO and take her sons with her, as that would be the only way for them to be safe. In this episode, Jax and Tara finally get to talk and clear up many things, with Jax agreeing to turn himself in so Tara and the boys could be free – however, Gemma believes she has ratted on the club and betrayed Jax.
Gemma surprises Tara at her house and the two fight, with Gemma forcing Tara’s head into the sink full of water and repeatedly stabbing her on the back of the neck with a carving fork. To make it worse, Roosevelt arrives and tells Gemma the truth about Jax’s deal, but it’s too late. As he calls for help on his radio, Juice arrives and shoots him, giving Gemma a chance to escape. Gemma’s subsequent lies to Jax about Tara’s death are what led to her and Jax’s deaths.