1. I am glad that Kurt Sutter decided to kill Jax. We saw what happened when Dexter “writers” decided to keep their title character alive and the universal ridicule it received. While Jax’s death certainly kills (pun intended) any chance of a potential Sons of Anarchy movie in the future, it was what was needed to be done.
2. As far as where this series finale ranks in the current television landscape, I feel it was better than both The Sopranos and the aforementioned Dexter. It certainly wasn’t as emotional as Walter White’s demise on Breaking Bad, but I seriously don’t see how any drama series-ender will ever top that. I would put it just above the Lost finale. It felt satisfying to see Jax pass the torch off to Chibbs and allow an African-American member of the Charter. It was how a President is supposed to go out. Instituting new legislation while leaving a legacy that will last a lifetime.
3. I certainly think Chibbs killing Jax would have been a better ending. When the former Vice-President sat down with Jax and agreed to do what his former leader asked of him, I was certain this meant being the one who would ultimately introduce him to Mr. Mayhem personally. This was especially clear (or so I thought) when Jax said that it would earn him the respect of the rest of SAMCRO. Instead, all Chibbs did was lead the vote and I would have preferred to see him be the one to do the ultimate job instead of a random truck driven by Michael Chiklis.
4. I would have also preferred Jax’s goodbye to the rest of the club be the final shot of the series. The show was ultimately about a brotherhood and that should have been the final image. While I appreciated all of the literary allusions, to me inserting the shot of the raven and the cake while also ending on a Shakespeare quote was trying too hard. While I understand the need to have Jax take his final ride, I would have preferred to see things end on Chibbs receiving his President’s patch and selecting Tig to be his VP.
5. I liked the fact that most of the loose ends were tied up. The final conversation between Jax and Nero was spectacular and cemented Nero’s position as the strongest character on the series. Marks had to die by Jax’s hand and he did. We received the explanation that we all wanted which was the story behind the omnipresent homeless woman and how she served as the ultimate Grim Reaper, following Jax until he met his ultimate end. She was basically Mrs. Mayhem.
6. The best part of the entire finale was Jax approving Chibbs’ choice of Tig as the new Vice-President. With the long history between Jax and Tig, this was a nod to longtime fans of the series and I reveled in it. One of the best and most understated moments of the show. That said, it’s not like Chibbs had any other choice.
7. I would have liked to see the Mayans get a little more airtime on the final episode.
8. What I also loved about the finale was how it did leave fans wanting to see more. That’s ultimately what any good finale should do. Can you imagine a new season where Chibbs’ Irish loyalty is tested when the Kings come looking for revenge.
9. Props to the kid playing Abel for finally acting well in a scene.
10. Nice job Sutter.
