More than a decade ago, Kurt Sutter's full throttle crime drama Sons of Anarchy introduced prime time viewers to a wicked world of high speed chases, loud shootouts and family drama all neatly wrapped under the guise of a biker gang. With the fictional town of Charming came some seriously conflicted characters, but few left as indelible of an impression as Clay Morrow, portrayed by Ron Perlman. Loosely inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, Clay was already on a downward spiral by the series' start. Plagued by crippling osteoarthritis, which threatened to take away his control over the club, he slowly became one of the most hated villains in recent memory. Lying, cheating and back-stabbing his way to the top, he manipulated those closest to him, all for his own self-interests.
At the forefront of Clay's broken moral com was the looming presence of his stepson Jax, a breath of fresh air who hoped to course correct the club towards a more legitimate source of income. Caught up in jealousy, the bitter rivalry was bound to end in a mess between the two, but few could have foreseen just how dramatic the feud would become before its inevitable conclusion. The epitome of greed and hatred, Clay was the perfect example of the villain everyone loved to hate, but not everything about him always added up. So come along for the ride as we take a look back at 20 Things That Make No Sense About Clay Morrow.
No One Suspected He Was Responsible for JT’s Accident
As an opportunist whose self-interests supersede the well-being of SAMCRO, Clay's "take first, ask questions later" mentality was an integral part of his rise to the top. Seeing an opportunity to dethrone John Teller on top of the club, he began relations with his wife Gemma, fortifying his rise to prominence and giving him an ally to take down the club's leader in an elaborate cover-up.
Prior to JT's ill-fated demise, the tension between him and Clay had become apparent. When JT later ed over an accident on his motorcycle, there were red flags regarding how he could be so careless, yet no one questioned whether his bike had been tampered with. Perhaps Clay had built enough trustworthiness to build a reputation with the Sons, but it's highly unlikely no one would have been suspicious.
The Club Tolerated His Bad Decisions
In many ways, Clay is the most honest character in SoA. Despite his wildly unpredictable choices which endanger the club, he can always be counted on to make a bold move. That's why it's so puzzling that the Sons continued to sit idly by as Clay took the club by the reins and proceeded to run it into the ground.
Although many of Clay's business decisions were responsible for keeping the club profitable, he also acted out against many . Responsible for the ing of Opie's wife and father as well as an attempted attack against Tara, he got away with a lot before finally being taken out, but he should have never gotten as far as he did. The writing was always on the wall, the club just chose to ignore it until it was too late.
He Should Have Never Been On Top
As the voice of the Sons, Clay's reign at the top didn't have many votes to make decisions and he often went against the better advice of other . Before meeting Mr. Mayhem, he was finally voted out of the MC, severing all ties with the Sons, but if the club's earlier had paid more attention to their decisions, they could've avoided their fate far more easily.
After the staged motorcycle accident of John Teller, Clay quickly stepped up as the new leader, taking the place of Piney, whose ailing health kept him from the chair. Serving by his side was Gemma, who quickly jumped from one leader to the next. The transition to a life of crime was just as fast and the future of the club appeared clear, making it hard to believe that Clay took over with so little protest.
His Financial Situation
From the pilot episode, Clay's motivations for staying in control were clear. After two decades of smuggling weapons into Charming, he is left financially crippled, having no money to show for all his years of criminal activities. Of course, he still has a share of income from the Teller-Morrow automotive repair shop, but that's far from enough to provide the lucrative lifestyle to which he'd grown accustomed.
Unless Clay was living well beyond his means, there's little explanation why he or another Sons member should be strapped for money. With hands in a variety of illegal activites, there's been ample opportunities for the Sons to build up nest eggs on which to retire. Unfortunately, Clay somehow managed to come up short of his retirement goals.
His Concern About the Club's "No Ride, No hip" Rule
Clay's embittered rivalry with Jax over leadership of the club is established early in season one when he's first depicted wringing his aching hands from pain caused by osteoarthritis, threatening to end his reign due to the club's "no riding, no hip" rule. As the rule states, who cannot ride or who lose their motorcycles are limited during team meetings, removing their ability to vote in club decisions.
Obviously, Clay's quickly deteriorating hands are need for concern regarding his tenure as top man of SAMCRO, but regardless of his disability, he should still hold his fair share of sway among . Still, he's shown throughout the series attempting to hide his ailment by injecting cortisone shots into his hands so that he may maintain control of the club and go out with enough retirement money to walk away clean.
He Single-Handedly Led the Club Into Criminal Activities
For seven seasons, Jax gradually veered the Sons down a spiraling road of chaos paved with good intentions. Determined to see the club transition to a less violent life, he attempted to find a more legitimate source of income which could keep its financially afloat and protect them from the criminal world.
Comparatively speaking, Clay was the antithesis to Jax. Although Jax would ultimately be the last nail in the coffin, leaving the Sons in a worse position than they started, all of his actions began as a way to undo all of his stepfather's mistakes. It was Clay who initially pushed for the club to get into weapons, establishing the connection with the Irish Kings. One man single-handedly initiated all of the club's problems and the Sons did nothing to prevent it.
He Shows No Remorse About Hurting Sons
Filled with multiple jaw-dropping moments, Sons of Anarchy has never shied away from controversial scenes for the sake of shock value. In the season four episode "Family Recipe," Clay showcases his lack of remorse when he confronts his long-time friend and fellow "First 9" member Piney at his cabin. Concerned about JT's letters implicating him in the JT's accident, he takes out Piney before he can inform the rest of the club.
A founding member of the club, Piney knew Clay since the beginning, making Clay's crime against him that more devastating, but it wasn't the first time Clay hurt another member. He continually acted out against Jax and was responsible for the demise of Opie's wife,Donna. For someone who supposedly cared for the Sons MC, he rarely showed love to many of its .
He Claims to Love Gemma Yet Attacks Her
Of all the abhorrent actions on SoA, few have topped Clay's act depicted in the season four episode "Hands." After Tara threatens to reveal Clay's involvement in JT's accident to the club, he commits to ending her life. Confronting Clay about his actions, Gemma threatens to take him down with knowledge of the attempt. When Clay becomes aggressive, she futilely tries to take him out, only to be backed into a corner.
Apart from the obvious horrors of Clay's attack, the moment reveals his true nature as he betrays the love of his life. Clay and Gemma's relationship is certainly one of the most strained on the show, but with all his proclaimed affection for her, it still doesn't make sense how he could hurt her with so little thought.
He Rarely Consults the Club About His Decisions
As a leader, there must be an open line of communication as well as a clear vision for the future. As the egocentric leader of SAMCRO, Clay rarely consults the other during critical decisions, often leaving them in the dark. Primarily, his decisions are made for his own self preservation.
In season one, an ordered attack on Opie Winston's life was concealed after Clay believed he was talking to the ATF. The decision was made to protect Clay from potential backlash from harming another member. Similarly, he never informed the club of the deal with the Galindo Cartel over worries they'd reject the idea. Over and over again, Clay's self interests preceded the better interests of the club, prompting viewers to question why the club kept their loyalty for so long.
He Returned to Gemma Despite Being Suspicious Of Her
After Gemma endangers the lives of Jax's two sons in a car crash, she's faced with the difficult decision of returning to Clay to repair her relationship with her family. At Jax's request, she begins showing Clay affection despite his recent attack against her. With Clay involved in a string of home invasions targeted at the Sons, Jax needs the dirt on him to finally take him down.
Although Gemma's motivation for returning to her former partner is evident, Clay's decision isn't so clear cut. Fully aware of Jax's suspicions, Clay surely understood that the club had leverage over Gemma, making her a potential weapon to use against him, yet he takes her in despite knowing she could be helping the club. It's a glaring weakness against his character and a questionable decision that cost him dearly.