‘Sons of Anarchy’ season 6 debate: What do we want to see unfold?

Let’s face it: right now, we have a long time to wait until “Sons of Anarchy” season 6 comes on the air. With that in mind, we also have a long time to speculate on just what could happen on the show. There are a number of storylines that could potentially unfold with Tara and Clay behind bars, Otto without a tongue, and Jax at a crossroads of morality. But which road will we take? At this point, there is no real indication that he is going to start turning things around after going down a road paved in darkness.

With this being season 6 (and also the second-to-last season of the show so long as executive producer Kurt Sutter keeps his current plan in place), it only seems appropriate to list out six things that we would like to see when the show returns to FX in the fall.

1. Keep Clay alive – It may sound strange, but we almost feel for Ron Perlman’s character now. It’s like he has ridden around the most awesome bike in the world for so long that it is starting to loser its luster, and it is getting ever closer to just being a lawn ornament. His character is completely burnt out, and there is something captivating in watching that change. Plus, what would Jax even be without the yang to his yin?

2. Bring Nero back – This will depend largely on Jimmy Smits’ availability, but make it happen. This was the best new character on season 5, and just the fact that he was not written out of a show is a blessing from our vantage point. We’ll be spending the next several months campaigning for Smits to get an Emmy nomination.

3. Make Lee Toric in some ways a “Big Bad” – At times this past season Roosevelt was able to play the rogue cop on a mission well, but nothing compares to what Donal Logue’s character has going on. He is the sort of adversary SAMCRO has never faced before, and for the sake of the enigma alone we’re glad he at least has another seven or eight episodes in the tank.

4. Kill Otto – Sutter hates reading lines as the character, and he’s already a step closer to being there without a tongue. Otto’s had a good run killing people with crucifixes, but it’s time for him to go.

5. Give Juice stability – After a season of watching him go from being a rat to almost an asset to Jax, it’s time that the character had a different story. Going down the same path would be more of the same, and the last thing we want from “Sons of Anarchy” is for it to feel repetitive.

6. Keep on surprising – The last one is simple. While we don’t want to see characters in similar situations year after year, the feel of the show has to stay the same: continuing to have moments like Opie’s death that leave our jaws hanging for our pals to pick up off the floor, and have enough ambiguity exist for us to really question who we should be rooting for … and if it is a good idea to root for anyone at all.

What do you want to see next season? If you want to see Sutter reflect on the past and future of the show, be sure to read this “Sons of Anarchy” article here.

Photo: FX