Sons of Anarchy: Season 1

"Set as far as possible from the canyons of New York, the series has a cool, original look--despite its C-movie moments when burly guys in black jackets zoom down the highway to the accompaniment of country metal rock."

"Working with directors Allen Coulter and Michael Dinner, Sutter does bring a visceral quality to the violence, while detailing the club's code and commitment to functioning as an extended family; there's just so little dimension to the characters early on that it's difficult to care."

"Sons wants us to care about their hopes and struggles, but gives no clue as to why we might do so."

"Well-made, but heavy-handed and hardly inviting."

"The show, which begins on Wednesday, is all tattoos and creased leather vests and shock-value chatter, and it isn't half-bad."

"Sutter packs the early episodes with colorful dialogue but at the same time so much random violence that it crosses the line to gratuitous."

"Few series have exploded onto the scene with such a rich array of potential stories and inherently interesting characters."

"Creator Kurt Sutter, a longtime writer for "The Shield," has said that he wanted to create a West coast version of "The Sopranos," but the world he created sometimes feels like "The Sopranos" without any discernible moral compass."

"Every character is unique - but almost none compares in strangeness to Bobby Munson (Mark Boone, Jr.), a Jewish killer/gang member/Elvis impersonator. Yes, I love this show."

"It's grindhouse and art house, and it carries itself as if it doesn't give a damn what you think of it. And its infuriating push-pull quality is still fascinating."

"A complex and well-built drama that leaves the viewer wondering if there's enough humanity here to make the hard-boiled stories worth following."

"There are moments that require you not to think too hard, and some of the black humor doesn't overcome its fundamental nastiness. But on the whole, it's a superior package, intelligently constructed and handsomely executed."

"Sons of Anarchy, an unfailingly coarse yet brashly effective series that burrows into the workings of the titular outlaw motorcycle club."

"For all its ferocity, and despite some excellent supporting performances, there’s a curious hole at the center of Sons of Anarchy. The character we’re supposed to be most interested in is something of a blank slate."

"I do think it has real potential to become a solid dramatic addition to the FX slate, as The Shield enters its final season."