Mewsings from Lowecat (aka Indianacat)

My rants, ravings, and overall 'mewsings' on life, the universe, and everything.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Posting about Sons of Anarchy




I belong to a number of Sons of Anarchy related groups on Facebook (FB) and a couple of message boards (SOA.Net and Tignation) though in the last few years, really haven't posted much on any of 'em.  That's due to my personal and writing life. I lurk, but don't comment a lot.  Mainly because there's been a lot of drama not related to the show that wears me out. 

Now that the show has run its' course, and the final airing of the series finale is runnin' as I type this little epistle, I feel it's time to state some of the things that are on my mind. 

Some people are saying that it's time to move on and not grieve about the end of a television show.  Well, everyone's entitled to an opinion, and not every one is going to agree with everyone.  I draw the line at people gettin' downright personally rude and crude about the feelings of others.   It's only normal for people to feel grief at a loss, and for those of us who have been on the ride the entire time, we're going to feel like we've lost something.  To tell us to get over it, or that we're stupid for feelin' that sense of loss over the end of this run is the most uncarin' thing possible.  

Nor is it unusual for people to form a deep attachment to a 'television program' like Sons.  Many of you weren't even a gleam in your parents' eye the last time a television show caught the attention of an audience to the extent that SOA has done. That was M*A*S*H in the 70's and 80's.  Its' finale, which ran two and a half hours, remains the highest rated television ending.  Prior to that, the finale for the 1960's show 'The Fugitive' was the highest rated.  I'm not sure, but I think SOA's finale has taken second place.  

So yeah, this old girl has been around for all three finales.  There's a reason that people become attached to a program.  Maybe it's the writing, maybe it's the premise, maybe it's the actors, sometimes it's all of that.  I know that the original series Star Trek (TOS as it's sometimes known), had a major fan following because it was one of the few set in the future shows that actually gave us hope for a non holocaust like future.  That's why there were the original printed fanzines, the animated series, and then the conventions that kept the franchise alive until the first Star Trek movie was made.  

Anyway, gettin' back to SOA postin',  my writin' life took up a lot of free time, and in the last two years personal issues - includin' the loss of my father - took up a lot of time as well.  So I didn't post on the message boards or all the fan pages on FB.  When drama and feuds broke out, it seemed to zap my strength and take away from my love of the show.  So I lurked.  A lot. 


Many of these pages may die a slow death and people will go their separate ways and find new interests, which is fine.  That's a part of life as well.  But I would hope that the friendships made will endure.  At least I know that the feuds will die, and that will be a good thing. 


So yes, I mourn the passing of SOA, it's been a part of my life for the last seven years.  There's still my fanfic, which I will still continue to write, as there is still back story to fill in, questions to answer.  Not that I'm sayin' I'm Kurt Sutter's mouthpiece.  Far from it.  The fanfic is just my vision of what he didn't get to tell.  If you find yourself jonsesing for some SOA, feel free to check it out.  

One thing I will also miss is the weekly Watcher of Anarchy podcast live recording.  Over the last five years of the series (I found them after their first season, which was season two), this has been my place to go where we could hear other people talk about their feelings on the show (via voice mail and emails read by the moderators/hosts), and in the chat room durin' the live recordin'.  We grew close on that podcast.  We called it Church.  It was a true brotherhood, much as the fictional club was a brotherhood. 

The WOA podcast was a labor of love by a husband and wife in Illinois.  They both ride bikes, but aren't part of a club.  Neither am I.  But we were brought together by our love for SOA, and they paid for the costs of doin' the podcasts from their own pockets.  Over the years, they grew more polished but remained fun.  The members of WOA became my brothers and sisters.  That, too, I'm going to miss.  

Whether you loved SOA as deeply as myself, or just indulged in it on a whim, that's up to you.  I respect your feelings about how it ended.  Please respect mine, and others.  And if I and others feel like shedding a tear or two because it has ended, then let us.  Don't patronize us, don't make fun of us.  That's part of the process of letting go.  

There is a life after SOA.  Findin' it is the hard part.  

To the people on FB and the message boards who took the time to make the forums available, I salute you for your own dedication.  Sometimes people treated all y'all downright rudely because you cared.  Sometimes they made trouble.  Sometimes people's feelings got hurt for no good reason.  Sometimes good friends turned against each other.  The constant drama on the FB pages kinda got to me after awhile, and that's why I lurked but stayed quiet.  

So that's my little epistle, for whatever it's worth.  Whether Mr. Sutter does a sequel in a decade or so to SOA is up to him.  If he does it, or entrusts it to someone that shares his vision of a sequel and I'm still around to see it, Hell yeah I'll tune in.  Just as I'll try out Bastard Executioner, his next project.  And we also have the First Nine prequel to look forward to. 

In the meantime, I hoist my drink in the air, and salute all my fellow fans of SOA.  To quote Tully, "You did good, sweetheart."




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