The Gemma Theory That Would Change Everything On Sons Of Anarchy

In most movies and television shows, there's usually a character that audiences love to hate. From King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) on HBO's "Game of Thrones" to Slytherin Death Eater Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) in "Harry Potter," these characters' sneaky, violent actions become pivotal to the plotline. When it comes to the FX series "Sons of Anarchy," this specific honor goes to Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal).

As the mother of Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), the wife of SAMCRO President Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman), and the widow of SAMCRO founder John "JT" Teller, Gemma strongly influences the outlaw motorcycle club, despite not being an official member. Throughout the series, her routine deceitfulness causes many issues for the club and her family members. One particularly egregious instance comes in the aftermath of Gemma's murder of Jax's wife, Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff). In attempting to cover up her actions, Gemma tells Jax that a Chinese crime organization is responsible, leading Jax and SAMCRO to launch an unnecessary attack.

Indeed, it doesn't take much thinking to figure out that Gemma is behind much of the chaos of "Sons of Anarchy," and one interesting fan theory makes her an even more important aspect of the show.

At first glimpse, the meaning of the title "Sons of Anarchy" seems pretty straightforward. According to Merriam-Webster, the official definition of anarchy is "a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority." Of course, this makes perfect sense — the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original routinely engages in all manner of criminal conduct, including everything from weapons trafficking to murder.

However, some fans believe that the title actually has a deeper meaning. These fans believe the title actually refers to Gemma herself. According to this theory, Gemma is literal "anarchy," referring to all of the disorder she causes for Jax and the other "sons" of the motorcycle club. Since she's considered the "queen" of SAMCRO, the club is regularly inclined to listen to and respect her. Sadly, her manipulation often has a disastrous impact on the group.

This theory was shared on Reddit in a post simply titled "Gemma is anarchy." In the post, u/Rodizzles1996 wrote, "She tells lies and [lets] them go when they are in the advantage of her ... She uses them when Clay was [president], she threatens people with them. She sees them as family, and since she's a fierce mother, they all suffer." 

While this particular post didn't gain much traction on the site, it is far from the only Reddit thread to focus on Gemma's issues throughout the series. Elsewhere, u/sku-sku wrote, "Gemma is the source of everything bad that happens in SoA and I'm FURIOUS." In response, u/killsforpie added, "She might not pull the trigger, but she's damn responsible for piles of bodies."