Violent ‘Mayans’ follows ‘Sons’ tradition
FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff/ sequel series “Mayans M.C.” (10 p.m. Tuesday) is pretty much what “Sons” viewers have come to expect: Terrific, character-driven, soapy stories with all the associated violence and over-the-top brutality that attends the story of a motorcycle gang.
Co-created by Elgin James (“Lowriders”) and “Sons” showrunner Kurt Sutter, “Mayans” picks up four years after the events of “Sons” — there is one particularly notable cameo by a “Sons” regular in a flashback scene — and tracks a Latino motorcycle club in fictional Santo Pedro near the U.S.-Mexican border.
Once again, viewers’ entry into the world is a character who is more soulful, wise and intelligent than the average bikers in the gang. But instead of an insider, as Jax Teller was on “Sons,” EZ Reyes (JD Pardo) is an outsider who somehow got pulled into this life.
Flashbacks show him as a preppy college student visiting his high school girlfriend (Sarah Bolger). But somewhere along the way he took a wrong turn and went to prison.
Now he’s a prospect for the M.C. when he’s not meeting with a DEA agent at the butcher shop run by his father (Edward James Olmos, “Battlestar Galactica”). EZ apparently cut a deal with the feds that got him out of prison in exchange for intel on the cartel the M.C. does business with.
The cartel is led by Miguel Galindo (Danny Pino, “Cold Case”), a ruthless businessman who suffers no fools when a Samoan gang disrupts his flow of drugs. Galindo is also dogged by a Mexican group — led by a woman resistance fighter — that wants to shut him down.
“Mayans” is different enough from “Sons,” but also feels of a piece with the original series.
It is also as profane — at least three F-bombs in the series premiere, which runs more than an hour — and as brutally violent as “Sons.” The first two episodes feature graphic scenes of torture and multiple murders including the killing of a child (that one, at least, is shown off-screen).
And while the desire to paint a believable portrait of M.C. life is understandable, the violence in “Mayans” is almost too realistic. At least with “Westworld” viewers can tell themselves it’s sci-fi and robots; that’s not the case in this FX show.
While the character drama is compelling and often well-acted, the viciousness of this world proves a barrier to entry some viewers will understandably choose not to cross.
Fall daytime TV
The fall 2018 syndication scene is marked by a dearth of big debuts.
WPXI-TV picks up “The Wendy Williams Show” from WPNT-TV, slotting it at 11 a.m. on Channel 11 beginning Sept. 10. “Rachael Ray” moves to 2 p.m. on WPXI.
“The Doctors” shifts to 4 p.m. weekdays on WPGH-TV beginning Sept. 10.
On Sept. 10, Channel 53 adds “Pickler and Ben” (2 p.m. weekdays), a chat show originating from Nashville hosted by Kellie
Pickler and Ben Aaron.
WPNT adds “black-ish” reruns at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and “The Goldbergs” at 10 p.m. on Sept. 17. “Chicago P.D.” reruns join WPNT at 2 and 11 p.m. weekdays starting Sept. 24.
On Sept. 10 Channel 22 adds “True Crime Files,” which pulls shows from the Investigation Discovery library of true crime programming, at 4 a.m. weekdays. Sept. 17 brings the addition of “Live PD – Police Patrol” (3 and 3:30 p.m.), reruns of the A&E series, to Channel 22. WPNT adds “Caught in Providence” (11 and 11:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 24), a court show starring a Rhode Island judge whose compassion and humor in the courtroom have made him a viral video sensation.
Earlier this summer ABC canceled “The Chew” and will replace it with another hour of “Good Morning America,” “GMA Day,” airing at 1 p.m. weekdays on WTAE-TV. Channel 4 also will add episodes of Canadian import “Saving Hope” at 11:35 p.m. Saturdays in early October.
Theweekend of Sept. 15 will see reruns of “NCIS: New Orleans” (7 p.m. Saturday on WPCW-TV; 12:05 a.m. Sunday on KDKA-TV) and “Madam Secretary” (11 p.m. Saturday on WPCW; 1:05 a.m. Sunday on KDKA-TV) come to the localCBS-owned stations.
Weekdays at 4 and 4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 10 WPCW will add “Face the Truth,” a conflict resolution talk show hosted by actress Vivica A. Fox. Guests get advice on their problems from a panel of experts and the studio audience votes on which party in a conflict is at fault. Sounds healthy!
‘This Is Us’ films in Philly
This week, Philly.com reported that the partially Pittsburgh-set NBC drama “This Is Us” filmed scenes in Philadelphia last weekend — a potential blow to the pride of Pittsburghers who claim the seriesas their own.
But the details should allay such fears. The scenes featured Kevin (Justin Hartley) and new girlfriend Zoe (new series regular Melanie Liburd) in the present. Remember, the Pittsburgh scenes are all of the Pearson family in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
In addition, the scenes were shot with public radio’s “Fresh Air” host Terry Gross. Kevin is a movie star, so it makes sense he would be interviewed on “Fresh Air” wherever the studio was located — it just happens to be in Philly.
Plans to shoot period scenes in Pittsburgh have been discussed by the show’s producers previously, but so far nothing has come of those conversations.
In advance of the third season premiere (9 p.m. Sept. 25), NBC will air “The Paley Center Salutes ‘This Is Us’” (10 p.m. Sept. 18), a onehour highlights show and look behind the scenes at how the series is made.
Channel surfing
WTAE’s “Chronicle” explores “Pittsburgh Outdoors” at 10 p.m. Sept. 12. … Abby Huntsman, formerly of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” will join ABC’s “The View” for season 22, which begins Tuesday.
Tuned In online
Today’s TV Q&A column responds to questions about “Atypical,” “Reno 911” and “Hometown High Q.” This week’s Tuned In Journal includes a review of “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” on Amazon Prime Video. Read onlineonly TV content at http:// communityvoices.post-gazette.