‘Sons of Anarchy’ season 5 finale spoilers: Death, or departure?

As we pointed out in our “Sons of Anarchy” finale scoop a little bit earlier Tuesday, it is a common practice for many series (especially on cable these days) to introduce a character for a season, only to later either kill them off or write them out of the story during the finale. This way, the show can keep a core cast of people intact, while at the same time continue to flow some new blood through to keep fans excited and to give the story a slightly different flavor.

While we have seen some intermittent guest stars throughout the season (Donal Logue, Joel McHale), there have also been some other actors in Jimmy Smits and Harold Perrineau who have stuck around for the entire year. So will they add season 6 to their resume, as well? It’s possible … but it’s also possible that they could be riding off into the metaphorical sunset soon.

According to Entertainment Weekly, one of the characters we have met this season (though it does not necessarily have to be one of the two listed here) will not be “seeing next season.” This sounds an awful lot like death, though we assume it is also possible that they could just be getting out of Dodge (or California, in this case), only to turn back up in the world of the show a little bit later on down the road.

Considering how common a presence death has had on “Sons of Anarchy” over the years (almost enough to be a character in its own right), the finale may almost be as much still about the characters who survive as the characters that die. These will be the people around to pick up the pieces, and they may have plenty of blood to clean up after what is set to be a violent conclusion until the fall of 2013.

Who do you think is at the greatest risk Tuesday night? Be sure to share your theories below, and you can catch more on the season 5 finale over here. You can also vote for the show in our Best of 2012 series.

Photo: FX