Sons of Anarchy is the show I didn’t want to watch. A show about a biker gang? I had no interest in this. Granted, show runner Kurt Sutter was a writer on FX’s The Shield and I loved that show but still, a biker gang? Uh-uh. Not for me. So I skipped most of season one.

My husband did not. He watched SoA from the beginning and loved it (and no, he isn’t a part of a motorcycle club.) He said it was fantastic but I begged off. I caught bits and pieces of season one and I’ll admit the writing and acting seemed pretty good, but a story about a biker gang just wasn’t for me.

Honestly, I blame Katey Sagal. With the season two premiere on in the background, I couldn’t help but follow along. For all of it’s merciless intensity, this show is well written and well acted. By the last fifteen minutes of Albification, the show was no longer background noise for me. I was watching. The end of this episode is brutal. (Spoiler Alert if you haven’t seen the season two premiere.) Gemma is kidnapped and gang raped by a rival white supremacist gang that are unhappy that SAMCRO sells guns to minorities (trust me, they use stronger language.) They want to start a war and they use Gemma to do it. Or at least they try. How Gemma handles this, who she tells and when is an amazing story arc that lasts all season. It hooked me from episode one to episode thirteen. The show about the biker gang that I had no interest in was suddenly the show I couldn’t stop watching.

In this testosterone filled series, Gemma has more guts, determination, loyalty, and intelligence than any of her male counterparts. I couldn’t help but pay attention. Watch one episode of Sons of Anarchy and you’ll forget Peg Bundy ever existed. In case you missed it (and I’ll admit I did) Katey Sagal has some serious acting chops and she gets to show them off in every episode of this show. (FYI, this woman was robbed of an Emmy nomination this year.)

There is no clear hero on SoA. Every character is flawed and that is what makes it so compelling. Although Katey Sagal is who got me coming back for more, the entire cast is almost scary they are so good in their roles.

Sons of Anarchy has the intensity of The Shield. How intense? If the season two premiere got me hooked, the season two finale left me sitting on the edge of my couch, mouth agape, unable to breathe. I think I had to watch two episodes of Castle just to get my equilibrium back to be able to sleep.

Season two DVDs will be released the end of this month and season three premieres on FX on September 7th. If you love great drama, check out this show.

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