The crow flies straight, as many Sons of Anarchy fans could tell you, but it hasn’t been seen flying in a while. The franchise itself capped off most recently with Mayans MC’s run on FX, with the flagship series signing off in a most deadly fashion back in 2014. In the years since, co-creator Kurt Sutter has worked on several other grim and gritty projects, and will hopefully soon be teaming with Jason Momoa on a new motorcycle-centric series. But will SAMCRO ever rise again?

Had you asked me that yesterday, I’d have offered a disappointed sigh while shaking my head silently. But today brings richer fruits, my dear readers! Speaking with Deadline about a unique new project, Sutter was asked if there was any conceivable chance that the Sons prequel focusing on The First 9 members of the club could still come to light, in spite of his past professional schism with FX and its President. Somehow, the words that came out of his mouth next weren’t, “Never in a million years.” Instead, he shared:

This isn't merely placation for placation's sake, with Kurt Sutter jovially agreeing that it sure would be nice to return to these characters. He's always far more about the logic of the thing, warts and all —just check out his reaction to The Abandons' cancellation at Netflix — and I'm ecstatic that there's very much a logical connection still in play here. And yeah, it's "Jax and Bobby hugging"-worthy.

Even though John Landgraf seems to be generally up for more Sons of Anarchy content, at least by way of Sutter's perspective, that obviously doesn't guarantee that there will be a series order happening for CinemaBlend to report on in the next couple of weeks. (I mean, there's a chance, but Landgraf also shared his interest back in 2019 without anything further coming.) But everything Sutter said above is 1000% more positive than the chasms of silence that have echoed over the years.

Sutter continued, strengthening my faith that he does want to breathe new life into Charming and other parts of SoCal, saying:

That direction? Straight, and following the crow, obviously.

Speaking of different directions, though, Sutter and Katey Sagal (Gemma Teller herself) are currently promoting a choral concert performance that they co-developed, titled Khorus Harmonia, which will get a limited run of 10 performances in Los Angeles, with all proceeds going to the non-profit org The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights & the Wounded Warrior Project. It sounds like a one of a kind experience, and as he put it, even if people don't like it, it's only and hour and it's for charity. More of that logical side shining through.

The First 9 was initially described as telling the story of John Teller forming what would become SAMCRO following his return from Vietnam. The show would of course feature younger versions of Gemma and Clay Morrow and other founding members namechecked during Sons' run. The series would also chart their rise from a more simple biker brotherhood to more of a criminal enterprise.

Even though Charlie Hunnam wouldn't be involved in the onscreen mayhem, given the timeline, I do think it would be cool if he returned as narrator, tying back into Jax's self-reflecting moments while reading his father's journal. Hunnam did talk about a return as Jax Teller years ago in a different capacity, but I have to hope he'd be down to reprise the role in voiceover form.

Before any of that can happen, though, remember to check out Khoral Harmonia during its run at Hollywood’s Hudson Theatres, starting on April 22 and running through May 2, with an April 21 preview.

Kurt Sutter isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I tend to think he’s the whole tea set and pastries, plus afternoon entertainment. Whether it’s his scripted fare like Sons of Anarchy and its Mayans M.C. spinoff, his comic books, or the IRL personality on display in his PIE podcast with his highly significant other Katey Sagal, I’m always interested. So like many others, I was waiting to see how he might react to Netflix recently cancelling his western series The Abandons. Suffice to say, he didn’t disappoint.

Boasting Lena Headey, Gillian Anderson and quite a few S.O.A. vets, The Abandons debuted on the streaming service on December 4, 2025, 16 months after news broke that the creator exited the project, reportedly over Netflix execs’ reactions to rough cuts of what was then a feature-length premiere. On January 21, news broke that the mafia-inspired western wouldn’t be back for Netflix’s 2026 lineup (or any ensuing years’), with the cancellation tied to viewership data noted in the company’s semi-annual report.

Drawing attention to the unfortunate fact that The Abandons ends on a cliffhanger that will never get sorted out, Sutter took to Instagram to raise some entertaining hell that apparently needed some cleansing after it initially went up. His original message went as follows, per Deadline:

Kurt Sutter doesn't need things like multiple paragraphs or massive wordcounts to deliver crushing dead-center blows, and makes several attention-grabbing points right there. The biggest detail to take from that post is the allegedly massive price tag that funded the seven-episode season (which was supposed to be a six-episode season). $150 million for such a short season of TV in any era sounds ridiculous, and while a lot of it is on the screen with The Abandons, he makes it sound like a chunk of that total went into "fixing" episodes after he departed.

For a super-truncated timeline: development on The Abandons was announced back in November 2021, the strike-delayed production kicked off in earnest in May 2024, and Sutter’s pre-completion exit was revealed in October 2024, with additional filming then required to split the extended first episode into two parts. I'd love to know if other elements and scenes were added in or removed without Sutter's input. (And if so, how much of it.)

As noted, Kurt Sutter's IG post was later amended in an expertly blistering way for one reason or another. Check out the revised wording below:

Those are probably the most razor-sharp redactions on the Internet in 2026 so far. I'd say they hopefully don't cut both ways, but it doesn't seem like Sutter is extremely willing to hold hands with Netflix again.

To note, the outspoken creative previously made waves for an early project exit when he was fired from FX's Mayans M.C.,, and he previously delivered another one-and-done big-budget series with The Bastard Executioner. But all we can do is learn from the past so that the future can be brighter, right?

As such, I'm as excited as can be about Jason Momoa teaming up with Sutter for a new motorcycle drama, although I might actually be more excited about his even-earlier-in-development noir crime drama for MGM+ following a P.I. in Los Angeles in the 1950s. Hopefully his experiences putting both of those projects together is as positive as can be without any early exits or bloated budgets. As the crow flies!

Even though it may have looked like the 2025 TV schedule would wrap up without an original series co-created by Sons of Anarchy mastermind Kurt Sutter, fear not! The upcoming Netflix series The Abandons will bring his brutal brand of storytelling to the wild west in December. But even before that can get here, we have the fantastic news that motorcycle enthusiast Jason Momoa is teaming up with Sutter for a brand new show!’

Momoa, who led the recently concluded miniseries Chief of War, will once again head up an upcoming Apple TV series, which is where this new project is being developed. Titled Nomad, it stems from Sutter and former colleague Chris Collins, who served as a writer/producer on Sons of Anarchy, as well as on The Wire, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Man in the High Castle. Collins also co-wrote John Wick: Chapter 3, so he’s versed just as much in mythical storytelling as action-packed drama.

That combination should serve this new series’ premise quite well. According to Deadline, Nomad will be set within New Zealand's dangerous underworld, where (presumably) Momoa would play a warrior who finds himself facing the impossible decision of choosing between the two families to eventually embrace his true destiny. It sounds like epic shit through and through.

Both Kurt Sutter and Chris Collins penned the pilot's script, and both will serve as EPs for the new project, which Collins will handle showrunner duties for. Jason Momoa will also serve as an executive producer alongside Brian Mendoza through their production shingle On the Roam.

If it seems like Momoa has way too many upcoming movie projects for this news to be real, that…isn’t that far off from reality. Just check out a non-comprehensive list of what he's got in the immediate pipeline.

Jason Momoa's Upcoming Movie Slate

• The Wrecking Crew (Action-Comedy) - Completed
• Animal Friends (Animated Comedy) - Awaiting Completed
• Supergirl (Action-Adventure) - Filming
• Dune: Part Three (Sci-fi) - Filming
• Street Fighter (Action) - Filming
• A Minecraft Movie 2 (Family Comedy) - Pre-Production
• Fast X: Part 2 (Action) - Pre-Production

Hopefully Momoa's input in all but two of those projects is mostly completed, so that fans won't have to wait years to see Nomad come together, since anyone with an Apple TV subscription knows how agonizing waiting for new seasons can be. (Looking at you with ga-ga eyes, Severance!)

I won't be the first to say it, but while hopes are being tossed around, here's one dedicated to Sutter and Collins finding a way to work Sons of Anarchy lead Charlie Hunnam into this new show. We didn't get to see him return for Mayans M.C. as Jax, which made total sense, and he probably wouldn't want to join another motorcycle show given the FX drama's legacy, but wishes don't need to be logical. Also, Hunnam may be too busy filming Monster Season 4 to join any other shows in the near future.

Stay tuned for more updates on Jason Momoa and Kurt Sutter's new show, and don't forget to wear your helmet.

Unless your name is Taylor Sheridan and/or your project’s name is connected to that of Yellowstone, it’s hard out here for a Western. The 2024 TV schedule seems to have proven that yet again, as production on Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter’s latest series, The Abandons, has seen the mastermind exit.

As if that wasn’t bad enough news for Netflix’s new series boasting Game of Thrones vet Lena Headey in its cast, the timing doesn’t exactly bode well for the project. Per fresh reporting coming out of Deadline, Sutter departed The Abandons with just three weeks and one episode left before wrapping season 1.

In the absence of the series’ creator, executive producer/director Otto Bathurst and co-exec producer Rob Askins will oversee the remainder of production. Part of what’s left to go is a rather interesting reshoot request that may or may not have been the reason for Kurt Sutter’s departure.

For some, this turn of events may not be all that surprising, as Kurt Sutter's previous firing from Mayans M.C. saw him fired from his own prequel series due to "behavioral problems." But as cited in the report above, the problem that The Abandons is facing comes from a different source. The result is as disheartening as Kevin Costner’s uncertainty over Horizon: Part 3.

Apparently, creative differences came into play when it came to the length of the series premiere. Kurt Sutter was happy with an episode that was just shy of 2 hours, while Netflix execs allegedly wanted it to be split into a two-parter. That option apparently opened a can of worms when it came to how to make this particular request work, which ultimately required additional scenes to be written and shot to make it happen.

As The Abandons is now looking to tie up the loose threads of the two-part opener, as well as film the final episode on its schedule, it will now do so without Kurt Sutter as its steward. Based on what we know about The Abandons, the all-star western that co-stars The X-Files legend Gillian Anderson is as ambitious as Kevin Costner's current cinematic endeavor.

One could easily see that project being a sort of canary in the coal mine for Netflix execs who may have issued a greenlight in the wake of Yellowstone Mania. By time Horizon: An American Saga - Part I rebounded on streaming, confidence may have waned enough for executives to step in, and in turn potentially inspire the differences that prompted Kurt Sutter's departure.

Of course, this is all speculation, and we may never know what caused the rift between both parties in this matter. All we do know is that The Abandons is almost completed, with an unspecified target for its streaming debut. And to take part in whatever experience results, you'll need to have an active Netflix subscription to get in on the action.

It’s been nearly ten full years since Sons of Anarchy wrapped up its seven-season run with a string of vicious and deadly episodes that would forever change this fictional universe. While fans would no doubt still love to see one of the prequel projects creator Kurt Sutter teased over the years, his newest TV show will be Netflix’s The Abandons, a 19th-century western set many miles away from Charming, California. But while we know relatively few details about it, it appears as if there’s major potential to connect the new series with S.O.A. lore.

Perhaps most importantly for the sake of speculating, The Abandons finally started filming in mid-May, more than two years after its development was first announced, and a year after its initial production plans were shuttered due to the Hollywood strikes. Now that things are moving in a forward direction with stars like Gillian Anderson and Lucas Till, though, we’ll actually get to learn one day whether or not the new series will indeed feature connective tissue to Sons of Anarchy’s main bloodline. So let’s take a closer look at where things are at.

Kurt Sutter Shares Production Update For The Abandons

Though it remained unclear for a while when Sutter & Co. would be able to officially kick off production plans on The Abandons, a series of casting updates throughout the early months of 2024 indicated that good news was imminent. And then Sutter took to Instagram with the sweetest update possible, including a nifty look at the title font and a healthy dose of gratitude.

While plans can obviously change, the current set-up is for The Abandons to film in locations in Oregon and Calgary, Alberta through mid-October. The design team will be working to make the areas look as much as possible as they would have in the 1850s, which is when the story takes place, centering in part on Lena Headey's Fiona Nolan, whose attempt to raise a family despite not being able to conceive has her adopting four orphans, not realizing that her life would become more strained over others trying to assert ownership of her newly acquired home.

How Could The Abandons Be Connected To Sons Of Anarchy?

While nothing about the title, settings or plotline seems to easily indicate a throughline that would eventually tie off with Sons of Anarchy's run, it all comes down to casting news that was first revealed in March, when Maid's Nick Robinson and Booksmart's Diana Silvers were added to the star-studded ensemble. Because check out what both of their characters are named:

• Nick Robinson - Elias Teller
• Diana Silvers - Dahlia Teller

One doesn't even need to have watched Sons of Anarchy with any regularity to be fully aware that the series focused on Charlie Hunnam's power-hungry biker Jax Teller and the character's badass mother Gemma, as portrayed with ferocity by Katey Sagal. Jax's father, John Teller, passed away before the drama's timeline, and was the hook behind ideas about a prequel series that focused on the SAMCRO brotherhood's origins.

The Abandons' old West setting and outlaw-driven storyline obviously don't seem like they'll offer up direct ties to all of the motorcycle-obsessed outlaws that populated the Sons' ranks, such as Clay Morrow or Piney Winston. But if there are two characters officially named Teller within the scope of this show, is it safe for fans to lightly assume that they're ancestors?

I'm not sure if that's even possible from a creative rights perspective, at least in an official way that would allow Sons of Anarchy and The Abandons to share lore through a character's family name. I feel like unless all the studios involved are just super-agreeable about sharing copyright permissions out of the blue, Kurt Sutter may just be giving fans a winking nod to his former hit drama, rather than anything more substantial.

But holy shit, if it IS real, and those ARE Jax Teller's great-etc.-grandparents without a doubt, that would very likely be more nutso and mind-breaking than any of the Jax-specific references on Mayans M.C. Given how far apart the timelines are, nothing so impactful would happen, I presume, but it would still be huge for all the obvious reasons.

Of course, if the show comes out and both Teller characters die childless within the first ten minutes of the series premiere, this speculation will probably seem a little silly in hindsight. But until it's proven wrong, I'm going to anticipate with hope that Sons of Anarchy fans will get an unexpected prologue of sorts with The Abandons.

Even if that doesn't happen, audiences will certainly still see some familiar faces from the FX drama, though obviously in far different roles. We can look forward to see Sutter reteaming with Ryan Hurst, who played the fan-favorite Opie, as well as Michael Ornstein, whose oddball Chucky Marstein also went on to appear in Mayans M.C. The spinoff's Clayton Cardenas is also in the mix for The Abandons, as well as non-legacy actors such as Aisling Franciosi, Lamar Johnson, Patton Oswalt, Jack Doolan, Michael Greyeyes, Michiel Huisman, and many more.

The Abandons will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription at an unknown point in the future, with Summer 2025 being a likely release window. Check out Netflix's 2024 TV and movie schedule in the meantime, and don't forget to gas up.

Everyone waiting for 2025 Netflix movie and TV show releases knows that the streamer has a lot of potentially substantial irons in the creative fire, and we’re actually getting closer to yet another new release from the company, in the form of a drama series from Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. creator Kurt Sutter, called The Abandons.

Word about the show for those with a Netflix subscription picked up in March 2023 when Game of Thrones cast member Lena Headey was announced as the lead, but if you still need to know more about the drama, we’ve got answers for plenty of your questions right here!

What Is The Abandons Release Date?

While Kurt Sutter had been working on his idea for the show for a while (which I’ll get into more later), things have really been picking up over the past year or so, but there’s currently no release date that’s been set. However, Sutter revealed on Instagram in mid-May 2024 that the series was filming, with Deadline reporting in early October that it was set to wrap by the end of the month, and could be set for an April 2025 launch. So, hopefully it won't be long before we hear more about it.

The Abandons Cast

The Abandons has a hugely stacked cast of recognizable actors who will help round out its cast…

Lena Headey

Though Lena Headey is largely known for her eight seasons as the power-hungry, conniving, will-do-anything-to-rule Cersei Lannister on the famed HBO hit Game of Thrones, Tudum revealed in March 2023 that she’s signed on to head up the cast of The Abandons. The actress will portray Fiona Nolan, a woman who, after not being able to give birth to children of her own, has adopted four orphans and then has to rely on “her faith and strong-willed Irish temper” to protect them in a “dangerous landscape.”

Just having Headey on board shows that the drama is in good hands. Headey was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards for her work on the fantasy series, and based on her past roles, she has a background in playing tough women who take no bullshit.

She’s also starred in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and movies like 300, Dredd, helped lead the Gunpowder Milkshake cast, as well as starring in The Purge, Fighting with My Family, and 9 Bullets. The talented actress has also voiced characters in shows like Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, along with voicing Lara in DC’s League of Super Pets cast.

Gillian Anderson

In late June 2023, Variety reported that famed X-Files, The Crown, and Sex Education star Gillian Anderson is also leading the series. She will portray one of the town's most prominent figures, Constance Van Ness, who inherited her husband's mining fortune and turned it into an even bigger nest egg. Though the area is no easy place for women, her "money, charm, and ruthlessness created a network of political allies," and she values "power, wealth, and lineage" over everything else.

We don't know for sure right now how much these two characters will come into contact, but I'm very eager to see any battle of wills that might ensue from such a pairing!

Lucas Till (Garret Van Ness)

Lucas Till was announced as a series regular by Deadline in early March 2024. The actor starred in the rebooted MacGyver series, and has also been in films like X-Men: First Class, Monster Trucks and Battle Los Angeles.

Nick Robinson (Elias Teller)

The same Deadline article also named Nick Robinson as another regular, where he will play the Sons of Anarchy-esque named Elias Teller. He has starred in films like Damsel, Jurassic World, Love, Simon and The Kings of Summer.

Diana Silvers (Dahlia Teller)

Deadline also brought news that Diana Silvers will star on The Abandons. She’s been seen in movies like Booksmart, Ma, Glass, and in the Netflix series, Space Force.

Lamar Johnson (Albert Mason)

Lamar Johnson has a starring role in the drama as well, and the Emmy-nominated actor has also appeared in HBO’s The Last of Us (which netted him the nomination in 2024) and Your Honor, with roles in movies such as X-Men: Dark Phoenix, All the Bright Places and The Hate U Give.

Aisling Franciosi (Trisha Van Ness)

Viewers will also see Aisling Franciosi as a regular on the show. The actress has been in other series like The Fall, Black Narcissus and Game of Thrones, and movies such as The Last Voyage of the Demeter and God’s Creatures.

Natalia del Riego (Lilla Belle)

Natalia del Riego is the last of the regulars with named characters so far, and those who tune in might recognize her from series like NCIS: Los Angeles, The Rookie, How to Get Away with Murder and the Quantum Leap reboot.

Recurring Cast Members

In addition to those names, there are a number of others who will help round out the cast, but are playing parts we don’t know anything about just yet. March 2024 also saw the news that Kurt Sutter will reunite with Mayans M.C. star Clayton Cardenas for the new series, where he will have a recurring part. Additional recurring cast members were announced by Deadline a few days later, and will see Patton Oswalt, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Sarah Grace White, Michael Ornstein, Katelyn Wells, Marc Menchaca, Brían F. O’Byrne, Jonathan Koensgen, Haig Sutherland, and Jack Doolan appear.

Even more recurring cast additions were announced by Variety in April 2024, with Michael Greyeyes, Michiel Huisman, Ryan Hurst, and Toby Hemingway all signing on for The Abandons, as well.

It’s A Western About A Family ‘On The Fringes Of Society’ In 1850s Oregon

Fans who’ve followed along with Sutter’s series over the years will know that he loves to tell deep stories about people in desperate and dangerous situations, and this new show sounds like it will be no different. According to Tudum’s plot synopsis, The Abandons is a “pulse-pounding Western” that focuses on “diverse families pursuing their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon,” and:

OK. So, I’m already expecting a brutally high body count and several characters with a suspect sense of morality, aren’t you? Having all of this play out in the old West will likely be something that sets it apart from other dramas where beloved characters scheme and/or simply try to survive tough situations, and it could draw in fans of shows like Yellowstone (and its many spinoffs), Yellowjackets, and its streaming mate, Vikings: Valhalla.

The First Season Will Have 8 Episodes

While it was in the fall of 2022 that the Western was announced to have a decently-sized 10 episode series order, there have been some changes behind the scenes (which we'll get into later) that have led that to be cut down to eight episodes, according to the Deadline report above. This should, however, still give the team a good amount of time to introduce all the players, their conflicts/moral quandaries, and give fans a rip-roaring first season to remember.

What Is The Abandons Rated?

Seeing as how this series isn't ready for our eyes just yet, it could be some time before a final verdict comes down on the rating for the show. But, who are we kidding? Considering the plot details we already know and the previous shows that were created by Sutter, I think it’s a safe bet to count on a TV-MA rating for things like violence and strong language.

Sons Of Anarchy’s Kurt Sutter Departed As Showrunner And Executive Producer

Kurt Sutter had been the showrunner for his new series, along with acting as executive producer, but Deadline noted in early October 2024 that he left his duties on the drama behind after clashing over the creative direction for The Abandons with execs at Netflix.

Apparently, the streamer wanted the pilot episode to come in at one hour, as opposed to the one-hour and 40 minute run time they screened. When that edit was deemed impossible, the decision was made to split the episode in two. However, the new cut of what is now the first two episodes is said to have been seen as "disjointed" by Netflix brass, leading to the change in showrunner just about three weeks before the first season was done shooting.

Right now, there is no new showrunner named, but co-exec producer Rob Askins and executive producer/director Otto Bathurst were jointly in charge of the remainder of the production, including any planned reshoots.

The Series Was Inspired By Classic TV Western Bonanza And The Origin Of The Mafia

Wondering where Sutter got the idea for The Abandons? He told Deadline back in November 2021 that he’d "always wanted to do a western," but his attempts to acquire the rights to an established property toward the beginning of the pandemic stalled, so he turned to creating a fully original story. Soon, he was able to merge two seemingly disparate influences, by looking at the formation of the mafia and the classic TV Western, Bonanza. As he said:

I don’t know what you’re thinking, but to me it sounds like The Abandons has a great start at being lots of people’s new favorite television series whenever it finally hits Netflix!

Stephen King has built a wonderful resume of cameos in movies and television going back to 1981 when he made a quick appearance in George A. Romero's Knightriders. Most of his appearances are in productions based on his books, but every so often he pops up in an unassociated project – one such example being his part in a 2010 episode of the hit FX series Sons Of Anarchy.

It's a fantastic cameo that allows the beloved author to play an exceptionally creepy character, and the show's creator, Kurt Sutter, recently shared the story of how it came together – with Sons Of Anarchy star Katey Sagal also reflecting on the experience as a "great" one.

Kurt Sutter has begun doing what he refers to as "#EasterEggSundays" on his personal Twitter account, sharing details about how some special moments came together in the making of the Hamlet-esque series about motorcycle gang. He kicked the whole thing off this month with a trio of text-filled images revealing how Stephen King came to play a body disposal specialist named Bachman in the Sons Of Anarchy Season 3 episode "Caregiver":

If you're what Stephen King regularly refers to as a Constant Reader, then you probably already figured out the origins of his character's name. In the 1980s, the author had a kind of crisis of confidence in his work – concerned that his book sales were more a reflection of his popularity than the quality of his books – and a unique issue where he was writing novels faster than they could be published. It was as a solution to both circumstances that he created the pen name Richard Bachman. The alter ego "died" in 1985 when the truth about his identity was exposed, but to date seven Bachman books have been published, including The Running Man and Thinner.

As for how Stephen King ended up playing the sullen and freaky Bachman on Sons Of Anarchy, Kurt Sutter explains that the two men became friends because of a shared appreciation for each other's work. In reverence, the showrunner apparently offered King the opportunity to do anything he wanted with an episode of his series, and while the author didn't end up writing a teleplay or getting behind a camera, he did find time to do a cameo.

Stephen King is not someone who particularly enjoys air travel, but he was flying to the west coast to receive a literary award, and it was in the midst of the trip that he swung by the California-based production of Sons of Anarchy. Evidently his one demand was that he would get to ride a Harley Davidson on the show, and Kurt Sutter recalls giving him a "blood red Street Glide."

King appears in scenes with series regulars Kim Coates, Maggie Siff, and Katey Sagal, who has been married to Kurt Sutter since 2004. After her husband's post, Sagal Quote Tweeted it with a note about it sparking fond memories from her time making Sons of Anarchy:

If you wish to watch the episode yourself, Sons of Anarchy is now streaming in its entirety on Hulu (it's the third episode of the third season). You can also keep track of all Stephen King projects that are currently in the works for the big and small screens with our Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV guide, and read about the long legacy of adaptations with my weekly Adapting Stephen King column.

After the fatal and tragic shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin’s Rust, plenty of people have shared both their condolences and their critiques about the incident. Now Sons of Anarchy writer and producer Kurt Sutter has spoken out about his experiences on set with guns, safety measures and what happened that led to the death of Rust’s director of photography Halyna Hutchins. 

As someone who was at home on the set of FX’s Sons of Anarchy and now its spinoff series Mayans M.C., Kurt Sutter has seen a lot of gunplay on sets. He said just as much in an interview with Deadline, stating that despite having guns in almost every scene, there has never been a gun-related accident on one of his projects. Here it is in his own words:

The accident he is mentioning, of course, is the shooting on the set of The Crow back in the early ‘90s that resulted in Branson Lee’s death. It was a tragedy that helped propel safety measures on set forward, and an accident along those lines had not happened again until the one on the set of Rust, almost 30 years later. 

In the same interview, Kurt Sutter indicated that he doesn’t know where the blame should be placed, but that there is definitely blame to be put somewhere. Here's how the Southpaw writer and producer put it:

Whenever guns are involved, whether loaded or not, and no matter what type of ammo is used, safety has to be the number one concern so that everyone remains out of harm's way on set. The fact of the matter is that a gun is a gun, and Kurt Sutter believes that the people working around them need to be trained to be around them. 

What Happened On The Set Of Rust

On October 21st, Alec Baldwin shot his prop gun on the set of Rust that, unbeknownst to him, loaded with at least one live round. This is not the norm for a movie set, and it is unclear exactly why there were live rounds near prop guns, let alone in them. 

Although deemed to be safe before handed to the actor, the rounds from Alec Baldwin’s gun ended up killing Halyna Hutchins and injuring Rust director Joel Souza. Police are still investigating the terrible situation, but Baldwin is now facing lawsuits from other members of the crew. Apparently prior to the shooting, there were union walkouts on set due to poor work conditions and budget cuts, which could have led to under-qualified people being hired for positions where safety is important. 

Rust has halted production and it looks like it won’t start back up any time soon, if at all. While there is a whole lot about the situation that is not clear, one thing that everyone can agree on, Kurt Sutter included, is that it is a tragedy that should have never happened, and our hearts go out to everyone affected.

As one of TV's rowdiest creators and showrunners, Sons of Anarchy mastermind Kurt Sutter will always have a welcome place on the small screen, and it sounds like he's setting up his next non-feature project as a streaming series at Netflix. Spoilers: it's not going to be a Cocomelon spinoff aimed at preschoolers, even though I'd love for Sutter to bring his dark sense of humor to such a project.

Rather, Kurt Sutter is working with Netflix on a mythology-heavy western series that's currently going by the working title of The Abandons. Considering Sutter is well-versed in craftly western-ly outlaw characters, this sounds like a perfect genre fit. With another period piece already happening at Netflix in the form of the monster drama This Beast, Sutter explained to Deadline that he's had an idea for a western series building up even before Sons of Anarchy entered the mix, but Deadwood came along with all of its badassery and muted those urges.

Then, as the pandemic wore on, the writer and director revealed he attempted to secure rights to an unnamed western IP, which didn't work out, and so his ideas and inspirations eventually took hold all on their own. Here's how Kurt Sutter explained the project's origins:

The project's chances of coming to light were helped along after a former FX exec, Danielle Woodrow, took a position at Netflix, where western fare is popular but not necessarily in large supply. Such is the streaming service's eagerness for an Old West project that Sutter claims it was the quickest show-development process he's had yet. It probably helps that he's already got an outline in mind for how The Abandons' progression would go from season to season. In his words: 

If Kurt Sutter can bring the same energy and world-building to The Abandons that he did to a project as expensively lofty as The Bastard Executioner, with Netflix backing the budget, then this could easily be the best western fiction this side of Sons of Anarchy vet Taylor Sheridan's expanding Yellowstone-verse and Scott Frank's Godless, which is already on Netflix. (There's almost too much assumed testosterone in this paragraph, so we have to move on now.)

Kurt Sutter's most recent TV co-creation, FX's S.O.A. spinoff Mayans M.C., is still airing and is heading for its fourth season, though Sutter stepped down as co-showrunner after Season 2, and before he was fired outright by FX for behind-the-scenes issues. Here's hoping everything goes smoothly as possible with The Abandons, and that its production process kicks into gear just as quickly as the pitch meeting. 

A beloved Sons of Anarchy vet and current star of The Conners, Katey Sagal went through a pretty scary experience recently when she was hit by a car while crossing the street in Los Angeles. Thankfully, the incident wasn't as serious as it could have been, and the actress is expected to recover in full without last effects. (Which is exactly what fans would expect from the woman who brought Gemma Teller to life.) And while nearly all reactions to the news were fully supportive of Sagal's recovery, her husband and occasional TV boss Kurt Sutter offered a hilariously dark response that was perfectly on brand for the TV creator.

Presumably once it was fully clear that Katey Sagal wasn't suffering from any scary issues related to the accident, and would be just fine afterward, Kurt Sutter took to Instagram with the following reaction: 

Bing bang boom! Kurt Sutter let her rip with that post, turning the whole thing into a self-deprecating barb about the current state of their careers, while also joking about the injured Katey Sagal's chances of having a successful Dancing with the Stars tryout. Nothing is too soon for Sutter. Both regarding jokes and DWTS auditions, since the competition series is already a month into airing its current season. 

To his point, though, Katey Sagal is currently starring The Conners, having just taken part in the chaotic wedding episode in which her character Louise married John Goodman's Dan, and she'd only recently starred in the surprisingly short-lived drama Rebel on ABC. Not to mention her guest-starring role in Netflix's Dead to Me as the jail-friendly mother of Linda Cardellini's character. Oh, and let's not forget she's also set to return to feature-dom for the upcoming country music-tinged horror film Tattered Hearts. So it's no overstatement to say Sagal is busy as all hell. 

Meanwhile, Kurt Sutter has slightly fewer projects on his upcoming slate. His most recent claim to fame has been FX's Sons of Anarchy follow-up Mayans M.C., but he was fired from the show as he was in the midst of stepping down anyway. Since that all went down, he's kept a fairly low profile, though it was announced back in March that he'd set up his directorial debut with Netflix for Blumhouse's dark thriller This Beast, though that has yet to kick into high gear with its production. Though you can bet if that deal falls through, he'll have more jarring comments to make that may or may not be humorously minded.

While waiting to see where Kurt Sutter aims his dark sense of humor next, definitely check out Katey Sagal's weekly work on The Conners every Wednesday night on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET. 

Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't yet watched the Mayans MC episode titled "Overreaching Don't Pay."

While the old saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," it would appear as if Mayans M.C. showrunner Elgin James follows the modified adage "If you can't beat 'em, just keep on swinging until they join you." Season 3 is something of a crossroads for the FX biker drama, which is sidestepping its way out of Sons of Anarchy's bloody shadows all while putting SAMCRO's characters in the crosshairs. Oh, and also by hilariously blaspheming against Charlie Hunnam's Jax Teller.

In the episode "Overreaching Don't Pay," SAMCRO's Happy (David Labrava) and Montez (Jacob Vargas) showed up to pass on the overtly stern "advice" that the Mayans need to give the Sons a heads up when they're passing through. When Montez mentioned not wanting to disrespect Jax Teller's last wishes, it sparked the following exchange between new prospect Steve (Momo Rodriguez) and Gilly (Vincent Vargas).

That the scene went right back into Bishop and Happy's tense exchange makes this epic bit of trolling all the more enjoyable and hilarious, especially since the pratfall-centric Steve remains clueless about what is arguably this franchise's most important character. There's a rare beauty in the way Elgin James& Co. are able to approach spotlight callbacks like that, in that off-screen respect is paid through on-screen disrespect. And can you bet that even without Kurt Sutter around for Season 3, showrunner Elgin James absolutely still has a lot of love and admiration for Sons of Anarchy's characters and creator. When I recently spoke with James, I brought up how much fun it was to hear such a barbed Jax Teller name-drop, and here's how he responded:

I love that reasoning, both because of its general boldness, since TV spinoffs very seldom get to take shots at flagship series, and because of how practical it is. It's not like Jax, Chibs, Tig and the rest of SAMCRO only ever spoke highly of Marcus Alvarez when his name came up on Sons of Anarchy, so it would be weird if the current Mayans members only ever talked about Jax like he was an angel martyr that hadn't totally fucked with the motorcycle club scene in huge ways. I'm sure the stipulations surrounding his death make a ton of charter members angry in various ways, and Gilly's "Who the fuck cares?" is a perfectly catty distillation of that viewpoint.

Mayans M.C.'s separation from Jax Teller isn't just about the always appreciated Sons of Anarchy crossover scenes, either. It's also about making damned sure audience know that J.D. Pardo's EZ Reyes isn't just a re-skinned version of Charlie Hunnam's character. While there are obviously comparisons to be made on a macro level, as well as on a "boyish grin that can make anyone swoon" level, EZ has definitely become his own character at this point. Elgin James wants everyone to know that's not going to change, either, as Season 3 will take EZ down some dark and personal roads. Just in case his happiness in the Season 3 premiere had anyone fooled, here's how the showrunner described EZ's current arc.

Hearing that kind of talk makes me feel very worried about Edward James Olmos' Felipé Reyes, especially since he's been in such a funk over learning the truth about his wife's murder, and with EZ having killed Ada Maris' Dita Galindo. Sure, it would be heartbreaking if he lost Gaby in some way, considering how well they've bonded thus far, and EZ would definitely be devastated if something awful happened to Clayton Cardenas' Angel. But if we're talking about souls being on the line, I don't think there's a more direct way to EZ's soul than through his father. I really don't want to have to say "R.I.P. Felipé" at any point this season, or any other season.

So remember, even though things aren't looking so grim for EZ at the moment, Season 3 is still only getting started, and there are many bumps in the road yet to come. (And I'm sure it won't just be EZ paying the mental and physical costs.) Be sure to tune in Tuesday nights on FX at 10:00 p.m. ET, with episodes hitting Hulu the next day.

Thanks to his work both as a writer on FX's dark and celebrated hit The Shield and as the creator of (and co-star within) the cabler's flagship biker drama Sons of Anarchy, Kurt Sutter cemented himself as an often brilliant storyteller, though one whose workplace behavior got him into trouble on occasion. For his latest project, Sutter is completely changing up mediums to team up with Blumhouse Productions and Netflix in creating a monstrous new streaming film titled This Beast.

To be expected, Kurt Sutter will not only be directing This Beast, but he'll also be producing as well as writing the screenplay. Which means this marks the first time Sutter will have full control (as it were) over what will almost definitely be an R-rated project. So if Sons of Anarchy's most extreme moments are anything to go by – or even those of The Bastard Executioner – then This Beast will likely be filled with explicit language, references to genitals, people getting beaten in disturbing ways, and maybe even a motorcycle or two. Well, maybe not that last one, considering the movie takes place in the 1700s.

Here's how This Beast's story will go: In the 18th century, there exists an English village that is plagued by the deadly and seemingly unstoppable whims of the mysterious and unidentified beast of the title. After dozens of villagers fall victim to the slaughter, the already horrifying situation is exacerbated by religious fanatics in the area. Enter an unsuspecting trapper who claims to be the one who can bring the beast down, though his interest in the hunt is far more of a personal mission than anything else.

Kurt Sutter's story for This Beast is partially inspired by the mysterious French creature dubbed The Beast of Gévaudan, a name likely familiar to Teen Wolf fans. In the 1760s, The Beast of Gévaudan was infamous for terrorizing a village in France and reportedly causing hundreds of deaths to people and animals during that stretch. A monster whose bite is worse than its bark sounds like the perfect Sutter character.

Here's what Kurt Sutter had to say in his statement about This Beast:

Jason Blum championed Kurt Sutter for his "unparalleled storytelling" that can be both extremely intense and disturbing while also packing "an emotional punch." Blumhouse has obviously come a long way from its low-budget horror roots, and is now known for all manner of award-friendly genre projects. (Okay, so that long-gestating Five Nights at Freddy's adaptation probably won't be Oscar bait.) Will that company survive its first partnership with Sutter on Netflix? It's definitely got a better shot than 80% of This Beast's characters.

With the screenplay for Jake Gyllenhaal's boxing flick Southpaw as his sole entry on the theatrical side of things so far, Kurt Sutter most recently served as co-creator and co-showrunner on the Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans M.C., but after he initially announced he was stepping down as co-showrunner for Season 3, he was fired outright by FX for workplace conduct. For whose who miss that corner of the TV universe, Mayans M.C. will return to FX with its highly anticipated third season on Tuesday, March 16.

Sons of Anarchy gave audiences a lot to think about over the course of its seven seasons on FX, from the history of the First 9 to Tig's relationship with Venus to how horribly Abel and Thomas' lives would probably be as they aged into adulthood. Rarely did the ever-vocal creator Kurt Sutter and his creative team strive to deliver outright mysteries within the violent chaos, but that was definitely the case with the explanation-defying character simply known as "Homeless Woman." Until now, that is. Sort of.

Kurt Sutter took the time to answer a fan questions during an Instagram Q&A, and somewhat surprisingly took the bait when someone asked him to give "a definite answer" on what Homeless Woman (portrayed by Olivia Burnette) was meant to represent. Of course, Sutter's answer provided slightly less clarity than any fans might have expected. Check it out!

"I didn't even know I had an Uncle Murray!" is probably the most sensible response I have after reading through that answer. It is something else, isn't it?

Clearly, Kurt Sutter was having some fun with contrasting thoughts here, saying that the Homeless woman represents the light and the dark, life and death, mothers and fathers, binging and purging. Should our takeaway be that the Homeless Woman truly is some kind of a deity? It's often been theorized that she was a guardian angle of sorts for Jax, albeit one that can affect physical reality. And Sutter himself has hinted at her being Jesus Christ in human form. Of course, she would also have to some Satan in her if she was Jesus Christ, going by the above logic.

Really, after having the Homeless Woman appear as often as she did throughout Sons of Anarchy's run, sometimes enigmatically and sometimes not, there probably isn't a more direct answer that Kurt Sutter could provide at this point after the show has been gone for so long. For those who want to see it as Sutter put it, check out the post below.

The Homeless Character is also perceived to be Brooke Portner's mother, Emily Portner, who was killed during the same traffic crash that killed John Teller. That explanation came later, with Brooke showing up nearer the end of Sons' run, though Brooke didn't even pay her any mind when passing her on the street during one episode. As such, it's quite possible that the woman took that particular form only when appearing to Jax and others who were affected by J.T.'s death. Which would lend itself to the whole "mother and the father" nothing that Sutter shared.

Now the biggest Sons of Anarchy mystery I can think of is "When will we see Jimmy Smits' Nero again?"

Sons of Anarchy is currently available to stream in full on Hulu, thanks to corporate synergy between FX and Disney. And even though Kurt Sutter isn't involved anymore, Mayans M.C. will have Season 3 coming to fans at some point in the future.

Kurt Sutter made headlines this fall when he was fired at FX, despite Sons of Anarchy and now Mayans M.C. becoming huge hits for the network. His explanation of what happened suggests that he believes he knows what led to his firing, and now he has come out with an even more shocking claim than that it was a joke that got him booted from the network. Sutter says the ending of Mayans M.C. Season 2 was changed after he no longer had any say. Take a look:

If Kurt Sutter's statement via tweet is the whole story, then the original cut of the Mayans M.C. Season 2 finale (which he evidently approved of) must have been dark indeed. The finished product as aired on FX didn't exactly end on what anybody would likely call a family-friendly note. Sutter didn't go into detail about what he suggests was changed from his original vision and the final cut, but he's clearly not happy about what hit the airwaves.

Considering some of Kurt Sutter's comments about FX since the deal that brought it under the Disney umbrella (including the joke about Walt Disney that he believes got him fired), it's not surprising to learn that he still has issues with the changes to the way he felt the network operated.

The mention of a "WGA violation" could be a sign that he doesn't intend to let alleged changes slide without doing more than posting a shocking tweet. Then again, Kurt Sutter may have just been attempting to impress on his followers just how serious he considers this move by those who would have signed off on the episode as it aired.

It should be interesting to see if FX has any response to Kurt Sutter's claim that the episode as aired was "dumbed" down and "safe." The statement via tweet comes more than a week after the Season 2 finale aired to follow up on the big death in the second-to-last episode of Season 2. There was a lot of violence due to that death in the penultimate episode, as well as another death that was teased without showing the identity of the person who went down.

Whatever does or doesn't happen as a result of Kurt Sutter's tweet, the future of Mayans M.C. shouldn't be affected. The show was renewed for Season 3 before the Season 2 finale even aired. The second season proved that the excellent ratings for Season 1 weren't a fluke, and Mayans M.C. clearly has what it takes to hold on to an audience from year to year, even with the long hiatus between seasons.

Mayans M.C. returns to FX for its first Kurt Sutter-free season in fall 2020. Some further changes are in store on the FX front due to the deal with Disney, as FX's shows will stream exclusively on the Disney-owned Hulu in the future.

A couple of weeks after Kurt Sutter was fired from FX, the Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. creator is speaking out. Sutter doesn't know all the circumstances behind his abrupt exit from FX, though he does think a slight directed at Disney did play a part.

For those who aren't up on Season 2 of Mayans M.C., the joke that Disney had taken issue with was intended to appear in the Season 2 premiere. Now that the situation has come and gone, Sutter has admitted the joke may not have been worth the price paid.

For those a bit confused, the joke touches on the accusation that Disney founder Walt Disney was an anti-Semite. Historians, celebrities, and the masses have gone back and forth on that accusation for decades, though many who knew Disney maintain that is not true. Despite that, the accusation remains a popular point of speculation, and has even been referenced by other shows like Family Guy that are now under the Disney umbrella.

Even so, Family Guy's riff was long before it was a part of the Disney family, while Kurt Sutter's line was written after the deal had been struck. Obviously, the chances were much higher someone up the company ladder would have a problem with the line, which is what Sutter told Deadline he was expecting.

Those who think that only made the problem worse are correct, as Disney again took issue with the way Mayans M.C. was portraying its brand. As mentioned, Sutter knew this, and has since stated it was more strategy in an attempt to ensure the show can continue to run with the same guidelines and not a more restrictive atmosphere.

Thus began the war of sorts between Kurt Sutter and Disney, in which he continued to keep the pedophilia line in drafts of the Mayans M.C. script. While he didn't immediately recognize it at the time, Sutter now realizes that battle may have been when discussions began about removing him from the FX family.

Kurt Sutter may not have put in the line to begin with, but claimed that the new legal department for Mayans M.C. had already been far more restrictive with the show than during Season 1. Sutter said the new legal team requested various changes to the script that had nothing to do with the Disney brand, and in his view, hurt the show's authenticity. While the story may seem like a case of Sutter poking the bear, the creator could argue he was poked first.

Mayans M.C. Star J.D. Pardo Talks Working With 'Legend' Edward James Olmos

Mayans M.C. airs on FX Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for more on what's happening with television, and for a look at what's happening with movies this fall as well.

After years of building a reputation as one of the most hard-nosed showrunners in television, Sons of Anarchy mastermind Kurt Sutter has apparently been fired from FX by network head John Landgraf, with the sudden ousting cutting Sutter out of his co-creation Mayans M.C. earlier than expected. While details have yet to be unveiled, it's reported that "multiple complaints" are what led to Sutter's firing.

It's reported that the decision to fire Kurt Sutter came down the Disney and FX pipeline on Wednesday, and that the Sons of Anarchy creator sent out a letter to the cast and crew of Mayans M.C. that explained the situation on Thursday morning. Disney TV Studios and ABC Entertainment Chairman Dana Walden was also behind the dismissal alongside John Landgraf.

It sounds like Kurt Sutter's letter had all of his signature flair attached to it, as THR reports that he referred to himself as an "abrasive dick" within the letter.

Even though Kurt Sutter has been fired from the FX network, which has been his home going back to his days on the iconic crime drama The Shield, it doesn't appear that it will affect his overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV. It's obviously not a great thing for fans to see Sutter and FX to split like this, but there's precedent for complaints being made about Sutter's unprofessional and uncouth behavior in the past. (He got into some trouble during the Sons of Anarchy days with Fox 21 execs.)

It was only a couple of months ago when Kurt Sutter announced he would be stepping down as the co-showrunner for Mayans M.C., which is now in the back half of its second season on FX. This technically shouldn't hurt the show at all, since Elgin James is still set to handle things by his lonesome, but others' reactions could offer a different tale once the waves start to settle.

Kurt Sutter brought a lot of name recognition to the network, and his work on Sons of Anarchy meant that his attachment to Mayans M.C. truly felt like it would be an extension of the universe made so popular on the original series. Of course, with Mayans deep into its second season, the departure of Kurt Sutter isn't likely to hurt the show all that much, if at all.

Mayans has established itself as separate from Sons of Anarchy, despite connections between the two that continue to be made. The spinoff stands alone, and it can presumably stand without Kurt Sutter on board. Still, a lot of eyes may be on Mayans moving forward to see if Sutter's absence is felt. A big question is what kind of projects Sutter will be able to tackle next. If his overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV is intact, then he's not going to be out of a job, but his name attached to a project may not help it for now.

You can return to the Sons of Anarchy universe created by Kurt Sutter when new episodes of Mayans M.C. (potentially with more connections to Sons) air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

UPDATE, with clarified quotes: While the initial reports about Kurt Sutter's future with Mayans M.C. didn't fully state much beyond the fact that he was stepping down as co-showrunner, here's a more full version of the quote:

Below is the rest of the story, as written before the updated quotes (via Deadline.)

Minus the time he spent working on the feature Southpaw and the historical FX drama The Bastard Executioner, Kurt Sutter has spent the majority of the past eleven years fully invested in the world of SAMCRO for the FX dramas Sons of Anarchy and its in-progress spinoff Mayans M.C. The creator's fanbase was hit with a blow this week, however, when Sutter announced he will be stepping down as the Mayans M.C. co-showrunner for Season 3, assuming FX puts in the renewal order.

Kurt Sutter dropped that big reveal during a press screening for Mayans M.C.'s Season 2 premiere, which hits FX during the first week of September. Speaking to the fact that the Sons follow-up drama centers on a Latino biker gang and is set near the Mexi-Cali border, Kurt Sutter offered up this big-picture sentiment:

To be sure, Kurt Sutter will maintain his co-showrunner and co-executive producer duties throughout the remainder of Season 2, which will go further into the questions that EZ and the Reyes family have about the death of the family matriarch. But should the season prove to be even more successful than the first, inspiring FX to start the renewal process for Season 3, that's when Kurt Sutter will pull up stakes and get out of Dodge, leaving fellow co-creator and co-EP Elgin James solely in charge of steering this brutal ship.

From the earliest days of the show's development, Kurt Sutter preached about giving Mayans M.C. the proper creative voice from within the Latino community, and the team he and Elgin James put together is presumably at a point when Sutter feels he can make a graceful exit without worrying about the drama's artistic integrity. Knowing how Sutter reacts to situations that are far less amicable than this, I think it's safe to say everyone would be well aware if there were actual behind-the-scenes problems that inspired him to leave.

To be expected, Elgin James isn't exactly sobbing over the notion that he'll be the big man on campus if FX orders up a third season of Mayans M.C. James championed Kurt Sutter for taking such a big chance on him as a "violent ex-felon," and told EW how excited he was to potentially become the solo showrunner in the future.

That chemistry is likely going to get ratcheted up quite a few notches in Season 2, with EZ now going gung ho about his prospect role within the Mayans club, though not in a Jax way. Things are only going to intensify between him and brother Angel, who will presumably find out from EZ about what happened to their mother, and how SAMCRO's Happy was involved. Meanwhile, Lincoln Potter is still slithering around, while Miguel and Emily are stricken by lots of problems, with marital spats an everyday occurrence.

Here's hoping Elgin James enjoys the hell out of dark and uncomfortable storytelling like that, since Mayans M.C. definitely isn't going to lower its guard to become a romance-filled medical drama at any point. Although that would be a most interesting one-off episode.

On the flip side, here's hoping that Kurt Sutter's exit doesn't cause FX execs to rethink any decisions to keep Mayans M.C. on the air for the next foreseeable future. On the contrary, I'm really, really, really hoping that Sutter will take this time to slink off and write up a pilot script for the Sons of Anarchy prequel The First 9, which is an idea that has been bubbling ever since S.O.A. called it quits back in 2014. (For what it's worth, FX Chairman John Landgraf told me earlier this year that the network is still interested in Sutter's prequel idea.)

Feasibly, Kurt Sutter leaving Mayans M.C. shouldn't have any major effects on how often or how majorly the spinoff is able to connect with Sons of Anarchy. And actually, it might be easier to get crossover characters like Jimmy Smits' Nero and more if Sutter isn't around, since he had the biggest issues with bringing in familiar characters just for the sake of fan service. Sutter sees problems in touching upon Sons of Anarchy elements that directly tie back to Jax, since he's wanted Mayans to exist with 98% independence of the flagship series. Will Elgin James keep those principles intact, or are we going to see Jax Teller's grand return before too much longer?

Mayans M.C. is set to kick off Season 2 on FX on (Teller) Tuesday, September 3, at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Though many fans expected FX's Mayans M.C. to pay respects to its predecessor Sons of Anarchy through namechecks and other subtle references, I doubt everyone expected to see just how many legitimate Sons crossover moments there were in Season 1. Considering the heated way things ended for all involved, Season 2 will likely be upping the ante in terms of stress-inducing confrontations where Sons of Anarchy characters are concerned.

In fact, Mayans M.C. co-creators Kurt Sutter and Elgin James have opened up a little bit about what viewers will get to enjoy in the biker drama's sophomore season on FX. Here, we'll be talking specifically about the future for some of the most surprising and important Sons of Anarchy crossover characters.

Happy Lowman - David Labrava

Throughout his seven seasons as part of the Sons of Anarchy cast, actor David Labrava turned the loyal (if perhaps somewhat disturbed) Happy into a fan-favorite member of the SAMCRO ensemble. That distinction meant that his big introduction into Mayans M.C. was all the more shocking when it occurred in the Season 1 finale, as JD Pardo's EZ Reyes discovered that Happy was largely responsible for the death of EZ and Angel's mother, who has yet to get an introduction.

Speaking with EW at this year's Television Critics Association summer press tour, co-creator Elgin James joked about Happy meeting a quick end in Episode 3, and then revealed fans will be seeing quite a bit of him in Season 2.

Very interesting. The way the Season 1 finale left things, it was unclear whether or not EZ was going to tell anyone he could seemingly connect Happy to his mom's murder. We know that Season 2 starts off months after the concluding events of Season 1, which means that information will likely be eating EZ alive if he kept it to himself all that time.

Could Mayans M.C. actually put Sons of Anarchy's Happy in EZ and Angel's vengeful lines of fire when all is said and done? Or will Kurt Sutter and Elgin James find a way to spin this story so that Happy doesn't look like such a devious mommy-killer? At this point, I'm hoping for the latter, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by Mayans possibly putting Sons of Anarchy's characters under a different kind of scrutiny than what viewers gave them.

Lincoln Potter - Ray McKinnon

One of the most refreshing surprises to go down in Mayans M.C.'s initial season was the re-introduction of Ray McKinnon's Lincoln Potter, who once again has his targets locked on the Galindo cartel, though his scope is now widening to include some other familiar faces. His return wouldn't have been quite as welcomed if Potter was an ordinary by-the-books government villain in this universe, but McKinnon oozes a delightfully odd energy and makes the character's quirks feel more natural than kooky.

Lincoln Potter was something of a fleeting threat on Sons of Anarchy, with his run locked solely into the drama's fourth season. Getting him back for Mayans M.C. has so far been a treat, and Elgin James told EW that there's a lot more to come from Potter, though we pro-o-obably shouldn't expect him to outlive a lot of other characters.

So while Ray McKinnon's Potter may not be around forever, fans should expect him to incite some calamitous moments in Season 2. As we've seen, he's got access to very sensitive information about Edward James Olmos' Felipe, so he's clearly capable of bringing a shit-storm down when provoked. The fun part for fans will be watching to see who provokes who first.

Marcus Alvarez - Emilio Rivera

As the former head honcho within this chapter of the Mayans club (and beyond), Emilio Rivera's Marcus Alvarez was kind of like a guardian angel in Season 1. He made sure club votes and other business got taken care of accordingly, and he made sure to give EZ some mostly good-natured hell as a new prospect. In the season finale, though, Alvarez hung up his cut and took the offer to work for Danny Pino's Miguel Galindo as a higher-up in the cartel.

I got a chance to talk with Emilio Rivera during the TCA summer press tour – where he shared his thoughts about Charlie Hunnam potentially returning as Jax Teller – and he was very excited for fans to check out what's going to happen in Season 2. That said, he was not all that willing to head into spoilery territory. Here's something Rivera said he's learned from his years of working on Kurt Sutter projects.

Though Emilio Rivera wasn't able to go hardcore on teasing anything major for his character's arc in Season 2, he did talk about missing the goofy frat machismo and the feeling of brotherhood that came while filming with the actors playing the rest of the Mayans club members. That said, he's definitely enjoying his time working with a different set of actors. In his words:

What will happen if push comes to shove and a heated war breaks out between Miguel's crew and the Mayans? Would Alvarez side with his current employee, or the group that molded him into such a powerful person to begin with? Here's hoping answers come sooner rather than later.

With more Sons of Anarchy-related surprises no doubt in store, Mayans M.C. will kick off Season 2 on FX on (Teller) Tuesday, September 3, at 10:00 p.m. ET.

FX revved up a lot of viewers' motors in 2018 with the second TV series within the Sons of Anarchy franchise, the location-swapping spinoff Mayans M.C. The new drama delivered a lot of expectedly hardcore narrative threads, and offered up a surprising number of crossover ties to the flagship series. But whatever happened to Kurt Sutter's prequel idea, The First 9?

During this year's TCA winter press tour, I had a quick chat with FX Networks president John Landgraf, and there's no way the SAMCRO fanatic inside me could refrain from asking if it was feasible for the Sons of Anarchy prequel to happen while the Mayans spinoff was still airing. Here was his answer:

First thing's first: Kurt Sutter still hasn't fully put The First 9 pitch out to pasture, and is apparently still bringing it up with enough semi-regularity that John Landgraf still sees it as a viable option for the future. Of course, that future is no more secured or certain than anyone's future was on Sons of Anarchy.

In any case, not only is John Landgraf of the belief that Kurt Sutter still wants to bring the Sons of Anarchy prequel into existence at some point, but the FX head honcho sounds like just the kind of person who would order it to series if it maintained the quality of Sons and Mayans. He doesn't confirm that both would get to air at the same time, but it's the more delightful mindset.

In my completely untrained opinion, developing and ordering The First 9 would be a truly brilliant move for both Kurt Sutter and John Landgraf. Mayans M.C. isn't yet pulling off the kinds of big numbers that Sons of Anarchy did in its prime, but the spinoff is standing out when it comes to DVR numbers. So it's clear there is an audience out there ready to embrace all the motorcycle mayhem FX can afford to throw out there.

There was a point when Kurt Sutter himself had talked about possibly not moving forward with The First 9 after he spent some time reflecting on the violence portrayed .in his shows. Obviously, Mayans M.C. is extremely violent in its own right, even if it does sometimes feel like they're intentionally holding back. As such, it's unclear if that aspect would still have any effect on what he'd want to do with the prequel.

For those who might need a refresher, The First 9 would be about the initial nine members of SAMCRO, which includes Jax Teller's dad John. As well as Opie's pop Piney. (R.I.P. Opie.) The show would take place at a point after J.T. returned home from Vietnam, in the years before Jax was born, and would see SAMCRO's foundation being built upon J.T.'s less criminalistic ideals.

Even if The First 9 just happened as a one-off season that went down between seasons of Mayans M.C., that would be cool. Really, though, FX and Kurt Sutter, do more than just a one-off season.

Don't expect to find Sons of Anarchy or Mayans M.C. on Netflix anytime soon, but you can stream the newest series on FX's own streaming service, FX+. While waiting to hear about Season 2, as well as more about The First 9, put those side-view mirrors on our midseason premiere schedule to make sure you don't miss all the biggest dramas that are on the way.

Sons of Anarchy has officially been dropped from the Netflix library. While Netflix gave no official reason behind the removal of a series that's been a staple of its catalog for some time, some had theories regarding why it was dropped. Kurt Sutter confirmed that speculation on Twitter, bringing any confused parties into the loop on why Sons of Anarchy was removed and Mayans M.C. won't be arriving on the service.

Kurt Sutter confirmed that the big reason Sons of Anarchy was removed from Netflix was another jab between it and Disney as the launch of Disney+ looms ever closer. Disney's acquiring of Fox programming means it now owns the rights to Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C., so one can expect neither will arrive back on Netflix anytime soon -- if ever.

Sons of Anarchy's removal from Netflix comes after what's been a bloodbath in terms of Netflix shows that are affiliated with the Disney brand. Netflix has canceled three of its Marvel shows, with many speculating the remaining two will be canceled following their new seasons. The moves appear to be mostly motivated by Disney+'s potential as a major competitor for Netflix, as reports have surfaced alleging Daredevil was one of its top 5 shows at the time of cancellation.

Meanwhile, Netflix subscribers are suffering. That said, those with multiple subscriptions to various streaming services may be in luck, as there are outlets for folks to watch Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. on streaming. Kurt Sutter mentioned all the other places cord cutters can catch episodes without Netflix.

Kurt Sutter added a foreboding "for now" to his tweet, which makes it sound as though there will be a point where those outlets lose their streaming privileges as well. One would imagine Disney+ will eventually add Sons of Anarchy and other Fox programming to its library, although it's not been something Disney has made a priority to explain. Instead, the brand has teased two live-action Star Wars series, MCU-related adventures, and a third Sister Act movie.

Even if Sons of Anarchy is a day one add for Disney+, there are still a community of consumers concerned about committing to yet another streaming service to catch their favorite shows. Buying physical copies of seasons is still an option, luckily, which some pointed out in the replies to Kurt Sutter's tweets. That said, it's possible that Sons of Anarchy and other classic Fox shows could go in the "Disney vault" and physical copies become scarce in later years.

As mentioned, Hulu and FXNow are still places where a streaming audience can catch episodes of Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C.. For a look at what else is happening on television in the meantime, head on over to our fall and midseason premiere guides.

Spoilers below for the Mayans M.C. season finale, so be sure to watch before reading on.

Fans expected FX's Mayans M.C. to features important tie-ins with Kurt Sutter's original series Sons of Anarchy, but the Season 1 finale went next-level in connecting the two shows. Beyond looping SAMCRO into the Reyes matriarch's death, "Cuervo/Tz'ikb'uul" also introduced a new S.O.A. club prospect named Hallorann. The beer-seeking character was played by Ray Nicholson, son of Hollywood icon Jack Nicholson. Such star status should cement his place in Season 2, right? According to Kurt Sutter, signs point to yes.

The reason why Kurt Sutter uses "would" instead of "will" is presumably because Season 2's narrative hasn't been set in stone just yet. Speaking with EW, Kurt Sutter says that Ray Nicholson's Hallorann would be around in Season 2 presuming the Mayans club will continue to work with Charming's Sons of Anarchy. So mark this under "likely to happen, but in no certain terms."

As part of the Mayans' deal with the Galindo cartel, SAMCRO will be overseeing one leg of the drug-running process. Logic would dictate the Sons being around in a big way because of that deal, right? Perhaps not so much, and it's all because of Hallorann's connection with David Labrava's Sons of Anarchy fan favorite Happy Lowman.

Viewers learned in the finale that Happy was responsible for killing E.Z. and Angel's mom, so he's the one the younger Reyes sibling has been tracking all season. It was while chasing Happy down that E.Z. was called out to by the cop that he impulsively pulled the trigger on, sending him to prison. As such, there are no guarantees that E.Z. or Angel will want anything to do with Happy or Hallorann in Season 2.

Son of Jack Nicholson and Rebecca Broussard, Ray Nicholson landed the Mayans M.C. gig because of his own connection with Kurt Sutter. And the way the co-creator puts it, the experience might have been an overwhelming one for the burgeoning actor.

Even there, Kurt Sutter didn't quite seem to be solidifying any assertions that Ray Nicholson's SAMCRO prospect will be present and accounted for in Season 2. Maybe that's just Sutter's way of keeping us on our toes when thinking about how E.Z. is going to handle his new look on life.

Having just chosen to remain a Mayan by finding a new sponsor, E.Z. either has to completely ignore the Happy situation, or figure out a way to take care of it in the most clandestine way possible. Which, for all intents and purposes, could mean he'd need to find out some personal information about Happy from a certain curly-haired SAMCRO hopeful.

As one of the more popular new cable shows of 2018, Mayans M.C. will be the subject of much discussion as Kurt Sutter and showrunner Elgin James mold Season 2 into shape. While waiting to hear about when the FX hit will return, familiarize yourself with the rest of the fall TV premiere schedule to find more bangs for your buck.

Although The Bastard Executioner didn't work out on FX, Kurt Sutter is still a show creator with an avid fanbase and a lot of ideas. His latest show Mayans M.C. premiered this week and, following the release of the show's memorable first episode, the popular Hollywood man took to social media to thank fans for trying out his latest venture. Here's what he had to say following the Mayans M.C. premiere. (And he shared a cute image of his pup to boot!)

Many of Kurt Sutter's fans are holdovers from the Sons of Anarchy era on FX. Fans of that series had been excited about Mayans M.C. in the months leading up to the new show's release, both because it brings the showrunner back to cable TV (and specifically FX) and because it's another narrative about individuals who belong to a motorcycle club. Motorcycle club programming may not be a specific TV genre, but it's certainly a niche that has very loyal and dedicated fans and in his first post after the new show premiered, Kurt Sutter, who co-created Mayans M.C. alongside Elgin James, took a break to thank people for showing up for the new series. Plus his post also included a look at his adorable dog, which should inspire all the Instagram likes.

Mayans M.C. officially hit FX's schedule on Tuesday, September 4. The show is running positively on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, but more importantly, the opener for the new show scored big numbers for FX. The show did a 1.1 rating and 2.53 million total viewers on its opening night. Now, compared to a big network show like Young Sheldon, those might not be big numbers, but it is a good number for cable, and the show evenly matched the 2.53 million viewers Sons of Anarchy did when it opened in 2008.

This seems to indicate that plenty of fans of the first series have shown back up for the new episodes. (And hopefully some new, diverse faces, too.) Mayans M.C. has smartly figured out a way to tie in Sons Of Anarchy without being too on the nose about it. Earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con, Kurt Sutter revealed there would be some Sons characters returning for brief appearances (albeit not Jax Teller), and the premiere for the show included Gemma in a flashback scene where she is visiting prison and is a side character in a scene involving EZ and Emily.

The show has nabbed a 10-episode order, so it has quite a few weeks to potentially grow during its run. One thing is for certain: We'll definitely be keeping an eye on how Mayans M.C. is doing in the ratings, and if Kurt Sutter's response this week is any indication, he certainly has his eye on the fans while putting out this brand new series.

Mayans M.C. airs new episodes on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET, only on FX. Check out what other shows are coming this fall with our full schedule.

In the history of television, there has never been a lead female character quite like Sons of Anarchy's Gemma Teller, who had the backbone of a whale and the ferocity of a rabid lion. (And the vocabulary of a drunken sailor.) A similar standout female role isn't readily available for FX's Sons spinoff Mayans MC, which has been one of the main criticisms aimed at the new action drama. But franchise co-creator Kurt Sutter has an explanation for why Mayans MC doesn't have a Gemma doppelgänger there from the start. In his words:

Understandably, Kurt Sutter was inclined to try and repeat some of the same successes he reached with Sons of Anarchy with the border-crossing new series. Obviously the core group of testosterone-fueled bikers was already a similar hook to the SAMCRO squad, so it probably looked like the only other major missing element was an assertive matriarch to rule the roost. Considering Sutter is married to Sons vet Katey Sagal, he's not lacking for reminders of such awesomeness.

But as he put it to EW, it was in trying to force the issue that Kurt Sutter realized he was actually doing a detriment to the show and the characters, so he and Elgin James strengthened the show's central focus on the three Reyes men -- J.D. Pardo's EZ, Clayton Cardenas' Angel and Edward James Olmos' Felipe -- whose lives were dramatically changed whenever they lost the family's matriarch. And with that as the revised focus, Mayans MC isn't creating any in-house pressure to build up the female characters to be as instantly memorable as Gemma, Maggie Siff's Tara, or Drea de Matteo's Wendy.

At this point, Mayans MC's female candidates for breakout stars are largely limited to Sarah Bolger's Emily and Carla Baratta's Adelita, and there's no clear front-runner without knowing how Sutter and James will play things. As EZ's innocent and put-upon high school sweetheart who moved up to a higher social status, Emily's current situation doesn't take long to get twisted into something harrowing, so it's possible she'll get out of the situation as guided by her inner beast mode. On the flip site, Adelita starts off as something of a badass rebel seeking revenge against the all-powerful Galindo cartel, so she could either continue being developed into a full-fledged lead, or her initial bravado could lead her to a quick demise. And, of course, it's possible that a woman who won't be introduced until Episode 6 will end up becoming the next greatest thing to Gemma Teller. We'll be able to judge her on a scale of one to ten gashes.

For those who weren't aware that the biker spinoff took two tries to land its footing, Sutter and Elgin James got Mayans MC into development at FX back in 2016, and an initial pilot was scripted, cast and produced. However, that pilot wasn't deemed strong enough to run with, which possibly had something to do with the more shoehorned-in elements. So after Sutter and James reworked the script, some of the Mayans roles were recast, and another director was brought in to helm the second effort. That's the one that sealed the deal, and is the one fans will be putting their peepers on first, so get ready.

Put on your most comfortable and least Mayans MC makes its roaring debut on FX on Tuesday, September 4, at 10:00 p.m. ET. To see what shows you'll be able to ride alongside at other points during the week, head to our fall TV premiere schedule.

The Mayans Motorcycle Club has a couple different chapters in the Sons of Anarchy universe, and while the show could've had Mayans M.C. centered in Charming or one of the other locations of the original show, co-creator Kurt Sutter instead opted for a bulk of the series to center on the area at the California and Mexico border. Sutter explained the decision was mainly made to avoid too much interference with the Sons of Anarchy mythos, so that the show's mythology could rest as easy as Jax Teller:

Kurt Sutter once again made his stance known that Mayans M.C. isn't going to be a Sons of Anarchy sequel series, and that's due to him wanting to protect the story of the original series. Sutter knows not every Sons of Anarchy fan will accept that reason, and instead think Mayans M.C.'s location was chosen to reference the current political climate in America. Sutter assured to fans and Variety the premise of the series was laid out years before any political agendas, but that the show will need to address some of current politics to accurately depict life on the border. Sutter indicated to do anything less wouldn't be authentic to the culture and people represented in Mayans M.C., which is a major goal of the series.

Authenticity in storytelling is something Edward James Olmos is concerned with as well, as he stressed the story of Mayans M.C. will do more than introduce a story from a Latin perspective. Olmos said viewers can expect to see more of the inner-workings of outlaw biker gangs, and how these members form a unique bond throughout their various adventures and exploits:

Bonding through criminal operations is something the Mayans M.C. cast knows a little something about, as Kurt Sutter boasted some members of the cast have more "jail time than screen time" on their resumes. Edward James Olmos, who had his own brief run-in with the law in the past, appreciates the added authenticity and thinks the series will benefit from allowing people who lived similar circumstances the chance to tell their perspective in the story.

Mayans M.C. premieres on FX Tuesday, September 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET. For a look at all the shows coming to television this fall season, be sure to visit our fall premiere guide.

There are so many TV reboots, revivals, continuations and spinoffs on the air right now, they could fill up an entire network's scheduling slate. And one of the most anticipated follow-up series of the fall season is FX's Mayans M.C., the high-speeding offshoot of the network's popular drama Sons of Anarchy. It'll be roaring into primetime soon, which means reviews have been popping up across the internet. So we've rounded up multiple hot takes to give you guys a more broad idea of what to expect from Kurt Sutter and Elgin James' _Mayans M.C. _

First up, I'll go ahead and shamelessly kick things off with CinemaBlend's review of Mayans M.C., as written by yours truly. Overall, I really enjoyed what I saw, and found it quite easy to look past the early-series hiccups, knowing that Kurt Sutter's storytelling sweet spot is yet to come. And in other words:

Forbes' review credits Mayans M.C. for getting right "everything all the competition has been getting wrong" when it comes to expanding a fictional TV universe. Merrill Barr believes the spinoff does a fine job of distancing itself from the Sons of Anarchy narrative.

Similarly, Variety's Zack Handlen viewed the initial episodes with enthusiasm, and enjoyed the comfortable camaraderie between the club members. Though his good-naturedness waned when it comes to the backstory for J.D. Pardo's lead character EZ Reyes, and the reviewer missed Sons of Anarchy's blatant riff on Hamlet, not seeing anything similar happening with the Mayans M.C. story. But he's not giving up hope yet.

Several more favorable reviews are out there praising the pleasures of Mayans M.C., but let it be known that the positive vibes were not universal. For instance, Allison Keene says in her Collider review that while the cast is full of winners, the opening episodes fail to give the show's charter a true sense of place and authority in this world, since they're initially used to handle business for the Galindo cartel. And that's not all that was bemoaned.

Over at Vulture, the lack of a strong female lead was also a point of contention, as was the setting, deemed to be flatter and drier than SAMCRO's stomping grounds. And while reviewer Matt Zoller Seitz recognized and enjoyed the more artful flourishes that popped up every so often, he wanted the show to be more of a natural storytelling extension of co-creator Elgin James' tumultuous and powerful real-life history.

On the whole, there seemed to be some subjective difference when it comes to Mayans M.C.'s success with how its storytelling is handled. Some felt that the studious EZ was a nice change of pace from the born-to-misery Jax, while others felt he paled in comparison. Some think the Mayans' specific place in Mexi-Cali relations is a good move, while others think it's only retreading what Sons of Anarchy already did, just worse. All in all, it's not so dissimilar from how that first biker drama was viewed by critics upon release, so don't expect any negative opinions to dissuade fans who need more Teller Tuesdays in their lives.

Mayans M.C. will make its grand debut on FX on Tuesday, September 4, at 10:00 p.m. ET. To see what else is coming to the small screen soon, head to our fall premiere schedule.

When the exhaust-pumping Mayans M.C. kicks off on FX, the biker spinoff won't take long to draw upon influences from the flagship drama Sons of Anarchy, but it's been made abundantly clear that viewers should not expect to see Charlie Hunnam's Jax Teller making any surprise cameos. That said, co-creator Kurt Sutter isn't completely against referencing the former SAMCRO leader on Mayans M.C., and is actually interested in catching up with the youngest Teller offspring, Jax's sons Thomas and Abel. In Sutter's words:

As Sons of Anarchy fans are well aware, Jax Teller is no longer around the land of the living to make any impromptu appearances on Mayans M.C., which takes place around two years after the events of the S.O.A. finale. So already, a flashback would need to happen in order for Charlie Hunnam's tension-stricken character to be around. (Not that the spinoff drama avoids flashbacks or anything.) But instead of that ever happening, Kurt Sutter teases to Stuff that it's a distinct possibility that fans could catch up with Abel and Thomas before Mayans M.C. comes to a close.

Now, Sons of Anarchy played very loose with the age of Jax and Wendy's son Abel, as well as that of Jax and Tara's son Thomas. But if estimations can be made, then it can be assumed that Abel is around 7 or 8 years old when Mayans M.C. starts up, which would put Thomas' age at around 5 or 6. It's likely neither of the two boys would be doing anything too dastardly or Jax-esque at this point in their lives -- such as smoking, getting back tattoos and funding porn studios.

But if Mayans M.C. lasts for six or seven seasons like Sons did, then we could see Abel and maybe even Thomas reaching the teenage years, which is definitely a prime time for puberty and testosterone to come roaring. Wendy and Tara may not have felt an innate thirst for violence to pass on to their kids, but I'm betting Jax had more than enough to pass around. And if Kurt Sutter and Elgin James stumble upon an idea good enough to latch onto, viewers might see at least one male Teller family member on Mayans M.C. in the coming years.

One of the first teasers for Mayans M.C. did pay respects to Jax by way of a roadside memorial, which was more elaborate than the visual marker that identified J.T. Teller's "accident" location. Could it be possible that some of the M.C. will be driving by that memorial in a future season, with Wendy seen showing Thomas and Abel where their dad was killed? Kinda morbid, but definitely not against type for this franchise.

Fans don't have long to wait, as Mayans M.C. will kick off its freshman season on FX starting on Tuesday, September 4, at 10:00 p.m. ET. To see what's coming to the small screen soon, head to our fall TV premiere schedule.

In recent years, FX has boasted such critically championed dramas as The Americans, Legion, and American Crime Story, but has largely avoided the action-heavy fare that made Sons of Anarchy such a big hit. That all changes this fall season thanks to the spinoff Mayans M.C., a roaring good time that retains much of what made the flagship drama so powerful, but with a (mostly) new cast and s refreshing new narrative that will mix its wide-open highways with the darker corners of Kurt Sutter's storytelling.

A far ways from the Charming setting where SAMCRO did its dirty work, the Mayans' Santo Padre charter is located near the border between California and Mexico, and is headed up by the no-bullshit club president Obispo "Bishop" Losa, portrayed by The Unit vet Michael Irby. He's cousins with Oakland charter president Marcus Alvarez, with Emilio Rivera reprising the role, making for the most natural Sons of Anarchy tie-in. Bishop has more natural charisma than Ron Perlman's Clay Morrow, and the character already comes across as equally duplicitous, though he isn't initially as intimidating as Clay was, at least in the earliest episodes.

Similarly, the show's lead character Ezekiel "E.Z." Reyes isn't as confrontational as Charlie Hunnam's Jax Teller was at his most passive, and for good reason. E.Z. wasn't necessarily born and raised on M.C. life, and was getting a solid education that promised a better future than the one he had coming. Something went wrong along the way, though, landing him in jail and disrupting a romantic relationship with Sarah Bolger's Emily, for whom he still holds strong feelings.

When Mayans M.C. kicks off, E.Z. is a Prospect within the club, having to suck it up while performing the bottom-of-the-rung duties that label entails. His brother Angel (Clayton Cardenas) is a fully patched member of the Mayans, which obviously plays a big part in E.Z.'s intention to join the club, even if the younger sibling knows he's probably got more brainpower than everyone else. In general, star J.D. Pardo is as promising as the show is on the whole. Considering how popular Sons of Anarchy remains, the role provides some big shoes to fill, and Pardo does a fine job of playing both sides of the moral coin.

Even if E.Z. isn't quite as quick to beat the shit out of someone else as others in the brotherhood, he's not exactly hiding from the violence, which feels slightly less overwhelming than it did on Sons. He's got caveats for how far he'll go, though, and E.Z.'s first priority is the safety and well-being of his father Felipe, played by the always great Edward James Olmos. The Battlestar Galactica alum plays the somberly knowledgable wise man here, which doesn't give him a ton to do early on, but there's lots of room for Olmos to unpack the character as the story unfolds. This family's closet is no doubt full of skeletons comparable to the Teller's.

As it went on Sons of Anarchy, the Santo Padre chapter at the heart of Mayans M.C. is full of characters that deserve full development as the series goes along. We've got Raoul Trujillo as Che "Taza" Romero, who serves as the club's vice president, Vincent "Rocco" Vargas as the friendly neighborhood MMA fighter Gilberto "Gilly" Lopez, and Frankie Loyal Delgado as Hank "El Trankq" Loza, the Sergeant at Arms for the Mayans. The side character who perhaps gets the biggest hint of a story arc is Richard Cabral's Johnny "El Coco" Cruz, a scrappy biker with some family members who are also known for their illicit actions.

For anyone who hasn't ever watched Sons of Anarchy, the brazen metaphor during the premiere's opening moments might not make the most sense. But the show itself won't be the most hard-to-crack enigma, with brotherhood machismo and loyalty sitting front and center of the violence-ridden plotline. The overarching plot is set up right in the premiere, too, immediately giving viewers a problematic and emotionally rough story to latch onto, which lays out the potential for traitorous actions within the club itself, though probably not quite on the scale of what happened to Opie Winston in Sons' first season.

The central plot also offers the series' first crack at a villainous big bad. Enter Law & Order: SVU vet Danny Pino as the smooth-talking Miguel Galindo, the son of Jose Galindo, who founded the same-named cartel that has an iron grip on the area's criminal activity. Miguel's relationship with the Mayans M.C. isn't overwhelmingly friendly, but there's a mutual respect for territorial concerns, and the groups try not to step on each other's toes. That is, until a new group of rebels shows up and threatens the cartel for their years of unauthorized lethal justice, thus kicking off an interesting power struggle triangle between the different factions.

Co-creators Kurt Sutter and Elgin James have done a fine job of reinterpreting the Sons of Anarchy formula for a So-Cal setting that embraces Latino lifestyles, albeit sometimes with stereotypical elements. Still, there aren't many other shows on TV right now that feature full lead casts with such diverse backgrounds, and whenever there's a Caucasian actor around, it's usually because someone from another area is dropping by for a visit. (I might be talking about S.O.A. characters there, or I might not be.)

For now, Sons of Anarchy is the gold standard for Mayans M.C. to stand up against/ride alongside, and in its opening episodes, the FX spinoff manages to do just that, even if its plots can't help but seem half-cribbed from SAMCRO's tumultuous heyday. But there is much more of this fast-paced chaos show to come to continue striking down new and surprising narrative paths, so I'll definitely be watching to see what happens next. And to see who shows up next...though it won't be Charlie Hunnam.

Mayans M.C. will make its big debut on FX starting on Tuesday, September 4, at 10 p.m. ET, so be sure to tune in. Wondering what else is coming to the small screen soon? Head to our fall TV schedule.

Mayans M.C. may bring back past Sons of Anarchy characters throughout its run, but at its heart this series is mainly about Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes and his experience in the Mayans motorcycle club. For that reason, creator Kurt Sutter was selective about the person he wanted for the role and wasn't sure if an actor who had read for several other characters, J.D. Pardo, could cut the mustard. Pardo indicated during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con that he had a bit of a hard time convincing Sutter he was the guy for the gig, and CinemaBlend was there to hear what turned things around. According to Pardo,

J.D. Pardo told the Comic-Con audience he felt like he had Kurt Sutter on the line, so he wasn't about to let the Sons of Anarchy creator take the afternoon and change his mind. Sutter, who seemed to get a kick out of Pardo's telling of the tale, joked that he didn't remember things happening quite the same way, although later confirmed that things went down exactly the way the actor indicated. Pardo later added he was scared that he put that much pressure on himself to memorize and audition in under an hour when he was initially offered the afternoon to prepare, but told the audience he believes fear needs to be put aside sometimes, encouraging folks to go for what they want.

J.D. Pardo had a great story for how he swayed Kurt Sutter into letting him play the lead in Mayans M.C., but unfortunately was a bit cryptic about how an actor being bopped around for various roles ended up in the same room as the passionate Sons of Anarchy creator. Pardo did mention he had to do a lot of hoop jumping to make it that far, which probably made the pressure that much more intense prior to his audition for EZ. That said, Sutter did say that Pardo stuck out as an interesting actor during the audition process, although he also seemed to imply his vision for EZ was not present in what Pardo had shown in auditions for the various other roles he tried out for and didn't get.

Mayans M.C. will premiere on FX Tuesday, September 4, at 10:00 p.m. ET. The show is one of the first few that will welcome in the fall season of television, and those who are curious about what else is on the way can find out with our fall premiere guide. Fall isn't here yet, of course, so also be sure to visit our summer premiere guide and see what other programming is still on the way. For more on Mayans M.C., Sons of Anarchy fans should certainly check out one of the recent teaser videos for the new series to see how it paid homage to the franchise's former main man Jax Teller.

Sons of Anarchy was an adrenaline-fueled powerhouse of a drama whose legacy lives on through FX's upcoming spinoff Mayans MC. Co-created by SOA's Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, Mayans MC won't be resurrecting the entire SAMCRO crew for shoehorned cameos throughout its run, but Sutter has confirmed that these two worlds will definitely get mixed around for Season 1 and in future seasons. In Sutter's words:

Sutter's words to the crowd at San Diego Comic-Con should be great news for anyone who assumed Mayans MC would try and make it through at least one standalone season without tipping its hat to Sons of Anarchy lore. Many spinoffs feel the need to develop their own solid foundations before paying homage to predecessors, but sometimes fans just really want to see familiar elements right away, to let them know something isn't a complete overhaul. Granted, the fact that Mayans MC is a show about another motorcycle club is more substantial connective tissue than having someone take a phone call from Jimmy Smits' Nero. But nobody is turning Smits away at the door, so bring him on in!

Plus, Kurt Sutter has a solid point in wanting Sons of Anarchy to remain its own singular entity for fans to remember (since Tig cannot be forgotten anyway). He knows the Mayans MC creative team has to tread carefully when inserting SOA characters and references into episodes, with the goal of not dishonoring anyone's memories and opinions about the flagship drama. For example, if the biggest crossover character, Emilio Rivera's Marcus Alvarez, starts acting in a way that doesn't feel authentic to the performances we saw on Sons of Anarchy, the fans are going to let Sutter and Elgin James know about it in the loudest ways possible. As such, we shouldn't expect many direct references and narratives tied to the Teller family's burnout, even if some familiar faces from the periphery start to show up. (Although I would love an update on Abel and Thomas.)

Mayans MC actually laid out its first big on-screen link to Sons of Anarchy with one of its shortened teasers, particularly the one the showcased Jax Teller's roadside memorial, in reference to the flagship series' big finale moment. To me, that served as solid proof that this show will be able to handle its cross-show easter eggs and references in interesting and perhaps unexpected ways. And without even having to show Charlie Hunnam's stubble-ridden face.

Personally, I'm good with whatever happens. If Mayans MC stands up as a fully fleshed-out drama with all the expected emotional hooks and action beats, then I'd be perfectly happy if it lived on exclusively in its own fictional bubble, without any Sons of Anarchy elements showing up. But then maybe I'm only able to say that because I know that Sutter & Co. are already going to spice things up accordingly. However it goes, "great television" is always the goal.

Mayans MC is set to hit FX on (Teller) Tuesday, September 4, at 10:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to check out the first trailer on the next page, and head to our summer premiere schedule to see what is popping up in primetime before then.

Of all the current spinoffs and remakes being developed for TV, few inspire quite the same amount of testosterone-filled cheers as FX's Sons of Anarchy follow-up, tentatively titled Mayans MC. Now, though, it's unclear if that excitement has been worth it or not, as a pretty huge problem is being reported behind the scenes. Namely, FX is wholly scrapping the already produced pilot and will start over mostly from scratch.

Kurt Sutter and Elgin James are still apparently set as co-creators, but Sutter will no longer be in the director's chair for Mayans MC. Grimm executive producer Norberto Barba is taking over at the helm, and he's been behind the camera for a ton of shows, most recently for series such as The Path and Designated Survivor, along with upcoming episodes of The Strain and Preacher. According to Deadline, Sutter will be focusing on the writing aspect, so it's possible the story will see some changes as well.

More curious, perhaps, is the fact that Sons of Anarchy's Mayans MC pilot will also be recasting some of the central roles, though it's not specifically stated who is getting replaced. That could make for some serious disappointments, depending on who goes, since the lineup of casting choices included such stars as Battlestar Galactica vet Edward James Olmos, the Fast & Furious franchise's John Ortiz, NYPD Blue great Jacqueline Obradors, Breaking Bad's Raymond Cruz, American Crime's Richard Cabral, The Tudors's Sarah Bolger and more, with Revolution's J.D. Pardo in the lead role. Sure, there are other actors out there to take any one of their places, but that's such a stellar ensemble as is.

A reshoot for a pilot obviously doesn't mean that everyone behind the scenes was constantly getting into heated scraps with each other, and nothing like that was reported. So it appears the problems with Mayans MC are more of a creative thing, which isn't altogether uncommon in the world of making pilots. When it started, Sons of Anarchy itself famously had a pilot that was completely separate from the one that audiences saw, with The Leftovers and Daredevil star Scott Glenn as a different iteration of Clay Morrow. Both excellent actors there, obviously, which should further soothe my own cast-change worries from the previous paragraph.

As it stands, Mayans MC will still focus on EZ Reyes, a young-ish prospect within the titular charter that resides near the border between California and Mexico. Perhaps some of the other previously released character and plot details are being retooled for the reshoots, and we'll likely find out once those recastings start getting announced. However it goes, we're hoping the second time around will bring about an instant series order.

Production is set to kick off once again for Mayans MC later this summer, so it's hard to say when we'll know the next step in the show's future will be. But until then, relive all the biggest Sons of Anarchy deaths, and then check out our summer TV premiere schedule to see all the shows heading to primetime in the coming months.

For seven seasons, FX's Sons of Anarchy told the tragic and violence-heavy story of Jax Teller and his brotherhood of take-no-shit bikers. But viewers might have gotten something completely different had creator Kurt Sutter went along with what FX was initially looking for, rather than sticking to his guns with his ideas. The channel wanted Sons of Anarchy to deliver more traditional episodes that provided proper plot-capping endings, and it was apparently a glut of Sutter's emails that convinced all involved that serialization was key. Here's how Sutter explained his outspoken methods.

Ini the scheme of things, there are far worse tones to set for one's career than being "the guy who sends the angry emails." Granted, Kurt Sutter's gung-ho rants are likely among the most boisterously scathing and pointed emails that TV execs can get, so I'd imagine that they incite a hefty breath from recipients. But of anything that can be said about them, the biggest claim is probably, "They totally worked." Because after all, we got to watch Sons of Anarchy for seven years, not Law & Order: Charming. (Having said that, I would love to see Wayne Unser working with Fin and Stabler on SVU.)

FX was fully aware of what Kurt Sutter's talents were, as his voice was heard loud and clear on the channel's breakout hit The Shield. But Shield's critical acclaim didn't always equal massive viewerships, and it's easy to forget that many felt like The Sopranos and its prestige proteges were more of an anomaly than the start of the Peak TV era, so it's understandable that FX wasn't exactly enthused with throwing a bunch of money at a hyper-violent drama that required viewer dedication to become a success.

But once Kurt Sutter was able to provide the evidence that Sons of Anarchy worked as a sprawling narrative without weekly denouements, then the series was able to fall into its viewer-wooing patterns. Here's when Sutter told Variety he felt S.O.A. really came into its own.

Admittedly, I was locked in right from the get-go, with Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal instantly winning me over and making up for any shortcomings elsewhere. But again, it's not difficult to grasp how _Sons _wouldn't be the most surefire concept for success a decade ago. Thank goodness for the power of angry emails, right? Now if only I'd penned one to Sutter about bringing Opie back to life...

Sons of Anarchy may not be around anymore in its original form -- it's on Netflix, to be sure -- but FX is currently putting together the pilot episode of the biker spinoff Sons of Anarchy: Mayans MC, so we'll hopefully get back on the open road in the near future. In the meantime, though, head to our summer premiere schedule to see everything else headed to TV in the coming months.

Sons of Anarchy made its last regular appearance in fans' lives back in December of 2014, when the hard-hitting drama's seventh season came to its body-dropping close. It's been a long couple of years for fans who have been hoping for Kurt Sutter's exhaust-filled universe to rev up again in some form, but we now have our first look at the upcoming spinoff being called Mayans MC. And while the shot from the pilot isn't in crisp high-def, it's at least granting us our first peek at a brand new clubhouse.

I could not be more pumped to witness the beginning of what will hopefully be a long run of SoCal biker shenanigans on FX, and I have no issues with this single image being our only example of what's to come. But a small fuss has to be raised over the shot being in black and white and washed out, rather than something sharp and in full color. I mean, I get that the integrity of the mystery can still be kept intact this way, but the three biggest elements we want to focus on are the hardest to see.

For instance, my favorite thing here is that the door appears to have a stained glass window in the middle of it, and I bet it looks gorgeous with some light coming through. It's clear enough that "Mayans" can be read across the top of it, but I want to see it in all its connotatively religious glory.

While we can see and recognize some of the actors sitting around in the shot, we can't really make out their patches, and no one's cut is seen in full. As well, we can't even make out what's on the table. And as it was made quite clear in Sons of Anarchy, this universe's characters are very particular about all elements of the clubhouse, and the meeting table is of utmost importance. After all, this is where all the biggest decisions are to be made. (At least, the ones with the Club's best interests at heart.) So we'll just assume that there's something really awesome carved into the wood that we can't see because of the lights.

Kurt Sutter is known for keeping a pretty active presence on social media, both when he's working and when he isn't. So it might not be long before he hits up his Instagram account with another fresh look at Mayans MC, perhaps including more pristine shots of stars Edward James Olmos, Richard Cabral, JD Pardo, Clayton Cardenas, Sarah Bolger, John Ortiz and more.

Currently, Sons of Anarchy's Mayans MC spinoff is still in the pilot stages at FX, so it could still be a while before we hear about its future on the network. In the meantime, head to our midseason premiere schedule and our summer TV guide to catch up on everything that is definitely heading to your TVs in the near future.

Though he's experiencing a new creative boom thanks to the efforts of Daredevil and Jon Bernthal, the Punisher -- like many superheroes -- had his share of troubles on screen in the past. The character had three movies made about him, each underwhelming or failing to produce the right adventure for Marvel's top anti-hero. After 2004's The Punisher, starring Thomas Jane, Marvel was planning a direct sequel to the film and hired writer Kurt Sutter to pen the script. At the end of the day, Marvel rejected Sutter's script, and the writer remembers the process of working with the company.

In an in-depth interview with Looper, Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy, The Shield) chatted about his time writing the script for Punisher 2 and how it all eventually went downhill. Sutter chalks the reasons up to his inexperience in rewrites (The Punisher 2 was his first one) and not seeing what Marvel already had planned for the character. He explained:

As Sutter says himself, he's never been one for coloring in the lines. He wanted to shake up the formula of what is typically expected from superhero movies, not realizing that it wasn't what Marvel wanted to do. Sutter reported to Gale Anne Hurd, an eventual Walking Dead producer, and a pre-Iron Man Kevin Feige, who Sutter remembers was "a super intelligent guy" who knew what worked and what didn't work. Sutter delivered everything he said he would in the script, but with a bunch of extra stuff that Marvel had no idea about.

What was this extra stuff, you may ask? Sutter said:

He's certainly right that blockbusters don't get a lot of time to devote to the finer things when there's punching to be done, but we've come a long way since the bygone era of 2004 superhero movies. Plenty of films like The Dark Knight or Iron Man 3 have devoted subplots to what makes their heroes tick, though perhaps not in as much depth as some would like.

Ultimately, Sutter and Marvel both realized he wasn't the right guy for the project and they went their separate ways. The Punisher 2 eventually evolved into 2008's Punisher: War Zone, starring Ray Stevenson, a spiritual sequel to the 2004 film. Sutter asked that his name be removed from the credits, mostly because he felt he didn't do anything deserve one, but it definitely makes for a good story.

Everybody, get ready to hear the most non-Charming story of 2016, as the highly anticipated next epic saga in the Sons of Anarchy universe just got some amazing news. FX has announced the spinoff Mayans MC, co-created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, has been granted a pilot order. And while that's obviously not as amazing as someone handing all of us a Blu-ray full of already-produced episodes, today is better than every other day that came before it, for now our hope rings as loud as the motorcycles.

Mayans MC has been in the development phase for quite a while now, as the massive Sons of Anarchy fandom craved more stories, and Kurt Sutter recognized that hunger. It just took a little time to get the brotherhood of ducks in a row and for Sutter's schedule to open up enough to lay the groundwork, and things started going really smoothly once the punk extremist-turned-filmmaker Elgin James got involved. The spinoff's social media machine has recently been hinting at big news coming, too, so the timing couldn't be better for FX's decision to order a Mayans MC pilot.

The story of EZ Reyes will be at the heart of the spinoff. EZ is joining the Mayans MC charter that's set on California's border with Mexico. He's a prospect, so he's got his work cut out for him, especially as he's dealing with both a vengeful anger against the cartel and a woman he loves that doesn't seem to respect him. We know how lots of prospects stories went on Sons of Anarchy, so if EZ is going to rise up through the ranks, we can bet that whoever starts prospecting with him is going to die a horrible death. This crystal ball has someone's blood on it, in any case.

It's confirmed that Mayans MC will take place in a timeline after Sons of Anarchy, which means certain cameos from certain SAMCRO members would have to come in flashbacks, if they happened at all. And, unfortunately, we still don't really know what other characters will be involved. It looked like Mayans vet Marcus Alvarez was destined for it after actor Emilio Rivera got overzealous with his Internet postings, but then he backtracked on it, so even his involvement is still more wishy-washy than Tig's sexuality.

Obviously there still isn't a premiere date or anything for Mayans MC, since it's only now gearing up to make that initial episode. But things would have to go pretty sour during the production process for FX to turn this project down. Here's hoping we don't make it to 2018 without getting to see this violent and complicated world back on the small screen. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere schedule to see what's coming up.

Kurt Sutter fans have been waiting patiently for his next twisted tale of justice, knowing the origin story for the Sons of Anarchy's central M.C. would more than likely be coming via the previously announced prequel project. But it's entirely possible the recent election may have changed all that, as Sutter's response to Donald Trump's win came through a thought-provoking letter where he questioned the positive impact of his creative influence, and he made a vow to shoot for more positivity in his productivity. And that doesn't exactly bode well for another chapter of one of TV's most violent series. Here's the appropriate segment:

I don't think anyone was ever going to mistake Kurt Sutter for Mr. Rogers if they saw him in their neighborhood, but this is what fans love about him, and his biggest critics rarely saw Sons of Anarchy's gunfights and sadistic acts in any kind of metaphorical form. But it's easy to understand that in this day and age, offering up virtuous and hopeful metaphors through deadly weapons and violent aggression might not be the wisest option. Still, nobody wants to think about a favorite TV show possibly getting scrapped for any reason.

Note that I'm obviously not trying to put words into Kurt Sutter's mouth or into his Internet post here, and it's absolutely possible that he retains every intention to bring the story of The First 9 to audiences in the future. (And that's the future I hope for.) But he shared in the past that the basic outline for the prequel's narrative would have followed a disillusioned John Teller as he arrives home from the Vietnam War, and the dynamics of how torn apart the country was at that point, thus leading to the formation of SAMCRO. It would be extremely hard to tell that story without directly reflecting the currently political and social climate in the U.S. or focusing heavily on separatist issues. Not impossible, just not easy.

Now, we will almost definitely still see the upcoming Sons of Anarchy spinoff about the Mayans go through, and that show will probably have its own new outlook now that Donald Trump will be President. As well, there's always the comics and video games and other places. So it's not like the franchise is going to dissipate and float off into a Charming summer breeze or anything. But Kurt Sutter might not be interested in wading through that mindset in the near future. Maybe one day...

It’s been a while since we yelled goodbye to Sons of Anarchy over the roar of SAMCRO’s motorcycles, but the FX drama’s influence isn’t going away anytime soon. Beyond the potential TV projects that have already been announced, we’re also going to get a new Sons of Anarchy comic book series that will serve as a prequel to the flagship show. But it won’t be going that far back into the past, and it will focus on an 18-year-old Jax Teller as he begins prospecting with the M.C. that his late father cofounded.

Sons of Anarchy Redwood Original, as the series is called, will largely center around Jax having to step up after the relatively recent death of his father J.T. (or John, if you want to be formal) and prove himself capable of standing strong in this hyper-masculine world. Not just to his fellow club members, either, but to those that call SAMCRO friends and those that would destroy SAMCRO without a second thought. And he’ll have to do it while also confronting a future without a real father figure to follow.

I could seriously have a mini-geekout session at the thought of Jax as a SAMCRO prospect, considering all the awful duties tasked to prospects like Half-Sack and Ratboy on the show. Jax definitely didn’t start Sons of Anarchy in the same position of boundless bravado and absolute power that he’d achieved when Season 7 came to a close, and he lived a lot of that time in J.T.’s shadow, trying to turn the club into something suggesting the more honorable brotherhood of its early years. So we’ll possibly get to see a version of SAMCRO that isn’t quite so slapdash with the violence and murders. Although if Clay is around, murder can’t be far behind. Check out the cover of the first issue, which will be published by Boom! Studios.

The creative team behind Redwood Original is writer Ollie Masters and artist Luca Pizzari, with show creator Kurt Sutter serving as a hands-on consultant for the series. Masters said, according to THR, that Sutter is sent everything as far as story and art goes, and he gives his input where he deems it necessary. Sounds like a pretty sweet and potentially soul-crushing gig. But it will be even more soul-crushing if we don’t get to see Jax and Opie hanging out again. (R.I.P. Opie.)

This will be the second Sons of Anarchy comic series that Boom! will put out, with the self-titled telling a story from between Seasons 5 and 6 that spanned 25 issues. This will also be the first Sons of Anarchy prequel to get released, though Sutter has a TV series or miniseries plan to go further into the history to tell the story of the First 9 and the founding of SAMCRO. We’re also waiting to see what FX decides to do with the Mayans MC spinoff that is creeping forward through the development stages. And then who knows where else this franchise will go?

Kurt Sutter currently has another violent story coming to audiences in comic book form. Could he one day take on a Sons story for that medium by his lonesome? We’ll take whatever, and that also includes a live-action version of Redwood Original. The comic will be released in print and in digital form on Wednesday, August 3.

No matter how many times I turn my TV to FX on Tuesday nights these days, it isn’t ever a new episode of Sons of Anarchy. But perhaps that completely understandable and logical cycle could be changing soon, in a way, as show creator Kurt Sutter has soothed many a bearded drinker’s worries by making it known that the upcoming spinoff is indeed in active development.

Now, Kurt Sutter is a guy known for choosing his words wisely, particularly when he’s ripping something or someone apart in an interview or blog post. And even though this came from Twitter, it’s still a pretty vague piece of affirming news, so he’s must necessarily have to be skimpy on explanations. Does that stop me from celebrating it and anticipating another detail-deficient tweet in the near future? Not even a little.

After all, Sons of Anarchy’s Mayan spinoff has been an idea that’s been floating out there for a while now, but without a whole lot of concrete news or evidence that anything was moving with any noticeably forward momentum. Upon putting an end to his own series The Bastard Executioner, Kurt Sutter gave an update by saying that the Mayan MC would be the next thing he focused on, namely through finding a culturally proper writer/showrunner to handle all things narrative-driven. It’s unclear if this is what he was talking about, but that probably would have earned a bigger report than just a mild social media announcement. But he does say the story is beautiful, so maybe...

It’s also possible that it has something to do with securing a location, as Sutter and other producer types have reportedly been scouting places out, according to ComicBook, which is stopping the former Shield writer from attending next month’s Space City Comic Con in Houston next month. Hell, I’m down to cheer for them finding somewhere that might one day compare to Charming as the local stomping ground.

Not that we really know where those local stomping grounds will be. Details haven’t really been easy to get as far as what this story would be like. Sutter has stated he wants to set it far enough away from Charming as not to really touch that world, but still close enough so that possible character crossovers would be possible if they were warranted. We know who we want to see.

Even though Sutter isn’t going to be the source of the storytelling on the follow-up series, he’s still the conductor of this gritty universe, and he knows more about it than anyone. (Except for actual Mayan biker gangs, I guess.) Hopefully the next update about the Sons of Anarchy spinoff will be one where cast members are named and a series order is given and production dates are laid out. Until then, check out everything that is definitely coming to your televisions soon with our summer TV schedule.

After putting so much creative energy into crafting stories for The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, Kurt Sutter left the world of modern crime behind for the historical saga The Bastard Executioner, which didn’t last as long as it should have. Sutter is again going in a completely different direction with his next project, the supernatural comic book miniseries Lucas Stand, and if the end product is as good as it sounds, this immediately needs to get its own TV show.

According to Sutter, Lucas Stand centers on the man of the same name, a former special-ops soldier whose military career is decorated with deplorable and horrifying acts, all done for the good ol’ U.S. of A. His return to the public sector isn’t an easy one, and things get so bad that he wants to kill himself. But before that can happen, he’s contacted by someone who – here’s where it gets wild – wants Lucas to become a hired hitman tasked with hunting down and killing demons that have escaped from Hell, with every execution balancing one of his own mortal sins. It’s got no plans for live-action (yet), but this is already the best new show on FX. Or HBO. Or Netflix. Whoever reaches out first.

In writing Lucas Stand, Sutter is working with dark fantasy author Caitlin Kittredge, who also writes the Vertigo comic Coffin Hill, and the art will be tackled by Jesús Hervás of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and other things. Unfortunately, the series is only getting six issues through BOOM! Studios , which could be one mark against it being spun for TV. But it’s not as if everything on the small screen was created with 10 seasons completely mapped out, and more stories can always be written for both a comic book and a TV show.

In any case, Kurt Sutter actually had it in mind as a TV show when he first came up with the concept, but he didn’t even make it through the script-writing process because he didn’t think it could be produced in that medium, according to Variety, due to the scope of the story and the practicality of adapting it for live-action. Now, it’s true that I don’t have any idea what Lucas Stand is really like, but we live in a world where The Man in the High Castle and Game of Thrones exist, with mother-flipping American Gods coming to Starz later this year. If those epic-in-scale works (among others) can be turned into TV shows, then I have confidence Sutter can figure out the logistics of bringing this demon-slaying tale to television in a feasible way. Unless he just doesn’t want to. That, I can’t do anything about. Just like everything else in Sutter’s life.

With The Bastard Executioner now a thing of the past, Kurt Sutter’s future will eventually see him setting viewers up with a Sons of Anarchy spinoff centered on the Mayans, as well as a Sons prequel based on the First 9, who started SAMCRO. But he’ll only be executive producing the former, and he wanted to get the latter going when enough years had passed after S.O.A.’s finale. Lucas Stand will obviously take up some of his time in the coming months, but I know I’m not alone in thinking he needs another big TV project in the near future. And a hitman using big guns to hunt demons needs to be in that project.

In Season 6, Sons of Anarchy brought District Attorney Tyne Patterson into the fold, and Kurt Sutter cast the always great CCH Pounder to rain down some legal obstacles on SAMCRO. Did he originally picture Patterson as a tough black woman with hair that rivaled that of S.O.A.’s finest? Maybe. Either way, their past together on the excellent drama The Shield is basically how Pounder found her way to Charming.

During the seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy, Sutter took advantage of his Shield past as a writer and producer, often bringing members of the cast onto his then-current FX drama. Says Pounder:

There are many different kinds of characters that the actress could have ended up as, as evidenced by Walton Goggins’ informative transgender character who got romantic with Tig. Even back in Season 1, Jay Karnes was playing the Tara-stalking creepster ATF agent Josh Kohn, so no one was guaranteed to get something straightforward and reputable. Except, there was Patterson, whose basic form of antagonism was generally following the law and what bite-sized nuggets of information we’d get about her personal life painted her as someone whose troubles and skeletons were subdued. And who better to play that kind of a role than CCH Pounder?

As she told TVLine, Pounder initially wondered why she was there, what with all the leather-clad gang members riding around on motorcycles. That’s definitely part of the draw, though. As Patterson, Pounder always did seem kind of uncomfortable around Jax and some others, as if intimidated by the unpredictability of a lifestyle that she didn’t know much about. Or maybe she was just always wearing uncomfortable shoes. Point is, Pounder’s awesome.

She mentioned Michael Chiklis, who for a time was supposed to be the only Shield actor that Sutter didn’t want to use, as not to distract from the character of Vic Mackey. But he came in for a guest spot before later returning as a key part of how the series finale played out. It was a divisive move that got some criticism, but I think Sutter is partly fueled by that at this point.

You can currently catch CCH Pounder on the CBS drama NCIS: New Orleans, which will air its midseason finale on Tuesday night, presumably returning early in the new year. In the meantime, we’re wondering if Shield creator Shawn Ryan is going to bring any of his or Sutter’s former cast members to his upcoming Amazon series Mad Dogs.

Earlier today, the world got the terrible news that Kurt Sutter’s latest series The Bastard Executioner will not return for Season 2 in 2016, although we’re happy Season 1 was allowed to come to a close before the decision was made. Still, there’s a huge silver lining to be found here, as Bastard’s exit means that Sutter can push his focus back to the Sons of Anarchy universe, and it looks like the planned Mayans-based spinoff will be happening sooner rather than later. Pardon me while I make revving sounds with my mouth.

It was Sutter himself who recognized The Bastard Executioner’s ratings problem and played his own part in announcing the cancelation. In doing so, he explained the next step in his career to Deadline.

Gotta love that approach, especially in today’s culture where diversity is still something that TV has yet to fully embrace. Having a Latino creator running a show about a group of Latino characters will certainly stand out. Granted, I’d be down with Sutter taking any role he wanted in the show, but being the guiding spirit as executive producer is more than enough.

It’s entirely possible that Sutter would have made the Sons of Anarchy spinoff one of his biggest to-do list items as The Bastard Executioner headed into its offseason, but the period drama had such a huge pre-production phase going into Season 1 that it’s likely a second season would have kept Sutter busy for many months. Now there’s no question on when the wheels will start turning, and if FX is as into the spinoff as he implies, it’s likely they’ll order it straight to series if he finds the perfect writer.

Not a lot is actually known about the spinoff just yet, since there’s no storyline written. All we really know is that it’ll be set somewhere far enough from the Norther California setting of Sons of Anarchy that the previously established universe won’t get messed with too much. That said, there’s still a chance that familiar faces will show up at some point. (Here’s everyone we want to see.)

As far as what Sutter’s next active project is, it looks like he might get his feature directorial debut with his script Delivering Gen, which is being set up at Cross Creek. And maybe after that he can get started on bringing the Sons of Anarchy prequel to audiences.

On Tuesday night, FX debuted the violence-heavy new series The Bastard Executioner from violence-heavy creator Kurt Sutter, and while it seemed to me like the show should have brought in mass audiences from all over the map, the initial ratings totals don’t seem to reflect that. The series premiere brought in 2.1 million viewers, and while that’s definitely a solid (and possibly expected) number of people to rope into a brand new cable series, it was disappointing that the number wasn’t far higher.

Within The Bastard Executioner’s 2.1 million-strong audience, which was reported by TV By the Numbers, the rating for the key adult demo was 0.8, which also isn’t too strong, but isn’t that terrible. (In comparison, the episode had worse overall ratings than five TBS repeats of The Big Bang Theory that evening, and had a lower demo rating than two of those eps.) Honestly, though, I don’t understand how the entire audience wasn’t squared within the 18-49 demo, as this is a series very much meant for that crowd, and doesn’t seem like it would appeal to people in their sixties or to sixth graders.

This is Kurt Sutter’s follow-up series to the monstrously successful Son s of Anarchy, and though the two series are vastly different in their subject matter, the central benchmarks of vengeance and violence are ever-present, which I thought might have given The Bastard Executioner a bigger built-in audience. Plus, we’ve got a couple of Sons stars in the cast, such as Katey Sagal and Timothy V. Murphy (as well as Sutter himself). And Stephen Moyer has a huge enough fanbase that could have made a big difference here, even though he’s looking a bit rougher than in his True Blood days.

As well, The Bastard Executioner is basically a historical drama with bits of fantasy and religiousness strewn throughout. While it’s not that comparable to something like Game of Thrones or Vikings when the details are looked at, it easily fits into the same kind of sub-genres that those two shows’ audiences would find interesting. Yet it didn’t match either of those shows as far as ratings go.

Again, it isn’t so much that these ratings are awful, or that Sutter & Co. should be depressed by them or anything. Outside of rarities like Fear the Walking Dead’s record-breaking numbers, cable debuts don’t usually garner giant audiences initially, and it sometimes takes time to grow a fanbase. I mean, Sons of Anarchy debuted with around 2.5 million viewers, dipping to around 2 million at several points during its first season, but then went on to gain a larger audience each season after that. So we certainly hope that the same thing happens with The Bastard Executioner, because we’d love to see Lee Jones’ Wilkin Brattle putting his sword to good use for years to come.

“If not dead then, then dead now.”

Bloody fucking hell. That’s what happening both at the forefront of the viewer’s brain and directly on the screen during The Bastard Executioner, the rip-roaringly violent and rage-inducing new series from Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. In that former show and The Shield before it, audiences got somewhat accustomed to seeing Sutter’s writing take characters to dismally dark places, but those worlds were guided by the loose laws and looser morals of the modern world. In this historical setting, the main law of the land is kill or be killed, and Sutter screams it from the treetops.

Set in 14th century Wales during a period of political rebellion, The Bastard Executioner revolves around the tortured existence of Wilkin Brattle (Lee Jones), a former knight for King Edward I who miraculously survived a horrific battle and then vowed to lay down his sword forever. Of course, no good warrior can be held down for long, and though this saga begins with Brattle a happy-go-lucky husband to Petra (Elen Rhys) and father-to-be, his own treacherous deeds open up a ferocious new chapter in his life when he must pick his sword up anew and lead a group of men to vengeance.

Jones, an Australian theater actor basically unknown to American audiences, absolutely holds his own as a pillar of brute strength in the first episodes, and while he might not immediately stand up to Jax Teller or Clay Morrow (or Vic Mackey, if we can go there), it’s still a brilliant bit of outwardly random casting. He leads a rather large cast of characters, and with spoiler-free discretion, I think it’s safe to say that you won’t be getting to know all of them for the long haul. Tell me you’re surprised by huge death counts, Sutter fans.

Here are a handful of the many faces you’ll see. The consistently excellent Brían F. O'Byrne plays the iron-fished Baron Erik Ventris, the leader of Ventrishire that has the best dialogue of these first episodes. His second-in-command is Chamberlain Miles Corbett, Stephen Moyer’s advisor who has a finger in all the regions’ goings-on. Flora Spencer-Longhurst is the Baroness Lady Love Ventris, the Baron’s wife who strikes up an interesting relationship with Brattle as the story moves forward. Felix Scott plays the disgustingly abusive Gawain Maddox, a roaming executioner. Then we’ve got Katey Sagal’s mystical healer Annora of the Alders, Sam Spruell as Brattle’s best friend Toran Pritchard, and Kurt Sutter himself as an oddball called the Dark Mute. Danny Sapani, Timothy V. Murphy, Sarah Sweeney, Darren Evans and more are all here, with guest spots from Matthew Rhys and Ed Sheeran.

Whereas most TV pilots are (mostly dull) calling cards for the kinds of series that the shows will one day become, The Bastard Executioner’s double-length first episode is a calling massacre, much the same as the ones left by the show’s many characters. There are possibly some complaints to be found for those unwilling to view this as the opening to a huge, swelling story, as there are a lot of plot mechanics in motion without a lot of breathing room once the shit hits the sword-bladed fan, and the large supporting cast initially feels like stock characters. But I have the utmost faith that as Season 1 moves forward, Sutter’s ultimate design for this series will become more recognizable and rewarding, and all the characters will get their due diligence.

Game of Thrones and Vikings have proven that TV audiences are hungry for historical(ish) stories, sometimes with a fantastical bent. And given that Sons of Anarchy rode off with the highest ratings of its seven-year run, people are clearly ready for more of Kurt Sutter’s dramatic storytelling. Time will tell if The Bastard Executioner is the successful sum of those parts, but I’m optimistic that it will emerge from the battle as the victor, probably covered in all the blood.

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If you think you can stomach some of the most graphic violence that cable television has to offer, then be sure and find The Bastard Executioner when it premieres on FX starting Tuesday, September 15. We’re already packing our piggy banks in anticipation for replica swords to be released.

Photo Credits@FX

If it was up to me, FX would have another spinoff channel like FXX, but instead of devoting it all to comedy shows, it’s just a bunch of dramas that Kurt Sutter is working on. His next series, the sword-heavy historical drama The Bastard Executioner, starts up next week, but he’s already laying the groundwork for a future Sons of Anarchy spinoff that focuses on that show’s Mayan motorcycle club. And in describing what he wants the show to be about, Sutter seemingly left the door open for Sons of Anarchy characters to enter the spinoff at some point.

Here’s how Sutter describes what the Mayan-based project would be like, which is slightly different from what we were expecting.

When the spinoff was announced, I’d actually expected it to revolve completely around Alvarez and his crew, but it’s pretty awesome that Sutter is interested in telling a completely different story that doesn’t cheaply rely on everything he’s already built up. There are a lot of show creators and filmmakers out there who would be too quick to try and use past projects as a crutch to expand, rather than innovate. I mean, sure the Sons of Anarchy brand can be considered a crutch, but he’s not just trying to tell the same story over again. I’d love to see something happening with this show around Las Vegas, to see how Sutter would take on Sin City.

Given that I’d already assumed the spinoff would connect to the flagship series, I already dreamcasted some crossover characters for the new project, should it come to light. I mean, we’d have to get Alvarez in there, as he’s the face of the club in Oakland and perhaps beyond. And if Jimmy Smits doesn’t ever get to reprise his role as Nero before I die, my life will have been worthless. (Not really, but drama!) Unless flashbacks were used, we probably wouldn’t see any of the already decesased characters. But there are still plenty of SAMCRO bikers to go around.

Speaking with Deadline, Sutter said he conceived the spinoff while talking with FX’s President of Original Programming, Eric Shrier, and the two pondered how they could approach a series geared towards another demographic. For the project, Sutter would likely just form a basic outline for what he’d like and perhaps even pen (or co-pen) a pilot script before passing off showrunner duties to someone else so he could continue focusing on The Bastard Executioner. I trust him to find someone amazing to hand the reins to.

Sutter also spoke about what the eventual prequel series would be about, which you can read about here. But until either of these happen, be sure and tune into The Bastard Executioner when it premieres on FX on Tuesday, September 15.

As fans of Sons of Anarchy know all too well, we’ll probably never get to spend any more time with the characters we grew to love over those seven seasons. (Unless, of course, Jimmy Kimmel puts together a reunion sketch on his show or something.) But we can one day live in the world of the mythology again, whenever creator Kurt Sutter gets around to making the previously announced prequel series. Thankfully, he’s got a good idea for what it’ll be about and how he’ll tackle it.

Sutter is getting ready to unleash his blood-soaked 14th century drama The Bastard Executioner on audiences next week, so heading back into the world of Sons of Anarchy isn’t in the cards just yet, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t given it some thought. When asked by Deadline what his vision was for telling the origin story behind SAMCRO, here’s how he put it.

While I, like many others, am definitely interested in getting into the historical meat of this motorcycle club and its founders – well-known as the First 9 – I am almost more intrigued by the concept of Sutter telling a story about post-Vietnam America and the state of this nation at that particular time. Having that angle anchored to the story of John Teller, such a monolithic presence throughout Jax Teller’s character arc on Sons of Anarchy, is the perfect way to kill two creative birds with one stone.

As well, it’s smart to keep this prequel series as a singular entity that doesn’t necessarily blend too much into the stories that we already know. It’s unclear from his description if the plot would incorporate the relationship between Clay and Gemma, or if things would wrap up before that murderous pair ever came to be. In any case, I love the idea of getting to know young versions of Otto and Keith and other characters who were dead or died during the series’ run.

Sure, the idea of a spinoff series also sounds like a great idea, because TV can never have too much of Sutter’s maniacal storytelling, but I don’t think that concept could be more exciting than the idea of seeing the First 9 come together. I’m certainly hoping Bastard Executioner is a huge success, but it would suck to have to wait another 7 years for the prequel to get made. That's a Gemma-level of selfishness going on there.

When the mighty have fallen, everyone else gets to rise up and take the throne. That’s what’s happening over at FX now, as Sons of Anarchy’s ashes are being swept away and replaced by the development of a brand new spinoff series from creator Kurt Sutter himself. And it won’t be SAMCRO at the helm this time, either.

Details about the untitled project are few and far between, but the one clear fact is that this new series would be based on the Mayans motorcycle club that worked with and against Jax & Co. throughout the seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy. And while we don’t know that it’s going to be hyper-violent and full of deadly mayhem, that’s the safest assumption to make about any TV show ever.

It’s not clear whether this in-the-works spinoff would take place during the present-day affairs of the Oakland-based squad – with the complete destruction of the Teller family in the recent past – or if it would be a prequel to the flagship series, or even something that ran concurrent with any of the Sons of Anarchy seasons. (Charlie Hunnam guest spot!) The Mayans run heroin factories and are deep in the prostitution game, and I’m guessing more criminal enterprising would be added to deepen the story avenues. Truth be told, Emilio Rivera’s stellar performance as the Mayan M.C. president Marcus Alvarez was a big reason why that gang’s sideplots remained intriguing over the years, so I would be majorly disappointed if he wasn’t front and center of this potential series.

According to EW, Sutter is putting this thing together and will serve as an executive producer, but his longterm plans include looking to pass off the showrunner duties to someone else should FX choose to move forward with it. (And they probably will, since Sons of Anarchy was one of the network’s most popular series.) Sutter is currently busy trying to turn his historical epic The Bastard Executioner into a television addiction for viewers, so he doesn’t have the time or the energy to devote to another gang-based drama. Luckily, we’ll know by next month if Bastard was worth his effort.

Sutter has talked many times in the past about branching out from the central Sons of Anarchy story, but it’s almost always been conceived as a prequel series about SAMCRO’s originators, The First 9, with Jax’s father J.T. as the man in charge. But Sutter said he wanted to take a few years away from that world before heading back for more, so that project is still a possibility, regardless of what happens with this Mayan-centric one.

However any of it goes, you can bet your denim-covered ass I’ll be watching anything that Sutter brings to FX. Stay tuned for more info as it gets announced.

Maybe part of it has to do with his portrayal of the emotionally and physically tortured Otto Delaney, but Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter seems like one of the more fearless personalities working in TV these days. But that doesn’t mean he’s all bullets and bravado, as he has shared that putting together his upcoming series, the bloody historical drama The Bastard Executioner, was a scary situation for him in a way that Sons of Anarchy couldn’t quite compare to. And it has nothing to do with the violence.

While speaking with the podcast and radio show The Frame about the just-released boxing drama Southpaw, which he scripted, Sutter talked a bit about his next foray into TV, and the surprising thing that freaked him out about The Bastard Executioner.

Wait, does this mean that we won’t be seeing Katey Sagal call anyone a “ye olde gash” or something, because I don’t know if I could handle a change as drastic as that. Seriously though, it’s kind of awesome that someone as accomplished as Sutter can get mentally sidelined by something like dialogue, since it means that his investment in the project is such that he wants it to retain a sense of historical accuracy, but he doesn’t want to bore the shit out of people. It’d be silly to expect anything else, really.

Before Sons of Anarchy, Sutter was a writer, producer and director on the FX drama The Shield. That show was about a strike force team, while Sons was about a gang of unruly bikers, but both shows were deep and nuanced looks at men who used the law to further their mostly nefarious goals. While The Bastard Executioner will certainly have a fractured-but-powerful character at the forefront, Sutter can’t rely on the cops ‘n’ villains approach in that show, and a big part of that change-up starts with how these characters talk to and interact with one another. It’s definitely an intimidating task, especially since Sutter himself will be one of the people uttering the words.

Also starring Lee Jones, Stephen Moyer, Timothy V. Murphy and more, The Bastard Executioner will hit FX at some point this fall.

Given the massive success of the violent biker drama Sons of Anarchy over its seven-season run, it seems like a no-brainer that creator Kurt Sutter would be able to take his creative vision in any direction he wanted. Where he chose to go was the Middle Ages for another epic story, and FX has officially decided to go right along with him, as they have confirmed a series order for The Bastard Executioner. Get ready for more bloody mayhem from one of TV’s best storytellers.

Obviously not wanting to give viewers more than they can handle, FX has ordered up 10 episodes of The Bastard Executioner, which is set to hit the network’s schedule this fall. To mark the occasion, FX released the very first official photo from the show, seen above, which features newcomer Lee Jones as the hardcore Wilkin Brattle. Long hair, swords and fire. This is basically everything we expect from Sutter’s historical fiction.

Speaking of, here’s how the former Shield writer reacted to the series order.

As do all of Sutter’s fans, although I will forever have trouble accepting the fateful arc of Opie Winston. That said, I’m hoping to find a similar viewing kinship with one of the many characters that The Bastard Executioner has to offer.

The Bastard Executioner first went into development near the end of 2013, with the pilot production taking place earlier this year in Wales. It will tell the story of Wilkin, a warrior knight for King Edward I who chooses to leave his war-torn past behind, only to have it later find him again, forcing him into an even bloodier future.

And if Sutter’s name wasn’t enough, this cast is as solid as they come, and they all have ridiculously complex character names. Not only are the aforementioned Katey Sagal and Stephen Moyer a part of it, but the show also boasts Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Danny Sapani, Timothy V. Murphy, Sam Spruell, Darren Evans, Sarah White, Sarah Sweeney, Elen Rhys, Ethan Griffiths, and Sutter himself. The Americans star Matthew Rhys is set for a guest role, and the series also has Emmy Award-winning director (and frequent Sutter collaborator) Paris Barclay behind the camera.

Production on The Bastard Executioner is set to resume this summer on the way to its fall premiere on FX. And if it manages to attain the kind of viewership that Sons of Anarchy had when it ended, we’ll likely see the exploits of Wilkin Brattle for many years to come.

Photo Credit @FX

For Sons of Anarchy fans, it’s already been a long two months since the series came to its bitter conclusion. Luckily, creator Kurt Sutter has a new grit-filled FX pilot called The Bastard Executioner on the way, and it just filled out its cast with True Blood’s Stephen Moyer, S.O.A.’s Katey Sagal, and ten more talented actors. And yes, Sutter himself will be one of them, though hopefully he’ll still have both of his eyes intact.

The Bastard Executioner will take place in the 14th century, and it centers on Wilkin Brattle (played by newcomer Australian actor Lee Jones), a former knight of King Edward I that has left the war-torn life behind for something more peaceful. Or course, peace is only ever temporary, and Brattle will soon find that his return to the sword-wielding life will be bloodier than ever.

Moyer will play Milus Corbett, a former marshal in Ventris’ army that now serves as the Chamberlain, Chancellor and Justiciar. (How many Justiciars can you count on TV right now?) Sagal will take on the mystical role of Annora of the Alders, whose claim to fame lies in her potions and cures. And Sutter will play The Dark Mute, Annora’s guardian whose face is always hidden.

Another big star popping up in The Bastard Executioner is The Americans’ Matthew Rhys, who is set for a guest-starring role as Gruffudd y Blaidd, nicknamed The Wolf. He’s the leader of the Welsh rebels, and is as intelligent as he is courageous. Also, his name would rack up like 700 Scrabble points if proper names were allowed.

Now let’s go through a quick rundown of the rest of the characters we will hopefully see should The Bastard Executioner get ordered to series.

The pilot, directed by Sons of Anarchy vet Paris Barclay, is set to begin filming on March 19 in Wales. Are you guys ready for more Sutter madness coming to FX?

Of all the creative minds in television that someone can accidentally piss off, Sons of Anarchy’s outspoken creator Kurt Sutter should be avoided at all costs. And of all the ways that one can go about accidentally pissing off Kurt Sutter, ruining the finale to his seven-year-strong drama is really the worst way to do it. But that awful chain of events actually happened, as copies of the expansive Sons of Anarchy: The Official Collector’s Edition companion book were prematurely shipped out, giving customers a fully detailed rundown of the series finale days before it will air.

To put it lightly, Sutter is pissed. How pissed? Those responsible might be on the receiving end of a neck stabbing before it’s all over with. Here’s how he put it in an apologetic expletive-heavy rant on TwitLonger.

As the guy who got his wife Katey Sagal to call just about every female character on Sons of Anarchy a “gash,” Sutter predictably went for the harsher four-letter vagina slang, implying that people would suffer the consequences of their actions. I’m all for early holiday shipments and making people happy, but ruining the ending of a series that is obviously beloved to the person ordering the book is just unacceptable, inadvertent or not. I’m not sure what will be done, other than perhaps a backroom court case. The bottom line is probably, "if you don't want to know about the finale, don't read about it." But it's the principle.

The game we’re going to see played now is one of “Who can shut the fuck up the longest?” Sons of Anarchy fans are not the type to blurt out spoilers willy nilly, knowing just how important each and every damned detail and death is in this show. (Not like, say, The Walking Dead ruining its own midseason ender.) This finale is the last one for the entire series, and while we all have our speculations over whether or not Jax is going to bite the bullet (and whether or not it’ll be by his own hand), I’m pretty sure most of us are much happier finding out about it when the show is actually airing.

So remember to walk softly, wearing blinders, with earplugs in, if you want to make it to next Tuesday night’s Sons of Anarchy series finale without knowing what happens. And if you happen to hear any piercing screams in the dead of night, it might just be the person responsible.

The “S” in SAMCRO stands for SPOILERS here, so tread carefully if you’re not caught up on Sons of Anarchy.

Are you kidding me?!? Of all the things that I thought would never happen in Sons of Anarchy, especially this close to the finale, anyone’s “surprise guest star role” would have been completely off of my list. And yet creator Kurt Sutter has defied his own past words and finally brought his The Shield compadre Michael Chiklis to Sutter’s next greatest accomplishment for the episode “Red Rose.” The man who was never supposed to appear on Sons of Anarchy appeared on Sons of Anarchy. Hope I don’t bump my head on any flying pigs later today.

Kurt Sutter has been transporting actors from The Shield into the world of Sons of Anarchy for years, but Chiklis has been the Holy Grail of actors for the biker drama to bring in. And yet Sutter has been steadfast in his claims that he could never use Chiklis on Sons of Anarchy, as not to somehow defame or overshadow the iconic role of Detective Vic Mackey. And so instead of making Chiklis play a predictably bullheaded gang leader hellbent on claiming California turf, Sutter just casually dropped the generally rugged actor into a delightfully carefree role that allowed Katey Sagal’s Gemma a few moments of genuine pleasure before her brutal bow out.

Chiklis first popped up in the beginning of “Red Rose” as a trucker who finds Gemma zonked out. It would have been a fine cameo just to have him randomly pop by and politely mention that she should get the fuck out of the way of a rig zone, but he comes back later in the episode to chat her up at a truck stop. And what happens then?

A The Adventures of Milo and Otis reference! Chiklis’ name is Milo, and Gemma manages to screw up which animal is which, thinking that the dog came first. (Some kind of a deep-seated instinct in her mind that men always come first? Not likely.) Their conversation is relatively brief, but it involves him cautioning her that he’s not looking for oral sex, her lying about having a son (that wants to murder her and then eventually does) and more oddly sexual comments. Though don’t get him wrong, he’s totally a family man underneath those sunglasses and infrequently gravelly voice. He made his exit without doing anything more sinister than dropping Gemma off where he said he would, and that was all I needed.

Kurt Sutter, you old rascal, you.

While I may be off by a guest actor or two, Sons of Anarchy has cast former Shield actors Walton Goggins, Benito Martinez, Jay Karnes, CCH Pounder, Kenny Johnson, Emilio Rivera, David Marciano and David Rees Snell. Except for Michael Jace, who won’t be doing any kind of acting in the near future, Sons of Anarchy has now featured the entire core Shield Strike Team. Will Catherine Dent or Cathy Ryan show up in the finale? Probably not, but now that Michael Chiklis has made his appearance, everything is okay with the world. Except for Gemma and Unser’s deaths, of course.