The crime drama action show Sons of Anarchy, created by Kurt Sutter, followed Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam) and the lives of an outlaw motorcycle club in California. As the seasons continued, the show explored struggles surrounding love, loyalty, brotherhood, and betrayal. After SOA wrapped up its seventh and final season, a few years later, Sutter decided that the motorcycle world was not over and felt it was only right to create a spin-off series, Mayans M.C., who were actually rivals of SOA, though later joined forces and became allies.

Update November 1, 2023: Following the conclusions of Mayans M.C., this article has been updated with more ways the series connects to Sons of Anarchy.

Mayans M.C. takes place two years after the events of Sons of Anarchy and focuses on the struggles of Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes, who is a prospect for Mayans MC and whose life has been turned upside down by violence. Now, as he holds much anger, his need for revenge leads him to a life he had never expected. Although we are given a brand-new story, with brand-new characters at the center of it, Mayans MC is still a spin-off, so we were still expecting a crossover and were pleased to see some familiar faces here and there like Gemma Teller (Katey Sagal), who appears in a flashback scene. Although, it still holds questions as to how exactly it relates to the show it is based on.

SOA and Mayans M.C. Are Tied Together

Throughout Mayans M.C., we do see similarities to the original show, Sons of Anarchy, especially the themes that run through them, like loyalty, betrayal, and family. Mayan M.C.'s main character, EZ (J.D. Padro), could also be seen as similar to Jax from SOA; whether that was the intention or not, the two are very similar and creates a familiar feeling connecting each show, as EZ is confused and lost about where he belongs, we see a young Jax shine through. Similarities between characters pop up quite often in Mayans, like the president of the Santo Padre charter, Obispo 'Bishop' Losa (Michael Irby), seems familiar and could be seen as a similar character to Clay from SOA (Ron Perlman); both characters were soldiers, after all.

Not only do SOA character traits appear in the new Mayans characters, but they also actually appear throughout the storyline, and let's admit it, they show up in the most unexpected ways. Especially Happy Lowman (David Labrava), who was brought into the Mayans M.C. story in an unexpected wa. In the spin-off show, we were given a jaw-dropping shock when we found out who murdered EZ's mother; we did not expect to find out it was tied to SOA and see characters from that show appear.

Happy Lowman wasn't the only SOA character to get mentioned in Mayans, and it was nice for fans to hear Jax Teller's name get dropped when the Mayans were discussing a new arrangement for supplying cartels. When they decided that SAMCRO could help by going "under the radar," fans were delighted to see the tie between Mayans and the original show and their relationship continue long after Jax's death (even if it does turn sour). In season two, the way that Mayans M.C. showed its relation to SOA was subtle, clever, and critically acclaimed.

Mayans and SOA Continue into Season Five

Season three of Mayans M.C. brought more drama, was more intense and carried on the tie-ins between Mayans and SOA. Fans were especially surprised to see the return of U.S. Attorney Lincoln "Linc" James Potter from SOA, who is now investigating the Mayans motorcycle gang, as well as Happy Lowman, for the death of EZ's mother. Lincoln's re-appearance, as well as other characters throughout the first few seasons, gave hope to SOA and Mayans MC fans that the Sons of Anarchy will live on throughout the Mayans gang for the rest of the show, and they're not going anywhere, as season four showed.

In season four, the war between the Mayans and SAMCRO brought back SOA, although they never left our hearts, and was a fantastic way to tie Mayans MC to the show it's based on. Luckily for fans, the war continues, and it won't be the last time we see SAMCRO. Co-creator and showrunner Elgin James even commented on the war between the two clubs:

"We start [the season] off with a bang; we come out swinging. There's more action in the first episode than there was in the three earlier seasons. We will take our time and be patient because we also have to reset ourselves emotionally. But once it starts rolling again, there's no stopping it. [The war] is definitely going to take a season, and it may take the rest of these characters a lifetime."

It has been eight years since the final season of SOA, but the creation of Mayans MC has brought life back into the club and its characters, and fans of both shows were surely excited to see it continue. The fifth season of Mayans MC, according to fans, delivered on that wish and in fact highlighted a fresh perspective on the paths of leaders and their similarities no matter how different they might seem on surface level.

Replicating the Reasons, Realizations, and End

The Mayans M.C. series finalewas a direct nod to the SOA finale. While all throughout the series, Jax and EZ's characters have portrayed similar personalities and had a similar journey to face to an extent, the finale of the Mayans M.C. really highlighted those similarities. The final episode of the fifth season showcases in elaborate detail the deep bond EZ and his brother Angel share throughout some powerful sequences. Be it them riding together, free from all the responsibilities of the club, or EZ going out with a bang in hopes of giving his brother and his family a better life. A life away from inherited violence and vengeance, something that Jax was seen doing exactly at the end of his reign in SOA.

His realization that blood only brings more blood and a life of crime would mean that his sons would never be free from that terrible cycle was the push he needed to come clean about his crimes and surrender himself to death. In the finale of Mayans M.C. when EZ's secret identity of being a federal informant comes out, his own chapter brothers stab him to death, which again is similar to the fate Jax himself would have received. However, unlike the SOA leader, he tried to tie up all the loose ends by turning their hideout to the authorities to end everything once and for all.

The show does an amazing job of portraying the parallels between the two leaders and how their motives, though different at first, bring them to the same realizations and, eventually, the same end as the curtain call nears. It brings not only theirs but also both the series' storylines to a full circle. It will be interesting to see which way the respective chapters' stories progress after the dramatic end of the Mayans.

Especially with Kurt Sutter hinting and Theo Rossi almost confirming that there might be more SOA projects that could see the light of day soon, fans are waiting to see if Jax's sons do eventually return to take up their father's helm by some twist of fate.