In Sons Of Anarchy, SAMCRO—the mother charter of the Sons Of Anarchy Motorcycle Club—is located in the fictional town of Charming, California hence most of the show's activities happen there. With a name like Charming, a quick assumption would be that it's a peaceful paradise. But it's anything but a paradise, with anarchy being the norm every single day.
Even Jax, the lead character, isn't charmed by Charming since he keeps wanting to leave. However, Charming isn't the only center of chaos. Charming's toxicity is contagious and almost every other location that's featured on the show appears to have been infected by it. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, given the show's subject matter.
"Red Rose" (S7E12)
Reeling with guilt after murdering Tara, Gemma goes to Oregon to visit her ailing father at a care facility. She then goes to her father's house and the information reaches both Jax and Unser. The latter tries to rescue her but the former kills them both.
The episode marks the end of Unser's unlucky journey through life. During his time on the show, he goes from pain to pain, first getting diagnosed with cancer, then getting a divorce. His love for Gemma is also never reciprocated and it's impossible not to feel pity for him when he dies for her. On the other side, Gemma getting murdered for her actions feels like justice served since she has brought so much pain and chaos to the MC. Without her, there would be no war with the Lin Triad or Pope Partners Inc.
"Laying Pipe." (S5E3)
At the San Joaquin County Correctional Facility, Pope demands that Jax chooses one Son for a fight to the death. Opie volunteers and even though he proves to be one of the best fighters in Sons Of Anarchy while facing off against the crime boss' goons, he ultimately gets beaten to death.
It's a tragic end to a character that was rather too nice for a gangster. Pointing the blame to one person is difficult. Opie would still be alive if Jax hadn't persuaded him to quit his lumberjack job and re the MC. He also wouldn't be dead if Tig hadn't run over Damon Pope's daughter. And he also wouldn't be dead if Damon Pope had been content with getting his revenge by burning Tig's daughter alive.
"Baine" (S3E11)
After searching for Abel for weeks, Jax forces nuns at a black market orphanage in Belfast to tell him where he is. They direct him to the address of Mark and Katey Petrie, a couple that has just adopted Abel. However, when Jax spots them at an open-air market, he decides to leave Abel with them, figuring they'd be better parents.
It's a moment that perfectly highlights Jax's conflicted nature. A part of him wants to be a peaceful family man but another part of him knows that his profession can never allow him to be one. Charming is too chaotic and the violence will always reach his child. As a good father, Jax wants the best for Abel and if the best means letting him be raised peacefully by strangers, so be it.
"J'ai Obtenu Cette" (S5E13)
Jax heads over to Oakland to meet Pope and seek a letter of intent about Charming Heights. Pope demands that Tig be brought to him as he is still keen on punishing the Sons for his daughter's death. Jax agrees to do so but at the warehouse, he betrays Pope and gives Tig the opportunity to shoot Pope.
It's in this episode that fans get to understand how deep Jax's loyalty is. He and Tig have never been buddies (especially since Tig was on Team Clay) hence there wouldn't be outrage if he gave up the former Seargent-At-Arms. It's also Tig's reckless actions that brought all the bad blood between SAMCRO and Pope Partners Inc in the first place. However, Jax chooses to stay loyal to a colleague rather than please a man who could give him millions of dollars.
"Patch Over" (S1E4)
Jax heads over to Indian Hills, Nevada to inform Jury White, that his club, the Devil's Tribe, will be patched over to SAMCRO. A ceremony is later held that night.
While the patch over seems like a good thing at the time, it causes Jax's downfall later in the series. If the Devil's Tribe wasn't part of the Sons Of Anarchy, Jax wouldn't have gotten a "Mayhem Vote" for killing a fellow President after shooting Jury in Season 7. It's during the patch over that one of the unhealthiest relationships in Sons Of Anarchy also starts, that of Half-Sack and Cherry.
"The Revelator" (S1E13)
The One-Niners have been wrongfully accused of Donna's death but Piney doesn't know this. He goes to Oakland himself to confront the gang and almost gets himself killed at the Niner-bar. Luckily, Jax, Chibs, and Half-Sack show up in time to calm the situation.
Seeing a father-in-law dedicated to avenging the death of his son's wife is irable. As a member of the First 9, Piney goes by the old-school playbook, so no crime goes unpunished. While his bravery makes a more likable character, his inability to even do proper investigations first is off-putting. If he manages to harm Laroy in this particular situation, he'd have meted out justice to the wrong person since Tig is the culprit.
"Straw" (S6E1)
Jax and Nero make their way to the Stockton docks to shut down the torture porn studio. A scuffle ensues and the two get arrested. They are then taken to one of the most villainous officers in Sons Of Anarchy, Charlie Barosky, who begins a business partnership with them.
The linkup between Barosky and Jax impacts the series in two major ways. Barosky helps fan the flames of war in Charming towards the end of the show by acting as a double agent for both SAMCRO and the Lin Triad. One of Jax's worst traits is his philandering nature and this is confirmed once again when Barsoky introduces him to Collete, with who he eventually cheats on Tara.
"Fírinne" (S310)
In one of the most memorable broad daylight deaths in Sons Of Anarchy, SAMBEL Keith McGee gets pushed off a roof in Belfast for betraying the mother charter. And after nearly sleeping together, Jax and Cherry learn that they are siblings.
There is no shortage of betrayals on the show but McGee's "Judas" moment stings deeper because 90% of the mother charter could have been wiped out by explosives because of his actions. As a member of the First 9, his loyalty ought to have been dense. The episode also brings to light the fact that John Teller wasn't as clean as previously thought. He had an extramarital affair and didn't tell anyone in Charming about it.
'Oil" (S3E3)
The Sons invade the home of Calaveras MC President Hector Salazar in Lodi and give him a brutal beatdown, hoping to make him talk about his association with the Mayans. He refuses, and as a result, bad blood between the two clubs forms.
During his brief time in the FX series, Hector proves to be one of the best secondary antagonists. Most men get intimidated by the boys from Charming but Hector demonstrates his courage by not only standing up to them but also taking Tara and Margaret hostage. He eventually pays for his sins but not before providing plenty of entertainment.
"Seeds (S1E2)
Bobby shows up for an important gig in Tahoe. He normally does Elvis Presley impersonations. but this time the manager has given the gig to someone else. He isn't too happy so he tasks Half-Sack with beating up the lucky new guy.
The pop culture links aside, the episode was colorful from start to finish. To date, "Seeds" and other episodes in season 1 still make fans reminisce about the days that Bobby was actually fun. It's great seeing him don Elvis outfits and sing his heart out. After season 1, he developed into a grumpy biker, and his side hustle became one of the storylines that Sons Of Anarchy dropped.