Mayans MC co-creator and showrunner Elgin James talks about the character development of protagonist EZ in season 4. Mayans MC is a spinoff of the long-running Sons of Anarchy and features a different motorcycle gang and similar themes of vengeance and corruption. The series stars J.D. Pardo, Clayton Cardenas, Sarah Bolger, Emilio Rivera, Michael Irby, and Edward James Olmos.
Mayans MC follows EZ (Pardo), who begins the series as a prospect for the Mayans Motorcycle Club. The series sees him climbing the organization's ranks and becoming the de facto president after ousting the former president, Alvarez (Rivera), and declining to negotiate peace with the rival gang SAMCO, likely leading to war. The war between the two factions has been gestating for a long time on Mayans MC, and EZ's new leadership will likely escalate the conflict, should the series be renewed for a season 5.
In an interview with Deadline, James talks about how EZ's role boiled down to his indecisiveness and how that was no longer a factor for him. He elaborates by saying that EZ always had a way out of the gang, but circumstances weren't going to allow him to take it. EZ seems to finally realize this in the fourth season, and as a result, fully commits to being the head of the gang, and having to make the decisions that others aren't willing to make. Read his full quote below:
Yeah, we always knew we wanted to go there. In Season 4, we definitely stepped on the gas a little bit. While creating these characters, Kurt [Sutter] and I talked about how EZ had this path out and was going to go to Stanford but that was never going to happen. The universe was going to spit him out back where he belongs—that was always going to be his fate. For three seasons he wasn’t sure if he was in or out but now he’s all in. He’s making the wrong decisions but he’s handling it in the same way he did with his dog when he was little where he did what no one else could. That’s what he’s doing now with the club where there are egos is in the way like with Bishop [Michael Irby], Angel [Clayton Cardenas]. And I don’t say ego in a negative way.
James also mentions that EZ is making the wrong decisions in the right way, but he's going to have to make a lot more crucial decisions moving forward now that he's in charge. With James becoming Mayans MC's sole showrunner in season 3, the series has been able to better establish its own identity and step out of the shadow of Sons of Anarchy. As a result, EZ's growth as a character allows the series to expand in directions it wasn't able to before, distinguishing itself from the show that spawned it.
Though Mayans MC has struggled to find its own voice, its compelling characters have been a strength since the very beginning, a strength it has maintained over its run. As long as James and his team continue to make bold strokes with the story, it will hopefully be able to reach the heights of its predecessor. In the end, Mayans MC season 4 left plenty of unanswered questions, and hopefully a forthcoming season 5 will further explore EZ's path of darkness as the new club president.
Source: Deadline