From the guy who brought you The Shield comes this new series, Sons of Anarchy, which debuted on September 3rd. It concerns the wheelings and dealings of an outlaw motorcycle club who basically operate like an all-American mafia.

Main character Jackson “Jax” Teller, played by Charlie Hunnam, is the son of the club’s founder and is struggling to come to terms with the vicious nature of his job. His stepfather Clay Morrow, played by Ron Perlman, is more ruthless and sure of himself. Together, the two men must face up to rival gangs, the police, and their own personal demons.

The story is loosely based on Hamlet, although the elements of that tale have yet to surface. The setup is certainly there: friction is beginning to build between Jax and Clay, although at this early stage their relationship is still strong.

The pilot episode tells two parallel stories: a gun deal gone bad, and the premature birth of Jax’s son to his strung-out ex wife. As the gang fights for their territory, the baby fights for his life against incredible odds. (On top of being a premature drug baby, he has a congenital heart defect from Jax’s side.)

Jax’s identity crisis is worsened when he discovers some of his father’s old papers, which outline his original, idealistic plan for the Sons of Anarchy. They weren’t supposed to be brutal killers, which is how Jax now begins to see the gang. He becomes much more sympathetic towards a retired member who doesn’t want to cause tensions in his family by returning to the business; Jax even finds himself lying to Clay to protect the man.

The pilot establishes important rivalries between the Sons of Anarchy and other groups. While many police officers are on the gang’s payroll, many are not. They are a great threat, along with the Mayans gang, a Mexican club with which they constantly compete.

The pilot is interesting and emotionally engaging, and it should be enough to get plenty of people watching the series.

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