After 12 episodes, Sons of Anarchy fans have become dependent on the presence of Jimmy Smits’ semi-reformed gangbanger Nero — and lucky for us, Smits has just signed on to return for Season 6, according to Deadline. But on a show like SoA, no character is ever safe. How long does Nero have?
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Well, for now, we can rest easy. It appears that he’s signed on for all 13 Season 6 episodes, and thank God he did. Nero’s character quickly became an integral piece of the SAMCRO puzzle during Season 5, making deals with Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and firmly destroying all of his plans to get out from under the pall of the lawless society he and Jax can’t seem to escape. At the end of Season 5, he asked Jax to walk away, promising to follow suit. But Jax all but refused, meaning the story regarding his involvement with Nero is anything but over. What’s more is that Nero’s relationship with Gemma (Katey Sagal), which was back on track as of the end of Season 5 after Gemma’s brief spy-mission/dalliance with Clay, is a method of disrupting the over-played Clay/Gemma dynamic that doesn’t feel foreign or forced. Removing that storyline would be a huge mistake.
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If Smits didn’t return to the series in a complete capacity, the series would have suffered: Nero is an invaluable part of the the SoA fabric going into Season 6. He’ll also be joined by another newcomer, Donal Logue, who came in at the end of Season 5 to make Tara’s life a living hell. But of course both actors are ready to return — SoA is one of the most engaging and beloved shows on cable and as the stakes continue to get higher, the series only gets better and better. Lucky for us, Smits will be a part of that continuing story.
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[Photo Credit: Prashant Gupta/FX]
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