Blu-ray Review: ‘Sons of Anarchy: Season Five’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘Sons of Anarchy: Season Five’ on Blogcritics.

FX’s Sons of Anarchy Season Five, now available in a three-disc Blu-ray release, is an exciting one for the Northern California biker gang at its center. Much is thrown up in the hour because of new leadership and new alliances. Some major players enter into the mix in a big way, relationships fall apart, violence has never been more prevalent, and betrayals are revealed. For fans of FX’s most popular series, this batch of thirteen episodes is great.

As Season Five begins, Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) now has command of SAMCRO, but this certainly isn’t an easy job for him, especially when trying to get the guys involved with prostitution, on top of their gun and drug sales. His son’s mother, Tara (Maggie Siff), doesn’t adjust well to being “queen” of the gang, and would prefer Jax give up his dangerous activities. Clay (Ron Perlman), Jax’s step-father and the former president of SAMCRO, is still around, and would like his old position back. New character Nero Padilla (Jimmy Smits) is bedding Gemma (Katey Sagal), who can’t quite let go of Clay, much as she might want to. A brutally vicious man named Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau, Lost), who has business-like precision, shows up looking for revenge.

As always, the acting is amazing. Sagal delivers an even more complex performance than before, and adding veterans like Smitts and Perrineau to an already excellent cast only raises the bar. Hunnam also shines in his character’s increased role, deftly playing the man trying to keep a delicate balance of semi-peace. As much as the gun fights and avenge killings may draw viewers in, so many wouldn’t stay without these truly memorable characters, wonderfully and fully created here.

Things get even worse when a gun battle with the One-Niners erupts in the premiere. This attack, brought on as an attempt to balance scales that will never be balanced, threatens deals that SAMCRO has, and also attracts the attention of law enforcement, which may be a bit more eager to catch the bikers than ensure justice.

Once again, I am struck by how sympathetic these characters, who are basically criminals, are. They have their own codes and rule structure, and at least some of their motivation is altruistic, protecting the town of Charming. Yet, even as they work in the seedy underbelly of illegal organizations, fans will still root for Jax to succeed or Gemma to triumph. They are truly well-written, well-rounded individuals.

The momentum this season is intense. Conflict builds and situations grow more complicated from week to week. The tension mounts in organic ways, always heading towards something, never floundering. Each episode gives another layer of plot, while simultaneously serving larger goals, which satisfyingly come to a head at the end of the year in the most unpredictable of ways. And, of course, a major player bites the dust.

Blu-ray is definitely the way to go on this one. Sons of Anarchy has a very dark color scheme, with a lot of blacks and browns. The contrast when viewed in high definition is great, with plenty of detail in the shadow and layers clearly visible. Similarly, the motorcycle roars and ambient noise of the many outdoor sequences are best experienced in HD, and the Blu-ray boasts an excellently mixed soundtrack.

Sons of Anarchy: Season Five is well-packed with bonus features. There are roughly fifteen minutes of deleted scenes, a couple of very cool audio commentaries, and extended episodes. The gag reel is pretty amusing, and series creator Kurt Sutter talks about how he keeps the show from growing stale. “Opie Winston” is exactly what one would expect it to be if they’ve watched these episodes, and “Fan Concert at the Club House” is a twenty-minute featurette documenting fans visiting the set and hearing great music, including the lovely voice of Katey Sagal.

Sons of Anarchy Season Five is available now.

Sons of Anarchy Season Four roars onto Blu-ray

When fans completed the third season of Sons of Anarchy, many members of SAMCRO are in prison. Season four, now on Blu-ray and DVD, picks up fourteen months later. The gang is out, but they don't quite return home to the same place they left. There's a new sheriff in town, Lieutenant Eli Roosevelt (Rockmond Dunbar, Prison Break), who won't even allow them to wear their insignia anymore. Backed up by U.S. Attorney Lincoln Potter (Ray McKinnon, Deadwood), a case is being built against the parolees. Will SAMCRO stand for this? Will they toe the line to stay out of trouble? Viewers of the show should be able to guess the answer fairly easily.

Even as everyone pulls together, there are some who call their loyalties into question. Jax (Charlie Hunnam) is ready to move on, especially after Tara (Maggie Siff) accepts his marriage proposal. Being a member of the motorcycle group hasn't been an easy or a safe way to live, and these lovebirds plan to leave it all behind them. If only quitting were that easy...

Clay (Ron Perlman) makes things worse. The guys have long run guns, but Clay thinks that they should mule cocaine, too. This added business prospect, not only risky, but also morally questionable, causes a schism in the group. Half of the guys are in favor of the extra money getting involved with drugs will bring, while the other half take a different stance. It makes it awfully hard to fight the law when you are sucked into internal bickering.

A rat within the organization, secret ancestry, letters with incriminating details, an old murder come to light, and some serious rivals are only some of the many obstacles the characters face in season four. It's a roller coaster ride which tests every characters' mettle. Loyalty and betrayal, danger and excitement, love and death rule this year, by most accounts a worthy continuation of a well-respected series.

Some complained that season three strayed too far from the beaten path, taking the characters in directions that were not universally approved of. Most agree that season four is a return to form. While that does mean it falls back into a certain formula, there are also some sweeping arcs and moving stories that raise the game. There is a re-invigoration of the strongest elements on the show, and things seem a little less meandering than in the previous year. There will never be a consensus on a show that divides people like Sons of Anarchy does, but most point to season four as a solid effort.

Despite how hard the series may seem on the outside, as it is about a bunch of criminals on motorcycles, after all, the true reason this series works is because of the characters. A fantastic cast which includes not only Perlman, Hunnam, and Siff, but also Katey Sagal, William Lucking, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Ryan Hurst, and Dayton Callie sell each and every installment. These characters are layered, and by the brilliance of the performers, are made sympathetic, despite the dark deeds that they do. Add to this, fantastic writing and great direction, and Sons of Anarchy remains one of cable's most compelling dramas. People who watch this show expect a high level of quality, and season four, like the previous years, delivers.

Season Four's Blu-ray release does not lack for extras. There are extended episodes and scenes, deleted scenes, and several of the episodes have an audio commentary option, including the two part finale. There is also a gag reel and featurettes on fans of the show, and a stop by the House of Blues. A touching tribute to Piney (Lucking) may just bring tears to your eyes.

Sons of Anarchy Season Four is available now wherever Blu-rays and DVDs are sold.

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Lights Out - "Pilot"

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     Looking at all of the great reviews out there, I know I am going to get some flak for saying this - FX's Lights Outs pilot was boring. It really was. It wasn't the acting, which was fine. It wasn't even the boxing; despite my distaste for the sport, I enjoyed Rocky. I don't think I have any problem with slow pacing, though my negative opinion of Rubicon might make it look otherwise. The story was sweet enough, I guess. I love the network's other shows like Damages and Justified, so it's not the FX tone that bothers me. I was just bored with it.

     The story was about Patrick 'Lights' Leary (Holt McCallany), who gave up boxing five years ago at the insistence of his wife, Theresa (Catherine McCormack). Now, the money is dwindling, and he must consider some tough choices to support his family. His brother, Johnny (Pablo Schreiber), who manages his finances, has Patrick call BINGO numbers and play a heavy to bring in a little cash flow, but it's not enough. Apparently, the gym they own is a sinkhole, but they can't give it up because it would break their father's (Stacy Keach) heart. So Johnny tries to force Patrick back in the ring by letting a past opponent announce a fight on TV without Patrick's knowledge, angering both Patrick and Theresa. But is Patrick really that angry?

     I get the character of Patrick. I understand his frustration, his nostalgia over the days when he did something he loved, his deep adoration for his family, and need to be a provider. He's a fine character, and Holt can make Patrick wither a daughter's boyfriend, not to mention larger game, with a simple stare. As a character, I like Patrick a lot. But it wasn't enough to draw me in, and none of the other characters were painted quite as beautifully as Patrick was, at least not in the pilot.

     I guess that's why I found the first episode boring. With only Patrick interesting me all that much, the show dragged anytime he wasn't the focus of the scene. Yes, Patrick was constantly on screen, but he wasn't always the most animated person in each scene. Others just couldn't hold my attention. Plus, I feel like I've seen a Patrick before. In this day and age, the novelty of a tough guy also being a caring family man is gone. It's been done before. So I don't see anything to get super excited about. Yet.

     I really don't get the urgency of the money. Surely Patrick understood that when he quit fighting, resources would be limited. He had to have known roughly how long the nest egg would last, figuring in the cost of living. And if he didn't, Johnny would have. Sure, the gym may be slightly unpredictable, but Johnny should have made some kind of move earlier to salvage things. Johnny doesn't seem the type that would let such a thing go until it's too late, but that's exactly what has happened here. I don't like it. It seems contrived, a necessary element to propel the story forward, but not one that holds up if examined too closely.

     And I feel like certain things will be predictable. Patrick got in a fight with a guy outside the bar. Previews for the rest of the season showed him being arrested. Who wants to bet that the guy he beat up is pressing legal charges, even though he willingly accepted the fight? I could be wrong, but if I'm not, it's lazy writing.

     Which doesn't mean I won't watch at least one more episode. FX has a solid enough track record that I will give it a little more time. Plus, the critics who were raving about the series may have seen more episodes. That's my best explanation for their praise, as I didn't see a worthy subject in the pilot. I guess I just don't want to miss out on another success like Sons on Anarchy, which I sadly didn't watch simply because I wasn't interested in biker gangs. I regret that decision now, and hope to eventually get to the DVDs.

     As a Keach fan from his days on Prison Break, I am looking forward to seeing Pops figure more into the story. Surely, he has opinions of the mess his boys have gotten themselves, and likely him, into. The few moments of him we got, I can't believe he'd passively sit by and just watch things happen without wanting to do, or make someone do, something about it.

     Whatever my opinions, I am sure there are plenty of people who enjoyed the show. I'll watch next week's before I do anything drastic, like give up on it. Lights Out airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

Article first published as TV Review: Lights Out - "Pilot" on Blogcritics.