Taylor Sheridan has made a name for himself as the godfather of the new Western genre, thanks to his extremely popular Yellowstone franchise. Since he has gained recognition as the writer for such socially motivated films as Sicario and Hell or High Water, it can be easy to forget that Sheridan started in the entertainment industry as an actor. While he has several well-placed cameos in his own work, one of his best roles was as Deputy Hale in FX’s biker drama, Sons of Anarchy.
Starring Charlie Hunnam as the doomed Jax Teller, Sons of Anarchy was a clever update to Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Hamlet. Set in contemporary Northern California rather than Denmark, the gritty crime thriller still focuses on a young man haunted by his father’s death and the realization that his mother is more complicit than she seems.
When the series starts, Jax is the vice president of the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club under the rule of his stepfather, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman), who serves as president. The more Clay forces the club into running guns, the more Jax wants to honor his father John Teller’s vision for the club. This internal struggle is what sets Sons of Anarchy apart from other crime stories of its kind. The show also walks in the footsteps of shows like The Shield, perhaps even surprising some with the strength of its acting.
Taylor Sheridan Was the Moral Compass of ‘Sons of Anarchy’
Sons of Anarchy may have slipped past many viewers because of its concept, but the central themes and performances set this story apart. While Jax and Clay struggle for power, the tertiary characters are just as relevant. The man desperately trying to keep everything in order is Deputy Hale, who, from a certain perspective, could be seen as an antagonist of the series. Hale knows that the motorcycle club brings in the criminal element, and he despises how complicit his superior, Sheriff Unser (Dayton Callie) has become. As his character develops, however, it’s clear that Hale has everyone’s best interests at heart.
Hale went to high school with Jax and the empathetic doctor, Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff), and has seen the destruction the club can cause. There are certain times, however, when he and the club are on the same side. Hale wants to help Tara with her restraining order against her volatile ex, and when true evil comes to town, Hale accepts that the Sons are necessary. He and the club can always agree that ATF Agent June Stahl (Ally Walker) is the real villain, as is the white nationalist Ethan Zobelle (Adam Arkin) of Season 2.
While they are sometimes on opposing sides, the Sons and Hale both want to protect the town, so when the deputy’s time on the series comes to an end, it is a tragedy. Sons of Anarchy is no stranger to violence and death, but Hale’s was brutal. Killed in a drive-by shooting, his final act is to attempt to stop the driver before getting hit by the van. His death is devastating to the show, as he was the moral compass.
Sheridan’s departure was a shock but a natural progression of the narrative. Sons of Anarchy grew darker and more brutal until the final episodes that committed Jax to his Shakespearean counterpart’s fate. Like Hamlet, Sons of Anarchy was always a tragedy and, in seven seasons, it never backed down from that legacy.
