'Mayans M.C.': Why JD Pardo Told Fans Not to Try and Save the Show

By Daniel S. Levine

Whenever a show ends, the first thing fans do is sign a petition to revive it. These petitions are often spurred on by the show's stars and creators, but that's not the case with FX's Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans M.C. star J.D. Pardo is even asking fans to not create a petition to save the show.

After actor Clayton Cardenas, who plays Angel Reyes, tweeted a link to the Variety article on the show ending on Jan. 12, a fan instantly asked if viewers needed to create a petition. Pardo told them to hold their horses (or motorcycles, in this case).

"No need to start a petition," Pardo wrote on Jan. 12. "This was a creative decision that we made together. I will address this w a little more thought when I get a moment. We are on set filming Season 5 right now. Can't wait for you all to see what's in store this season! Much love to you all!"

Another fan called ending Mayans M.C. a "mistake," but Pardo disagreed. "A lot of thought went into this. I've been killed off of shows, had shows canceled, etc.," he wrote. "This is different because the decision is ours. I have no regrets. I just have love and gratitude for the fans and the opportunity we were given."

The actor added that production on the final 10 episodes is going smoothly and he plans to live-tweet them as they air. On Jan. 23, a fan asked if there was any potential for a Mayans M.C. spin-off movie, which was a question Pardo couldn't answer. "You know...you never know," he wrote. "I'm just not sure there would be anything left to say. However, I've been surprised before, so back to I don't know. (By the way, I deeply enjoy not knowing these days hahaha)."

FX chief John Landgraf announced Mayans M.C. would end with its fifth season during the network's Television Critics Association Press Tour panel. The decision to wrap up the show now was unsurprising, as showrunner Elgin James told Variety that he already had the finale in mind. "I know the very last shot," James said in April 2022. "So, it's not in Season 4 so I'm just going to say, there at least has to be one more. But we know exactly where it ends and we have been headed there for a while now."

Mayans M.C. is the first Sons of Anarchy spinoff and follows the Mayans Motorcycle Club introduced in the earlier show. It was created by James and Sons creator Kurt Sutter. Pardo stars as Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes, who joins the Mayans at the beginning of the series and rises through the ranks. Sarah Bolger, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Richard Cabral, Raoul Max Trujillo, Antonio Jaramillo, Danny Pino, Edward James Olmos, Emilio Rivera, Frankie Loyal, Joseph Raymond Lucero, and Vincent Vargas round out the main cast.

FX fired Sutter in October 2019 after receiving complaints about his alleged abrasive and unprofessional behavior behind the scenes. James was promoted to sole showrunner before Season 3. This gave the show the opportunity to reset.

"That was always Kurt's idea," James told Variety last year. "Kurt was always an incredible mentor that way. He knew that he wanted to create this bridge between Sons of Anarchy and Mayans and I credit the audience and I credit the network and the studio because when people got over that bridge into Season 3, it was a completely different place."

Mayans M.C. and Sons of Anarchy are both available to stream on Hulu. FX has not announced when Season 5 will debut. Season 4 aired between April and June 2022, so we could expect Season 5 to begin around that same time this year.

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