#sutterverse

[mayans-mc]

MAYANS MC (2018-2023)

EZ as prospect in 1x10, Cuervo/Tz'ikb'uul

[virtuemoires-sources]

jax teller icons in the episode “the pull”

[detectiveguapo]

I have so many feelings about episode two of Mayans MC, but I’m that JVN strugg to func mood right now so I can’t properly articulate how I feel or what I think. All I’ll say is that this episode solidified Mayans as a different story and a different approach to storytelling than Sons of Anarchy. Not to say one is better than the other because that’s subjective and I’m not here to debate. I’m tired. 

Besides, I don’t know if the audience had the same stunned reaction I had to watching this episode. I have a feeling there are more fans out there seeking more of the MC, more Alvarez, more SoA nods, more English (go learn to fucking read), more cars blowing up, and more faceless and nameless ‘crow eaters’ than there are viewers like me who crave new&different over what’s familiar. 

I love that Mayans is diving into characters who are not solely in the MC, testing them, and showing the thought process to how they come to make very flawed, sometimes inhumane (yet very human) decisions. When you have characters like Miguel and Adelita who are diametrically opposed to each other, but you find yourself understanding their motivations and the weight of their responsibilities -- then not only are you confused af (bc who do you root for at any given moment?) but you’re also seeing the ‘big picture’ in a way that has previously only been framed through the lens of an MC. Now you’ve got all these perspectives, now you know how much is at stake for all these people involved. The characters peripheral to the MC are no longer just obstacles when antagonists are needed, and they’re no longer just allies when back-up is needed. You know? Am I making sense?

And I LOVE that our protagonist (EZ) has goals that must adapt to his growing list of conflicting loyalties. Yeah, it makes him kind of untrustworthy, but it’s a great arc for the character and an even better starting point for a story that can go in so many different directions. EZ is designed like a choose-your-own-adventure type of character, only he’s not because this is TV and not a video game, which makes watching it satisfying and frustrating all at the same time. You just want to reach into the TV and guide him and tell him who’s worth trusting. It’s really, really hard to predict where we’ll be eight episodes from now and I love that. I don’t know what Elgin James and Norberto Barba did to Kurt Sutter’s original ideas, but I am soooo here for this. 

[vulgar-display-of-escapism]

Yes! And well, he got to live in Sutterverse...

Sons of Tumblr

[mayans-mc]

Mayans MC gif meme → 6 characters [4/6]: Emily Thomas __________________________ So, as I have explained, you obviously have me confused with someone else. Now, I have been polite. I have shown you my identification. Now I need you both to leave. "Sara Marie Glass." Is that Jewish? Has a ring of Salinger.

[detectiveguapo]

Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes [ISFJ] - The Defender

EZ Reyes has a beautiful mind and a beautiful heart, so why is he here? People are always telling him his future is brighter than anything Santo Padre could ever provide, and EZ has been conditioned to believe this. He spends most of the season vindicating this claim about himself so he can have a purpose after he finishes his ‘temporary’ run with the M.C. It’s not until late in the season that he starts to come to terms with where his mistakes have led him. When he ultimately chooses to stay and prospect for the Mayans M.C., it’s not submission to his underlying fear of worthlessness; rather, it’s about acceptance and control of his new, chosen path.

Strengths: sincere, generous, observant, patient, loyal, hard-working

Weaknesses: naïve, overloads himself, represses his feelings, reluctant to change, too self-sacrificing

For most of the first season, EZ lies to the club about his deal with the DEA out of self-preservation. But it’s important to remember that EZ signed the deal on the condition that it wouldn’t cause harm to his brother and the M.C. In one episode, we see that EZ is willing to go back to prison if it means Emily isn’t used as a pawn to get to her husband. So, while EZ takes the deal to get out of prison early for himself, he ultimately struggles to maintain his obligations to the DEA because he’s too selfless and too protective of so many relationships at one time. There are several points throughout the season when EZ neglects his personal needs in favour of serving or protecting others — whether or not he’s been directed to do so by his superiors. 

EZ’s primary desire is to be of service to others — not necessarily to take on a provider role but to be a guardian to those who matter most in his life. When EZ cares for others, he listens, doesn’t make it about himself, and never seeks for anything in return. It doesn’t matter if one has a history with him (Emily) or if it’s someone he just met five minutes ago (Leticia), EZ’s empathetic and well-meaning nature drives him to help others. He’s so genuinely helpful and so invested in maintaining that reputation of reliability that he sometimes doesn’t realize how his well-intentioned actions can hurt him. 

Angel said, “EZ’s special.” He doesn’t belong in Santo Padre and he uses that family dream projected onto EZ to push his brother out of the club and out of the “dead fucking town.” Naturally warm and caring, EZ has an uncanny ability to notice small details — facial expressions, looks exchanged between two people — that allows him to, not only figure people out but also, show people he cares about them in a meaningful way. When Emily comes to him because she’s a mess from losing her son and she’s feeling isolated by Miguel, EZ lets her in and he listens to her. When Leticia shows up and Coco can’t immediately be there for his daughter, EZ steps up and asks for nothing in return. Coco recognizes EZ’s gesture of goodwill and rewards him for it by opening up to the Prospect when he’s normally so guarded. This innate ability to seem trustworthy is ironic given EZ’s situation as an informant. 

While it’s easy to notice EZ’s physical strength, there’s a quiet strength to him that shouldn’t go unnoticed. He doesn’t take crap from people even if they are authority figures; he has shown to answer back to law enforcement officers (Kevin and that off-duty cop at the casino) and Miguel. Often, when he bites back, it’s not even to defend himself but to defend groups that can’t speak for themselves in the moment (the M.C., the families victimized by the cartel). That being said, EZ also has a conventional approach to relationships — he understands his position in the club and respects the patch. While all prospects in the history of the Sutterverse have shown a degree of subservience to full-patch members, EZ displays a strong work ethic and never complains even when instructed to complete menial tasks (like recycling). He also shows a great deal of respect and reverence to his father, which can be attributed to him being the ‘good son’, but more interestingly it stems from his deference to traditional familial bonds. Yes, Felipe does take a liking to his second son, but EZ is also the son who frequently checks on his father and helps him out with chores that need to be done in the butcher shop. EZ doesn’t take his Pop’s favourable treatment for granted.

Functional Order: Si-Fe-Ti-Ne

His eidetic memory allows him to store data and information like no other character in the series. He’s able to take present conversations and images and contrast them with prior experiences, and we see that through the use of flashbacks. It’s important to note that these flashbacks are only from EZ’s point of view — it distinguishes him as the “gifted one”. These flashbacks are not only useful in terms of finding solutions to whatever problem he or the club might have, but it also emphasizes nostalgia as a driving force in his life.

Since introverted sensing is his strongest function, EZ is often seen expressing a great attention to detail in both past and present. His problem is that he has had a very clear picture of what his future would look like because of the way he senses his world around him; unfortunately, he cannot simply create his future the way he can recreate in his mind what has already happened. This makes his arrest and subsequent stint in Stockton even more heartbreaking because he’s the golden child of his town — a kid with so much promise — and he loses everything by making an uncharacteristically impulsive decision.

In the first couple episodes, EZ is seen using his gift to satisfy the needs of others. He remembers the BTT tattoo of the rival Samoan gang and gives away that information because he thinks it will help. He does the same when he tells Angel about the license plate in episode two — this time, finding a way to help Los Olvidados’ cause while still ensuring the safety of Emily’s child. Having an auxiliary Fe means he applies his understanding of a situation in a way that shows loyalty and dedication to the people that matter to him.

Tertiary Ti manifests when EZ steps away from his emotions and makes sense of things rationally. EZ has several moments when he lets nostalgic emotions get in the way of more immediate goals. He goes to the hospital to visit Emily even though he knows it would be a huge risk. He’s so hellbent on finding his mother’s killer, even going so far as to ask Angel for a gun, that he can’t foresee the consequences of vigilante justice.

A reluctance to try new ways of doing things and giving way to anxiety over the unknown can be attributed to an inferior Ne. At the start of the series, EZ’s mind is made up — he’ll fulfill his end of the deal (supply information on the cartel and only the cartel) and high-tail it out of Santo Padre. Prior to that, he was set on Stanford. He was set on the idea of becoming a self-made man with a legitimate career and a family with his high school sweetheart. When all of that goes to shit and he’s sidetracked to being an outlaw, EZ still sees it as a transitory move until he can focus all his energy back on clinching what he lost.

An immature inferior Ne manifests as a loss of control over facts and details, which then leads to impulsiveness and catastrophizing. As mentioned earlier, when EZ’s mom was killed, he was so rattled that he took all the ‘evidence’ he collected and directed it toward his pursuit of vengeance, resulting in him shooting a cop and ‘destroying’ his future. Eight years later, we see a maturity in this function when EZ makes the decision to remain a prospect for the M.C. and when he asks Bishop to replace Angel as his sponsor. While EZ reveals to Felipe his reservations to follow through with his brother’s request, he doesn’t consult anyone on this particular matter. He makes the choice to stay with the M.C. and switch his sponsor because it’s what he wants. He puts his wants and needs at the forefront. And although it deviates from his original plan, EZ has shown that he has finally gotten past the uncertainty and the fear of not living up to expectations and allowed himself to entertain the possibility of this new life.

[detectiveguapo]

I know you usually answer asks about Miguel/Emily and even EZ but I'd hope I can have your take on Adelita and Angel as well, as I love your input concerning the show. My question would be how do you see both characters evolving individually next season? Things have gone rather smoothly for Adelita and I'm afraid she's gonna suffer a few hits in S2 (loosing Mouse perhaps?), meanwhile Angel is in a very dark place and might go even darker next season. How do you see their relationship developing?

I’m sorry this has taken like a month to get to, but I’ve taken an unplanned step away from tumblr (and the internet, in general) ever since my trip to New York. I wanted to answer these questions sooner but I was always on mobile when I checked in here and I don’t like typing out anything too long on my phone because I’ve lost paragraphs of text before trying to post from the app. Then life just started to get busy and I never got around to it (excuses, excuses).

Anyway, I totally welcome all questions regarding Mayans M.C. Heck, I’ll take questions about almost anything! Answer under the cut. *Bracing myself for pitchforks*

How do I see Adelita and Angel evolving as individuals next season? Oooh… That’s a very open-ended question and I think I might get into that further once I have my MBTI stuff done for each character (it helps to know who they are NOW to figure out where they’ll be as the season progresses). But if I were to predict their trajectory for season two, I think we will see both Adelita and Angel embracing more of the darkness that make them “grey” characters. Both characters were introduced with these noble and ideal goals (although their methods were arguably unethical). Season two Adelita will have her working closely with the cartel, which is a pragmatic(?) approach to advancing her cause but it’s not exactly the most principled. Angel – we’ll see him continuing that strained relationship with EZ (and Felipe), regardless of whether EZ tells him about what he’s learned about their mother’s murder. I think Angel will always look out for his little brother, but I think Angel will be less forthcoming with EZ if Angel has any plans of his own (and I think he’ll have more of these as he’s taken on a higher position in the MC). I want to see Bishop and Angel working together more, and also clashing more as they make decisions for the future of the club.

Yeah, I’d say things have gone rather smoothly for Adelita in the first season, but that’s largely due to the shift in status quo that happens in the first episode. Prior to that, the cartel was running business as usual and the rebels were just building momentum. The first season centered on that shift in power and control over the border so it makes sense to show the rebels ‘winning’ in a sense. I do think all characters will be suffering a few hits in S2 – no one is immune to that. If I were to make a prediction, I think Miguel, Adelita, and the MC will work really well together before relationships are tested and loyalties start to fray. I imagine those three groups working together will challenge Potter to his wit’s end. I do think, out of the three, Adelita and Los Olvidados may be at a slight disadvantage just because Miguel now has Alvarez as his right-hand man and that (most likely) gives him a bigger pull with the MC. So I think that may frustrate Adelita if she gets overruled in certain decisions.

As far as their relationship developing, I think that’s going to be more of a focal point in season two compared to the first, but I don’t think it will supersede individual character development. And it shouldn’t. To be honest (and controversial), I like the ship, but it’s the least interesting bit about each character. Particularly for Adelita – I enjoy seeing the juxtaposition of her ruthless determination as this leader of a revolution with her more nurturing side with Mouse, for example. Her scenes with Angel – while cute and gif-able – don’t feel true to her character (to me, at least). Like, I get that she’s this badass who’s a little more vulnerable around this guy (don’t we all love this trope?), but this quality is so much more captivating when she’s vulnerable and ‘soft’ with the kids. And kind of the same goes for Angel – I enjoy Reyes family scenes and his scenes with Coco and the rest of the MC before any of the stuff with Adelita. I just think we’ve learned more about each character in their scenes apart from each other than their scenes together. That’s not to say that things can’t change in season two (and I hope they do). I just want to understand that relationship more before I see it develop in scenes that are cute albeit lacking in exposition. 

I think Angel going “darker”, as you’ve mentioned, is going to include him using the “I hate myself” excuse not to pursue a committed relationship with Adelita. So many people aww’d at what he said (and I get it), but it was also such a classic fuckboy line especially when he followed it up by making out with another woman. He’s basically holding Adelita at arms’ length, telling her he’s worthy to be with her when he’s at his best, but right now he’s going to mess around with ‘lesser’ women because he’s feeling like a ‘lesser’ version of himself. It’s one of his flaws (don’t kill me; they all have them) and I predict it’ll be more prominent next season as he gains more power in the club while simultaneously feeling more disconnected from EZ, Felipe, and Adelita. Power + detachment from previously meaningful relationships = filling the lonely void with meaningless hookups. And I included Adelita in those relationships because previously he was the MC member who knew the most of what was going on with Los Olvidados (even though Adelita controlled access to that knowledge); but now, Adelita is in a more enclosed circle of information with Miguel (and Alvarez) and Bishop (who, as President, has no qualms about keeping certain information from members of the MC). This may push Angel away from Adelita for the time being. But they’ll eventually get together at some point. Will they be endgame? IDK. Do we ever get HEA couples in the Sutterverse?

[im-just-a-mississippi-girl]

@thegirlwhowritesfics I always think of you when I see your man so here’s some Nestor to make your day better! 😍

Mayans MC gif meme → 6 characters [5/6]: Nestor Oceteva __________________________ All you need to know … If you live by this, you die by this.

[mayans-mc]

Mayans MC gif meme → 6 characters [5/6]: Nestor Oceteva __________________________ All you need to know ... If you live by this, you die by this.