Why So Blu?

Sons of Anarchy: The Complete Fourth Season (Blu-ray Review)

Ride full-throttle with the Sons of Anarchy into the most intense, adrenaline-charged season ever! Out of prison and back in business, SAMCRO faces a powerful new nemesis as they forge an unlikely alliance and head in a dangerous new direction. As a deadly, internal power struggle rocks the club to its very core, Jax struggles with the legacy of his father and makes plans for the future of his family amid chaos, corruption, betrayal and murder. Action-packed with electrifying extended episodes, Sons of Anarchy: The Complete Fourth Season will take you for the ride of your life! 

The Show 

The boys are back in town. Literally. They’re back and out of prison and ready to ride n’ roll. But first things first. In addition to being out of prison – there’s a new Sheriff in town: Eli Roosevelt, (Rockmund Dunbar). He lets the boy know how it’s going to go down and that if anything out of the ordinary happens they’ll all be back in the pen in no time. Adding even more complications to the already complicated situations in Charming is the appearance of an Assistant District Attorney by the name of Lincoln Potter, (Ray McKinnon). Dude’s a bit on the eccentric side, but really elevates the show in terms of new cast members.

Clay (Ron Perlman) and Jax (Charlie Hunnam) are back at the table and need to resume business dealings to the levels they were at before getting locked up. This complicates things, because Clay has arthritis in his hands and is afraid of losing his grip on the club. This doesn’t bode well for him, but it does for anyone else that may want to slime their way in to the top spot.

Seeing as Clay wants to go out on top in terms of loot, he decides to get the club into the drug business by being “mules” for one of the Mexican cartels. Clay convinces the club to take up this venture and they join forces with the Galindo Cartel led by Romeo Parada (Danny Trejo). This agreement will bring the club more money than its ever seen. Of course once you’re in with the cartel, you can never leave.

To complicate matters even more, Jax and Tara (Maggie Siff) have their own problems. She wants to leave Charming, with Jax and the kids for good. That’s not going to happen if Jemma (Katey Sagal) has anything to say about it.

I’m not too keen on my Shakespeare, but this season of Sons of Anarchy is basically an adaptation of his works. No, people don’t start speaking the Shakespeare language. The conflicts, character arcs are handled really well and several of the new characters introduced are awesome. Danny Trejo, Benito Martinez, Rockmund Dunbar, and Ray McKinnon knock it out of the park. The usual familiar cast also do great with the material that is given. I did think that the season wrapped up a bit too neat, but it just makes me want to see season five that much sooner. Sons of Anarchy is a great show. I’d suggest you watch the first few seasons before jumping in on the latest one coming up. Once you start, you can’t stop.

Episodes

Out

Booster

Dorlyus (extended episode)

Una Venta

Brick (extended episode)

With an X

Fruit for the Crows

Family Recipe (extended episode)

Kiss (extended episode)

Hands

Call of Duty

Burnt and Purged Away

To Be – Act 1

To Be – Act 2

Video 

Sons of Anarchy: The Complete Fourth Season is presented in 1080p, 1.78:1. The overall look of the show always stayed the same in that each episode looks like a mini-film. Grain levels are stable throughout, flesh tones are rich and natural, and black levels always stay deep and never crush. Edge enhancement has never been an issue, and contrast levels have always remained steady. I did not detect any instances of banding or the misuse of DNR. Softness does creep in there every once in a while, but it’s of minor consequence. Charming has never looked so charming.

Audio 

Sons of Anarchy: The Complete Fourth Season is presented DTS-HD MA 5.1. Shootouts litter the town at every step and this lossless track steps up to the plate and handles it all with ease. I was surprised at how active the rear channels were. When gunfire litters the screen, it’s time to duck. Dialogue is natural and never clips, and the LFE channel handles the many explosions effortlessly . You’d also think that with every other scene having a bunch of guys on loud motorcycles that the speakers would clip or distort. I was glad that this was not the case. It’s very cool sounding soundtrack.

Extras

The pickings are not slim on this set. In addition to having several extended episodes there are several deleted scenes in addition to an APP, featurettes, and selected commentaries by their respective directors, cast, and crew. I was surprised to see that Peter Weller directed a couple of episodes. The commentary on those particular episodes are pretty great. These extras are spread out on three Blu-rays.

• Creator’s Cut – Extended Episodes
• Farewell Piney
• Fans of Anarchy
• Anarchy At The House of Blues
• Commentary on selected episodes by cast and crew

 Summary

As usual with televisions shows that have been on for quite a while – the first episode starts off a bit iffy, but by the second or third ones, it kicks into high gear. Sons of Anarchy is no different. Great performances, characters, and storylines are what drive this show home. It really is no wonder as to why the show has such a rabid fan base. This Blu-ray set contains pretty spectacular video, audio, and a generous helping of special features. Bring on season five!

 

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