sons_preview

Anyone that’s read my “Sons of Anarchy” blog or followed our bi-annual TV Power Rankings on Bullz-Eye knows that I’m a massive fan of the FX biker drama, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I’m beyond excited for the start of the new season. Last December, creator Kurt Sutter delivered a heart-wrenching finale that resulted in the death of several characters (including one of the Sons’ own), and found Ethan Zobelle getting away scot-free, Gemma on the lam for murder, and Jax’s son kidnapped by IRA gunrunner Cameron Hayes.

Season Three picks up only a few days later, with SAMCRO still reeling over Abel’s kidnapping and Gemma finding refuge with her father, played by Academy Award nominee Hal Holbrook, who might just be the show’s golden ticket to the Emmys next year. Holbrook isn’t the only new actor joining the cast, either, as the Sons’ will be heading to Ireland in search of Abel, placing them smack dab in the middle of IRA country. Among the new faces include “Deadwood” alum Paula Malcomson as the old lady to a member of the Belfast charter and cousin of Cameron Hayes, and James Cosmo (“Braveheart”) as her priestly brother. Kenny Johnson, who briefly appeared last season as a nameless member of the Tacoma charter, will also have a recurring role this season (and now with a name, Kozik), which means we’ll probably learn more about his mysterious history with Tig.

While flipping through the Season Three press kit that FX provided critics, I also found it a bit suspicious that Tayler Sheridan, the actor who plays Deputy Chief David Hale, was missing from the cast and crew bio section, despite the inclusion of much smaller supporting characters. Although it’s pretty much a given that Hale will be taking over the role of Chief now that Unser has left Charming with Gemma, I’ve heard rumors over the last few weeks that the first episode features a bombshell of a surprise involving his character. I’m not sure what that means, exactly, but I’ll be blogging the season as it progresses, so be sure to come back on Tuesday nights to read my recaps and join the conversation. To help tide you over until then, check out this sneak peek of the new season courtesy of FX: