Sons of Anarchy ended with a bang after seven seasons of carefully plotted motorcycle gang mayhem. Now, Kurt Sutter is heading back to the universe with Mayans MC, which deals with the Mayans Motorcycle Club. The Mayans were variously allied and opposed to the Reapers gang in the original show and were an interesting south of the border contrast to the California setting.
The new series will focus on prospective member Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, the gifted son of a proud Latino family living near the California/Mexico border. It opens with his “American dream snuffed out by cartel violence,” propelling EZ towards crime as a way of enacting retribution. But once you’re in this lifestyle, there’s no escape.
It’ll be the third show for FX from creator Kurt Sutter, coming after global hit Sons of Anarchy and The Bastard Executioner. To ensure that Mayans MC successfully captures the aesthetics of modern Latino culture, Sutter has brought in Elgin James as showrunner. For those unfamiliar, James is the founder of Friends Stand United, which he describes as an anti-racist group designed to attack drug dealers and white supremacist Neo-Nazis, but which the FBI classify as a street gang. We’re guessing he knows something about causing a ruckus.
It’s as yet unknown precisely how Mayans MC will intertwine with the events of Sons of Anarchy, but first impressions look promising enough. Since Sons of Anarchy wrapped up, there’s been a sense of motorcycle emptiness to the TV listings that this show should help alleviate once it premieres later this year.
As always, we’ll bring you more on Mayans MC when we have it.
