‘Mayans M.C.’s Final Season Is Setting Up This Heartbreaking Ending

May 06, 2023

The emphasis on this character makes it seem unlikely that anything good will come out of it.

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Mayans M.C. Season 5.If there is one thing we have learned in the world of Mayans M.C. and its preceding series Sons of Anarchy, happy endings are nothing more than a pipe dream. That's why what we’re seeing play out with Angel (Clayton Cardenas) is starting to feel too good to be true. Over the first few episodes of the final season, it's clear that Angel's tune has changed as a result of becoming a first-time father. His perspective on his life and humanity has shifted now that he has someone to provide for and to inspire. Seeing him converse with Bishop (Michael Irby) about moving on from this life was a touching moment in the season's third episode, but it's one that also comes with some serious risk — not just for Angel, but for those of us watching who want him to prosper in his new life. What we're seeing taking place with Angel could be Mayans M.C. setting us up for something heartbreaking as we progress through this final chapter.

Related: EZ Reyes Prepares for One Last Ride in New 'Mayans M.C.' Season 5 Trailer

When it comes to being a member in the club, it's not as easy as turning in your jacket and walking away from the life. Once you're in, you're pretty locked into the commitment. While all of this uncertainty is going on with Angel, the show is cleverly showing us what it looks like for someone who does in fact move on from the club. Marcus Alvarez (Emilio Rivera) was voted out of his role as president at the end of Season 4, so now we're seeing him completely removed from the club in Season 5. Ironically, he has a pretty good home life with his wife and his two children. Yet, unlike Angel, he wasn't ready to leave, so we’re seeing him struggle to fully detach from his former life and more than likely being pulled back into that world as the ongoing war between Mayans and Sons wages on.

What this storyline with Alvarez reveals is that it's almost impossible to ever have that ideal life again. Even if Angel is somehow able to work a clean break from the club, it's going to be hard for him to actually remove himself from that life with all that he has done. Making matters even more complicated is that his brother Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes (JD Pardo) is currently running the club and is so hellbent on winning this war that family is becoming a distant memory for him. For Angel, getting out from this world seems too big of an ask, which makes all of this time that we're seeing him consider this option seem too good to be true. While we're all rooting for Angel to have that life away from the motorcycle club and be a full-time father to his son, Maverick, Mayans M.C. probably has something different in mind for him.

There's been nothing but tragic endings and death when it comes to the past few seasons of Mayans and going back to Sons of Anarchy before that. Whether Angel meets his maker or not remains to be seen, but the ending for his character is likely being set up right before our eyes. There are a few separate things going on that all could tie back to Angel's story — the most notable one being the mystery person who burned the club's warehouse circle along with all of its assets at the end of Season 4. Whoever did that, if discovered, will not make it out alive. There's also the new issue of the "rat" that we hear Creeper (Joseph Lucero) inform Hank (Frankie Loyal) of at the end of the third episode. We know EZ has exchanged information in the past, so that could be who Creeper is referring to — or is it someone else? Either way, these two mysteries will ultimately be solved one way or another this season, and it's very possible that Angel (right or wrong) could be pinned for either one.

Why would Angel be set up? The answer lies in his current character arc. Going back to the "there are no happy endings" idea, Angel's story is being focused on for a reason. The line he's attempting to walk isn't sustainable (for example, not turning in the chef when he found him hiding because of his new moral compass). There was a look from EZ in that moment when you could tell he was catching on to his brother's change of heart. With Angel's desire for something more starting to become clearer for everyone to see, this would make it really easy for other members of the club to pin these transgressions on him. If he's labeled a rat or a traitor for burning down the warehouse that possessed their financial arsenal, there's no coming back for him.

It's also becoming more difficult to see an ending for Angel that sees him living happily ever after with Abelita (Carla Baratta) and Maverick. There could be a scenario where EZ's single-minded focus on winning this war against the Sons becomes too much for the other members of the club, and if it is revealed that his past interactions with law enforcement are what Hank learned of as "the rat," then Angel may be able to come out of this alive. There's been a few moments where EZ's plan isn't fully supported, so if everyone finds out that he was once a "rat" then all of his support goes out the window. All of these scenarios should make for a powerful and explosive conclusion to this series. Where that leaves Angel at the end of this is one of the bigger questions we’ll be following as we desperately pull for at least one happy ending in a world that is otherwise unforgiving to its characters.

Mayans M.C. Season 5 airs every Wednesday night on FX.

A New Jersey native, Kyle originally focused his writing in the world of sports with his work being featured across outlets like Sports Illustrated, The Philadelphia Inquirer and NBC Sports. After realizing that the world of entertainment, specifically television, was an area of interest for him, he took on a position at Pop Culture for a few years before settling in at Collider.