That’s great. I can totally see that. And you know, talking about truck stop waitresses, I think one thing you’ve been able to do really well, more than maybe any other show, is capture this sense of, I guess you’d call it Americana. I’m sure there are biker gangs in other countries now, but just this whole idea of the outlaw riding out west, it feels very American to me.

Yeah for me, it’s all about the subculture [of motorcycle clubs] itself. It’s kind of like jazz, it’s one the one thing we can sort of claim as our own. And biker culture is blowing up all over the world. I’ve always been fascinated by the irony of motorcycle clubs. Because they say they’re all about "ride free" and "fuck the establishment." But within the structure of these outlaw clubs, there are more rules and regulations than you or I have. They’re like little military units. And I love the irony of that. I’ve been riding motorcycles since my early 20s, and I loved the hipness of the subculture. So just honoring that, who they are and their philosophy. And I think what represents the Americana of it all, if you want to get heady about it, is this idea that no matter how greedy or obsessive our country can become, or how it is represented in the rest of the world, we’re really a nation that — when push comes to shove — we take care of our own. That’s really part of the attraction of this show. Yes, it’s about family, but it’s also about community and village and the organization you belong to. Like, this season, with Tara gone, a key parental influence is missing. So the question becomes, how do you manage in the daily upkeep of children? And what we see in this season, we see Brooke, this girl we met last season, stepping in, and even Chuckie is taking care of the kids. And I think what we do in this country is that when we have a need, someone manages to fill that need. That’s part of the positive stereotype we represent as a nation — that sense of no matter how fucked up or damaged these people are, and they are, there’s something wholly familial about them.

Yeah, and I think also your show is coming back at a time when people are thinking more about some of these issues and what it means to be an American, with the situation in Ferguson and all the history it brings up, including the Civil Rights movement and anti-authoritarianism in the 1960s. And to that point, your show, I remember reading the pilot script, and the motorcycle club starts when these guys come back from Vietnam. And you’ve talked about making a prequel or anthology series about that. So I wonder if any of these themes factor into your writing, these national and world events?

Yeah, I mean, the history of motorcycle clubs goes back even further, right after World War II. But you’re right, this club started then. I don’t think or write from big ideals. I do think as a result of who these people are and the life they lead, they end up landing…Well, take the relationship they [the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club] have had with [rival club] the Mayans. It’s reminiscent of what’s common within outlaw organizations. There’s tensions for a while, then there’s a truce and things are working out, and then tensions flare up again. It’s the exact same thing in terms of the political landscape. You saw it with the US and the Soviet Union. There are tensions inherent in being a superpower. It gets to the point that there’s too much death and destruction, and something happens to relieve the tension. So what we see is, these political machinations happen on a much smaller scale. Jax and [rival/partner drug dealer] August Marks, they’re really just kings and presidents in a much smaller world. And they’re dealing with guns and drugs instead of oil and territory. I think that by dealing with these same ideas of power and greed in much smaller worlds, you can’t help but to acknowledge or parallel these bigger issues.