Why Sons of Anarchy Ended After Season 7

Coming from the creative mind of Kurt Sutter, Sons of Anarchy was a show like no other. Airing on FX from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, the series about a Southern California motorcycle gang put a new twist on the traditional anti-hero. Using the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club, or SAMCRO, as a metaphor for human transformation, the series focused on corruption, manipulation and ghosts of the past as club V.P. Jackson “Jax” Teller goes from a hopeful kid with big plans for the future to a man hellbent on revenge.

Despite its popularity, Sons of Anarchy ended after Season 7. The show had a bloody journey but the finale did its best at giving everyone some sort of closure. The two surviving original members, Tig and Chibs, assumed control over the club as Jax took the final steps to properly fulfill the vision his father John Teller had for SAMCRO. After losing Opie and Tara, Jax finally found some peace in the end knowing that his children are safe and away from the club with Wendy and Nero.

Series creator Kurt Sutter methodically planned Sons of Anarchy’s conclusion. In 2012, when the series had been renewed for its sixth season, Sutter spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his plans for the future.

“There’s a part of me that does see being able to tell this story in seven seasons, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to say, ‘That’s it,’ Sutter said, noting that he’s aware of FX’s model and the idea that after seven seasons the overhead and above-the-line costs begin to exceed the profit value of a show. “I almost feel like when you hang that kind of finality and put a period on something, there’s almost a backlash that happens with the fan base.”

Since Sons of Anarchy’s end, Sutter has developed a spin-off about the rivaling motorcycle club, the Mayans, with whom the Crows often interacted. Mayans M.C. has recently been renewed for a third season, but in 2019, Sutter was reportedly removed as co-showrunner. Despite this blip, Sutter hasn’t stopped making plans to expand the SOA universe. Sutter had said that he sees it as a four series universe, including a nine-episode prequel about the original nine members, and a sequel that would follow up with Jax Teller’s sons, Abel and Thomas.

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