I really, really love gangster stories. Some of my favorite movies and tv shows are about gangsters. It's interesting to think about why. One of the things tha

I really, really love gangster stories. Some of my favorite movies and tv shows are about gangsters. It's interesting to think about why. One of the things that really motivates me in these stories is the morality play aspect of it. First, the core characters tend to be very honorable people, deeply committed to family, friends, and community. But they find themselves in situations where their honor is in conflict with itself, and they are forced to choose (or clever their way out of the choice). Second, the bad guys get what's coming to them, in spectacular ways. I'm currently rewatching Sons of Anarchy, a really beautiful show. I'm on Season 3 now, and already anticipating the finale (spoiler alert). In a fantastic double murder, Opie gets to kill Stahl, the ATF agent whose lies led to his wife getting murdered by his own club. And Chibs gets to kill an incredibly powerful IRA gangster who stole his wife and daughter. It's so satisfying, to see these awful people get the punishment they so richly deserve. In a world where justice is so rare and so corrupted, to get to see villains in black and white and getting the fate they deserve is blessed relief for us. It's a true escape from reality.