During the series finale of “Sons of Anarchy,” Jax Teller, a biker club leader who’s committed a dizzying list of heinous crimes, has made a decision to leave town forever. He shares this information with his friend Nero, whom Jax implores to put his affairs in order after he’s gone and help his first wife resettle his kids someplace else. When a confused Nero asks why, Jax explains that his sins have finally caught up to him, the damage is irreversible and he’s incapable of salvaging the future (and by extension, his children’s futures) by becoming a better person. He knows this because he’s actually tried being a better person, and failed each time. Jax isn’t incapable of goodness or love, but his dark side will win out much more often than not. At the end of the day, that’s just how he’s wired.
“This is who I am,” Jax tells Nero. “I can’t change.”
Conversely, Nero, while…
