Sons Of Anarchy's Most Pause-Worthy Moments

"Every time I think maybe I'm heading in the right direction, I end up in a place I never even knew could feel this bad," remarks the tortured and violent soul at the heart of SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original), Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam). "Sons of Anarchy" is just as much a perpetual tragedy as it is a drama. A world rife with violence, greed, and vindication only leads to one outcome. If "The Sopranos" taught us anything, it's that the life expectancy of those who shake hands with the devil while claiming a stake in a perceived family of criminals is rather short. But even among outlaw groups like the mafia or a ruthless biker gang, there are rules — a code that each member of the crew must live by. Breaking those rules will net you nothing but pain and likely death, no matter how "close" or "brotherly" you think you are to your executioners.

The FX series "Sons of Anarchy" is famous for not pulling any punches and leaving audiences gutted at the violence and devastation often wrought by warring gangs. Yet, the show gives us a glimpse into the world of those who are groomed by such circumstances. We often feel a modicum of sympathy towards these characters despite their heinous deeds. Any sense of right and wrong is defined by the code they live by, not society's definition of morality. "Sons of Anarchy" is filled to the brim with bloody, vile, and horrific moments enacted by the series' star players. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. Let's take a look at the most shocking moments that may have us scrambling for the pause button and, perhaps, a quick rewind.

Alright, that headline may be a tad misleading. Marcus Alvarez (Emilio Rivera), leader of the Mayans M.C., doesn't directly kill his own son. But he sets the wheels in motion to offer his own child up as a sacrificial lamb. After the Mayans, led by Marcus' son, botch an attempt on Clay's life, SAMCRO gears up for blood. However, Clay and Alvarez have a sit-down inside the jail, courtesy of police chief Wayne Unser (Dayton Callie). In an effort to avoid war and bloodshed, they strike a business arrangement. SAMCRO agrees to sell the Mayans guns. Two conditions are made during the deal. The first condition is that all of the individual squabbles and beefs in each of SAMCRO's territories with rival Mayans must be squashed. Second, Clay wants blood for the attempt on his life. Alvarez understands this. Clay commissions Happy Lowman (David Labrava) to execute whoever Alvarez offers up.

Later, Esai (Kevin Alejandro) approaches his father humbled and seeking his favor in light of his mistakes. Alvarez seemingly forgives his son, tells him that he loves him, and then takes him to buy a churro at a stand in the park. Little does Esai realize that Happy is managing the stand. As soon as Esai turns his back, Happy stabs him in the base of the skull. Alvarez nods to Happy, understanding that his part of the agreement is fulfilled. It's another shocking death as the viewers come to grips with the idea that a father willingly selected his son for a merciless death.

If you haven't figured it out by now, most of the jaw-dropping, pause-worthy moments of this series involve abrupt and brutal fatalities. Violence is a hallmark of this series and SAMCRO wields it like the sword of justice they believe it to be. While doing time, Opie, a longtime friend of Jax Teller, is forced into a brutal death match by a police officer that ends in Opie's demise. While the cop didn't kill Opie directly, he certainly orchestrated the death of a beloved character. Even the fans were likely calling for the corrupt officer's head.

Well, in Season 5, Episode 6, the day of reckoning comes. Jax learns the identity of the officer who arranged the death match — Sergeant Mackey (Jack Conley). Jax, Tig (Kim Coates), Bobby, and Chibs invade the man's home. When the Mackey's wife attempts to intervene, Tig kills her to remove any potential liability. "I keep my promises," Jax tells Mackey. After allowing the man to beg for his life, Jax bludgeons him to death with a snow globe. In his anger, Jax goes a bit beyond the scope of necessity and Chibs steps in to stop the brutality. It's yet, another shocking display of the destruction the club and Jax are capable of.

In a world overflowing with murderers and thieves, who really can be trusted? Members of SAMCRO value loyalty above all else, and the reason for that is obvious — its scarcity. Clay Morrow may have been the club's leader for multiple seasons, but he begins to show his true colors later on down the line. He's a schemer at heart, as many of his actions have proven. But most wouldn't suspect him of plotting against his own brothers in arms. Tara (Maggie Siff) provides Piney Winston (William Lucking), one of the founding members of SAMCRO, with letters from John Teller, aka JT, Jax's father. These letters indicate that John Teller always wanted to have SAMCRO out of the gun-running business, but he knew Clay was opposed to the idea. He even predicted that Clay would try to have him killed by sabotaging his bike. These damning letters ultimately fit the "accidental" demise of JT, another founding member and former leader of the club.

Piney threatens to share these letters with the club if Clay doesn't back away from his dealings with the Galindo Cartel. Ultimately, Piney understands that the drug business was causing far too much chaos for SAMCRO and is a business that the club should've never been a part of. Clay visits Piney late one night to seemingly discuss the matter. After Clay appears to accept Piney's terms and leaves, he returns crashing through the door knocking Piney to the floor. He searches for the letters, but Piney explains that they're not in the cabin. Following that revelation, Clay murders Piney with a shotgun blast to the chest. This shocking moment demonstrates that Clay, also an original founding member, has shed any regard for loyalty, comradery, or brotherhood in favor of greed.

All too often, there's an air of vindication that fills the scene when Jax and the club kill a particular target. More times than not, the show has purposefully set up the victim as a hated villain or backstabber that leaves viewers a rather elated feeling once they're finally removed from the picture. Clay is most certainly one of those characters, for a time. As a founding member of SAMCRO, he murders fellow founders John Teller and Piney Winston to further his own designs for the club. Even more sickening is that he courted John's wife Gemma (Katey Sagal) following his death. Even though Clay is a mainstay of the series for six seasons, there's truly not much that is redeemable about the man.

After all the wrongs he's committed against the club, his sins were bound to catch up with him. After taking a vote, the club unanimously agrees that it's time for Clay to meet Mr. Mayhem, aka death. SAMCRO orchestrates his prison break during a transfer. Gemma, Tara, and Nero (Jimmy Smits) all arrive just in time for SAMCRO to carry out the sentencing. Clay solemnly tells Gemma that he's glad she found a partner in Nero without her realizing he's about to die. When Jax takes him in the back room, quiet fills the air and Clay looks him in the eyes. He then gazes out the office window over to Gemma and cracks a soft smile before taking a bullet to the neck. Gemma bursts into tears at the scene. Somehow, Clay's death manages to be heartbreaking and relieving all at once. It's an emotional scene that begs for a re-watch just to truly appreciate the moment.

As Jax's oldest friend, Opie is the definition of love, loyalty, and ferocity when the time calls for it. Opie wears his heart on his sleeve despite being a ruthless biker and club member. After, Chibs, Tig, Jax, and Opie find themselves in the slammer and under the thumb of the conniving Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau), they attempt to stay alive.

The four men come to the realization that Pope isn't going to let them off easy. He's harboring a deep-seated grudge toward Tig and wants to see him rot in prison. The four also learn that one of them is going to essentially become a sacrificial lamb in a deadly prison brawl with the odds stacked against them. Opie head butts the officer who comes calling, effectively forcing himself into the position so that Jax or the others aren't selected. While Jax watches in horror and anguish as his best friend is led into the next room, we the viewers all know what comes next. Opie turns to the glass and tells Jax, "I got this." The big man is given a pipe to defend himself, but several other men enter the room and the numbers overwhelm him. Eventually, he receives a killing blow to the back of his head with his own pipe. It's a heart-rending moment and Jax's anger is palpable. In fact, most of us viewers were likely in shock as well, considering that Opie is a major fan favorite.