In FX’s “Mayans M.C.,” Tests of Loyalty and Brotherhood

Continuing that modern tradition the networkamp8217s latest series Mayans MC a spinoff of the successful Sons of Anarchy features an allstar Latinx cast including JDamp160Pardo pictured top right Clayton Cardenas Danny Pino and Edward James Olmos amp160Created by Sons showrunner Kurt Sutter the series takes place two and a half years after the events of the preceding series and follows the life of Ezekiel amp8220EZamp8221 Reyes Pardo the newest prospect or memberintraining of the infamous Mayans motorcycle club under the wing of his older brother AngelAfter a shipment of contraband is hijacked by a rival gang the Mayans retaliate under order of Miguel Galindo Pino head of the Galindo cartel who suspects there is a traitor in their midst amp160Once the culprits are apprehended Galindo uses gruesome tactics to extract information from them and discovers that the Mexican rebel group Los Olvidados the Forgotten Ones are behind the heist amp160Galindo had not worried about the rebel group as they were merely a nuisance but it has since grown strongeramp160 Now that things have gotten personal he sets out for vengeance against Los OlvidadosAs a prospect Ezekiel is given menial tasks such as washing the motorbikes keeping watch while the members have their meetings and moving an occasional corpse amp160But there is something special about him amp160Not only do we learn that Ezekiel was a onceproud Stanfordbound pupil who somehow ended up involved in a drugrunning weapontrafficking biker gang but he set out to do much more with his life The brighteyed star student sought to do his family proud pursuing a life of opportunity true love with his high school sweetheart and even fatherhood amp160We donamp8217t know exactly what happened amp8220that nightamp8221 where everything in EZamp8217s life took a turn for the worse but viewers learn to care for him within the first ten minutes of meeting himEZ also has a particular set of skills a rather strong sense of observation and perception that harkens to Robert Downey Jramp8217s titular character in Sherlock Holmes amp160He uses his keen senses to gain favor with the leaders of the charter but it gets him into trouble more often than not since he is amp8220just a prospectamp8221 as they say and is meant to blindly follow ordersEZamp8217s story tugs at the heartstrings particularly with those who like myself grew up in lowerincome communities where many people set out to achieve great things refusing to not let their surroundings dictate their fates only to have circumstances and desperation involve them in questionable circles and unlawful activityTo the Latinx community and the majority of ethnic communities family is above all no matter the situation amp160Mayans MC focuses heavily on that traditional concept testing EZamp8217s allegiance and challenging where his loyalties lie not just to the brotherhood he hopes to join but within his own family as well amp160During a tender moment with his father Olmos EZ apologizes for getting him amp8220mixed up in all of thisamp8221amp160 His father simply tells him in Spanish amp8220Donamp8217t ever apologize for needing your family amp160Blood is blood the only thing that mattersamp8221Each episode of the first season of Mayans MC is named after a sign of the Mayan zodiac and their astrological significance plays a heavy hand in the themes of their respective episodes amp160The premiere episode named PerroOc meaning dog is a symbol of new beginnings new friends and new consciousnessamp160 It is the perfect name for the first episode Those born within Oc are known to be loyal dependable and instinctive and are said to have the ability to assess everything going on around them amp160Like many things related to the zodiac and horoscopes it can be hit or miss but this couldnamp8217t be a more accurate description of EZJDamp160Pardo portrays EZ with charm and a ton of heart wanting to know more of his past and hoping he can still get that bright future heamp8217s always wanted amp160Olmos plays the workingclass father of EZ and Angel with such authenticity he reminds me of the men of my own family a bit too well right down to the quiet but heartfelt conversations and willingness to help his flesh and blood without hesitation amp8211 the sign of a true patriarch amp160Emilio Rivera reprises his role from Sons of Anarchy as Marcus Alvarez the amp8220Padrinoamp8221 godfather of the Mayansamp8217 Oakland charter in a rather chilling performance as the softspoken but deadly leaderMayans MC is the latest addition to a small but growing list of current series centered around Latinx characters and it is certainly a step in the right direction for impactful cultural representationamp160 It touches on relevant social issues like immigration drug trafficking and gang violence whileamp160accurately depictingamp160very real innerfamily conflicts like loyalty redemption pride and the fine line between allegiance and blind servitudeamp160 Further while there are a handful of references to Sonsamp160 Mayans stands on its own as something new and excitingamp160 Diversity continues to define FX at its bestMayans MC premieres September 4 at 10 pm on FXClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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In FX’s “Mayans M.C.,” Tests of Loyalty and Brotherhood

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Juan Ayala

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In FX’s “Mayans M.C.,” Tests of Loyalty and Brotherhood

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