To say that there’s a lot of death in Sons of Anarchy would be an understatement, however, no one has racked up a higher death count for this seventh and final season more than Katey Sagal’s Gemma Teller Morrow. I mean, if you think about it, pretty much every single drop of bloodshed this season can be traced back to Gemma and the lies she’s told to cover up Tara's death. But now that Abel has told Jax about Gemma’s big secret, it’s only a matter of time before SAMCRO’s beloved matriarch must pay for her sins. The only question is, when? During a recent conference call with reporters, Sagal opened up about Gemma's tearful fate, what she'll miss the most, and how she thinks fans will feel about the FX series' final three episodes.
We all know how far Gemma is willing to go to protect the ones she loves. But is there anyone — outside of Jax and her grandsons, of course — who Gemma would never be able to kill, even if they backed her into a corner? Sagal says that when it comes to her family, Gemma's murderous wrath has no limits. “No I think she would kill anybody. I do. I mean at the end of the day if it was to protect her grandchildren, her son, or herself you know I guess she would kill anybody.” Bottom line: don't mess with Mama Teller. (As if we really needed reminding!)
However, it's that toughness that we all fell in love (or hate?) with even from the very first episode, which is part of what makes saying goodbye to her character (and the show itself) all the more difficult. "I’ve been in television a long time and you don’t find great parts that readily and you don’t find great writing that readily," the actress explains. "So it’s been just a great creative experience to be able to have both of those things and the colorful bunch of people to work with. So going to work was never boring and I will miss that all terribly.”
There was one thing, though, that Sagal was unwilling to part with from the show, and made sure to grab as a souvenir before leaving the set. “The thing I really wanted and I did get was, in the pilot Gemma wore a brown, leather coat down to her knees and I wanted that coat," Sagal recalls. "That was the first piece of clothing that we had made for her and so that’s my keepsake. That’s my cut.”
But it isn't time to close the book on SAMCRO just yet. In fact, Sagal can't wait to see how fans react to the final few episodes, which she believes everyone will find quite satisfying.
I’m excited for [fans] to see the conclusion. I feel like this season overall has been so strong in the character department… I think the whole season just has a more fluid approach. So I’ve really enjoyed watching this year and I think that all the characters have been serviced really well. I just think it’ll be really great for fans. I don’t think they’ll be disappointed at all.
And while Sagal was determined not to give away any major spoilers, she did hint that we should all have a box of tissues on hand, especially for scenes concerning both Gemma and Jax. “You just have to watch. I can tell you there were lots of tears that were shed.” Anyone else starting to get really worried?
But this may not be the last time Charlie Hunnam and Sagal share screen time together. Hunnam has already expressed interest in Kurt Sutter's next TV show The Bastard Executioner , and while his involvement still remains unclear, Sagal has officially confirmed that she will definitely play a part in the medieval project. “Yes, I’m going to be in it. We don’t know in what capacity yet because he’s now working on it, but that is where we’re going, yes. I will definitely be involved in it.” (Umm, pretty much the best news ever? I'd say so!)
For now, though, we can just enjoy what little time we have left with our favorite Old Lady and see how her final ride plays out… for better or for worse.
Images: James Minchin/FX; ; Prashant Gupta/FX; Wifflegif; kateyxsagal/Tumblr
