Sons of Anarchyhas many tragic moments and heartbreaking deaths, and the saddest one of the latter is also one of the show’s cruelest moments. Kurt Sutter’sSons of Anarchywas packed with action thanks to the many not-so-honest activities of the title club, but these also led to some of the saddest and cruelest moments of the show. With the club’s VP and later President, Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), as the main character,Sons of Anarchyfollowed the club through many ups and downs, as they faced trouble not only with other organizations but also within SAMCRO.
Through Jax,Sons of Anarchyintroduced his fellow SAMCRO members as well as his family, with his mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal), being an important presence in the club. Standing by Jax’s side through thick and thin was his wife, Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff), but her loyalty to Jax and Gemma’s loyalty to the club and impulsiveness ended up leading to Tara’s death. Unfortunately,Tara died inSons of Anarchyseason 6, and it was not only one of the most surprising moments of the show, but also one of the cruelest.
Tara’s Death Was Sons Of Anarchy’s Cruelest Moment
Tara Was Killed In Sons Of Anarchy’s Episode “A Mother’s Work”
Sons of Anarchyseason 6 was very difficult for Jax and Tara. After Otto (Sutter) murdered nurse Pamela Toric in front of Tara while she volunteered at Stockton State Prison to help Jax and SAMCRO, Tara was arrested for conspiracy, despite having nothing to do with Pamela’s death. Once released,Tara started looking for ways to safely leave Charming with her two kidsand cut ties with SAMCRO, but it was a lot harder than it seemed. In a last-minute twist, Jax and Tara met to find a solution together, and they made a deal.
The deal was that Jax would surrender himself to DA Tyne Patterson in exchange for Tara’s immunityfor everything she had done for SAMCRO and everything she was being accused of. They agreed to meet at their home in the evening, so Jax could spend his last hours of freedom with his sons. Tara went back home, accompanied by Sheriff Eli, but when he left and waited outside, Tara was surprised by Gemma, who was hiding inside the house.Gemma, believing Tara had ratted on Jax and the club, attacked a defenseless Tara.
Gemma then grabbed a grill fork and repeatedly stabbed Tara on the back of the head, killing her.
After fighting for her life, Tara was taken by Gemma, who tried to drown her in the sink. Gemma then grabbed a grill fork and repeatedly stabbed Tara on the back of the head, killing her.Gemma acted out of pure rage without actually knowing what was truly going on, and she realized what she had done when Eli told her Tara hadn’t ratted on anyone. Gemma violently stabbing Tara, repeating that it had to be done, and Tara never anticipating the attack, made this scene one of the cruelest in allSons of Anarchy.
What Made Tara’s Death In Sons Of Anarchy So Heartbreaking
Tara Didn’t Deserve To Die
Tara’s death is one of themost heartbreakingSons of Anarchymomentsfor different reasons. Although Tara was planning to leave Charming with her sons, mostly for their safety, Jax proved to her that he cared about her and their family, so much so that he was facing the possibility of spending many years in prison.Tara ultimately remained loyal to Jax and SAMCROand did nothing to hurt either, which makes her death painfully unfair.
While Gemma’s fierce loyalty and protection of her family can be justified at certain moments, it can’t be in this specific moment.
Gemma was blinded by rage and revenge without knowing the facts, and completely ignored that Tara had already done a lot for the club. While Gemma’s fierce loyalty and protection of her family and the club can be justified at certain moments, it can’t be in this specific moment. Gemma proved that she didn’t trust Jax, either, as he was fully capable of solving his problems with Tara and the club.
Of course,what further made Tara’s death so heartbreaking was how brutal it was.Sons of Anarchyhad already had some truly tragic deaths, like those of Opie (Ryan Hurst) in prison and Tig’s daughter when she was burned alive, both happening in season 5, but the raw emotion and anger in Gemma when she attacked Tara was too personal, tragic, and way too cruel.
How Tara’s Death Changed Sons Of Anarchy
Tara’s Death Was A Turning Point For Jax
Tara’s death was not only tragic and cruel, but it was also a key moment inSons of Anarchy. Tara’s death was a turning point for Jax, who spent the following season looking for revenge – except that he did so in the wrong places. Gemma lied to Jax and told him the Chinese killed Tara (and Eli, whom Juice shot to protect Gemma), and she never told Jax the truth.Jax learned that Gemma had killed Tara because his son, Abel, told him, as he overheard Gemma confessing to it while cradling his younger brother.
Because of Tara’s death,Sons of Anarchy’s final season was all about revenge based on lies, which led Jax to make some terrible decisions that led to his death. Jax did get to avenge Tara’s death as he killed Gemma in her family home, but he later had to meet Mr. Mayhem himself, with his death mirroring that of his father.
