I’ve never seen an episode of The Shield. Something about the show just didn’t appeal to me. I say that because FX hopes to strike gold again with a new series to replace The Shield. Sons of Anarchy is that show. Is it as good as The Shield? Hell I don’t know, but what I do know is that Sons of Anarchy is good hands down.

The show features a young man named Jackson Teller, Jax for short, and his efforts to find his own way in a life that he didn’t ask for. According to Ron Perlman, the shows superstructure is Hamlet and when you look at the cast of characters that makes total and perfect sense. Something is definitely rotten in the town of Charming, California.

Charming is the setting for a tale that is anything but. The cast of characters include Ron Perlman as Clay and Katey Sagal as Gemma, Clays wife and mother of Jax. Jax’s real dad died years earlier and Gemma married Clay sometime after. In the pilot episode Jax has a lot to deal with as the show finds a good balance between the character interaction and moving ahead with the plot.

Firstly Jax has an ex who is pregnant and addicted to drugs. An overdose sends her and the baby to the hospital. Jax who is second in command of Clay’s gang the Sons of Anarchy is reeling from this information. He’s also got troubes of his own after finding his dead fathers journal about the gang. Jax has some real powerful scenes concerning the condition of his son who was born 10 weeks premature with a litany of problems stemming from his mothers activities, it’s just one of the many themes that the show explores.

Sons of Anarchy is gritty and tough with a lot of violence and action. The first two episodes depict a brewing war between The Sons of Anarchy and a Mexican Gang who is trying to move in on the sons territory. Jax is reluctant to start a gang war and finds himself trying to quell the gangs blood lust after the Mexicans steal the bikers guns and set their warehouse on fire.

The fire brings in its own share of troubles when the local Law Enforcement stops turning a blind eye to the Sons activities. This is where Ron Perlman shines as the leader of the gang. He comes across as dangerous but not completely unreasonable to Jax’s prodding for a better way to do things. He also plays the father figure to Jax in a very believable character dichotomy.

The highlight of the show for me has got to be Katey Sagal who plays one of the toughest ladies you’ll see on TV this season. She plays the dual role of mother and complete terror flawlessly and has some of the most gripping scenes on the show.

All in all the show is perfect for today’s television audience. There is violence, intrigue, and important character development. The show also interjects a unique brand of humor that viewers should find very appealing, this show is not to be missed. If you’re worried about Shield withdrawals then this show is the remedy you’ve been searching for.