FX's Sons of Anarchy spent seven seasons and nearly a hundred episodes telling the stories of a motorcycle gang, and it was a big hit with fans everywhere. As it turns out, officials in Canada think that Canadian fans have taken the wrong message from the hit show. According to officials in the Great White North, a recent rise in motorcycle gang activity is due to Sons of Anarchy. Say it ain't so!
The report comes from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which automatically makes it awesome. The Mounties of Nova Scotia are apparently having issues with outlaw motorcycle gangs, and a presentation was given to the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners to detail the issue. Outlaw motorcycle gangs are becoming more popular throughout Nova Scotia, and The Star reports that between 100 and 200 active members are now taking part in gangs.
Now, given that Sons of Anarchy aired its final episode back in 2014, a recent rise in motorcycle gangs can't necessarily be attributed solely to the show. Still, the phenomenon has reportedly been growing ever since Sons of Anarchy took Canada by storm. By portraying motorcycle gangs as social and familial, the show is allegedly serving to lure citizens to giving motorcycle gangs a shot. Making money by riding bikes and hanging with their pals sounds all well and good; the violence and break-ins that come from the darker part of life in a motorcycle gang are less well and not nearly as good.
Legendary motorcycle gang the Hells Angels doesn't currently have a chapter or clubhouse in Nova Scotia, and no full members are known to live in the province. That said, the Hells Angels had a presence in Nova Scotia until 2003, when the authorities arrested the majority of the members, seizing the Halifax clubhouse and putting an end to Hells Angels activity for a time. Now, the Hells Angels are reportedly returning to Nova Scotia along with violence, drugs, and prostitution that local officials would obviously prefer kept out of the province.
In the meantime, smaller and less notorious gangs seem to be gathering members who got a taste of the life courtesy of Sons of Anarchy. The show's end could have meant that the motorcycle gang fury died down, but it is available streaming on Netflix and Hulu, and a spinoff is slated to debut this fall that takes viewers back to the world of fictional motorcycle gangs. Perhaps fiction will continue to impact real life for the folks in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
If you're in the mood for some motorcycle gang actions but don't want to look up the closest chapter of the Hells Angels, check out Sons of Anarchy streaming. For some non-motorcycle viewing fare, swing by our summer TV premiere guide.
