Television

Mayans M.C. Season 5 Premiere Review: Darkness Falls

Mayans M.C. has never been a series about happiness and has long portrayed deeply flawed people trying to co-exist in a world overrun by crime.

Mayans M.C. Season 5 Episode 1 and Mayans M.C. Season 5 Episode 2 were two of the darkest hours in franchise history — even going as far back as Sons of Anarchy.

Pairing these two hours together was only a good idea if the rest of the season turns things around because I had to take a bit of a breather between the two episodes because they were so bleak.

That’s not to say they were bad, but would it have hurt to showcase some happiness amidst all the darkness?

Sheesh. If you watch Mayans M.C. online, you know E.Z. has been flirting with darkness for a long time, but thankfully, some shades of good in him could help him survive the series.

I can’t even begin to imagine his thought process as he makes decisions that are supposed to secure the future of the Santo Padre Charter, all while trying to ensure his allies and enemies know he’s not someone to be trifled with.

It was hard to believe he had many redeeming qualities after his actions on Mayans M.C. Season 4, but it looks like he’ll be straddling that fine line between good and evil on Mayans M.C. Season 5 as the series wraps up for good.

It’s hard to tell where E.Z.’s storyline is going because the trajectory strongly suggests he won’t survive the series, but it’s hard to know whether that would be predictable or just what we should expect at this stage.

His relationships are all over the place, and something tells me he won’t be with Sofia for much longer because, when you think about it, Sofia isn’t interested in committing to anything beyond a relationship at this stage.

We know she has a past that will probably get some more exploration throughout the final season, but she shot a particular look at E.Z. when Angel revealed that Adelita was back and brought their child along for the ride.

Given how much time has passed, that development highlighted the distance between the brothers.

It’s a shame because they were once ride-or-dies, but E.Z. has been too consumed by the club and how to keep people in line, which isn’t going to bode well for the future.

Obviously, Angel won’t allow E.Z. to continue to investigate the truth about the pipeline if agents are showing up at his home and threatening him and his child.

It’s a tricky scenario, but if E.Z. does follow his brother’s order, it will cause more problems and will make E.Z. look like someone who can be overruled, which, as the past has proven, is a big no-no on this show.

My best guess is that it will be brother vs. brother before long, and Adelita will join forces with Angel to enact a plan to keep their family safe.

Until now, the brothers have both had a common goal, but when your child’s safety is put on the line, it changes the game in a way that E.Z. won’t see coming.

Are we gearing up for a big betrayal? I’m sure it will happen sooner or later.

Then there’s Felipe, whose stoic impression made Angel worry that his father had washed his hands of his brother forever.

Felipe is more of a realist than Angel and understands the severity of the situation, so he isn’t ruling out not having E.Z. back in the house or any semblance of a relationship with him.

E.Z. trying to bounce back after the destruction of the drugs allowed for some compelling scenes. Once upon a time, he and Miguel were destined to kill each other.

Now, they’re in business — whether they like it or not. It’s a different dynamic that will probably change as the intensity surrounding the final conflicts continue.

Miguel would love nothing more than to kill E.Z. or make his life hell, but he knows that, for now, he has to bide his time and work through his next act for as long as possible before he strikes.

It makes me wonder if they’ll spend the season trying to outmaneuver one another before making a move that could change everything.

Speaking of Miguel and redeeming qualities, he did the impossible when he avenged Tomas’ death in one scene.

He may be playing nice for now, and this act of revenge was something he could get away with, so he grabbed that opportunity as though he wouldn’t get another chance.

With E.Z., he can bide his time until the timing is right. I wasn’t fond of Miguel keeping Emily locked up in the house with their son.

He may be allowing her to leave, but he’s not taking any chances that she escapes with their son again.

The Miguel-Emily dynamic fell apart long ago, and every time they share the screen is a reminder of what could have been for them.

Now, there’s so much toxicity between them that we’ll be unable to tell whether they can refrain from killing each other for any length of time.

Emily will want to avenge her sister’s death, but much like every other character on this show, she’ll have one chance to strike, so she needs to hold off on her planning until she finds an in-road with her estranged husband.

My favorite part of the first two episodes was the dynamic between Letty and Hope.

They were so against one another initially but have managed to carve out a sisterly bond to cope with their grief following Coco’s death.

The beauty of this bond is that they’re now ride-or-dies for each other and will stop at nothing to help one another.

Who would have thought that would be possible after everything they went through?

I’m invested in learning how their arc plays out with one another, but I hope it ends on a hopeful note for them.

I’m not as invested in the Sons of Anarchy vs. Mayans M.C. plot as I should be.

Maybe it should have ended last season because — let’s face it — the spinoff is beginning to feel like it’s being used to set up new conflicts that will trigger a Sons of Anarchy revival.

As a result, I hope the conflict from the SOA continues to take center stage on the final episodes, but I’m getting the impression that everyone who is against each other now will have to unite to fight the biker gang that started the franchise.

What are your thoughts on E.Z.’s new direction? Do you think he’s going down the wrong road?

What are your thoughts on a potential Angel vs. E.Z. storyline?

What’s your take on Miguel’s redemption marred by his continued horrible treatment of Emily?

Hit the comments.

Catch Mayans M.C. every Wednesday at 10 p.m. on FX.

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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