**Note: The interviews heard in this episode of Templo Talk were recorded before the beginning of the SAG strike.**
After five years and 50 episodes, it’s time to officially say goodbye to FX’s “Mayans M.C.” All throughout the final season, Templo Talk has covered the cheer-worthy moments, the heartbreaking deaths, and everything in between. And now, as we watch ‘Mayans’ ride off into the sunset, we are joined by Clayton Cardenas—and a special surprise guest!—to talk about the devastating end to one of the best shows on TV, period. 
Holy shit, “Mayans M.C.” ends on a bang, huh?
LISTEN: Sarah Bolger Talks The Approaching End Of ‘Mayans,’ The Show’s Feminine Energy & Never Riding A Motorcycle [Templo Talk]
There is plenty to discuss with this week’s series finale, titled “Slow to Bleed Fair Son,” as we finally get to know how every story comes to an end. And unfortunately for many characters, that end is bloody and filled with tragedy. Thankfully, we have Clayton Cardenas, who plays Angel Reyes, to talk about his thoughts regarding the finale.
Specifically, Cardenas talked about the emotional scene at the end of the series where we see Angel forced to stab his brother, EZ (JD Pardo), in front of the rest of the club or else face death himself. According to Cardenas, that was an incredibly emotional day on set.
“That was a tough day. That was a tough scene to shoot,” he explained. “On the day, I remember—even before we started rolling—people were in tears. Me, I was in tears the most. I was on the ground crying. That was a really tough moment. I think, in that moment, it finally hit everyone like, ‘Oh, this is over. This isn’t happening again. There’s no coming back tomorrow. This is it. I might not see some of these guys ever again.’”
LISTEN: Vincent Vargas Talks ‘Mayans’ Season 5, Becoming A Writer, Shedding Light On Veteran Issues & More [Templo Talk]
The scene is helped by the fact that audiences have witnessed the relationship grow between Angel and his younger brother, EZ. And that’s a relationship that serves as the cornerstone for the series. It’s a relationship, as Cardenas pointed out, that has to be believable and genuine for ‘Mayans’ to succeed as a series.
“Early on, me and [Pardo] knew this relationship has to work. Whether it’s going to be begrudgingly or willingly, this relationship, for this show to work, this has to work,” Cardenas said. “Over time, I think we both realized we’re actually more similar than not. So, that relationship has grown over time, and it’s a real brotherhood now.”
And since the series finale is an extra-long episode, we thought it was fitting to pull out all of the stops for the podcast. So, we discuss every aspect of the finale with a surprise guest, and then there’s the full interview with Cardenas. You can listen below:
Templo Talk is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes The Playlist Podcast, Bingeworthy, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, and The Discourse. We can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the Spotify embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast and our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.