'Mayans M.C.': JD Pardo to Direct Seas 5's Fourth Episode

Nov 19, 2023

By McKinley Franklin

editor

JD Pardo is set to make his directorial debut with the upcoming Season 5 of FX's gritty biker drama "Mayans M.C.," Variety can exclusively reveal.

Pardo has starred in "Mayans M.C." since its premiere in 2018. For the fifth and final season of the series, Pardo will make his directorial debut during the show's fourth episode, which will air on Wednesday, June 7.

Episode 4, entitled "I See the Black Light," teases that "after a fatal error, the Mayans navigate the dangers of their new trade, forcing an unlikely alliance." Meredith Danluck wrote the episode. Elgin James and Kurt Sutter are executive producers and creators.

"Directing has been a place, I feel, I was always destined to go," Pardo said. "Elgin and I would speak about it often. I absolutely loved getting behind camera and understanding the relationship between the performance as an actor in the scene and the visual image needed to convey that life to the audience. In my last season of ‘Mayans,’ it's all about entertaining the audience by giving them an emotional experience. Directing [this episode] deepened my love for cinema."

"Mayans M.C." follows the life of Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes (played by Pardo), president of the Mayans M.C. charter on the California/Mexico border. Clayton Cardenas, Edward James Olmos, JR Bourne, Danny Pino, Carla Baratta, Michael Irby, Emilio Rivera, Sarah Bolger, Frankie Loyal, Joseph Lucero, Vincent Vargas, Gino Vento, Emily Tosta and Vanessa Giselle also star.

Season 5 of "Mayans M.C." will premiere on May 24 at 10 p.m. ET on FX with two new episodes, available to stream the next day on Hulu. The 10-episode season comes from 20th Television and FX Productions.