Kurt Sutter discusses the new season of Sons of Anarchy, working with Donal Logue, the series finale, and so much more. It’s always an honor to speak with the creator of my favorite show. I adore this series and as much as I never want to see it end, I know that it will be put to rest perfectly. Luckily, we still have a couple of season to bask in the mayhem that is Sons of Anarchy. Don’t miss the season six premiere of Sons of Anarchy on September 10th on FX.
Changes in writing process from the beginning of the season to the end:
Kurt Sutter: I start out fully clothed but by the end I’m naked when I’m writing. Just completely naked and it’s really awkward when it’s at work. In terms of my process, no. I seem to have less time each season, so that’s a drag but in terms of my process it has always been sort of the same. I’ll get the writer’s draft of the script and throw it away and then I’ll usually re-board the story in my office at home and then just start doing my pass on things. I’ve been pretty much doing that since day one.
Series finale:
Kurt Sutter: I don’t have it written in my head. I kind of know how I want it to end. I have a sense of what the last scene is and I’m heading in that direction, but I find that the looser I hold onto what I want it to be the better the seasons end up being. I’m always sort of surprised a little bit at where it goes.
Creative ways of incorporating the cast of The Shield:
Kurt Sutter: [Casting Michael Chiklis.] First of all, just trying to put Michael in a dress just sounded really difficult. I don’t know. I really don’t think so. I just don’t think that as much as I love Chiky, and I look forward to being able to work with him again, I just felt like he’s just the one character that we couldn’t crossover and bring in. I say that now and we are still breaking the last four episodes next season so maybe I’ll find a way. As of yet, it’s been very difficult to do. We’ve actually had Juice watching The Shield on TV. That was my one sort of like homage, you know what I mean, and also because Theo was just the biggest The Shield fanatic ever. I just thought that was an interesting nod. I love Chiky and if I could figure it out I would love to have him on.
Working with Donal Logue:
Kurt Sutter: I love Donal. It’s so much fun. I’ve been trying to get Donal on the show for a few seasons now and we finally figured out a way to do it. He’s a busy guy. He’s great. He’s a great actor. Part of the joy, for me, in this job is getting to work with people that I’ve always wanted to work with and he’s definitely one of those guys, so we both got to do that and play together. It was really satisfying for me.
Any character that is safe from sadistic treatment:
Kurt Sutter: Part of the absurdity of the show, I think, is sort of what creates a little distance from the world. I don’t think that necessarily happens to all of the characters. If you glace into Otto and Tig’s backyards… No, I guess is what I’m saying.
Where the idea of murdering someone with a cross came from:
Kurt Sutter: I’ll just say I had twelve years of Catholic school. That’s all I’ll say. You do with that what you want.
Tara’s arc:
Kurt Sutter: I think Tara has always been that character for me that perhaps represented the point of view of the audience a little bit because she loved these guys but wasn’t of the world and how do you make those two things work. She was always sort of on the fence the first two seasons and then last season she made the decision to jump off and be in the world and we saw the consequences of that. I think this season will be her dealing with that. Is it something that she can do? Can she make the adjustments emotionally that Gemma was ultimately able to make? If not, what does that mean for her and Jax and her and her kids? I think Tara’s arc will be pivotal this season in terms of setting the rhythm of the show as far as the family dynamic goes.
Jax’s choices and his sons’ futures:
Kurt Sutter: I think that’s always in the foremost of Jax’s mind. All the voice-overs we do now are really ones that he’s doing for his sons. I think he’s very cognizant of that. What does that mean? How do I protect them? Do I tell them the truth? Do I allow them to be part of this life? I think he’s trying to wrap his brain around all of that. Which is ultimately exactly what I think JT did in that original document. Jax refers to it at some point as half love letter and half manifesto. The pull of this is the life I know and yet these are all the bad things that have happened to me as a result of that. I think that will continue to be a struggle.
Voice-overs:
Kurt Sutter: I try not to overuse it. I use it two or three times a season now, but I do think that it’s an interesting way to get inside that guy’s head and hear what he would never say to anyone else, including his own wife. It gives me the opportunity to let the audience do that with him. I don’t think this season will be any different.