10 Mistakes in Sons of Anarchy Only Diehard Fans Notice

Like groundbreaking shows such as *Breaking Bad* and *The Sopranos*, FX’s series has a devoted following who still passionately discuss what made it so good. While it’s not perfect, the show’s compelling characters and stories are far more memorable than any weaknesses it might have. Even its biggest fans would acknowledge that it still has some flaws.

Throughout its seven seasons, the show had a number of noticeable errors. These ranged from simple continuity mistakes and unrealistic settings to bigger logical flaws. While some were immediately obvious, many fans didn’t catch others initially, or didn’t dwell on them. However, even these smaller details could sometimes completely disrupt the show’s internal logic, or even offer interesting new perspectives for dedicated viewers.

Tig Probably Shouldn’t Be a Member of SAMCRO

Though considered criminals by the law, this group generally follows rules set by its original members. A key rule is a strict ban on anyone with a history of sexual assault. Tig Trager is a popular character because he’s complex and changes over time, but his violent tendencies can make him unlikeable.

Early in the season, Tig reveals to Clay that he’s attracted to corpses, going into disturbing detail about his desires. Even for a group as lawless as the Sons of Anarchy, this felt like a line that should have resulted in Tig being kicked out – or never allowed in – a long time ago.

The Show’s Inauthentic Portrayal of Ireland is Distracting

In the third season, the show’s characters journey to Belfast to save Jax’s son, Abel, who has been kidnapped by Cameron “Jimmy” O’Phelan. A significant portion of the season unfolds in Northern Ireland’s capital city, where the group confronts mysteries surrounding John Teller’s history and interacts with the local SAMCRO chapter, known as SAMBEL. Despite being set in such a historically rich location, however, none of the filming actually took place in Ireland.

Many viewers and critics have pointed out that the show’s depiction of the city is one of its weakest points, feeling incredibly fake and outdated. It seems stuck in the 1960s, and the attempts at Irish accents by some of the actors – many of whom were American – have also been widely criticized as being very poor.

Gemma’s Birds are Never the Same

Gemma had a peculiar habit: she owned several exotic birds. While having unusual pets isn’t strange, viewers began to notice something odd – the birds seemed to constantly change species throughout the show. What’s even more baffling is that neither Gemma nor anyone else ever commented on these changes. For example, in the beginning, she had a cockatoo, which was then replaced by a cockatiel, and later by a crow.

The change in the birds shown on screen seems like a simple mistake, possibly due to the show’s complicated production. However, many viewers believe it’s intentional. They see it as a symbolic representation of Jax’s development as a character throughout the series. Although it’s a noticeable continuity error, it can also be seen as a beautiful and meaningful element of the story if you consider its potential symbolism.

Character Portrayals Towards the End Don’t Feel Entirely Natural

Fans haven’t just been bothered by small details like incorrect backgrounds or city depictions. Many complaints center on the writers’ choices and how characters developed – specifically, when those changes felt forced or didn’t fit the overall story. Season 7, in particular, received a lot of criticism for these issues.

The character’s story was intended to be a dramatic departure from his earlier depictions, aiming for the emotional weight of a classic Shakespearean tragedy. Though many viewers found his descent compelling and impactful, others felt it happened too quickly and didn’t live up to the character’s established complexity. Some also criticized the final season, arguing that most of the episodes felt like unnecessary delays, lacking meaningful character growth or inner struggles, and simply served to build up to the events of the last few episodes.

The Police’s Handling of SAMCRO’s Activities Is Practically Science Fiction

For the past twenty to thirty years, many popular crime dramas have been criticized for their unrealistic portrayals of police work. While viewers understand these are fictional shows—and sometimes accuracy wouldn’t make for good television—shows like *Southland* and even *Breaking Bad* have demonstrated a willingness to depict law enforcement in a more nuanced way. Given this trend, it’s surprising that *Sons of Anarchy* didn’t seem to prioritize realism in its depiction of the police.

A common criticism of shows like ‘Sons of Anarchy’ is how law enforcement and government agencies are depicted. From local police like in Charming to federal organizations like the CIA, these groups are often shown as either shockingly inept or deeply corrupt. Characters such as Wayne Unser and Romero Parada have been called out for actions—both ignoring wrongdoing and actively participating in it—that simply wouldn’t happen in real life. While Kurt Sutter is a celebrated writer, this particular storytelling choice is something even dedicated fans often find hard to accept.

The Ages of Jax’s Sons Don’t Line Up with the Course of the Series

The series begins with Jax becoming a father to his son, Abel, with his ex-wife, Wendy. Later, he and his girlfriend Tara have another son, Thomas. Throughout the seven seasons, the story unfolds over roughly five years, with Abel being around five years old by the end. While Abel’s growth feels realistic, the timeline for Thomas’s development has been noticeably inconsistent, leading to some confusion among viewers.

Thomas was introduced in Season 4, but the show surprisingly never adjusted his appearance to reflect the passage of time. Many viewers think this was intentional, making it easier for the show’s creators to manage production. However, this decision became a noticeable flaw, constantly reminding fans they’re watching a show whenever Thomas appears.

Jax Commits a Major Crime That Oddly Never Gets Brought Up Again

In the final season of the show, the episode “Suits of Woe” saw Jax make a drastic change, doing things that felt very out of character compared to earlier seasons. He notably escaped a police search by carjacking a man at gunpoint, driving off in his Dodge Challenger. This action left many fans disappointed, and it’s become a frequent topic of discussion online, particularly on Reddit and other message boards.

The writers may have avoided revisiting the carjacking because they believed it was forgotten, or because they didn’t want it to disrupt the story. It’s strange that the victim didn’t react as most people would – like calling the police. However, it’s possible the writers intentionally made the victim unusual for comedic effect, allowing viewers to see them as anything but typical.

A Certain Photo Within a Case File Logically Shouldn’t Exist the Way It Does

Most viewers missed a continuity error due to the shocking events surrounding it. In the Season 6 finale, Gemma’s murder of Tara was a huge surprise, but a detail in Season 7 adds to the confusion. In the episode “Poor Little Lambs,” Gemma finds Tara’s case file, which includes a crime scene photo that doesn’t quite add up – it’s unclear when or how it could have been taken.

Okay, so I was looking at a photo, and it struck me as really odd. It shows Tara lying exactly how Jax found her after… well, you know. But the thing is, when the police actually got there, Jax was holding her. That means the photo couldn’t have been taken *then*. It seems like maybe the people making the show didn’t want to bother Maggie Siff to come back just to lie there for pictures, so they probably just used a screenshot from her last scene instead. It’s a small detail, but it definitely stood out to me!

The Pilot Episode Features a Humorous Continuity Error in Its Editing

The first episode of *Sons of Anarchy* quickly grabbed viewers’ attention. While it did a great job of introducing Kurt Sutter’s gritty world of motorcycle gangs, crime, and heartbreak, it’s not without a small production mistake. There’s an editing error that’s more amusing than problematic.

In the very first episode, during the opening credits, Gemma is shown smoking a cigarette while on a phone call with Jax. The editing of this scene is amusing because the cigarette’s length visibly changes – it goes from full size to shorter and back again with each cut between the two characters. It’s a minor continuity error, but fans have noticed and continue to point it out.

Tara’s Gravestone Might Be in Need of a Replacement

Following Tara’s death, her gravestone appeared several times in Season 7, but fans noticed a mistake with it. The date engraved on the stone was incorrect; it stated she died in 2014, but her death should have occurred around the time of the Season 6 finale in late 2013.

The gravestone only described her as a “Devoted Wife and Mother,” ignoring her career as a doctor, which felt dismissive. Even more telling, the date on the stone was incorrect, suggesting a general lack of attention to detail. Kurt Sutter explained this mistake happened because the writers and the props team had different understandings of the show’s timeline.

2025-10-14 22:09