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The Mayans Motorcycle Club has a couple different chapters in the Sons of Anarchy universe, and while the show could've had Mayans M.C. centered in Charming or one of the other locations of the original show, co-creator Kurt Sutter instead opted for a bulk of the series to center on the area at the California and Mexico border. Sutter explained the decision was mainly made to avoid too much interference with the Sons of Anarchy mythos, so that the show's mythology could rest as easy as Jax Teller:
I like just leaving that mythology where it is and the way it ended, especially with our primary characters. So that any decisions people have made about how it continued or what happened next; I really want that to sort of live in their imagination.
Kurt Sutter once again made his stance known that Mayans M.C. isn't going to be a Sons of Anarchy sequel series, and that's due to him wanting to protect the story of the original series. Sutter knows not every Sons of Anarchy fan will accept that reason, and instead think Mayans M.C.'s location was chosen to reference the current political climate in America. Sutter assured to fans and Variety the premise of the series was laid out years before any political agendas, but that the show will need to address some of current politics to accurately depict life on the border. Sutter indicated to do anything less wouldn't be authentic to the culture and people represented in Mayans M.C., which is a major goal of the series.
Authenticity in storytelling is something Edward James Olmos is concerned with as well, as he stressed the story of Mayans M.C. will do more than introduce a story from a Latin perspective. Olmos said viewers can expect to see more of the inner-workings of outlaw biker gangs, and how these members form a unique bond throughout their various adventures and exploits:
It allows you to experience the subculture within the culture. It's like giving water to someone in the middle of the desert. I don't care how dark it is, people are going to be very grateful to see their own cultures going through storytelling.
Bonding through criminal operations is something the Mayans M.C. cast knows a little something about, as Kurt Sutter boasted some members of the cast have more "jail time than screen time" on their resumes. Edward James Olmos, who had his own brief run-in with the law in the past, appreciates the added authenticity and thinks the series will benefit from allowing people who lived similar circumstances the chance to tell their perspective in the story.
Mayans M.C. premieres on FX Tuesday, September 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET. For a look at all the shows coming to television this fall season, be sure to visit our fall premiere guide.