Mayans M.C.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

The producers also serve notice, early and often, that like its predecessor, "Mayans" will push to the serrated edge of what FX will allow. That promises a journey not everyone will be eager to take, but at this point, nobody should be surprised by the nastier twists and turns that come with the territory.

It’s hard to tell yet if and when this show will emerge from the shadow of its predecessor. Right now, it’s still riding in its wake.

The good news is that you don’t have to know anything about “Sons of Anarchy” to watch “Mayans M.C.” — though fans of the earlier series will be pleased by a few brief cameos in the pilot. The bad news is that even if you’re a newbie to the Sutter-verse, the series may feel overly familiar despite its inclusive bent.

E.Z., unfortunately, is lost in this vast mural of exposition. He’s fleshed out less by Mr. Pardo’s quiet performance than by the characters around him. ... There are also a number of callbacks to the original series that will appeal to “Sons” fans. But while “Mayans” may be set in a post-Jax Teller world, the show hasn’t yet found a place in it.

Violent, jarring, contorted and doesn't fully make the case this was the spinoff "SOA" needed or demanded.

Mayans M.C. is basically Sons Season Eight with the names changed. If that notion excites you, enjoy.

Mayans is an easy watch for anyone who misses “Sons’” particular mix of broad humor, big emotions, and sudden bursts of gunplay. But the show doesn’t yet have much to offer beyond nostalgia and old charms.

It jams so many subplots into its opening two episodes as to make it nearly impossible to connect to any of the characters in a meaningful way. ... Sutter has found a compelling lead actor in Pardo, whose onscreen chemistry with Olmos and Cardenas has enough fortitude to hold the center long enough for the show to find a map, if it can. First it would have to drop some of its bloat. ... The show’s 67-minute premiere is the storytelling equivalent stuffing 10 pounds of sausage into a two-pound bag.

Unjustifiably bloated, superficially obsessed with torture and the trappings of manly swagger and boasting enough story in the two episodes sent to critics to fill a full season of a more contemplative show, Mayans MC finds the brand slightly invigorated by a new cultural context, but fails utterly to replicate or even emulate much of what Sons of Anarchy actually did best.