Sons of Anarchy also known as SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Originals) revolves around an outlaw motorcycle club that operates in the fictional town of Charming, California. The FX original no doubt had a great run with memorable characters and intricate storylines. It also had episodes that were more memorable than some. There were a lot of shake-ups and changes with the structure of the club for season five and the fates of a few characters took turns downhill compared to when the season began. All in all, it was a great season because it had so much of what we love - drama and mayhem. Some episodes outshone others, however. Here are the ten best episodes of Sons of Anarchy.
Laying Pipe - Episode 3 (9.4/10)
This third episode of season five managed to grab the audience’s attention from beginning to end with its display of gruesome and heartbreaking moments. The episode begins with Damon Pope arranging a meeting with Jax in the prison where he lays down his conditions. Jax didn’t like Pope’s terms, but he was hardly in a position to refuse at the time.
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The episode also shows other storylines such as the ongoing feud between Gemma and Tara, but everything was overshadowed by the death of one of our favorites, Opie. This episode was a real tear-jerker for fans of Harry “Opie” Winston.
Sovereign - Episode 1 (9.0/10)
The beginning of the season boasted the series’ foundation of elaborate storylines, coming back with new twists and turns and interesting supporting characters— in other words, everything that we love. We also got wind of the danger that was Damon Pope who was out for revenge for the death of his daughter.
The episode had great pace even with the panning in and out of various storylines and confrontation between major and supporting characters, which is why it stands out as one of the best episodes of the season.
Authority Vested - Episode 2 (8.5/10)
Sons of Anarchy fans were aware that each character of the series, no matter how short or long their time on screen, were very multifaceted. There was no delay making progress with storylines since the episode previous, which marked the beginning of the season. Probably, the best part of the episode was Tara and Jax tying the knot in a brothel of all places, but we suppose they that’s the way to go when marrying the president of an outlaw motorcycle club. Nevertheless, that gave the romantic in all of us a nice “awe” moment.
J’ai Obtenu Cette - Episode 13 (9.4/10)
Let the plotting begin. During the season four finale, Jax forced Clay to step down as president. For season five, viewers were holding their breath, waiting to see what kind of leader Jax would turn out to be. As it turned out, it’s hard to hold power and avoid becoming corrupt, especially being surrounded by violence, death, and betrayal. The season five finally finds Jax plotting to take out two of his major problems, Damon Pope and Clay, the former president of SAMCRO and Jax’s stepfather. His plotting worked because by the end of the episode, Pope was dead and Clay was arrested. We got the answer to the question we’ve been asking all season. Yes, Jax does become the same type of leader his tyrant of a stepfather was.
Stolen Huffy - Episode 4 (8.6/10)
Goodbye “Opie”. It was still hard for many to accept that Opie was gone even though we saw his gruesome demise with our own eyes. The episode was filled with the progression of more than one storyline, such as Gemma still stirring up the tension, but the most memorable had to be the fallouts from Opie’s death and the heartbreaking final farewell to the fan-favorite. It was hard not to like the character the very moment he came on scene, and his moral compass never really needed adjustment when it came to his family and friends. Out of all the characters in the gang, this one definitely had the biggest sweet spot.
Crucifixed - Episode 10 (8.6/10)
This extended episode was great for viewers one, for the obvious reason that we got to see MORE in one episode. The longer run time was a breath of fresh air because it gave us more time with the characters, which worked great what with the complex plots and all. That meant each scene had plenty of breathing room. Viewers were also shocked and, at the same time side-eying, Clay for his suddenly remorseful attitude– we just never knew what was going on in his devious mind of his. To round out the episode, we saw Tara smuggle a crucifix into the prison for Otto, at his request. Surely, she knew that her actions would result in deadly consequences.
Darthy - Episode 12 (9.0/10)
This twelfth episode of Sons of Anarchy season five was filled with its fair share of drama which fell right in line with the way the season progressed up to that point. It was one of the extended episodes (90 minutes long) so, there was plenty of time to delve into each scene, especially the voting scene where Clay’s fate was decided. We can all agree that extra time was needed for that. The scenes that covered this were ones that we were only able to imagine beforehand, and seeing the fate of the character proceed the way it did, it was certainly bittersweet for all involved.
To Thine Own Self- Episode 11 (8.8/10)
What made this episode one of the best was the fact that viewer saw Jax remain true to his plans to turn things around. He actually put plans in motion to steer the club away from the Galindo Cartel as well as the RICO case. There was also the introduction of an obviously dangerous new player, Lee Toric. For those that stuck around for the next two seasons, we know that this guy really wasn’t the best when it came to characters. Many hated him, which really spoke for the show-writers talents when they keep key characteristics in mind.
Ablation - Episode 8 (8.7/10)
This episode follows Gemma’s fatal crash and viewers nibbled their fingernails as they anxiously waited to see if Jax and Tara’s boys survived. The kids and Gemma survived the accident and of course, Gemma being Gemma covered the fact that she was stone while driving the boys. She is the queen of deception, after all, so we couldn’t have expected her to take Nero’s advice and fess up.
We also saw Jax and the gang uncover the identity of the culprit that shot up the cabin. That wasn’t an offense that they took very lightly, especially with many loved ones being in the way of danger.
Toad’s Wild Ride- Episode 7 (8.5/10)
This episode of season five was filled with the series usual twists and turns, but what stood out was the fact that the episode focused on all the drama going on within the town of Charming rather than the usual out-of-town happenings. It was nice to see Jax taking charge and confronting Clay. Perhaps the most OMG moment of the episode was Gemma’s crash and the viewers being left in suspense of her and Able’s fate. Leave it to SOA to really leave you on a cliffhanger for some of the most devastating moments in the show, or the most relieving.
