Death is always a part of any great series. It’s what can set up many character arcs, add an emotional dynamic to the show, and even flip an entire storyline on its head if it's surprising enough. All of this applies to Sons of Anarchy, a show that didn’t hold back in showing ancillary deaths along the way.
There was one moment, however, in Season 5 that still sticks with fans today as being the most emotional scene in any of its seven seasons. Opie's (Ryan Hurst) death remains one of the toughest pills to swallow for Sons of Anarchy fans and is the most emotional, surprising event to unfold in any episode of Sons of Anarchy or its proceeding series, Mayans M.C.
This is saying a lot considering that many of the main characters and all the lovable (if that’s how you could describe a collection of gang members) side characters met some horrific end, including the series’ biggest star. The nearly five-minute scene that played out in which Opie is killed will never be topped in the world of Sons and Mayans.
Opie's Death in ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Was Slowly Built Up
Ryan Hurst as Opie looking over at Charlie Hunnam as Jax in Sons of Anarchy
Some of the most impactful death scenes in television come with an element of surprise. Whether it’s a particular character meeting his fate in Season 1 of Game of Thrones or even to a lesser extent, a character played by a well-known actor biting the bullet (literally) to bring in viewers to a new series like Big Sky, a powerful death can really give a show a leg up if done right.
Sons of Anarchy really took its time in setting up the loss of Opie, to the point where it truly left viewers in shock. As viewers came to learn of Opie, he was a loyal lifelong friend of Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and the son of one of SAMCRO’s co-founders. He was a Sons member through and through, which made all of the behind-the-scenes doings even more impactful.
After returning to the club when he gets out of prison (to begin the series), Opie isn't welcomed in with open arms as Clay (Ron Perlman) was led to believe that Opie betrayed the club. He orders a hit on him, which backfires as Opie’s wife is the one who is mistakenly killed.
Throughout the first four seasons, we see Opie dealing with this loss while going through depression and becoming a distant father to his son. What made Opie’s death so surprising was the fact that we saw this character already at his lowest point. It didn’t seem like the show would continue to pile on him, but instead hopefully set him up for some sort of reconciliation in the end.
This clearly doesn't happen as Opie’s character is shocked to learn that his father’s death came at the hands of Clay. This is the moment where it becomes clear this world isn't for Opie, or one where he and Clay can coincide for much longer. He even attempts to murder Clay, shooting him twice, before Jax has to disarm and hide him away. The surprising nature of his death comes full circle in Season 5 when Jax tries to get him to rejoin the table alongside Clay. But it’s impossible for him to look past his father’s death.
‘Sons of Anarchy’ Gave Us a Surprising End for Opie
Opie's (Ryan Hurst) death scene in Sons of Anarchy
With all of this setup, it was difficult to see a world where Opie and Clay could each live, but the former (we believed) was in a better position since his best friend was running the club and there was no way Jax would not choose him over Clay, who also had a hand in killing Jax’s father, John.
What ended up playing out in the Season 5 episode entitled "Laying Pipe" was something we couldn’t have seen coming as the Sons had to deal with life on the inside and play by the rules of Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau). That's when Pope explains that Jax and his crew can get out of prison alive, but on one condition: one has to die.
Cue the loyal Opie. With Jax considering just putting himself as the sacrifice, Opie headbutts a guard because he knows by doing so, he’ll be the one that’s literally thrown to the wolves as the sacrifice. It was a move that played out in slow motion for fans as it became clear what was happening. Losing Jax, or Chibs (Tommy Flanagan), or Tig (Kim Coates), would have left a huge hole in this show, especially Jax, but the way in which Opie essentially volunteered to a brutal death was some exquisite writing.
The ensuing scene completely ripped out the hearts of viewers as each punch and swing that landed on Opie left us all feeling just as hopeless as the SAMCRO members that had to watch on helplessly. Jax, in particular, made this scene all the more emotional as he could do nothing to prevent his best friend from being beaten to death.
A decade later, and Ope's death scene still delivers the same impact — that’s how you know Sons of Anarchy stuck the landing with the most emotional death not only in this series but among the follow-up Mayans M.C. series as well (if Angel meets his end like it’s being set up, he could also end up in this category). Opie clearly didn’t have a reason to live, which is how he ended up in prison in the first place as he simply committed a crime just to get inside with his “brothers.” The way in which he goes out as a martyr is rather poetic, because through everything he went through, he always had Jax's back, and when Jax was tethering on his decision to nominate himself as the sacrifice, there was simply no way that Opie would not serve his best friend one final time.
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