Sons of Anarchy Season 5 - Blu-ray

Content: SAMCRO's future is on shaky ground. After Clay (Ron Pearlman) was gunned down, Jax (Charlie Hunnam) has taken over running the club. The fact that it was Opie, of all people, who shot Clay remains a mystery to the rest of the gang. But tensions are rising within the group, especially since Jax now also knows the role Clay took in his father's death and he's out for revenge. In this tense situation, it's more than inconvenient that gangster Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau) launches a full-scale vendetta against the Sons of Anarchy after his daughter is accidentally killed by Tig (Kim Coates). His thirst for retribution isn't quenched even after Tig's daughter is murdered, and when several members of the gang are sent to prison, Jax's leadership skills are put to a dramatic test.

Also, Sherriff Eli Roosevelt (Rockmond Dunbar) is still pursuing his goal of taking down SAMCRO. Previously driven only by his professional honor, his fight for law and order turns into dangerous obsession after a tragic incident. So now the Sons have to contend not only with many outside threats, but also with ever-deepening rifts within the group - a big, bloody confrontation seems inevitable...

Despite some very intense moments, the fifth season of Sons of Anarchy feels like a big breath before the final spurt. Just two more seasons and the story of SAMCRO will be over. And series creator Kurt Sutter (The Shield) does a great job in season 5 of laying a foundation for the dramatic events to come for fans in the final episodes. Even an extremely drastic scene in the third episode makes that clear. But the biggest change comes in the intense season finale, where Sutter truly pulls out all the stops and decides to make a very radical, but also extremely consistent move. And after that, it's also clear that the series can't go on indefinitely. That there was already a fixed end point here with season 7 and that everything that happens now paves the way for the grand finale.

Despite this, there is still enough room in the series to introduce new characters. Besides gangster Damon Pope, who has a bloody vendetta against SAMCRO, especially Jimmy Smits as pimp Nero and new love interest of Gemma, is a really good addition to the series. Then, midway through the season, Donal Louge (Gotham) joins the cast as a former U.S. Marshal. His appearances don't quite fit coherently into the series yet, though, and seem to be primarily to set up events that will take place in Season 6. But that's no big deal, as Donal Louge is habitually good and therefore always an asset to any series.

Jax` transformation as he undergoes his new responsibilities over the course of this season, as well as the tensions that are mounting within SAMCRO and also the confrontations with Damon Pope and his henchmen, once again make these 13 episodes absolutely series fare worth watching. A successful season with few lengths and some very strong emotional highlights, which definitely include episode 3 and 13. For this there is a very clear: Absolutely worth seeing!!!

Picture + Sound: In the technical implementation has changed compared to the fourth season nothing recognizable. The picture of the new episodes is absolutely clean on Blu-ray and convinces with a very earthy, atmospheric color scheme. The overall sharpness is also at a very good level, which is also evident in a convincing presentation of smaller details. The lively DTS 5.1 mix allows dialogue to come through clearly and powerfully, while some well-executed effects such as gunfire, explosions and of course the rattle of motorcycles provide an excellent surround feel time and time again. And that's really very good for a TV series!

Extras: The fifth season again has some good extras to offer. So there are the usual audible audio commentaries by Kurt Sutter and consorts this time to the first, as well as the eleventh episode. The episodes 2, 4, 6 and 13 are also available in extended versions. There are also some cut scenes on each disc. The rest of the extras are on the third disc. In addition to some outtakes (approx. 4:51 min.) and a short statement by Kurt Stutter about the creation of the series (approx. 3:41 min.), there is also a featurette about the character of Opie Winston (approx. 6:48 min.), as well as clips from a fan concert in the clubhouse (approx. 19:29 min.), where some lucky fans were able to get up close and personal with their idols for once. The bonus material is not quite as comprehensive as the first seasons. For fans, however, the extended episodes alone are absolutely worth watching!

Conclusion: Sons of Anarchy is approaching more and more the home stretch. Only two seasons to go, and SAMCRO's story will be over. That this inevitable end is heralded becomes clear at the latest with the end of this again very good 5th season. While there are some somewhat plodding subplots, overall the 13 episodes offer extremely exciting, entertaining and in some moments extremely dramatic fare. The Blu-ray continues to present the series in very good picture and sound quality. And also with the extras fans again get their money's worth, even if they no longer come close to the first seasons in scope. But alone the four extended episodes and the usual good audio commentaries comfort over the lack of more detailed making-of featurettes. And so applies to this season again: Absolutely recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp