SummaryThe spinoff of Sons of Anarchy finds Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes (JD Pardo) out of prison and a prospective member of the Mayan MC near the California/Mexico border.
SummaryThe spinoff of Sons of Anarchy finds Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes (JD Pardo) out of prison and a prospective member of the Mayan MC near the California/Mexico border.
Series co-creators Kurt Sutter and Elgin James do an excellent job of making EZ a layered and conflicted character who's fascinating to watch. You’ll want to know what happened to this man and where his path takes him from here.
Time will tell how well this all fits together. We barely get to know any of the characters in the first two episodes, beyond EZ, Emily, EZ’s carniceria owner father (Edward James Olmos) who has his own secrets … because everyone on this show has secrets. Mayans MC makes a good case to stick around to get to know them. This is more of a good thing, with a chance to make a series that is even better.
The Mayans MC exceeded my high expectations. We all know, they had some pretty big shoes to fill following SOA, but so far, Kurt Sutter nailed it with the depiction of the harsh reality and struggles these outlaws face, along with, the impact it has on those around them and with those at their mercy. I hope they garner some well- deserved Golden Globe and Emmy nominations as the story-lines and characters continue to develop. The Mayans have some hefty players (i.e. writers, actors, and directors) that will make this show an absolute success, and perhaps, even bigger then most on cable network.
While the character drama is compelling and often well-acted, the viciousness of this world proves a barrier to entry some viewers will understandably choose not to cross.
The producers also serve notice, early and often, that like its predecessor, "Mayans" will push to the serrated edge of what FX will allow. That promises a journey not everyone will be eager to take, but at this point, nobody should be surprised by the nastier twists and turns that come with the territory.
The good news is that you don’t have to know anything about “Sons of Anarchy” to watch “Mayans M.C.” — though fans of the earlier series will be pleased by a few brief cameos in the pilot. The bad news is that even if you’re a newbie to the Sutter-verse, the series may feel overly familiar despite its inclusive bent.
Mayans is an easy watch for anyone who misses “Sons’” particular mix of broad humor, big emotions, and sudden bursts of gunplay. But the show doesn’t yet have much to offer beyond nostalgia and old charms.
The long-awaited spinoff feels in many ways like the later seasons of Sons of Anarchy, where heavy plotting peppered with gruesome violence overtook the character connections that had made the story so strong to begin with.
I think too many "critics" get in their own heads trying to sound like they are professional, so they look for things to criticize and don't want to jump aboard the entertainment train.
Let me tell you how I know whether I like a show or not: When I watch for 2 hours, and want to watch another episode. I just watched Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime, and I couldn't wait to watch episode 2. Same with Mayans. The pilot was compelling and the story seems pretty intriguing. While it is difficult to get a sense of the various characters yet, I can see that unfolding as we go along, but the storyline is really good and sets up quite a bit of tension and different ways to go.
This show is so far and away better than anything on network that I am bewildered why critics would rate it so low, yet give other, terrible shows high scores.
A waste of a strong premise, fine actors, and the opportunity to introduce new perspectives on important issues. I never expected MMC to replicate the brilliance of early SoA, which deftly navigated moral grey areas and avoided sentimentality like the plague. But I hoped.
Alas, MMC went straight for the plot device that brought sentimentality to SoA: a stolen baby. I wonder: is baby-stealing is the new shark-jumping? Anyway, this new stolen baby kicks off a lot of histrionics, just like little Abel did when he was stolen, but, because I had just met the people crying and yelling and tearing their hair out, I just wished they would all shut up and do something interesting. I can take sentimentality if I'm invested in a character, but right off the bat, it's annoying.
The second problem with the show is its Byzantine plot. It tries to achieve the narrative complexity of a mature series with a lot of short-cuts, such as elaborate back-stories, and ends up being confusing. I often find myself hoping that the next scene will feature a bunch of Mayans riding down the road in a cool formation, but it's usually someone explaining that the smuggled heroin has been stolen AGAIN by someone we didn't know existed five minutes ago.
Finally, the show lacks the strong female characters of SoA. Emily, the cartel chief's wife, looked like she might have some sand for a while but blew it by getting turned on when her husband beat her. I know that was Sutter giving the middle finger to liberal pieties, but . . . ugh. My verdict. This series could turn itself around if it aimed a little higher. Think Shakespearean tragedy, as SoA did at the beginning, not soap opera.
Amazing theme.. undercover cop in the club.. NOT. protection and drugs... original? Plus not guy in the club has a girl? Really going to be cancelled quick if they do not get a cool plot going..
I am actually shocked as to the lack of quality. First of all it would have been wise to hire real Mexican actors instead of American for the part of the show which takes place in Mexico. There is a total lack of integrity there, Spanish spoken in the first 5 episodes is horribly bad. Adding to that the whole plot on the Mexican side of the border reminding one more of a soap opera more than anything else, we have a high standard set in this by "The Bridge" which was very authentic on both sides of the border.
The actors from the original Sons of Anarchy are very unconvincing, script is bad, many shots are not up to par and the overall feel of Mayans M.C. is Kurt Sutter cashing in on the original shows popularity,
Never watched much SOA. But could barely make it through 30 min of Sn. 1 Ep. **** this isn't a review of acting, directing or adherence to the S.O.A. formula. It's an observation that this is yet another show that looks to highlight the worst of American society by exploiting the worst of ethnic/racial stereotypes. I suspect this is yet another attempt to disguise lousy art with political messaging and virtue signaling.