The fifth season saw lots of changes, as SAMCRO’s old, corrupt regime was out and a new regime settled in. Jax (Charlie Hunnam) replaced Clay (Ron Perlman) at the top. Bobby (Mark Boone Junior) took the role of Jax’s right hand man, replacing the unpredictable Tig (Kim Coates) who had supported all of Clay’s decisions regardless of the consequences.
Jax has spent much of the last two seasons looking for a way out of town with fiancé Tara (Maggie Siff) and his kids. Now, corrupted by his newfound power, he’s decided to stay and consolidate his forces. Tara, prepared to leave with the boys on her own, instead found found herself arrested for her unwitting role in a murder committed by the currently jailed Otto (played by series creator Kurt Sutter).
Sons of Anarchy has always been effective at showing the toxic effect the club has on everyone it touches. Even the once sympathetic Jax, whose transformation into a self-justifying bad guy, is both sad and fascinating to watch. Wonderfully written and constructed, you can see how Jax earliest influences supersede even his desire to create a better life for his family. Along the way, the always reliable Jimmy Smits turns in one of the best performances of his career as Nero Padilla. I’m thrilled he’s been upgraded from a recurring cast member to a regular for the sixth season. Smits arrival also gave Katey Sagal more to do this season, as Nero served as her new love interest, much to Clay’s displeasure.
Season five was largely entertaining throughout, showing no signs of running out of steam. It’s a testament to the series writing staff that even after five years, we still care what happens to this group of misfits.
Here are the thirteen episodes which are contained on three Blu-ray discs in the season five set. Names in parentheses refer to the participants on the audio commentary for that episode. An episode marked with an asterisk (*) indicates an episode which can be viewed in extended mode.
1. Sovereign (creator-writer Kurt Sutter, director Paris Barclay, stars Maggie Siff, Katey Sagal, and Dayton Callie)
*2. Authority Vested
3. Laying Pipe
*4. Stolen Huffy
5. Orca Shrugged
*6. Small World
7. Toad’s Wild Ride
8. Ablation
9. Andare Pescare
10. Crucifixed
11. To Thine Own Self
12. Darthy (director Peter Weller)
*13. J’ai Obtenu Cette
Presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Fox’s 1080p transfer is superb. The image is crystal clear, free of any debris, Black levels are excellent, exhibiting no signs of crush or banding. Colors are dynamic throughout, without being overpowering. TV presented on Blu-ray doesn’t get much better than this.
Sons of Anarchy: The Complete Fifth Season is presented with a DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. The surround comes through when processing music and the roar of various motorcycles. Aside from that, sound effects sound more stereophonic than anything else. Dialogue has been expertly recorded and placed in the center channel.
English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles are included.
The following special features are available:
- Audio Commentaries: The best of the lot is the one for “Sovereign,” featuring-writer Kurt Sutter, director Paris Barclay, stars Maggie Siff, Katey Sagal, and Dayton Callie. Interesting and informative, they all contribute their perspectives on the making of the episode.
- Deleted Scenes (HD, 4:49, 5:40, 4:04) Each disc contains deleted scenes from episodes on that disc. Disc one features four scenes, disc two has five, and disc three has three.
- Gag Reel (HD, 4:51) Typical stuff.
- Opie Winston (HD, 4:48) A look at the character from the cast and the man who played him, Ryan Hurst.
- Kurt Sutter: Creating Anarchy (HD, 3:41) The series creator/head writer discusses his attempt to approach each episode as a movie, story arch’s and all.
- Fan Concert at the Clubhouse (HD, 19:29) Winners of a fan contest were invited to Hollywood to tour the sets and enjoy a four-song concert in the biker clubhouse parking lot featuring Katey Sagal and other blues artists.
