‘Sons of Anarchy’ to air fifth season tonight on FX

In a small region of Northern California, typically depicted as a suburban wonderland, FX’s "Sons of Anarchy" brings chaos to an unsuspecting world.

The show The Miami Herald called "bloody, disturbing and maniacally addictive" simultaneously brings both life and death to small -town America.

"Sons of Anarchy," now in its fifth season, gives 60 minutes of debauchery, scandal, lawlessness and Harley heaven— all set to a small town backdrop.

For those of you who are "Anarchy" virgins, the plot is basic enough, but the true nature of the show can only be entirely felt when watched in marathon format.

In case you don’t have a spare 240 hours on your hands, these are the essentials, with some spoilers:

The "Sons of Anarchy," the Great Britain of California biker gangs, believes in three things — brotherhood, motorcycles and an overall abhorrence for the legal system — and they’re all too willing to spite anyone who questions their power.

Founded by the late John Teller and Clay Morrow, the running of the club has been left to Morrow alone until John’s son, Jax, is fully ready to step up as president of the charter and take up the position his father once held and his stepfather currently holds.

When the boys aren’t selling Irish guns transported from IRA contacts, their main source of income, they’re fighting off the latest government officials trying to shut down the club and the rival gangs looking to take over their ironically titled small town of Charming.

If Jax is the Prince William of the Sons of Anarchy, that makes Tara, a local pediatric surgeon, his Kate Middleton. But when Tara starts threatening to unravel the very fibers that hold the club together, Clay attempts to have Tara killed and buried with her the secrets of the past she has been attempting to unearth.

In the final episode of season four, when Jax finds out about Clay’s rampage, it becomes apparent to Jax that the only way to stop Clay is to overthrow him from his seat at the head of the table. After being stripped of his patches, Clay unwillingly hands down his position to Jax.

"Few series have exploded onto the scene with such a rich array of potential stories and inherently interesting characters," The San Francisco Chronicle said about "Sons of Anarchy."

Although some critics do not agree with this view and argue the characters and plot have no depth and are unworthy of viewership, one could argue the "Sons’" fan following, as well as their now five-year run, speaks for itself.

Will Jax and Tara be able to hold the club together while legitimizing its business ventures and restoring it to John Teller’s true vision, or will the club crumble under the weight of new leadership? Are you interested in finding out? Season five premieres tonight on FX at 10 p.m.