'Sons of Anarchy’ Finale Recap: Jax Teller Comes Full Circle

SPOILER ALERT: Character and storyline spoilers ahead for the series finale (“Papa’s Goods”) episode of Sons of Anarchy.

Sons of Anarchy began seven seasons ago with Charlie Hunnam’s Jax Teller happily riding his motorcycle along the highway, alone, while two black crows picked at some garbage in the road.

Sons of Anarchy ended on Tuesdaywith Jax Teller once again driving a motorcycle (this time his dad’s restored bike) down the highway, this time followed by a flock of police, and, if not happily then calmly and at peace, straight into a semi. Arms outstretched, eyes closed, and a smile on his face, Jax ended his life the same way his father had 21 years earlier, on his own terms, and with full recognition of the man he’d become and the man he no longer wanted to be.

Related: 'Sons of Anarchy' Producer Compares Finale to 'M*A*S*H'

Unlike John Teller before him, Jax made an effort to try to ensure SAMCRO could live on, and that his own offspring would not be a part of it — that the Teller outlaw legacy would end with him.

It was a fitting ending, and most importantly, as various cast members had promised leading into the finale, it was a somber but satisfying end, with plenty of death and destruction, some hopeful moments, and a few openings for fans to imagine what might happen next.

To get there, Jax Teller had a long to-do list, and here are the items he got to check off:

For Wendy, Nero, and His Sons
The finale picks up the morning after Jax’s night with Wendy. After watching Abel sleep, holding baby Thomas, and swapping out his now blood-splattered white shoes for black boots, he was out the door. He went to Gemma’s storage locker, where he burned some photos, his journals, and the last copy of John Teller’s The Life and Death of Sam Crow: How the Sons of Anarchy Lost Their Way. He visited Opie’s grave, where he left his “SO” and “NS’ rings, and Tara’’ grave, where he placed his wedding band on top of her headstone.

At Teller-Morrow, he put some paperwork in order, which we learn in his conversation with Nero later is the deed to his house, Gemma’s house, and the garage, which he wants Wendy to sell and use the profits to raise the boys — away from Charming. He also wanted Nero to oversee the transfer of Red Woody and Jax’s half of Diosa to SAMCRO, but most importantly, he wanted Nero — his best friend, as he tells Abel — to make sure his boys end up away from Charming. A teary Nero had to don shades to hide his emotions around Wendy and the boys, but he agreed as he and Wendy packed up her car and headed to his uncle’s farm.

For SAMCRO
Charlie Barosky had been revealed as the SAMCRO rat. So Jax walked into Barosky’s deli, and shot him in the head. Dealt with.

August Marks was going to continue to torment SAMCRO and their street brethren, so Jax waited for him outside the courthouse on the day he was released from jail and pumped several bullets into him. Dealt with.

Related: 'Sons of Anarchy': The 20 Most Devastating Deaths [Photos]

That favor Jax asked the other Sons presidents for in “Red Rose”? It was that they do away with the unwritten rule about not allowing other races into the club. They agreed, and former Grim Bastards leader T.O. Cross was officially patched in as the first black Son. The breaking-down of the race barrier opens the path for SAMCRO to expand its membership and helps ensure the club’s future. Dealt with.

IRA leader Rourke had demanded SAMCRO take care of rogue gunrunner Connor Malone in exchange for the Irish support of Jax’s plans to have the Mayans take over gunrunning in northern California. Instead, Jax killed Rourke and got Connor to agree to be the Mayans’ gun supplier. Dealt with.

After revealing his entire exit plan to a heartbroken Chibs, Jax got him to agree that SAMCRO had to go along with the vote that Jax should meet Mr. Mayhem for murdering Jury. Chibs and the others voted yes, and Happy took a surface gunshot wound to the arm to lay down a cover story that Jax had escaped from SAMCRO’s watch, leaving the club free to peacefully coexist with other Sons chapters, and allowing Jax to carry out his final ride plans. Dealt with.

And one final action before he bid each of his SAMCRO brothers goodbye: Jax removed his SAMCRO president patch and placed it in Chibs’s hand, while Chibs’s vice president patch was passed on to Tig. “Good choice,” Jax agreed.

For Himself

Jax had become very clear on who he was, he told Nero in their final chat, and he didn’t like that person.

"I’m leaving, Nero," Jax said.

"Why?" Nero asked, and answered his own question. "Gemma?"

"You know why… I did what I know I how to do, what Gemma knew had to be done," he said, confirming he had killed his mother. "The lies caught up to all of us. I tried to hide from it… this is who I am. I can’t change."

He asked Nero to make sure Abel and Thomas leave Charming, “so they don’t become what I’ve become… I’m not a good man. I’m a criminal, and a killer. I need my sons to grow up hating the thought of me.”

"Where are you gonna go?" Nero asked.

With a smile, Jax answered, “I don’t know,” which, in the bigger — the biggest — sense, may be true.

Anarchy Afterthoughts:

* The driver of the semi, hauling “Papa’s Goods” products, was indeed Michael Chiklis’s Milo.

* Jimmy Smits… man. Once he stepped inside Unser’s trailer and saw Unser’s evidence board for Tara’s murder, it took just a little look to sweep across Nero’s face to know he realized that he had inadvertently sent Wayne to his death when he asked him to go find Gemma. Here’s hoping that Smits gets some awards-season love for his Season 7 work and, more importantly, that he pops up in another great role soon.

* Add this one to our list of the show’s funniest moments:Tadarius Orwell Cross is his full name, but unless “I came out of your godda—ed womb,” no one is allowed to call him that, not even his new SAMCRO brothers.

* Venus and Tig’s love lives on, in the episode’s most hopeful moment. Walt Goggins (speaking of those who are award-worthy) returned for a brief scene as Venus comforted Tig after Jax’s club exit.

Related: 'Sons of Anarchy': The 20 Funniest Moments [Photos]

* And speaking of Tig, that scene in which the guys are chasing Connor through a doll warehouse was a clever nod to Tig’s — and series creator Kurt Sutter’s — pediophobia, aka fear of dolls. At one point you can hear Tig yell, “No dolls!”

* Not all romances moved forward. New President Chibs and Jarry? Dunzo, so dunzo, especially after Chibs took the oomph out of her big breakup speech by cosigning the breakup and letting her know she’s now dangerously on the wrong side of SAMCRO.

* Some things are better left unseen. Just as in “Suits of Woe,” we didn’t hear Jax’s side of the conversation when he told Nero over the phone that Gemma killed Tara, we also didn’t get to see Wendy’s reaction when Nero tells her about Gemma and Tara and Jax and… well, the whole story. The story had been told so many times that it was more effective to imagine Wendy’s reaction, especially since Jax had to once again tell the story to D.A. Tyne Patterson (thanks to a brief but memorable return by guest star CCH Pounder).

* Wendy’s funniest line, after asking Nero to pick up road-trip snacks and his suggesting a lot of sugary treats were in order: “Yeah, so Abel can run alongside the car.”

Now, let’s hear your thoughts, SoA fans: Did the series finale live up to your expectations? Were you shocked by Jax’s death or the way he carried it out? Any unanswered questions you’re left with? Overall, are you satisfied with the way Kurt Sutter and company wrapped up their story?