Critic Reviews

Mayans benefits from the richness of its source material, and for Sons fans it’ll fit like a well-worn kutte.

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.

While Pardo is a super lure into the world of the Mayans, it’s the fringe characters who make us want to see more. ... “Sons” fans will view this as a similar ride, only in a different gear. Where the potholes and speedbumps exist remains to be seen. For now, though, the road is open. Mayans M.C. appears to be on track and ready for a long, long ride.

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.

Mayans already feels a little too comfortable in its choices for a show with a lot of simmering feuds. The dialogue can be as blunt as the cold-blooded torture devices, making Mayans M.C. a show you have to want to watch to enjoy. But the sequel is far from a careless follow-up; it’s a deliberate expansion that’s at least within spitting distance of “SOA” quality.

If you liked Sons of Anarchy, which ended up as one of FX’s most-watched drama series, then you’re very likely to roll with this one, too.

As in seasons past, this overabundance of plot threatens to overtake characterization. ... Season three does find compellingly quiet moments in all this bluster. ... But even as certain beats are hit again, James works to distinguish the story he’s telling in season three from the one he first brought to FX with Sutter. The players may be the same, but they have greater resonance now.

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.

Once you get past all the familiar elements, Mayans M.C. turns into a show with its own personality and focus, though by no means a great one. ... In the end, the biggest problem is that the universe created here by Sutter and James feels more like the product of research plus flights of fancy than of a burning need to communicate lived experience.

Did you like Sons of Anarchy? If so, then you'll probably like Mayans M.C.