Exactly ten years after Kurt Sutter’s last hit TV show “Sons of Anarchy”, Mayans MC continues the story of outlaw motorcycle clubs in California. This time however through the perspective of the Mayans, a motorcycle club made up of primarily Latin men. Set four years after the events of the Sons of Anarchy finale. The series premiere gives us just a little look into what Kurt Sutters has in store for us with the nice use of real-world problems
While Mayans MC is still heavily focused on family, unlike Sons of Anarchy it’s primary focus is on the struggles the club has to go through while working with the most notorious drug cartel on the California-Mexico border, And how it endangers the civilians around them.
The characters that make up the primary cast are some of the best I’ve ever seen. The protagonist Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, played by JD Pardo, was a good man that went to Stanford University before going to jail for reasons unknown. With a photographic memory, charm, and intelligence. He definitely seems worthy of taking the mantle from Jax Teller, the protagonist from Sons of Anarchy.
The main antagonist Miguel Galindo, the leader of the cartel, is very interesting. While the show has him torture and kill whoever he has to, they also give him a life outside the cartel, with a wife and son the audience can easily empathize with a man that in other shows would just be the bad guy.
At the start of the show, EZ is a prospect hoping one day to become a full patched member of the Mayans motorcycle club in the Santo Padre charter in Southern California. The Mayans are on the wrong side of the law with the Galindo Cartel in Mexico as well as the rebels in Mexico opposing the Cartel.
Unlike most drug-crime shows which primarily focuses on the criminals and the law enforcement trying to apprehend them. Mayans focus is on the inner works of the crime and the differences between the two organizations as well as the complications caused by the rebels. Also including the civilian casualties, this is unlike any other drug-crime show I have seen.
Overall the premiere episode was refreshing, by not hanging on completely to what Sons of Anarchy left while keeping the show seem familiar. With the combination of character development, real-world issues, and the return of familiar faces and fan favorite characters. Mayans MC is very promising and I personally cannot wait for the rest of season one.
