If you still haven’t recovered from last night’s shocking Sons of Anarchy death, you’re not alone. Fans have been tweeting their anger, confusion and sadness to creator Kurt Sutter all day — but during a conference call with reporters Sept. 26, the showrunner justified his “gut-wrenching” decision: “It’s not a death that will happen in vain.”

Kurt explained that Opie’s (Ryan Hurst) death was a necessary event, one that will instill a sense of duty and purpose in the show’s “hero,” Jax (Charlie Hunnam).

“This is the first [season] I’ve had to think about the end game, and knowing where I wanted to get my hero and knowing how I wanted to get there, the road I wanted him to travel,” Kurt said. “Jax needed that emotional upheaval, that one event that happens in a mans life that can change the course of his destiny — the death of his best friend was [that].”

Kurt also noted that, although Ryan initially struggled to accept his character’s fate, he eventually realized “the importance of it in the mythology of the show.”

“It’s a difficult thing,” Kurt admitted. “[Ryan] is very plugged into the show and loves the character, and Ryan is a super-sensitive dude, so it was difficult for both of us to figure out how to do this.”

You’re probably still bummed about Opie’s death, but do you feel better after reading Kurt’s explanation? Drop us a comment with your (new) thoughts on the show’s tragic loss.

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Sons of Anarchy on HollywoodLife.com:

1. ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Shocker: Which Major Character Was Killed Off?

Wondering why Kurt Sutter was trending on Twitter last  night? It might have something to do with the fact that the Sons of Anarchy creator decided to suddenly kill off one of the show’s most beloved characters — and fans were not happy about it. So which biker bit the bullet on the Sept. 25 episode? Drumroll please…

Opie (Ryan Hurst)!

Here’s how he met his tragic end: Pope (Harold Perrineau) worked out a deal with Jax (Charlie Hunnam), forcing him choose which of the Sons would enter a behind-bars death match. Ever the valiant hero, Opie decided to attack one of the prison guards, essentially volunteering himself to fight. Though he gave it his all, and seemed to stand a pretty good chance, he was eventually beaten to death by a lead pipe. (For a more in-depth analysis of last night’s episode, check out the recap on HollywoodLife.com‘s sister site TVLine.)

As you might imagine, fans immediately took to Twitter to express their outrage:

“@sutterink i absolutely hate you,” tweeted user @dmpullen.

“@sutterink DAMN YOU!” added @WaltonsCastro.

Even Avenged Sevenfold drummer Mike Portnoy joined the mob: ”I cannot believe what I just watched…why @sutterink why????????”

UPDATE: Kurt spoke with reporters Sept. 26, explaining why he decided to kill Opie.

Were you shocked by Opie’s sudden death? Do you think it was a huge mistake, or will it make for good drama moving forward? Drop us a comment with your thoughts on the dearly departed.

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More shocking TV deaths:

1. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season Finale: How Do You Feel About The Major Death?
2. ‘Vampire Diaries’ Recap: [Spoiler] Dies & Elena Makes A Surprising Choice
3. ’90210′ Recap: Tragedy Strikes When Ivy & Raj Reunite

Even if you’ve never heard of Sons of Anarchy before, there’s a pretty good chance your boyfriend watches it — and loves it — so you might want to pay attention. The fourth season of FX’s California biker gang drama returns with a 90-minute premiere at 10 p.m. tonight, and most early reviews say the premiere really kicks the show into high gear. (I’m sorry, were you not expecting cheesy motorcycle puns?)

Along with the addition of Danny Trejo as former military commando Romeo Parada, the show’s fourth season largely centers around Jax’s (Charlie Hunnam) renewed desire to leave the gang — again. Yeah, like it’s that easy…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Plus, head over to TVLine.com to watch the first four minutes of the season premiere!

Liv Tyler is absolutely stunning in person — it’s no wonder she has so many love scenes! HollywoodLife.com spoke to Liv, 33, at the NYC premiere of her new film The Ledge, hosted by the Cinema Society & Grey Goose, and she revealed she always gives her input before stripping down!

“Sexuality is a very intimate thing,” she tells us. “It’s like somebody asking you to go to the bathroom on a stage in front of a thousand people, or something. You just feel very vulnerable in that position. But I always try to convince directors, since in nearly every movie I star in there seems to be nude or love scenes, I always say, ‘You know, do I really have to be like that? Because in real life people just pull their skirt up or a boob pops out!’”

In Liv’s new film The Ledge, she plays a married woman who has an affair with her boss, played by Charlie Hunnam.

“For this movie, that vulnerability was really important,” she says. “Because that [sex] scene was really important to the movie.”

We must say the film is shocking, devastating, and has sexual tension you could cut with a knife. Check out The Ledge when it comes to a theater near you!

— Chloe Melas