Sons of Anarchy: Season 3
  • Network: FX
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 3, 2008
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
Metascore
84 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
view
per page
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    100
    Sons of Anarchy remains as bare-knuckled and, almost inconceivably, as funny and crass as ever. And it doesn't take Season 3 very long to ratchet up the twists
  2. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    100
    In the third season, the song remains the same. Biblical themes of fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, honor and dishonor, Cain and Abel are all baked under that pitiless California sun. Brace yourselves.
  3. The Huffington Post (formerly AOL TV)
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    90
    If you're really just in the mood for a tightly plotted character drama, the show delivers on that score. And if you like to see bikers busting heads, well, SOA has some of the best bone-crunching action in the business.
  4. Hitfix
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    90
    The darker and more complicated life gets for the Sons, the better the TV show tends to be. And based on the four episodes I've seen, Sons is still at the incredible level it achieved a year ago, when it became one of the best dramas on television.
  5. Time
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    90
    The early episodes of season three, though, find SoA retaining what there was to love about it--the well-drawn characters, including the strong women in SAMCRO and its orbit--while expanding the show as well.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 112 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22
  1. SamCro
    10
    Once again, Kurt Sutter has done the impossible. I saw this show two years ago, and wasnt interisted in the least. I was flipping through the channels and SamCro was on in mid-season. Ever sense then i've been hooked. The storyline is always changing. As soon as i'm able to predict what is going to happen (Like with CSI and The Mentalist) something new always comes up. A hidden charictar, or in this case, an unknow MC appears out of nowhere and stirs up the mix. Some complain that the storyline has become too complicated. Kurt said in one of his blogs that he didnt want to have the same storyline. Example: Jax pushing recklessly to change the club into what it was meant to be in season one. In season two, the Nords teamed up with White Power inorder to kill SamCro's gun running buisness. This season, it foucuses more on family, and the fact that we may be nowhere without the ones we love pushing us to go that extra mile. If the storyline becomes complicated, then we dont know whats going to happen. If it stays the same, then SamCro would've been canceled by now. No one wants to watch the same old crap on tv. Its not fun when it's predictable.

    Well done Mr. Sutter. I hope that you continue to push the envolope to its max.    … Full Review »
  2. Discerning
    5
    Following very strong first and second seasons, Season 3 is a meandering, drawn-out detour into an implausible plot line. The shift away from the show's strength -- the gritty, believable portrayal of MC life -- towards increasingly bombastic events simply feels forced. Moments of strange comedy are also inserted into the third season, fitting very poorly with the overarching tone that was painstakingly developed over the previous two seasons. One's suspension of disbelief is frequently challenged as Season 3's hyperbolic, overcharged atmosphere tries to outdo itself time and time again. Jax (Hunnam), who has always been the weakest actor of the bunch, continues in his mewling, self-righteous, conflicted ways, taking focus from other more interesting characters and stronger actors. A profoundly disappointing turn for an otherwise excellent series.… Full Review »
  3. JennetP
    6
    I love this series, but, for the first time, I'm letting episodes stack up before watching them. Why? Because the kidnapped baby storyline is dull, which is bad, and sentimental, which is worse. One of the things I've always admired about SOA is its refusal to jerk tears or resort to easy platitudes, so I can't fathom why Sutter & company suddenly placed an Infant in Peril at the center of events. There's no moral complexity with a Purloined Babe; there are only quivering lips, shouts of "You don't understand!" and behavior that would look shockingly selfish without the Son of Captivity to excuse it. We're promised a big payoff as the season ends, but episodes should be strong in their own right, not just set-ups for a punchline. Hope season four returns to form!… Full Review »
See all user reviews »