There were quite a few connections to Sons of Anarchy sprinkled throughout Mayans MC season 1 that franchise fans will surely appreciate. Though the biker gang spinoff TV show, Mayans MC, is very much its own beast, it will still draw comparisons to FX's former flagship series, Sons of Anarchy, that ran for seven seasons and received numerous accolades. And it's because of that success that the network even considered developing a spinoff show, to begin with.
Following the Santo Padre chapter of the Hispanic motorcycle club, Mayans MC lives in the thematic shadow of its forebear, Sons of Anarchy, and, as a result, there are some nods and references to the latter series, as well as some recurring cast members in common. And these references may only grow when Mayans MC returns for season 2 next year.
Mayans MC's Gemma Cameo, Other Chapters, & More
Mayans MC was quick to establish connective tissue between itself and Sons of Anarchy. In the series premiere, "Perro/Oc", Katey Sagal reprises her role as Gemma Teller for one of Ezekiel's flashbacks, from when he had just entered prison. Mayans MC takes place four years after the climax of Sons of Anarchy, so Teller's visit to the prison would be sometime before the beginning of the show. Additionally from the first episode, Robert Patrick once again dons his cut as the president of the San Bernardino chapter of the Sons of Anarchy, when his crew provide back up for the Mayans to challenge another gang over stolen drugs. Later in the season the Mayans pick up a load of guns from the same chapter, the gun-trade being a long established deal between the MCs.
Related: Mayans M.C. Will Push The Envelope As Much As Sons Of Anarchy Did
Then, in Mayans MC's season 1 finale, the main protagonists crossover with SAMCRO, with Happy and Quinn joining the Mayans for a party. It isn't all alcohol and good times, though, as EZ realizes that Happy Lowman is the man responsible for killing Ezekiel's mother - the event that sparked this entire story. Played by Hell's Angel member David Labrava, Happy went from Nomad, meaning a member without a chapter, to Sergeant-At-Arms for the Redwood crew (where he's remained) during his arc on the show. Given this information, it's expected SAMCRO and the Santra Padre Mayans are going to have a troubled relationship in Mayans MC season 2.
Marcus Alvarez, Lincoln Potter, & Chuckie Return in Mayans MC
Three characters were carried over from Sons of Anarchy to Mayans MC, one of which was expected and two of which were surprises. The obvious one was Marcus Alvarez, president of the Oakland, CA, chapter of the Mayans MC, played by Emilio Rivera. In the four years since viewers last saw him, he's ascended to El Padrino rank, meaning Godfather, serving as a patriarch to the branching organization. He oversees and advises various chapters, particularly the Santa Padre branch, as they work directly with the Galindo cartel, which is now under the charge of Miguel Galindo, Jose Galindo's son. By the end of Mayans MC season 1, Alvarez moves away from the club in favor of working with Galindo full-time. Chuckie - Michael Ornstein's fingerless, eccentric assistant to the Sons of Anarchy at their Teller-Morrow Mechanics shop - has shifted positions and is now working for the Mayans at their scrapyard. Other than a couple of scenes where Chuckie is his strange, affable self, he doesn't play a major role in season 1.
Easily the most impacting commonality between Sons of Anarchy and Mayans MC is the antagonist Lincoln Potter, a US attorney with a penchant for cracking down on gang violence, portrayed by Ray McKinnon. In Sons of Anarchy season 4, his case against the Sons of Anarchy was quashed right on the verge of success as it was disrupting an ongoing CIA operation to control the cartels in Mexico. Disheartened, Lincoln went soul-searching in Mexico and familiarized himself with the gangland culture there, and he's now in the same line of work; he's trying to worm his way into Miguel Galindo's operation. He ultimately takes control of Ezekiel's informant deal and has him and brother Angel kill an agent to keep them under his thumb. There's no sign of Tig Trager or Chibs Telford, but given the events of Mayans MC season 1, an appearance might be on the table. Going into season 2, the Mayans and the Sons of Anarchy are on a collision course, and that means further crossover is the last thing anyone wants.