Why The Homeless Woman In Sons Of Anarchy Means More Than You Think
Sure, Sons of Anarchy followed a violent group of bikers as they expanded their criminal empire, but Kurt Sutter also weaved in a some religious subtext to this tale of toxic masculinity and greed. Whenever Jax Teller was debating how to push the Sons forward with whatever deal they were negotiating — be it with the IRA, Damon Pope, or the Galindo Cartel — the biker leader would often encounter a homeless woman wandering around Charming. Her identity was never explicitly explained in the seven-season run of the show, but there are a few clues as to her identity. T
o start with, it's possible she's Emily Putner. She's the woman who died in the accident that also killed John Teller decades before the events of the series. During season 6, Jax visits Brooke Putner's house to speak to her father, Gary, to find out why his daughter hates the club so much. He explains that she blames the club for her mother's death, and the episode briefly shows off a photo of Emily and Gary at their wedding. Soon after that, the episode focuses on a shot of the homeless woman in Charming. Coincidence?
Is the ghost of Emily Putner guiding Jax Teller toward a similar path as his father's in an effort to make him pay for his numerous crimes? Or is it even deeper than that? According to showrunner and creator Kurt Sutter on his YouTube channel, the homeless woman is actually a manifestation of Jesus Christ, drawn to the anarchy that unfolds in Charming.
The homeless woman shepherds Jax to his death
Fans had long suspected that the woman was either a recurring hallucination or specter haunting Jax — and it seems like they weren't far off. Kurt Sutter told fans on Instagram that she's both benevolent and malevolent, "the bringer of eternal light and the harbinger of all things dark". And to be fair, she does appear when things are at their worst, like in season 3 when baby Abel was kidnapped by the IRA. But the most obvious piece of symbolism comes with the heartbreaking finale of the show at the end of season 7.
The entire series saw Charlie Hunnam's Jax contemplating his place in the world and the legacy he'd created. He eventually comes to the conclusion that he can't provide a good life for his sons while still being in the club. The homeless woman is then seen with some bread and wine before literally telling Jax that "it's time," as she hands him a blanket, which he hides under to assassinate August Marks. Clearly, she was telling him that he's ready to die now. Sutter also noted on Instagram that she's "magic that anarchy summons and the mortality it extinguishes."
It's rather fitting, since after Jax kills himself in a similar manner to his father's death years before, his blood trickles towards some wine-soaked bread on the road, much like the food the homeless woman was eating. Symbolism! Since the rest of the series is relatively grounded in reality, it makes the addition of a spiritual being even more intriguing. It's definitely an interesting layer beneath all the drugs, escorts, and gunfights — that's for sure.