---
title: "Sons of Anarchy: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/sons-of-anarchy/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/tv/sons-of-anarchy"
critics_score: 59
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sons of Anarchy (2008): what the critics said

Critics' score 59 from 7 reviews: 3 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative.

The reviews lean positive but are split almost down the middle, and even the admirers share a reservation or two. The acting draws the most consistent praise: nearly every critic, including the two who dislike the series, calls the cast first-rate, and Den of Geek singles out Katey Sagal as Gemma. Those who warm to it see a family drama and a Shakespearean tragedy dressed as a crime thriller, with the club politics and character work counting for more than the shootings. The Ringer, writing a decade on, goes furthest, calling it often excellent and occasionally better than that.

The dissent is about violence and pace. The Hollywood Reporter finds the savagery gratuitous and the characters hard company to keep; Variety, after two episodes, judges it stuck in neutral with people who lack dimension. Even the positive notices concede blustery talk and a familiar antihero template. The spread is wide, and the two negative reviews are the earliest, filed on the opening episodes.

## The AV Club — Noel Murray

Rating B+. 19 August 2009. 

The series is well-acted, twisty, and often shocking with a distinctive take on motorcycle gangs. It can get overheated with blustery talk and feels overly familiar after similar antihero shows.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/sons-of-anarchy-season-one-1798206747)

## Empire — William Thomas

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 2010. 

The series is a compelling family drama framed as a crime thriller and Shakespearean tragedy about a gun-running biker gang. Strong character work and club dynamics stand out over the violence.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/sons-anarchy-season-1-review/)

## The Independent

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2009. 

The critic likens the show to The Sopranos with motorcycles and a leather-clad Hamlet, noting its focus on anti-heroes in a biker gang dealing guns. It highlights the violence as both central and overly glamorous, with some comedic touches that may not suit all viewers.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-night-s-television-sons-of-anarchy-bravofind-me-a-family-channel-4-1684443.html)

## The Hollywood Reporter

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2008. 

The relentlessly grim and wrenching series makes it hard to stomach time with its savage characters, though ambition and first-rate acting are clear. Excessive random violence crosses into gratuitous territory.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/sons-anarchy-125799/)

## Variety — Brian Lowry

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2008. 

After two episodes the gritty biker drama about a gun-running gang appears stuck in neutral despite an intriguing cast and bleak world. Violence is visceral but characters lack dimension early on.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/sons-of-anarchy-3-1200507425/)

## The Ringer — Shea Serrano

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2018. 

The critic describes Sons of Anarchy as a very good show that was often excellent and occasionally transcendent, crediting its smart, funny, gruesome, inventive, and emotionally powerful storytelling. He singles out the central performances and intricate plotting for particular praise while lamenting its omission from a best-episodes list.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2018/08/15/tv/sons-of-anarchy-underrated-mayans-mc-spinoff-fx)

## Den of Geek — Dave Adamson

Rating 3/5. 4 January 2010. 

The review praises the series as well-written, well-acted and well-executed with strong characters and engaging gang politics, comparing it favorably to The Sopranos and The Shield while noting its dramatic tension and contemporary edge. It highlights the cast, including Katey Sagal's standout performance as Gemma, and the balance of violence, language, sex and community elements.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/sons-of-anarchy-season-one-dvd-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/sons-of-anarchy.md