The second season received critical acclaim. This season also saw a substantial increase in positive reviews in comparison with the first season. On
Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a rating of 93%, based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "
Sons of Anarchy continues to intensify the drama with riveting storytelling brought to life by a talented ensemble." On
Metacritic the second season has a score of 86 out of 100, based on reviews 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
IGN gave the second season an 8.4/10.0 rating, giving praise to
Henry Rollins' character,
AJ Weston, saying, "A decidedly stronger second season sees the gang unravel and knit back together." Writing for
Chicago Tribune, Maureen Ryan called the second season "engrossing". She elaborated that "the pacing is better
[and] the plotting is tighter" and commended Sagal and Perlman for their performances.
Variety’s Stuart Levine called the new season "compelling" and complimented the acting skill of Perlman, Sagal, Hunnam, and Siff. James Poniewozik of
TIME called Sagal's performance "devastatingly powerful" and named the series on his list of Top 10 Shows of 2009. == Episodes ==