To prepare for Mayans MC, the new show from Kurt Sutter and Elgin James that is premiering on Sept. 4, FX has been doing a Sons of Anarchy marathon on the weekends leading up to its spin-off premiere to remind us why we loved the biker drama.
The show followed the mother charter of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO) and took place in the fictional town of Charming, California. It ran for seven seasons, and it was a diverse mix of action, drama and comedic scenes. It is also where we were first introduced to the Mayans MC, they began as a rival club that eventually became allies.
Re-watching Sons of Anarchy has me wondering if we are in for some of the same shocking character developments, and deaths, in Mayans MC. So, in no particular order, here are my top five surprising SAMCRO member character deaths.
Bobby:
Mark Boone Junior played the level-headed Robert ‘Bobby Elvis’ Munson. Bobby was the club’s Secretary, an Elvis impersonator and would often bake muffins that were adored by everyone. Bobby gets captured and tortured by August Marks, the head drug and crime boss in Oakland, as retaliation against the club. In season 7 episode 9, ‘What a Piece of Work is Man,’ when August and Jax meet for Bobby’s release, unexpectedly August kills Bobby in front of Jax because of a massive betrayal with a gun he had hidden. Bobby was a much needed voice of reason in the club, so I never thought they would kill him and leave the club without him.
Opie:
Ryan Hurts played Harry ‘Opie’ Winston who has been through a lot both because of and for the club. He did a five-year prison sentence because a now ex-member of the club left him when he heard the cops coming, and on top of that his wife and father were both killed by the club. Opie was best friends with Jax and had an unbreakable loyalty to the club. In season 5 episode 3, ‘Laying Pipe,’ while in prison with Jax, Chibs and Tig, one of them had to die for a deal to go through. Opie attacked the prison guard offering himself to essentially be the sacrifice. As he was being beaten, everyone watching was hoping he would find a way out of this, but as he kneeled on the ground, on his knees bloody, beaten and looking at his brothers you hear “I got this” as Opie’s heartbreaking last words. Seeing Opie sacrifice himself, after years of heartbreak, was something no viewer, and certain I, never saw coming.
Piney:
Piermont ‘Piney’ Winston, played by actor William Lucking, was one of the founding members of the club and Opie’s father. In season 4 episode 8 ‘Family Recipe’ Clay, the club’s president who has a long history with Piney, goes to Piney’s cabin to confront him. He is concerned with the whereabouts of letters that incriminate Clay as being the one who tampered with John Tellers (JT) motorcycle resulting in his death. Piney threatens to release the letters to the other club members so that they can finally see Clay for who he is. Clay seems to leave but quickly barges back in, attacking him and ultimately shooting Piney in the chest, killing him. The way the scene was going, I honestly thought Clay was just going to threaten him and leave, so when he comes back into the cabin and killed him I was shocked.
Jury:
When we first meet Jury White, played by actor Michael Shamus Wiles, he is the President of the Devil’s Tribe MC, an ally motorcycle club, in Indian Hills, Nevada. Eventually, they are surprised with a “patch-over” making them a Sons of Anarchy charter. Jury had served in the same platoon and was good friends with Jax’s father, JT. When Jax was trying to find the person who went behind the club’s back to the Triads, an organized crime group, he assumed it was Jury because they had killed his son. In season 7 episode 8, ‘The Separation of Crows,’ while Jury is speaking to Jax about his father and what he felt he was becoming, they fight. Jax punches him and then before he can get up shoots and kills him. He lies to the club, saying Jury confessed that he was the one that ratted them out to. He didn’t, all Jury was trying to do was help Jax and do right by JT and he ended up getting used as a pawn.
Kozik:
Herman Kozik, played by Kenny Johnson, started out in the Tacoma, Washington charter before transferring to Charming when they needed members because a majority of the club was in jail. He had attempted to transfer before that, but Tig, a club member, had voted no due to their rocky past and not feeling like he could trust him. Kozik’s death happens in season 4 episode 11, ‘Call of Duty,’ during a fight with the cartel. I couldn’t believe it, they were walking across the field when Kozik stopped and heard a click: he had stepped on a landmine, right when he was patching things up with Tig, too. It came out of nowhere and was a complete shock, and a sad ending to the Kozik’s story.
What are the deaths that you are not over? Leave them below and don’t forget to tune in to Mayans MC starting Sept. 4 to see the next chapter.