Why Wendy Returned In Sons Of Anarchy Season 4

Sons of Anarchy saw various characters leave the show for different reasons, but there’s one who came back and surprised viewers and characters when she did: Wendy (Drea de Matteo), Jax’s first wife, and here’s why she returned to Sons of Anarchy. Over the course of seven seasons, the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club went through a lot of ups and downs, but as that wasn’t enough, its VP and later President, Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), also went through a lot of problems in his personal life, the biggest ones involving either his mother Gemma Teller-Morrow (Katey Sagal), his wife Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff), and/or his ex-wife Wendy.

At the beginning of Sons of Anarchy, Wendy and Jax were already married and she was pregnant with their son, Abel – the problem was that Wendy was also a drug addict, and she used methamphetamine during her pregnancy. This, along with a genetic condition from Jax’s side, led to Abel being born with a heart problem, so Gemma threatened Wendy to keep her away from her grandson. Wendy went to rehab and wasn’t seen again, but she made a surprise return in Sons of Anarchy season 4, becoming a bigger presence and staying until the show’s end – but why did she return to Charming and Jax’s life?

Sons of Anarchy: Wendy Returned To Atone For Her Mistakes

Although Wendy wasn’t around for long in Sons of Anarchy season 1, it was clear that she wasn’t the best influence and that her presence was only going to bring more problems, especially after Abel’s birth. When de Matteo’s return to Sons of Anarchy was announced, it was believed Wendy would arrive in Charming to cause trouble, especially between Jax and Tara, but her comeback was more about atoning for her mistakes and bonding with her son, and she wasn’t even interested in going back into SAMCRO’s world.

Speaking to EW in 2012, de Matteo called Wendy “the healthiest of the bunch” as she returned to Charming after going to rehab and becoming a counselor, and in an unexpected turn of events, she ended up becoming the most stable person around Jax and SAMCRO. Wendy wasn’t looking for drama, though she started it when she threatened to take Abel away from Jax and Tara as she was now the most stable adult in his life, but she ended up gaining Tara’s trust to the point where Tara trusted her to look after Abel and her son, Thomas, if something happened to her. Wendy’s journey in Sons of Anarchy wasn’t easy, as she even relapsed briefly in season 6, but she definitely did her best to atone for her past mistakes and became an important presence in Sons of Anarchy.

What Happened To Wendy After Sons of Anarchy

After Tara’s death in Sons of Anarchy season 6 and getting clean again, Wendy looked after Abel and Thomas, and she slowly but surely earned Jax’s trust, so much so that he eventually told Abel that she was his biological mother. Wendy became the most suitable person to raise Abel and Thomas, and knowing that his end was near (and that he wanted his sons to stay as far from the outlaw life as possible), Jax convinced Wendy to move with Nero Padilla (Jimmy Smits) to his uncle’s farm and take the boys with her. Sons of Anarchy creator, Kurt Sutter, hasn’t shared any details on what happened to Wendy after the series’ end, so it’s understood that she and Nero started a new life together, far away from Charming, and raised Abel and Thomas together – and, hopefully, they have managed to keep them away from the outlaw life, as Jax and Tara wanted.