MAYANS M.C.: The Complete First Season Prepares us for What is to Come

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from creators Elgin James, Kurt Sutter, FX and 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment comes the high anticipated MAYANS M.C.: The Complete First Season.

In the small California border town of Santo Padre, Ezekiel ‘EZ’ Reyes (JD Pardo) has served time in prison for killing a cop and is now a prospect with the Mayan motorcycle club. The club’s president Bishop (Michael Irby) is working on drugs that are being transported to Las Vegas and making the trip with EZ is brother Angel (Clayton Cardenas).

Before they go, EZ stops by the local high school and remembers being enrolled at Stanford and coming home to visit then-girlfriend Emily (Sarah Bolger). Visiting father Felipe (Edward James Olmos), EZ assures him that he is being careful and before leaving gives him something wrapped up and gets a poetry book. Brother Angel is outside dealing with his own issues about Felipe.

Making a delivery, the Mayans are jumped and EZ comes to the rescue. The problem is that now they have to tell Miguel Galindo (Danny Pino), a cartel boss, what has happened to his drugs. Angel and EZ go through tunnels to get into Mexico looking for help for one of its members.

At the Mayans clubhouse, El Padrino (Emilio Rivera) comes to talk about the cartel issues but tells EZ to stop outside. Knowing the Samoans made the hit, it is agreed to reach out for help with the problem. After getting their hands on the leader of the Samoan group, Galindo takes over and shows them what happens when you take something that doesn’t belong to you. Besides a big mess, Galindo believes there is someone in their ranks giving out details and he wants whoever it is.

EZ is personally still dealing with the fact that Emily, his high school and college love, is now married to cartel boss Galindo. Angel has his own secrets as well when EZ learns that he is helping a woman named Adelita (Carla Baratta) who leads a group called the Olvidados. She makes it clear that she wants to help the families affected by what is happening by Galindo.

After an evening out, Galindo and Emily, along with their baby, go their separate ways. Emily’s car is attacked and the baby is kidnapped quickly. This is just the beginning of the deception, lies, secrets, twists and terror and that’s just the first episode!

Pardo as EZ has a story to tell and most of it is sad and full of misunderstandings. There is a part of this character that has the same feel as Jax Teller in that he knows what he wants but getting there might be tricky. I think Pardo is doing an amazing job and with the cast surrounding him it is only going to get more epic to watch EZ’s story unfold.

Cardenas as brother Angel has a serious magazine rack full of outdated issues. Not speaking to his own father and keep secrets from his brother EZ is going to cost him. Always trying to keep his brother out of trouble, sometimes it’s Angel who actually gets him IN trouble.

I’m so thrilled to see Rivera return as El Padrino Marcus Alvarez because it is a thread to SONS OF ANARCHY that I can grab onto while watching this new web be woven by the Mayans. Irby as Bishop is the club’s president who is moving at a glacial pace trying to understand what works best for the club while keeping an eye totally on everything. Baratta as Adelita is a woman who is just plain nuts in my book. She knows what she wants from Galindo and doesn’t care who gets in the way of making that happen. Of course there is a history she needs to settle and it’s close to EZ’s front door.

Bolger as Emily is the one time love of EZ who got away. He’s not over it and neither is she although you wouldn’t know it. Currently married to cartel boss Miguel Galindo isn’t helping her cause any. Trying to navigate her way through the family history and where they are going, she might be a force for them all. Pino as husband and cartel boss Miguel Galindo is a vicious leader who isn’t afraid to get his hands bloody, and the first episode proves that! Pino is sharp, fast and effective and even when you think he’s cornered, remember what happens to trapped tigers!

Olmos as EZ and Angel’s father Felipe is a daunting role. He has a history that neither son knows about but, like all secrets, will make its way out slowly and painfully for Felipe. I am thrilled to see Olmos once again on the screen because this man is an icon who has blazed the way in some man arenas that I know his character will be memorable. Personally I’ll be cheering for him what ever happens.

Other wonderful cast includes Richard Cabral as Coco, Maurice Compte as Jiminez, Frankie Loyal as Tranq, Vincent Vargas as Gilly, Gino Vento as Nestor, Tony Plana as Devante Cano, Michael Ornstein as Chucky Marstein, Joseph Lucero as Creeper, Ada Maris as Dita Galindo, Salvador Chacon as Pablo, Melany Ochoa as Mini, Curtiss Cook as Bowen, Emily Tosta as Leticia Cruz, Alexander Bedria as Heimler, Joe Ordaz as Paco and Ray McKinnon as Lincoln Potter.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

Special Features of MAYANS M.C. are The Creation of MAYANS M.C., Hit the Ground Roaring, Customizing the Mayans’ Signature Bikes and Promotional Featurettes.

The DVD includes the episodes Perro/Oc, Escorpion/Dzec, Buho/Muwan, Murcielago/Zotz, Uch/Opossum, Gato/Mis, Cucaracha/K’uruch, Rata/Ch’o, Serpiente/Chikchan and Cuervo/Tzikb/uul.

MAYANS M.C.: The Complete First Season is a must have to add to the SOA/MAYAN library. There isn’t an episode that doesn’t just cause the jaw to drop or a few cheers. The cast is extensive and I wish I had the space to cover them all but here and now I say the show wouldn’t be the SHOW without each and every one of them.

There are familiar faces and an Easter Egg I won’t talk about because I want the viewer to find it too. Of course there is always one face that is bad news and trust me you will know him when you see him because honestly I threw something at the television myself. I think it’s fantastic that Sutter and James kind of gave SOA fans a few kisses here and there to remind us that SAMCRO isn’t forgotten but also asks us to embrace MAYANS M.C. – and I fully intend to.

I can’t wait for season two to begin because my jaw hit the floor at the finale moments at the end of season one. Without giving anything away let me just say I was shocked, horrified and all I could say was ‘no, no, NO, NO!’

In the end – Mayans have their own story to tell.