Why Some Fans Believe Agent Stahl Was The Best Sons Of Anarchy Villain
"Sons of Anarchy" is a show that has no shortage of villains. In fact, since it focuses on the titular, rather brutal motorcycle club, a vast majority of the characters in Kurt Sutter's FX crime drama ride the thin line between right and wrong, often zig-zagging it as the situation requires. SAMCRO members themselves notwithstanding, the series marches a seemingly neverending cavalcade of nastier and nastier antagonists on the screen — and sometimes, the worst people in the show are (at least technically) on the side of the angels.
Though SAMCRO often clashes with other criminal factions, folks like unhinged ATF agent Josh Kohn (Jay Karnes) and calculating Assistant U.S. Attorney Lincoln Potter (Ray McKinnon) have been known to grace the show with their varying methods of making main characters' lives difficult. However, some fans think that there's an even better example of a government-employed antagonist in the series. Here's why some viewers think that Ally Walker's ATF agent June Stahl is the best "Sons of Anarchy" villain.
Fans think Stahl was the definitive Sons of Anarchy villain
One of the first major antagonists in "Sons of Anarchy," Agent Stahl is a constant looming presence in the show's first three seasons. In a Reddit discussion, a fan with the username u/Apophis41 considered the cunning and ruthless agent the best villain the show has ever seen, quoting her relatively low ranking within her agency, which they said makes Stahl an appropriate villain for the protagonists. "The fact that she was an ambitious,mid level ATF agent who had to rely on her own wits and resources made her feel like an appropriate enemy for a biker gang," they wrote. "It became rather odd in the later half of the series when they were fighting against incredibly powerful organizations such as the cartels and triads."
Others agreed. "I agree with Stahl–charming, completely ruthless, no redeeming qualities, and more sociopathic than anyone else," u/jm5201977 wrote. "I agree that for the early seasons of SOA, she's the perfect antagonist," u/kvrai12 wrote, while arguing that the show itself changed its scale in later seasons, and with that, the nature of the villains changed as well.
Fans on Twitter have concurred with the sentiment that Agent Stahl is a stellar villain of the love-to-hate-her variety, with users like @Geek_ee, @LuluWild13, and The Daily Mirror's @ElleRudd all showering the character's antagonism with high praise. What's more, the villain's memorable death scene is a significant moment in the entire "Sons of Anarchy" timeline, and since some think that Stahl is the absolute worst the show has to offer, there are fans who consider the episode where she finally meets her end a particular watershed moment. "Agent Stahl was one of the best written TV antagonists," @arengarz tweeted, and announced their intentions to rewatch a certain key moment of the show. "She's so evil, I can't wait to watch her die again."