My problem with SOA’s Final Season 

Sigh.

***DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT CAUGHT UP***

This pains me to write. Some time ago, I did a list of my top 5 shows and SOA was #3. I really do love this show and was looking forward to the final season expecting a lot and it just hasn’t been it. Instead, every Tuesday at 10pm I have to psyche myself up and steel myself to watch an hour – oh wait – FX decides to throw us and hour and a half of whatever it is we are being served this season.

Since the death of Tara at the hands of witchy Gemma, this season has been focused on one storyline – following up on Gemma’s lie that the Chinese leader, Lin ordered the hit on Tara. That lie has spiraled into a hot mess as Jax has completely gone all personal and has gone all personal and started his own killing spree and dragged the club with him. This is all well and good for Jax but terrible for us.

What used to be great about SOA was how even though the ways of the club members were shady, we still rooted for the brotherhood. We still cared for them, we still rooted for them. Also, Kurt (writer and producer) had a way with story lines and every now and then would hit us in the face with a surprise storyline and blow our minds. This season, I feel I have watched one episode 9 times over. It’s the same damn thing everytime, Jax spiraling out of control and unnecessarily killing people. I feel like there hasn’t been any progression. Unser is still skulking in the background, the guys are just following Jax’s lead – no questions asked, Gemma is still being a damn fool and I am still not sure what we are doing with Juice.

You know how it is when you have been working the same job for a long time and you eventually get so used to it that there is no feeling/emotion behind it and it becomes mechanical? That’s what I think is happening this season. It’s coming across the screen because if I am being honest, I don’t care for any character anymore except for Nero (played by the fabulous Jimmy Smits whose skills are totally being underused this season and who I think will die). Case in point, when Bobby was killed in last night’s episode I was just like meh, he’s gone. Now compare this to when Opie was killed. I swear I had tears in my eyes. I felt that death in my soul. I won’t talk much about Abel, Jax’s son. He’s like playing a Children of the Corn character or something because he just seems creepy.

Well, few more episodes left before the grand finale and I don’t have my hopes up. With the recent finale disappointments with shows like Boardwalk Empire, Dexter and True Blood, can you blame me? It’s a shame SOA has to go out like this but I’ll hold out a little faith for the finale and hope all this is leads to something great especially since we are all waiting for a satisfying Gemma death.