Comments on: When a Character Death Makes You Angry Instead of Sad

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:47:53 +0000

Opie had dying was the dumbest thing I ever seen. People that watch the show are like mindless sheep sometimes when Kurt does something that is just truly dumb but they don’t want to admit it. We have been left to believe that a Oakland street pimp is more powerful than a CIA backed cartel. Trust me in real life they would have killed Pope with in seconds of him interfering with the drug trade. Not to mention were supposed to believe that the District Attorney would just let a SOA member die in jail and than let the witnesses recant their testimony and let the Sons out of jail. Come on this has to be the dumbest thing in the history of dumb things.

By: ShaveUrLegz

ShaveUrLegz — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:16:16 +0000

I just think the reasoning behind opie’s death is a simple as to just continue jax’s character arc. It’s obvious from the his conv with Pope and the last shot of the ep that Jax’s had it with the club. He is loyal only to Tara, his kids and himself. We fist saw this last season. But while last year his plan was to leave samcro up and running, this time around its different. He basically just doesnt care anymore. That is not to say that there will be no retribution, because there will be, but his allegiance to the club is done.

By: Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 01:24:30 +0000

Opie certainly deserved better, but think about how realistic this was. Don’t most heroes deserve better deaths than they get? Maybe that’s what the writers were going for. I don’t know.

By: Velku

Velku — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 23:51:00 +0000

Ever since the beginning of the show, Jax has tried to do things “the right way”, keeping his hands as clean as he could, but it always backfires. It’s not after he becomes cold and plays it smart (at the end of each season) that gets the club out of the mess they’re at the time (like stopping Opie from killing Clay, being aware that he killed J.T. as well, just to get the club out the whole cartel business).

Now once again, they’re in what might be the biggest mess so far. They got a new enemy, one that is powerful, intelligent, cold, resourceful, both respected and feared, hurt, has influences, and tons of motivation to make the life of the club impossible. The only way to get rid of him is to become as cold, intelligent and calculating as he is.

That’s precisely the effect that Opie’s death has had on Jax. Pope has just created his equal by pushing him, and making him realize that his usual methods are not gonna be enough to deal with him, the police and the niners. Democracy in the club represents a risk, so he’ll need to call the shots without any objections. By taking Tig with him, he’s also getting rid of that problem and keeping him on a short leash.

I think that’s probably what Sutter was trying to achieve by killing Hurst’s character. I think, that we’re gonna see a very different attitude in Jax from now. And mostly, I think things are gonna get really really wild and exciting. All thanks to the events from this episode.

Problem is, we all love Opie and were looking forward to see him team up with Jax, kicking ass and establishing himself as the Sons right hand. But deep inside, we know it was necessary (and inevitable).

By: Shiki

Shiki — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 21:12:32 +0000

Well Op was my favorite character so I was pissed! Wonder whats gonna happen with his kids?!

By: peter

peter — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 19:00:49 +0000

Sutter didn’t botch this killing. It needed to happen to show us how dangerous Pope is but more importantly Jax needed something drastic to happen to make him snap. Opie has had it the worst on the show out of anyone. He was in prison in season 1 gets out; stall sets him up to be a rat his wife gets killed by the club. he gets married tries to have a kid with his porn star wife to find out shes been taking birth control, leaves her then he sees his father laying on the floor from being shot with a shotgun. tries to kill clay for killing his dad and he gets shot by Jax. Opie has been shit on but still came back. the episode before ‘laying pipe’ he made peace with his ex wife, gave her 20000 and left the kids with her. he said his goodbye. it was a terrible death (worst death in sons history in my opinion) because he was out. He came back in to protect jax and got killed for it. Like I said the most important aspect was that it pushed jax over the edge. Opies time has come and gone in the show. This death needed to happen and like b33tleborg said it didnt need to happen at the end of the season bc we would get numb to that feeling of losing one of the best characters on soa.

It got Tig out of jail to gain an important vote at the table and Jax’s retribution on the prison guard and the niners in prison will be epic.

also the whole tara/gemma thing happened before all this information. the gemma/clay stuff happened afterwards but the important stuff was jax talking to tig and talking to chibs. Jax is changed on the show now forever because of what just happened.

“those are the things that turn players into kings”
-pope

By: Batttmaan

Batttmaan — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:41:04 +0000

you obviously didn’t like that Opie died lol who didnt – regardless of his current position on the show or how, i think they needed to do it, to show you who and what pope is about, think about how dangerously lucky the sons have been given all their situations

By: B33tleborg

B33tleborg — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:08:21 +0000

Opie had to die. Here’s why. After Jax told Opie everything in the holding cell, if Ope had gotten out of prison with the rest of them, he would have definitely tried to kill Clay again. There is a small correction to what you stated in the article. Tig could not have been chosen. Pope wanted a son dead AND Tig to be in prison forever. Jax could not have been chosen as the show would not have a lead. So it was really down to Opie and Chips. Opie through the entire series has been told countless times to watch and/or protect Jax. That was Opie’s role and eventual destiny in the show. In order for Jax to not fight, Opie had to sacrafice himself. I agree with you that Opie had distanced himself and after Piney dying really didn’t have anything else to lose. I thought his death was shocking. It may not have been the best closure for the audience for such a lovable character, but the show really didn’t have any other choice. At least it was a memorable and honorable death.

**Potential Spoiler
I watched the previews for next week, and I want to know how they are going to do an open casket. I say at least three of the guys in the background take a pipe to Opie’s head after he was dead.

By: GrandWazoo

GrandWazoo — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:46:05 +0000

Paul, I think you should check out this article. It has an interview with Kurt Sutter, and he explains his decision. After reading this, I definitely see where he is coming from.

The problem most of us are having is that we like all the characters on the show, but Sutter is specifically writing this story about Jax. The entire seven season arc is based around Jax and what makes him tick. Sutter explains that this death is that once in a lifetime moment that changes a man forever.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/09/26/sons-of-anarchy-opie-death-kurt-sutter/

By: lol

lol — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:08:57 +0000

They might have put the Gemma-Tara scenes before rather than after, but the death itself and the scenes following were perfect. If you look back on the previous scenes you’ll see that it was inevitable. Given the characters involved and what we know about them it could only have ended this way.