DVD REVIEW: SONS OF ANARCHY: SEASON 3

See what killed this season for me, and as you mentioned, is the character motivations of Jax. He seems completely to have pulled a 180 from wanting to get out of SAMCRO and is too buddy buddy with Clay. Then we have Opie, who seems to write off his wife's death too easily, or maybe forgot about it? He should of gone rogue or something and been a big bad, possibly forcing Clay and Jax to put aside their differences for a little bit to help the club.

Really though, the series got no where for me this season. It was just a season of getting Abel back, and maybe Jax forgetting his father's motivations for the club. I saw they possibly might get things back on track if Jax reads those letters his dad wrote, but like you, I've not touched season 4, and am in no rush too (I'm currently enjoying Breaking Bad).

I think as long as Season 4 jumps back into the battle between Clay and Jax it can save itself from becoming too removed from its initial concept. I didn't even think about the Opie thing. For him to still have that much hate towards Stahl and not towards Tig and Clay doesn't make a lot of sense.

It makes sense in that he displaced his anger at a (largely responsible) outside party, because the alternative was destroying the club and losing both his families at once. 

 

I can't agree with basically any of the review's take, although I share the positive outlook on the show.  Season 2 was a slow burn?  The rape happened in the first episode and the entire club was in jail or intensive care by the halfway point.  And S3 was far and away the weakest, albeit with a good premiere and great finale to bookend the filler.  And Jax giving away the kid was the one time I can think of that Sutter, who normally goes balls out with his storytelling approach, backed off from a controversial character decision like any lesser show would. 

 

Season 4 has been great so far though, and without going into specifics, none of these issues are forgotten and no axes stay buried.