Sons of Anarchy: Season Three

It's a tribute to Sons creator Kurt Sutter (who also portrays the character Otto in several episodes) and his team that they're able to make us care about a bunch of folks most of us would normally cross the street to avoid. The cast, which includes some fine actors from the United Kingdom (including Hunnam), several veterans from popular shows like Deadwood and Game of Thrones, and guest stars like Hal Holbrook (as Gemma's dad), Drea de Matteo, and even Sonny Barger (a real-life Hell's Angel), is substantial, and the storylines are legion (like many ongoing series, this one may require newcomers to do some quick catching up before getting a handle on what's going on). There's plenty of violence (though it's fairly tame compared to the show's cable counterparts), the music is outstanding (you're not likely to find a song by the great English guitarist-singer-songwriter Richard Thompson featured on any other shows), and the writing, acting, and production values are top-notch all around. Sons of Anarchy has a consistent vibe and attitude that make for very compelling viewing--and with the special features including four scenes from season four, it's clear that there's much more to come. Other bonus material includes commentary for three episodes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and more. --Sam Graham