Finally! It only took her seven seasons, but 'Sons of Anarchy' vet and former 'The Sopranos' star Drea de Matteo has finally been promoted to a full series regular in advance of the FX motorcycle drama's seventh and ostensibly final season. Will she prove the last leading lady in Jax's life after all?

While 'Sons of Anarchy' is busy duking it out with 'Hannibal' for Best TV Drama Series in our 2nd Annual Fan Choice Awards, TVLine reports that Matteo will put in a lot more time as Jax Teller's ex-junkie(-ish) baby mama Wendy Case. Matteo appeared most prominently in the show's first season, sitting out the second and third years, before making sporadic appearances in the most recent seasons, particularly season 6.

Of course, up-to-date fans of the series well know that the seventh and final season of FX's road-rashing drama will need all the maternal presence it can get, what with season 6 finale "A Mother's Work" - MAJOR SPOILER ALERT - brutally killing off Tara (Maggie Siff) through Gemma's misinformed rage. Wendy had been shipped off to rehab when we saw her last but will undoubtedly return for a greater presence in raising Thomas and (her) Abel without Tara.

Elsewhere of 'Sons of Anarchy''s seventh season, we know that the premiere will pick up at most a few weeks removed from the events of the season 6 finale, while series creator Kurt Sutter has confirmed the likely returns of CCH Pounder's DA Tyne Patterson, Peter Weller’s Charlie Barosky, and ‘Deadwood’ star Kim Dickens as Diosa madame Collette.

Well, what say you? Will 'Sons of Anarchy' be returning to its roots now that Drea de Matteo has a more regular presence for the final season? How would you like to see SAMCRO's last ride play out when 'Sons of Anarchy' comes to its bloody end in late 2014?

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