Though many fans expected FX's Mayans M.C. to pay respects to its predecessor Sons of Anarchy through namechecks and other subtle references, I doubt everyone expected to see just how many legitimate Sons crossover moments there were in Season 1. Considering the heated way things ended for all involved, Season 2 will likely be upping the ante in terms of stress-inducing confrontations where Sons of Anarchy characters are concerned.
In fact, Mayans M.C. co-creators Kurt Sutter and Elgin James have opened up a little bit about what viewers will get to enjoy in the biker drama's sophomore season on FX. Here, we'll be talking specifically about the future for some of the most surprising and important Sons of Anarchy crossover characters.
Happy Lowman - David Labrava
Throughout his seven seasons as part of the Sons of Anarchy cast, actor David Labrava turned the loyal (if perhaps somewhat disturbed) Happy into a fan-favorite member of the SAMCRO ensemble. That distinction meant that his big introduction into Mayans M.C. was all the more shocking when it occurred in the Season 1 finale, as JD Pardo's EZ Reyes discovered that Happy was largely responsible for the death of EZ and Angel's mother, who has yet to get an introduction.
Speaking with EW at this year's Television Critics Association summer press tour, co-creator Elgin James joked about Happy meeting a quick end in Episode 3, and then revealed fans will be seeing quite a bit of him in Season 2.
Working with D.L. has been amazing, you’re going to see a lot of Happy this season because there’s a lot of stuff to unpack. I can’t say where it ends because we’re still figuring it out, but you can expect to spend a lot of time with the character this season.
Very interesting. The way the Season 1 finale left things, it was unclear whether or not EZ was going to tell anyone he could seemingly connect Happy to his mom's murder. We know that Season 2 starts off months after the concluding events of Season 1, which means that information will likely be eating EZ alive if he kept it to himself all that time.
Could Mayans M.C. actually put Sons of Anarchy's Happy in EZ and Angel's vengeful lines of fire when all is said and done? Or will Kurt Sutter and Elgin James find a way to spin this story so that Happy doesn't look like such a devious mommy-killer? At this point, I'm hoping for the latter, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by Mayans possibly putting Sons of Anarchy's characters under a different kind of scrutiny than what viewers gave them.
Lincoln Potter - Ray McKinnon
One of the most refreshing surprises to go down in Mayans M.C.'s initial season was the re-introduction of Ray McKinnon's Lincoln Potter, who once again has his targets locked on the Galindo cartel, though his scope is now widening to include some other familiar faces. His return wouldn't have been quite as welcomed if Potter was an ordinary by-the-books government villain in this universe, but McKinnon oozes a delightfully odd energy and makes the character's quirks feel more natural than kooky.
Lincoln Potter was something of a fleeting threat on Sons of Anarchy, with his run locked solely into the drama's fourth season. Getting him back for Mayans M.C. has so far been a treat, and Elgin James told EW that there's a lot more to come from Potter, though we pro-o-obably shouldn't expect him to outlive a lot of other characters.
He’s always going to be an agent of chaos. He’s always going to come with his little whirlwind, and he still has a hold over the boys. He still has a hold over the brothers, and he’s not done with the Ruiz’s. . . . Lincoln has it coming, right? A lot of people have it coming, and I’ll tell you what, last season was about secrets. This season is about retribution. And as Malcolm X says, ‘The chickens come home to roost.’ But it may be on some people who might surprise you, not the ones you’re rooting to get theirs.
So while Ray McKinnon's Potter may not be around forever, fans should expect him to incite some calamitous moments in Season 2. As we've seen, he's got access to very sensitive information about Edward James Olmos' Felipe, so he's clearly capable of bringing a shit-storm down when provoked. The fun part for fans will be watching to see who provokes who first.
Marcus Alvarez - Emilio Rivera
As the former head honcho within this chapter of the Mayans club (and beyond), Emilio Rivera's Marcus Alvarez was kind of like a guardian angel in Season 1. He made sure club votes and other business got taken care of accordingly, and he made sure to give EZ some mostly good-natured hell as a new prospect. In the season finale, though, Alvarez hung up his cut and took the offer to work for Danny Pino's Miguel Galindo as a higher-up in the cartel.
I got a chance to talk with Emilio Rivera during the TCA summer press tour – where he shared his thoughts about Charlie Hunnam potentially returning as Jax Teller – and he was very excited for fans to check out what's going to happen in Season 2. That said, he was not all that willing to head into spoilery territory. Here's something Rivera said he's learned from his years of working on Kurt Sutter projects.
I've been doing the show for a long time now and, you know, it's better when you just keep your mouth shut, when you don't talk about it. It's kind of true to the code of the outlaws. Well, it's true to the code of how we do this show. [Laughs.]
Though Emilio Rivera wasn't able to go hardcore on teasing anything major for his character's arc in Season 2, he did talk about missing the goofy frat machismo and the feeling of brotherhood that came while filming with the actors playing the rest of the Mayans club members. That said, he's definitely enjoying his time working with a different set of actors. In his words:
What I like about working with Danny [Pino], now that I'm part of their clique, is what a treat it is to watch him and Sarah {Bolger] work, man. They're really focused, you know. Not that the other [actors] are not, but it's more quiet. It's a quieter thing. It's really fun to watch them work.
What will happen if push comes to shove and a heated war breaks out between Miguel's crew and the Mayans? Would Alvarez side with his current employee, or the group that molded him into such a powerful person to begin with? Here's hoping answers come sooner rather than later.
With more Sons of Anarchy-related surprises no doubt in store, Mayans M.C. will kick off Season 2 on FX on (Teller) Tuesday, September 3, at 10:00 p.m. ET.
