Sons Of Anarchy: The Best Crime Drama Of The 2010s That Hasn’t Been Replaced

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FX is known for its excellent crime dramas, and one seven-part series, even after ten years, remains unmatched. While FX has produced many critically acclaimed shows, it’s particularly distinguished by its strong lineup of crime-focused television.

FX has produced several acclaimed crime dramas, including The Shield, Fargo, Justified, and American Crime Story – though the last one has sparked debate. Many consider Sons of Anarchy, which aired for seven seasons from 2008 to 2014, to be one of the network’s best shows, and it remains a standout series even now.

Sons of Anarchy Is One Of The Best Crime Dramas Of The 2010s

Created by Kurt Sutter, Sons of Anarchy is set in the fictional town of Charming, California, and follows the members of a motorcycle club. At the start of the series, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) is the club president, and his stepson, Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), serves as vice president. Jax is also the son of one of the club’s original founders.

The story of Sons of Anarchy starts when Jax discovers a document written by his father, outlining his original goals for the motorcycle club and his worries about where it had gone wrong. Jax then attempts to revive his father’s vision, but his ideas conflict with those of Clay, another club leader. Over seven seasons, the show follows Jax as he navigates the challenges of leading the club while also trying to provide for his family, often with those two worlds overlapping.

Despite a few weaker episodes, Sons of Anarchy remained consistently strong throughout its run, earning its place among the greatest crime dramas ever made. The show is often compared to Shakespeare, particularly Hamlet, due to its focus on the complex family dynamics of the Teller and Morrow families.

The characters in Sons of Anarchy aren’t simply good or bad, which makes them feel more realistic and complex. Throughout the series, these characters change and grow – some make bad choices and decline, while others learn from their errors.

Beyond all that, Sons of Anarchy expertly combines crime, drama, and thrilling action. The show features intense sequences – including shootouts, explosions, and brutal fights – all made more impactful by the compelling personal stories of its characters.

Only 2 Shows Have Come Close To Replacing Sons of Anarchy

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Since Sons of Anarchy finished airing, no other show has quite filled the void, though Bosch came the closest. Created by Eric Overmyer, Bosch is a detective series adapted from Michael Connelly’s popular Harry Bosch novels.

As a critic, I found Bosch to be a really compelling police procedural. It centers around Harry Bosch, played brilliantly by Titus Welliver, a determined LAPD homicide detective who tackles tough cases while also dealing with the murky underbelly of Los Angeles – the corruption and internal politics of the force. If you enjoyed the dark, intense vibe of Sons of Anarchy, you’ll likely appreciate Bosch. It shares that same gritty realism, features a flawed but fascinating lead character, and boasts a lot of dramatic twists and turns. It’s no surprise it was a critical success and ran for seven seasons, from 2014 to 2021.

I stumbled upon this really gripping crime drama called Animal Kingdom back in 2016. It’s actually based on a 2010 movie with the same name, and Jonathan Lisco developed it for TV. The story centers around this teenager, Joshua Cody – played by Finn Cole – who’s life gets completely turned upside down when his mom passes away from a drug overdose. He ends up having to move in with relatives he barely knows out in Southern California, and things get… complicated, to say the least.

Joshua finds himself caught up in a risky criminal world run by his grandmother and her sons. Like Sons of Anarchy, Animal Kingdom is full of drama, action, and intense family struggles, but many viewers believe it features even more compelling characters.

While both shows had their own merits, they didn’t feel like replacements for Sons of Anarchy – and that was a good thing. They were simply strong enough to be appreciated as unique series.

Sons of Anarchy’s Best Replacement Is Currently In Development

While nothing has quite filled the void left by Sons of Anarchy, that could soon change. Creator Kurt Sutter is currently developing a new crime drama called Nomad for Apple TV+, and early details suggest it shares a similar feel with his previous hit series.

So far, the upcoming show Nomad appears to be a gritty drama set in the dangerous world of New Zealand’s outlaw motorcycle gangs. The story centers on a complex character, played by Jason Momoa, who’s struggling to choose between two different ways of life and figure out his ultimate purpose – a storyline that feels similar to the one followed by Jax in Sons of Anarchy.

Nomad has the potential to fill the void left by Sons of Anarchy. While the two shows share some similarities, Nomad can still create its own unique story while feeling connected to the world established in Sons of Anarchy. Whether or not the shows will be directly linked remains to be seen.

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2026-03-17 01:29