Charlie Hunnam's new Netflix show is significantly different from Sons of Anarchy, but it interestingly repeats one brutal Jax Teller story.
Since the beginning of his acting career over two decades ago, Charlie Hunnam has starred in multiple movies and shows. While some viewers might have first seen him in the 1999 TV show Queer as Folk, others must have initially known him from Green Street Hooligans. Even in recent years, the actor has appeared in several mainstream movies, like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and The Gentlemen.
However, even after all these years, Hunnam is best known for his portrayal of Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy. His incredible performance as the Teller and the tragic end of the character's journey still linger in the minds of viewers who watched Sons of Anarchy. Owing to this, Teller can never be replaced, but Hunnam's new Netflix show repeats one of his darkest stories in one brutal way.
Ed Gein's Relationship With His Mother In Monster Is Reminiscent Of Jax's With Augusta In SOA
Charlie Hunnam as Jax Teller with shorter hair wearing a black hoodie in Sons of Anarchy
Charlie Hunnam's character, Ed Gein, in Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story, is nothing like Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. However, his relationship with his mother, Augusta, reminds one of Jax's ties with his own mother, Gemma, in Sons of Anarchy. In both shows, the matriarchs are portrayed as toxic, manipulative figures who deeply influence their sons' decisions.
While Augusta in Monster: The Ed Gein Story instills fear and guilt in Ed through her twisted religious fanaticism, Gemma's misguided maternal instincts in Sons of Anarchy keep Teller in the world of crime and prevent him from leaving “The Life.“ The mother figures in both Sons of Anarchy and Monster: The Ed Gein Story shape the moral downfall of their sons in more ways than one.
Although Sons of Anarchy has a lot going on beyond the mother-son relationship between Jax and Gemma, his family ties and his struggle to honor his dead father's legacy are the primary story beats. In both Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Sons of Anarchy, the destructive family relationships also lead to violent consequences.
Ed Gein commits horrendous murders and even robs graves, with many of his victims resembling his mother. Similarly, Jax ultimately kills his mother after learning what she did to his wife. Put simply, both Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Sons of Anarchy feature a Shakespearean/Oedipal arc, where a toxic parental bond becomes the root of the protagonist's downfall.
Monster's True Story Inspirations Make It Far More Disturbing Than Sons Of Anarchy
Charlie Hunnam in Monster as Ed Gein
Despite the similarities between the two Charlie Hunnam characters, it would be unfair to compare them. While Jax Teller is a fictional character, Ed Gein is based on a real serial killer of the same name. Ryan Murphy's Monster: The Ed Gein Story takes many significant creative liberties with its portrayal of Ed Gein's life and crimes.
