MovieChat Forums > Sons of Anarchy (2008) Discussion > Katy Sagal vanity piece

Katy Sagal vanity piece

posted 8 years ago by emuir-1
20 replies | jump to latest

When the writer/producer of a show stars his wife in the leading role, you know you are going to be watching a vanity piece, and Sons of Anarchy was no exception. Katy Sagal as Gemma was portrayed as a middle aged femme fatale with men dropping at her feet. Wayne Unser, Clay Morrow and Nero Padilla - the biker gang's Alexis Carrington, but I just didn't buy it. While I may not be a twenty something who feels that everyone over forty should be put down, Gemma was past her prime and just a tad too old. She could strut around in tight jeans, high heeled boots, fitted black leather jackets and low cut tops all she wanted, but she was not convincing. I loved the show, but for my part, there was just too much Gemma.

[–] julia-solovjova 8 years ago

She wasn't too old for the role. She was supposed to be middle-aged, going through menopause, etc. She couldn't be a typical suburban grandmother, and a younger actress would have looked odd.

[–] mgreen9715 7 years ago

She wasn't too old for the role. She was supposed to be middle-aged, going through menopause, etc. She couldn't be a typical suburban grandmother, and a younger actress would have looked odd.

Best that I've seen it put thus far.

[–] Susan_1980 8 years ago

Gemma was past her prime and just a tad too old.

There was way too much Gemma, especially in the later seasons, but not sure what that has to do with her age? She was the exact correct age for the role. Jax was born in 1978, so you couldn't have anyone much younger playing Gemma. You not liking her or not thinking she's attractive enough has nothing to do with what the character's age should be.

[–] emuir-1 8 years ago

Either I put it the wrong way or you misinterpreted what I said. I did not intend to say that Katy Sagal was too old for the part, she was exactly right. What I meant was that I found it hard to accept the character of Gemma as the femme fatale with men falling at her feet. Clay was her long time partner so he was understandable despite how she treated him, but Wayne Unser's unrequited love for many years and Nero's sudden infatuation just did not seem credible to me. That aside, I just got sick of seeing Gemma on screen most of the time.

[–] Susan_1980 8 years ago

OK gotcha. Wayne was a sad little guy, wasn't he? I agree about Nero. He was whipped from the start and it never made sense to me why he fell so hard and fast for her.

That aside, I just got sick of seeing Gemma on screen most of the time.

It never bothered me until about season 5. Then she was in every scene whether she needed to be or not.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] pfarnell 8 years ago

He was whipped from the start and it never made sense to me why he fell so hard and fast for her.

no. Nero never defines just why he thinks she's so great, and it is elusive.
We get the vibe that they clicked in bed, maybe.That Gemma is good in bed anyway.
Experienced, as most old hooches, by hoochy definition, would tend to be by now.

[–] Susan_1980 8 years ago

Good in bed might have gotten them together, but that wouldn't maintain a relationship with people in their 50's. He was really into her, not just wanting to screw her. Plus he treated women a lot better than any of the bikers. It just made no sense.

[–] pfarnell 8 years ago

they look an odd couple...no argument. Don't quite look right together...her and Clay, maybe..

[–] julia-solovjova 8 years ago

Nero wasn't with her for very long. He didn't really get to know the real her. He wouldn't have put up with her if she had lasted any longer. He refused to marry her after seeing what happened to Clay.

[–] KingCobra686 8 years ago

Wayne was super old. She was in her prime compared to him.

[–] pfarnell 8 years ago

he was as broken down as it gets whilst still living and able to participate.

Was still very unhappy with how it ended for him.
Trying to save HER, too.

[–] Nikon11 7 years ago

Was still very unhappy with how it ended for him.
Trying to save HER, too.

Yeah, I agree. Even if you were a Jax fan-boy or girl, and you somehow were able to excuse all the other stupid and bad sh!t that he did, killing Unser was beyond despicable. Don't know how anyone could've still been with him after that.

[–] pfarnell 8 years ago

Nero Padilla

never realised till now what his second name was...same as the kid who used to play "Jai" in Tarzan..thanks.

the biker gang's Alexis Carrington,

fair character analogy, I guess.I'm going to spend time today trying to think of a better one, if there is.

While I may not be a twenty something who feels that everyone over forty should be put down, Gemma was past her prime and just a tad too old. She could strut around in tight jeans, high heeled boots, fitted black leather jackets and low cut tops all she wanted, but she was not convincing.

depends which part being convincing. Her whole dominant matriarch role and amount of screentime she takes up, her continual central importance in every club matter, is not convincing. Having some kind of biker-slut mutton dressed as lamb OTOH, is not that far fetched. As for is she any good, I don't fancy the old hooch, but it's not far fetched that she would be attractive to a range of men.

the tragedy is that we never really see Tara adopt the same kind of wardrobe..now that might have been something.

Meanwhile, almost everyone recognizes and agrees, that Sutter over-uses over-includes her, because of who she is to him, and that the show is poorer as a result.Perhaps, in one sense, having at least one female character have a high profile might, might, have been a smart move in a show which actually has a very high proportion female viewership...maybe even majority female.
Some of them may want to see sisters doing it too, some may just want to see the men...I dunno.
Bootom line is, she is not popular even as villainesses go, and there is too much Gemma.

[–] al666940-3 7 years ago

"you know you are going to be watching a vanity piece"

You mean like The Shield's Vic Mackey wife being played by the Shawn Ryan's real wife?

OK, but at least she wasn't THAT overused or included stretching credulity (Vic in facts makes everything possible to always keep her in the dark), and the actress says flatly in the commentary that she's there because she sleeps with Shawn Ryan (quite a good sport).

But Sutter did overuse the character here too much. Unless you can point to her being somehow central to the club's foundation or operations, it's just simply not credible the level of deference and inclusion she gets (she wasn't just snooping on club business, she was included all the time in it).

"Gemma was portrayed as a middle aged femme fatale with men dropping at her feet. "
To be fair here:
- Only scumbags and lowlifes drop at her feet (men used to such disgusting women), not hedge fund managers and doctors.
- Half (or most/all) of them do so out of her position of power within SAMCRO, for if she was just a stripper or hooker with no leverage she wouldn't get any of their attention.

"She could strut around in tight jeans, high heeled boots, fitted black leather jackets and low cut tops all she wanted, but she was not convincing. "

She looked about as good as such a character would in real life.

[–] mgreen9715 7 years ago

"you know you are going to be watching a vanity piece"

You mean like The Shield's Vic Mackey wife being played by the Shawn Ryan's real wife?

Two completely different situations and Vic's wife didn't dictate the series at all and barely had any screen time. Being related to an actor on the show and having a role on it has absolutely nothing to do with a creator's wife being a main character and having more sway with the plot than she should have.

[–] al666940-3 7 years ago

Wow, did you even read the rest of my post?

And on second thought, since this is clearly Hamlet on wheels, it does make some of sense for her to be heavily involved.

[–] moviechatterer (13276) a year ago

Gemma being a hot older lady is my main overriding memory of this soap opera

[–] buzzlightbeer (1812) a year ago

gemma was a GILF!!!!

[–] AP (5258) 24 days ago

Were there any young dudes attracted to Gemma besides Half Sack? Clay, Nero and Usher were all older dudes so it makes sense that they would be into her.