Mayans M.C.

Mayans M.C.
Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	September 4, 2018; 8 years ago
Founder	Kurt Sutter and Elgin James
Headquarters	United States
Products	Television series
Website	www.fxnetworks.com/shows/mayans-m-c

Mayans M.C. (commonly referred to as Mayans) is a United States-based crime drama television series developed by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James. It debuted on September 4, 2018, on the FX network. Positioned within the same fictional realm as Sons of Anarchy, the narrative centers on the Mayans Motorcycle Club, who transition from being adversaries to allies of the Sons.

The show's fourth installment began airing on April 19, 2022. Subsequently, in July 2022, the series secured a renewal for a fifth and concluding season, which premiered on May 24, 2023, concluding with its finale on July 19, 2023.

Premise

Taking place two and a half years after the events of Sons of Anarchy, Mayans M.C. unfolds in Santo Padre, a fictional border town in California. The storyline follows Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes, who is a prospect within the Mayans M.C. charter located along the U.S.–Mexico border. EZ hails from a proud Mexican family whose pursuit of the American dream was shattered by cartel-related violence, leading him down an unintended path fueled by revenge.

Main

J. D. Pardo portrays Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes, who advances from prospect to Vice Presidente and ultimately becomes Presidente of the Mayans M.C., Santo Padre Charter after serving time in prison. He is the younger sibling of Angel Reyes and son to Felipe and Marisol Reyes.
Clayton Cardenas plays Angel Reyes, a full patch member and later El Secretario (Secretary) of the Mayans M.C., Santo Padre Charter; he is EZ's elder brother.
Sarah Bolger appears as Emily Galindo (née Thomas), EZ’s childhood love interest turned former sweetheart; she is now married to Miguel Galindo and mother to Cristóbal Galindo II.
Michael Irby takes on the role of Obispo "Bishop" Losa, once both Presidente and Vice Presidente of the Mayans M.C., Santo Padre Charter, serving as one of three Kings who guide the club’s direction; he is cousin to founder Marcus Alvarez.
Carla Baratta embodies Luisa "Adelita" Espina, leader of Los Olvidados, a group of Mexican insurgents opposing the Galindo Cartel.
Richard Cabral plays Johnny "El Coco" Cruz (seasons 1–4), an ex-Marine sniper and full patch member; father to Leticia Cruz.
Raoul Max Trujillo features as Che "Taza" Romero (seasons 1–4; guest season 5), former Vice Presidente and ex-member of Vatos Malditos M.C.
Antonio Jaramillo portrays Michael "Riz" Ariza (seasons 1–2), a Santo Padre resident and Él Secretario of Mayans M.C.; nephew to Vicki Ariza.
Danny Pino acts as Miguel Galindo, head of the Galindo Cartel following his father's demise; spouse to Emily; father to Cristóbal; biologically related as son to Felipe Reyes.
Edward James Olmos plays Felipe Reyes, patriarch owning a butcher shop in Santo Padre; father to Angel and EZ and biological father to Miguel.
Emilio Rivera appears as Marcus Álvarez (seasons 2–5; recurring season 1), founding member and former national Presidente of Mayans M.C.; later serves as consigliere to Miguel Galindo.
Sulem Calderon portrays Gabriela "Gaby" Castillo (season 3; guest seasons 2, 4), a recent immigrant from Oaxaca striving for an improved life.
Frankie Loyal plays Hank "El Tranq" Loza (seasons 4–5; recurring seasons 1–3), previously a bare-knuckle fighter and current El Pacificador (Sgt-at-Arms) for Mayans M.C., Santo Padre Charter.
Joseph Raymond Lucero acts as Neron "Creeper" Vargas (seasons 4–5; recurring seasons 1–3), a former addict turned full patch member and previous Capitan Del Camino (Road Captain).
Vincent Vargas portrays Gilberto "Gilly" Lopez (seasons 4–5; recurring seasons 1–3), MMA competitor, ex-Army Ranger, full patch member who later assumes the role of Capitan Del Camino.
JR Bourne appears as Isaac Packer (season 5; recurring season 3; guest season 4), President of SAMDINO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, San Bernardino Charter) and former Nomad overseeing a drug operation near Santo Padre.

Recurring

Tony Plana portrays Devante Cano (season 1), the Galindo Cartel's consejero who advised Jose Galindo and guided Miguel.
Ada Maris plays Dita Galindo (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), Miguel's mother and Jose's widow, with a history involving Felipe Reyes.
Gino Vento appears as Nestor Oceteva, once head of security for the Galindo Cartel and childhood friend of Miguel; later becomes a Mayans M.C. prospect under Marcus's sponsorship.
Joe Ordaz acts as Paco (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), serving as Miguel's driver and a member of the Galindo Cartel.
Maurice Compte is Kevin Jimenez (season 1), a DEA agent focused on dismantling the Galindo Cartel.
Curtiss Cook features as Larry Bowen (season 1), a DEA agent working alongside Kevin.
Salvador Chacón plays Pablo (seasons 1–3), Adelita’s trusted second-in-command within Los Olvidados.
Melony Ochoa is Mini (seasons 1–3; guest season 5), known as "La Ratona," a youthful member of Los Olvidados close to Adelita.
Daniel Faraldo portrays Father Rodrigo (season 1), a priest from Santo Padre connected to Felipe and Adelita’s family.
Alexandra Barreto acts as Antonia Peña (seasons 1–3), mayor of Santo Padre, spouse to Katrina, and mother of their deceased son.
Michael Ornstein returns as Chuck "Chucky" Marstein (seasons 1–2), formerly from Sons of Anarchy, now affiliated with Mayans M.C.
Ada Luz Pla appears as Celia (season 1; guest season 3), Coco's manipulative mother who raised Leticia Cruz.
Emily Tosta plays Leticia "Letty" Cruz, Coco’s daughter brought up by Celia.
Edwin Hodge portrays Franky Rogan (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), a Santo Padre police officer allied with the Mayans.
Ray McKinnon is Lincoln "Linc" James Potter (seasons 1–2, 5; guest seasons 3–4), Assistant U.S. Attorney investigating both Mayans M.C. and Los Olvidados.
David Labrava appears as Happy Lowman (season 2; guest seasons 1, 3, 5), SAMCRO’s Sergeant-at-Arms involved in significant conflicts affecting the Mayans.
Ivo Nandi plays Oscar "El Oso" Ramos (seasons 2–3), Stockton Charter Presidente and one of the Mayans M.C. Kings.
Jimmy Gonzales portrays Canche (seasons 2–4), Yuma Charter Presidente and Mayans M.C. King.
Mía Maestro acts as Sederica Palomo (seasons 2–3), governor of Baja California secretly working with Miguel Galindo.
Efrat Dor features as Anna Linares (seasons 2–3; guest season 4), a government agent collaborating with Potter on investigations into Mayans and Los Olvidados.
Mikal Vega plays Hobart (season 2), a mercenary hired to dismantle Los Olvidados operations.
Malaya Rivera Drew appears as Ileana (season 2), member of Santo Padre city council and acquaintance of Emily.
Mike Beltran portrays Ibarra (season 3; guest season 2), Tucson Charter Presidente allied with Santo Padre Charter.
Loki is Lobo (seasons 3–5; guest season 2), former El Pacificador from Tucson Charter who later patches over to Sahuarita and Santo Padre Charters.
Vanessa Giselle plays Hope (seasons 3–5; guest season 2), a recovering heroin addict connected to Coco and Leticia, formerly part of Meth Mountain.
Michael Anthony Perez acts as Luis (seasons 3–5; guest season 2), a dedicated sicario for the Galindo and LNG Cartels providing enforcement support.
Gregory Cruz portrays El Palo (season 3; guest season 2), leader of Vatos Malditos M.C. turned member of Mayans Yuma Charter; sibling to Laura.
Momo Rodriguez appears as Esteban "Steve" Estrada (season 3), formerly a prospect sponsored by Hank, now fully patched in Santo Padre Charter.
Justina Adorno plays Stephanie "Nails" (seasons 3–4; guest season 5), bartender at Mayans Santo Padre clubhouse with ongoing connections to Angel.
Grace Rizzo is Jess (seasons 3–5), bartender at Santo Padre clubhouse acting as an informant for SAMDINO; sister to Jazmine.
Holland Roden features as Erin Thomas (season 3; guest season 4), Emily Galindo’s sister reestablishing ties in Santo Padre.
Patricia de Leon portrays Izzy Alvarez (seasons 3–5), wife of Marcus Alvarez living in Santo Padre with her stepchildren.
Spenser Granese acts as Butterfly (season 3; guest season 5), drug dealer operating within Isaac’s Meth Mountain faction.
Natalia Cordova-Buckley plays Laura (season 3), sister to El Palo estranged due to family disputes.
Greg Vrotsos appears as Terry Drakos (seasons 4–5; guest season 3), Vice President of SAMDINO aiming to instigate conflict with the Mayans.
Guillermo García portrays Ignacio "El Banquero" (season 4; guest season 3), volatile leader of Lobos Nueva Generación Cartel seeking resurgence after defeat by the Galindo Cartel; sibling to Soledad.
Augie Duke acts as Treenie Gaeta (seasons 4–5; guest season 3), wife of Tommy Gaeta who becomes bartender at Mayans clubhouse with links to Bishop.
Manny Montana features as Manny (season 4), emerging full patch member and later Vice Presidente of Yuma Charter aligned with EZ’s vision for the club’s future direction.
Angel Oquendo plays Downer (seasons 4–5), loyal full patch member initially of Yuma Charter who later transfers to Santo Padre Charter.
Andrea Cortés appears as Sofia (seasons 4–5), animal shelter employee assisting EZ with dog adoptions while forming a relationship despite her tragic background.
Stella Maeve portrays Katie McNeill "Kody" (seasons 4–5), former addict working undercover ATF agent infiltrating through NA meetings linked to Creeper.
Greg Serano acts as Jay-Jay (season 4), ex-convict connected to EZ from their prison days.
Selene Luna features as Soledad (seasons 4–5), strategic head of Lobos Nueva Generación Cartel seeking to reclaim dominance in drug trafficking; sister to El Banquero.
Erica Luttrell plays Rae (seasons 4–5), wife of Paul and mother of their son, former U.S. Army Rangers officer connected to Gilly.
Presciliana Esparolini appears as Maggie (season 5; guest season 4), Izzy’s friend matched with Bishop through matchmaking efforts.
Andrew Jacobs portrays Guero (season 5), full patch member of Santo Padre Charter following Tucson Charter’s dissolution; son of former Presidente Ibarra.
Alex Barone acts as Bottles (season 5), new prospect for Mayans Santo Padre Charter.
Caitlin Stasey features as Johnny Panic (season 5), President of Broken Saints M.C., an all-female club rivaling Iron War M.C.
Lauren McKnight plays Chip (season 5), Vice President of Broken Saints M.C.
Dana Delany portrays Patricia Devlin (season 5), Deputy Assistant Inspector General investigating Lincoln Potter’s operations.
Luis Fernandez-Gil appears as Elio (season 5), seasoned meth cook for LNG Cartel compelled into service for the Mayans.

Guest

Robert Patrick portrays Les Packer (seasons 1–2), reprising his role from Sons of Anarchy as the SAMDINO "President" until his retirement prompted by cancer. He is the elder sibling of Isaac, whom he has excommunicated.
Emiliano Torres appears as Dondo (seasons 1–4), initially serving as the "Vice Presidente" and subsequently ascending to "Presidente" of Mayans M.C., Stockton Charter.
Peter Tuiasosopo plays Afa Lefiti (season 1), the head of the Basetown Tribe, a Samoan American street gang based in San Bernardino.
Monica Estrada takes on the role of Maria (seasons 1–3, 5), who works as a housekeeper for Miguel Galindo and cares for his son Cristóbal and mother Dita.
Katey Sagal returns as Gemma Teller Morrow (season 1), reprising her role from Sons of Anarchy in a flashback sequence as the matriarch of SAMCRO.
Noel G. features as Louie, a member of the Dogwood Crew, a Mexican street gang specializing in criminal intelligence gathering.
Diego Olmedo portrays Andres (season 1), a youth member of Los Olvidados acting covertly as a Galindo Cartel informant.
Branton Box plays Cole (seasons 1, 5), a weapons supplier and former special forces mercenary leader.
Elpidia Carrillo appears as Victoria "Vicki" Ariza (seasons 1–3), Riz's aunt and brothel proprietor who maintains a secret tunnel beneath the U.S.-Mexico border.
Rusty Coones reprises his role from Sons of Anarchy as Rane Quinn (seasons 1–2, 5), a fully patched SAMCRO member.
Ray Nicholson acts as Hallorann (seasons 1–2), a SAMCRO prospect sponsored by Happy.
Wilson Ramirez is cast as Solis (seasons 2–3, 5), serving as "Presidente" of Mayans M.C., Sahuarita Charter.
Roel Navarro plays Pavia (seasons 2–3), holding the position of "Vice Presidente" for Mayans M.C., Tucson Charter.
Yvonne Valadez portrays Marisol Reyes (seasons 2–3), mother to Angel & EZ Reyes who was killed amid cartel disputes; her presence is shown through flashbacks.
John Pirruccello appears as O'Grady (seasons 2–3), a corrupt detective in Stockton working alongside Mayans M.C., Stockton Charter.
David Clayton Rogers plays Marlon Buksar (season 2), a city clerk in Santo Padre opposing Emily’s initiatives.
Kikéy Castillo acts as Dr. Luna (seasons 2–3), therapist to Dita Galindo.
Elizabeth Frances portrays Katrina (seasons 2–3), spouse of Santo Padre mayor Antonia Pena.
Tommy Flanagan reprises his role from Sons of Anarchy as Filip "Chibs" Telford (season 2), SAMCRO President.
Jacob Vargas returns as Allesandro "Domingo" Montez (seasons 2–3), reprising his role from Sons of Anarchy as SAMCRO Road Captain affiliated with El Palo and Vatos Malditos M.C.
Hector Verdugo plays Otero (seasons 3–5), who served first as "Vice Presidente" and later "Presidente" of Mayans M.C., Yuma Charter.
Mia Danelle and Joy Dai portray bartenders Cielo and Rosa at Mayans M.C., Santo Padre Charter (seasons 3–5 and 3–4, respectively).
Denise G. Sanchez appears as Alicia (season 3), a single mother collaborating with Mayans M.C., Santo Padre Charter.
Judah Benjamin & Obadiah Abel play Cristóbal Galindo II (seasons 3–5), son of Miguel and Emily Galindo.
Keong Sim acts as Juan Denver (season 3), a drug smuggler for the Galindo Cartel known for quoting John Denver songs.
Christian Vera and Anton Narinskiy portray Sirena and Jameson, enforcers loyal to Soledad within the LNG Cartel (seasons 3–5).
Alex Fernandez and Giovanni Rodriguez play Diaz and Jinx, founding members serving respectively as "Presidente" and "Vice Presidente" of Mayans M.C., Oakland Charter (seasons 3–5).
Chad Guerrero features as Tommy Gaeta, a fully patched member of Mayans M.C., Stockton Charter (season 3).
Christine Avila portrays Consuela Loza, Hank’s mother suffering early dementia (seasons 3, 5).
Fabian Alomar appears as Rooster, "Presidente" of Mayans M.C., Portland Charter (seasons 3–5).
Julio Cesar Ruiz and Justin Huen play Tex and Hector, members of Mayans M.C., Oakland and Stockton Charters; Hector advances to become "Presidente" of Inland Empire Charter (seasons 4–5).
Bruce Robert Cole portrays Thomas "Doc" Harper (season 4), acting SAMDINO President following Les Packer’s diagnosis.
Dakota Daulby and Timothy Showalter take on roles as Joker and Hoosier, loyal full patch members of SAMDINO (seasons 4–5).
Zhaleh Vossough acts as Jazmine, girlfriend to Terry and sister to Jess (seasons 4–5).
Lex Medlin plays Randall, an accountant for the LNG Cartel evading U.S. law enforcement (season 4).
Renée Victor appears as Sister Teresa, Miguel’s aunt residing in an isolated Mexican convent (season 4).
Phil Brooks portrays Paul, a former Army Ranger struggling with mental health challenges; husband to Rae and father to their child (seasons 4–5).
Maverick James features as Maverick Reyes, son of Angel Reyes and Adelita (seasons 4–5).
Carla Gallo acts as Melissa Lyndecker, an ATF special agent supervising Katie’s activities (seasons 4–5).
Kim Coates returns in his role from Sons of Anarchy as Alexander "Tig" Trager, SAMCRO Vice President (season 4).
Ian Down plays Christopher "Slim" Miller, an imprisoned Aryan Brotherhood member (season 5).
Shaun Benson and Michael Olavson portray McKenzie and Stone, leaders within Iron War M.C., a corrupt club comprising officers and guards; Stone bears facial scars resulting from conflicts with Broken Saints (season 5).
Enrique Castillo appears as Eduardo Villar-Fuentes, rival cartel leader allied with Soledad’s faction (season 5).
Will Peltz plays Tony, Sofia’s former partner and father to her deceased daughter (season 5).
Kathleen Quinlan portrays Charlotte Buksar, who seeks justice for her son’s death (season 5).
Raymond Cruz acts as Smokey, incarcerated gang leader allied with Jay-Jay; originally cast in the pilot episode (season 5).
Gilbert Glenn Brown and Goldie DeWitt feature as Lucky and Menace, leaders within Grim Bastards M.C., South Gate Charter; Menace reprises his role from Sons of Anarchy now affiliated with South Gate Charter patching over process (season 5).
Jocko Willink appears as Gretton, Cole’s superior in narcotics trafficking and arms dealing operations (season 5).
Drea de Matteo returns to reprise her role from Sons of Anarchy portraying Wendy Case, Jax Teller’s ex-wife.

Mayans hierarchy

	Season 1	Season 2	Season 4	Season 5
Presidente	Obispo “Bishop” Losa		Marcus Álvarez Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes	Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes
Vice Presidente	Che "Taza" Romero		Obispo "Bishop" Losa Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes	Obispo "Bishop" Losa
El Pacificador (Sergeant at Arms)	Hank "El Tranq" Loza
El Secretario (Secretary)	Michael "Riz" Ariza Angel Reyes	Angel Reyes
Capitan Del Camino (Road Captain)	Neron "Creeper" Vargas			Gilberto "Gilly" Lopez

Development

FX initiated official script development for a spinoff of Sons of Anarchy, named Mayans M.C., on May 11, 2016. The series was created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, with James penning the pilot episode and both serving as executive producers. The production was managed by Fox 21 Television Studios alongside FX Productions. On December 1, FX gave a formal pilot order, initially with Sutter set to direct.

On July 5, 2017, Norberto Barba took over directing duties for the pilot from Sutter, allowing Sutter to concentrate on writing responsibilities; Barba also joined as an executive producer, and several cast members were recast.

A ten-episode series commitment was announced by FX on January 5, 2018, with the premiere scheduled for September 4, 2018. The show received a renewal for a second season on October 1, 2018, which premiered on September 3, 2019. Following that, the third season was confirmed in November 2019 and debuted March 16, 2021; the fourth season was renewed in May 2021 and began airing April 19, 2022; and a fifth season renewal was made public on July 24, 2022.

On January 12, 2023, FX announced that the fifth season would conclude the series; it premiered on May 24, 2023.

Casting

In early 2017, lead roles for the pilot were filled by Edward James Olmos, John Ortiz, J. D. Pardo, and Antonio Jaramillo. By March of that year, Richard Cabral, Sarah Bolger, Jacqueline Obradors, and Andrea Londo had joined the cast. Later in October 2017, Michael Irby and Raoul Trujillo were added as regulars. Additionally, Emilio Rivera returned to his role from Sons of Anarchy portraying Marcus Álvarez.

On April 25, 2017, Carla Baratta replaced Andrea Londo in the role of Adelita; around this time Maurice Compte was cast for a recurring part. Soon after, Efrat Dor joined in a recurring role as well. Later that year, Danny Pino and Vincent Vargas entered the cast for the pilot episode, with Pino taking a starring position. In April 2018, recurring roles were assigned to Gino Vento and Tony Plana.

Creator Kurt Sutter confirmed on July 22, 2018 that Michael Irby had taken over the role previously played by John Ortiz.

Filming

The main shooting for the pilot episode commenced in March 2017. Later, in July 2017, additional filming sessions were arranged for late summer, beginning the week of October 23, 2017, in Los Angeles.

Premiere

On June 8, 2018, the series debuted with an exclusive sneak preview at the annual ATX Television Festival held in Austin, Texas. Co-creators Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, executive producer and director Norberto Barba, along with cast members took part in the Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally and showcased a special clip, followed by a question-and-answer session at the Paramount Theatre.

The show was also featured on July 22, 2018, during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con in Hall H of the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Lynnette Rice, the discussion included creators Sutter and James and actor J.D. Pardo, alongside a screening of the first thirteen minutes from the pilot episode.

The official series premiere occurred on August 28, 2018, at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The event was attended by J.D. Pardo, Edward James Olmos, Sarah Bolger, Michael Irby, Clayton Cardenas, Kurt Sutter, Katey Sagal, Raoul Max Trujillo, Danny Pino, Antonio Jaramillo, Richard Cabral, Maurice Compte, Carla Baratta, Emilio Rivera, and Yadi Valeria.

Distribution

By 2018, Mayans M.C. was broadcast across various international territories. It launched on September 4, 2018, via FoxPremium in South America and FXNow in Canada. The next day saw its release on Fox Showcase in Australia, Canal+ in France, Neon in New Zealand, and HBO throughout Denmark, Norway, Spain, Finland, and Sweden. In 2019, the series became accessible to UK audiences through BBC iPlayer.

Critical response

Season one holds a 72% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews with an average score of 6.43/10. The consensus describes it as an engaging drama featuring well-developed characters but points out issues with pacing and comparisons to The Tellers. Metacritic assigns season one a score of 57 out of 100 from 19 critics, reflecting mixed or average feedback.

For season two, Rotten Tomatoes reports a perfect approval rating of 100%, averaging a score of 7.75/10 from five reviews.

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
2019	ICG Publicists Awards	Maxwell Weinberg Publicist Showmanship Television Award	Chris Kaspers	Template:Nom
2019	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Richard Cabral	Template:Nom
2021	Imagen Foundation Awards	Best Actor – Television (Drama)	J. D. Pardo	Template:Won
		Best Supporting Actor – Television (Drama)	Edward James Olmos	Template:Nom
		Best Supporting Actress – Television (Drama)	Sulem Calderon	Template:Nom
		Best Primetime Program – Drama	Mayans M.C.	Template:Nom
2022	BMI Film & TV Awards	BMI Cable Television Awards	David Wingo	Template:Won
2022	American Society of Cinematographers Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Episode of a One-Hour Series for Commercial Television	David Stockton	Template:Nom

External links