When he was introduced in the show's fifth season, Nero Padilla's role was quite the question mark considering he could've just as easily turned out to be a foe instead of a friend. Fortunately, Nero proved himself pretty quickly as a man with a lot of loyalty and a huge heart, becoming a fan favourite as the series played out - it felt like he'd been a part of SoA since it began. With his love for Gemma, his father-figure relationship with Jax and his desire to make a better life for himself and his son all coming from a pure, honest place, Nero was a prime example of how the show could turn an otherwise criminal character into someone so incredibly relatable. For his three seasons on the show, Jimmy Smits perpetually brought his A-game, gifting the final act of the story with some of its most emotionally powerful scenes. From the "How could she do this to Tara?" scene with Jax to his final farewell to a best friend he came to realise was going off to die, Smits and Nero gave the show its human spirit and emotional core against an increasingly tragic background. To have lost Nero, particularly in the storm born from Gemma's lies over Tara's murder, would have been too much to handle. Of all the characters who survived the show's run, Nero's survival provided the most relief and fans will forever be thankful that Smits was given the opportunity to bring one of the show's best characters to life. Do you wish any of these character's hadn't made it to the end? Let us know down in the comments.
Writer, film enthusiast, part-time gamer and watcher of (mostly) good television located on the fringe of Los Angeles, who now has his own website at www.highdefgeoff.com!
