Pilot Review: Sons of Anarchy

Sons of Anarchy (FX)
Premiered September 3 at 10pm

This is one show I'm going to need another shot at to really wrap my head around. I'm definitely intrigued, but I'm not sure the show is for me. That said, I think the cast does a great job. Charlie Hunnam, previously known as Lloyd of "Undeclared", leads an ensemble which includes an assassin from "Smokin' Aces", Marissa's public school buddy Chili from "The O.C.", Skinner from "The X-Files", Sprague Grayden from "Jericho", and veteran actors Katey Sagal and Ron Perlman. The show is fast-paced but a bit confusing at this point, but I'm willing to stick with it for a point. Its cultural focus is reminiscent of the style of FX's recent drama series "The Riches", and that one turned out pretty well. I'm not into motorcycles, yet I have a striking suspicion there's a whole lot more to this drama than initially meets the eye.

How will it work as a series? It's absolutely plot-driven, and fits well into the mold shaped by FX's other scripted series. As long as it doesn't get too lost in its own universe and sticks to developing characters, it should be fine.
How long will it last? FX has renewed most of its freshmen series over the past few years, save for several exceptions, like "Lucky", "Over There", and "Thief". I have a feeling this show might unfortunately fall into that same category, just because I don't know exactly what audience FX is seeking. I suspect it's the same one that watched "Thief" (which I of course did love, but that means nothing).

Pilot grade: B-