Mentions of sexual assault and murder.
Sons of Anarchyis full of tragic moments and deaths, among them Tara’s (Maggie Siff), but her downfall was set up in the show’s first season, and it makes her story even more heartbreaking. Kurt Sutter’sSons of Anarchytakes viewers to the fictional town of Charming, California, taken over by the title motorcycle club. Leading the show is the club’s VP and later President, Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), whose story begins when he finds his father’s manifesto, as he was one ofthe founders of SAMCRO.
Sons of Anarchyfollowed not only all the conflicts and wins of the club but also the personal lives of some characters, especially Jax. In season 1, Jax reconnects with his high school sweetheart, Tara, after his son, Abel, needs urgent medical attention as soon as he’s born. Jax and Tara end up getting married and having another son, Thomas, but their story has a tragic ending inSons of Anarchyseason 6. However, Tara’s downfall was set up in the first episodes of the show, which only makes her story more heartbreaking.
Tara Returns To Charming To Escape A Toxic Relationship
Tara Needed A Safe Place
Tara Knowles makes herSons of Anarchydebut in the first episode, where she meets with Jax and others when Jax’s then-wife, Wendy (Drea de Matteo), who is pregnant, overdoses and is taken to the hospital. Tara explains she must get an emergency C-section as the baby is premature, and he’s also unwell, as he carries the Teller heart defect in addition to all the drugs Wendy had been taking. Tara saves baby Abel, and asSons of Anarchycontinues, she and Jax get closer and properly reconnect.
Before the events ofSons of Anarchy, Tara left Charming to get away from small-town life and SAMCRO, and moved to San Diego. Tara later went to medical school in Chicago, where she also did her internship. During that time, Tara met ATF agent Josh Kohn (Jay Karnes) and got pregnant, but had an abortion. At some point,Kohn became increasingly intimidating and abusive, and Tara struggled to get a restraining order. Because of this, Tara decided to return to Charming, where she would feel safe and SAMCRO could protect her. However, Kohn follows her to Charming.
One night, Kohn appears in Tara’s bedroom and, after leaving her unconscious, he tries to sexually assault her, but she awakens and leads him on while she reaches for his gun.Tara shoots Kohn in the stomach and calls Jax while Kohn bleeds out on the floor. After explaining what will happen if they call an ambulance, Jax shoots Kohn in the head and later gets rid of the body.
Tara & Jax’s Marriage Leads To Her Ultimate Demise
Tara Wasn’t Entirely Safe With SAMCRO
Tara escapes a toxic and potentially deadly relationship only to get into something a lot more complex but also dangerous. Tara finds the protection she wants in Charming with Jax and SAMCRO, but getting back together with Jax also brings her new problems. Jax’s mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal), is only accepting of Tara when it’s convenient for her, andTara ends up being dragged into their family drama and some of the club’s problemsagainst her will.
Tara’s downfall begins inSons of Anarchyseason 5, following a fake kidnapping attempt that leaves her with an injured hand that could end her career. Tara gets involved in a plan to stop a RICO case that requires her to infiltrate Stockton State Prison so she can talk to Otto (Sutter). This is the decision that kicks off her downfall, as the murder of a nurse, the arrival of her vengeful brother, and Gemma’s impulsiveness culminate inTara being killed by Gemma in season 6, which would never have happened had she not gotten back together with Jax.
Jax Has Tara’s Blood On His Hands Just As Much As Gemma
Jax Contributed To Tara’s Downfall
Gemma is the one who stabs Tara with an ice pick and leaves her body on the kitchen floor at Jax’s home, but Jax also has Tara’s blood on his hands. As much as she’s trying to help, Jax allows Tara to get into the plan to reach Otto, and continues to push her to keep volunteering at the prison, and it’s after the nurse’s murder that Tara begins to question her life with Jax and SAMCRO.
Knowing well how aggressive, reckless, and vengeful his mother can be,Jax also fails to clear Tara’s name with Gemma, who kills her as she believes she has ratted on Jax and the club. Tara’s death further breaks Jax, who spends the entire final season ofSons of Anarchylooking for revenge. Tara ran away from a toxic relationship and returned to Charming for comfort and safety, but that only marked the beginning of something more complex and deadly.
