Sons of Anarchy S1-7

Sons of Anarchy is gritty, graphically violent, intense and addictive – but at its heart, it’s a story about family.

The series, which ran from 2008-2014, follows bad-boy biker Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam). He finds his dead dad’s memoir, which he hides from his mom Gemma (Katey Sagal) and the other members of SAMCRO, the gang his dad started – Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original.

SAMCRO has transformed from a bunch of rough-around-the-edges guys who love bikes into a well-oiled organised crime operation where nothing is too much. Flipping stolen goods? Easy. Extorting protection fees from local businesses? Simple. Killing rivals who overstep the mark? Piece of cake.

But the more Jax reads, the more he realises that SAMCRO has strayed far from his father’s original vision – and he is part of the problem.

SOA isn’t just about a motorcycle gang, however – the series explores corruption, crime and redemption and the fine line between vigilantism and justice.

“It dabbled in the notion of a Shakespearean battle for Jax’s soul, waged between the memory of his dead father and how bad he’s had to become under his stepfather’s reign,” writes Variety.com. “It’s refreshing to see a crime show that so unabashedly displays its nasty side.”

The first two seasons of SOA’s spin-off series, Mayans M.C., is also available to binge on Showmax.