Sons of Anarchy season six promises to have violent and controversial scenes and plotlines. Creator Kurt Sutter announced on Friday, at the Television Critics Association press tour, that one scene would depict a school shooting. The perpetrator of the shooting is to be a young boy.

Charlie Hunnam
Charlie Hunnam at the L.A. premiere of Pacific Rim, held at the Dolby Theatre.

It could be a little close for comfort for the US audience as such tragedies have not merely been fictional portrayals of violence, but a horrifying reality. 

One of the last depictions of a high school shooting was on American Horror Story, where one of the central characters was the perpetrator. Richard Lawson, in an article for YahooNews, felt the FX show had "gone too far" and described the scene as "unpleasantly unsettling."

It seems likely that many viewers will have a similar reaction to this plotline. However, Sutter is aware of the nature of the story line and does not want to shy away from it, as reported in the Huffington Post, speaking to the press he said: "I know obviously that it would be somewhat controversial, but I feel like as much as I wouldn't do something because it was controversial, I'm also not going to do something because it is."

Kurt SutterKurt Sutter at the Paley Center for Media's 2012 Paley Awards, honouring Sons of Anarchy, held at the Saban Theatre, L.A.

He went on to emphasise that the scene will not be "done to be sensational" and that their decision to include it is because "it's the right fit" for the "story to our world."

For fans of Sons of Anarchy there's good news, even if the show may face some criticism, Sutter announced at the same event that the usually hour long show will be 15-30 minutes longer this season. 

Sons of Anarchy premiered in 2008, the show follows the stories of a group of criminals within a motorcycle group based in California. Charlie Hunnam stars alongside Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Dayton Callie and Kim Coates.

Sons of Anarchy Season 6 will premiere on Tuesday 10th September at 10pm on FX.

Katey SagalKatey Sagal at the premiere of Pacific Rim.