'Sons of Anarchy': Kurt Sutter Reveals Hidden Secret Planted Throughout Series

By Stephen Andrew

Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter revealed he hid a secret detail that throughout the iconic show's run. Over on Twitter, Sutter shared that the number "47" turns up quite a few times in show, and going on to reveal the reason behind it. "From the Belfast charter to their bloody relationship with the Real IRA – SAMCRO had deep ties to the Irish," Sutter wrote in an image with the Sons of Anarchy logo.

"I was always looking for ways to nod at that relationship throughout the series," he continued. "One of my favorite bands is the Celtic-American band, Black 47. Their name of course, a reference to the worst year of the Great Pamine that plagued Ireland – 1847." In another image, Sutter added, "So, in tribute to both the band and the historical event, the number 47 shows up numerous times throughout the series – on walls, documents, buildings, bodies, etc. We also used Black 47s song 'The Big Fellah' in episode 308 when SAMCRO first arrives in Ireland. Big Fellah was a nickname for Michael Collins, and the song documents the complicated relationship he had with the people of Ireland and their struggle for independence."

Sutter then provided "a couple examples" of the number turning up in the series. In episode 605, an Irish inmate hands Clay a book and tells him, "It gets real good around page 47." Another example Sutter shared is "in episode 213, when Jax kills Weston, there's a 47 on the stall door." In a follow-up tweet, Sutter invited fans to let him know "if you can spot any other 47s."

In addition to creating Sons of Anarchy, Sutter also co-created the spinoff, Mayans, M.C., which will soon be going into its fourth season. FX unceremoniously fired Sutter from the show in 2019, so he is not part of the creative decisions any longer. Still, he had some thoughts after being asked how the show could address the current coronavirus pandemic in the future.

"I think the bigger issue, almost is from a creative standpoint. HOW do you address it? Because you don't want to hit people over the head with it, right? They've just come out of it. They don't want to be overwhelmed with it, but you can't ignore it, right? It would be disrespectful to the people who have suffered loss," he said. "I think initially, especially with shows that are, you know, present-day, it's going to be a challenge. I don't know how Elgin [James, his Mayans M.C. co-creator] is going to do it with Mayans. It's a tricky thing."

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