If you’re a fan of “Mayans M.C.,” you’re well aware of the work of actor JD Pardo. As EZ Reyes, the lead in ‘Mayans,’ Pardo has imbued his character with complicated emotions, so many different layers, and a charisma that has made this series one of the best on TV. Now, as the series rides off into the sunset, Pardo is able to add a new dimension to his work on ‘Mayans’—as a director. And in this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, JD Pardo talks about the final season and how he was able to make his directorial debut with Episode 4.
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Of course, as with all of the episodes of Templo Talk, we start with a breakdown of the latest episode of ‘Mayans,’ which sees the aforementioned EZ continue to fight a war and put out fires that all seem to be closing in on him. We also get some of the small character moments that ‘Mayans’ is known for, as we get to know Bottles (Alex Barone) and his new amigo, Elio (Luis Fernandez-Gil), more. And then there’s a beautiful scene with Hank (Frankie Loyal), which once again tugs at the heartstrings.
Then, in the interview with Pardo, we dive deep into the behind-the-scenes work that went into directing an episode while also being the lead actor. We start by talking about how he came to direct an episode and if this was always in the cards.
“Elgin [James] asked me in Season 3 if I wanted to direct and I said, ‘Yes, I do, in fact,’” Pardo explained. “I told him a little about what I was thinking about for the future for myself, and he was like, ‘Done. You’re going to direct. Let’s find it in Season 4. Let’s find an episode.’ And I was like, ‘No, no, no, no, no. Now that I know that you want me to direct an episode of “Mayans,” let me do Season 5 and I’ll spend Season 4 really watching, shadowing everything and everybody so I can hit the ground running.’”
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When the conversation turns more towards the content of Season 5, Pardo talks about the dark path EZ is going down and if there’s redemption in the future.
“Whether I think there’s anything redeemable [about EZ], that’s for the audience to decide. I think they know EZ’s heart,” he said. “For me, as an actor, when I think about a character like this, about whether or not there’s good in him, I think those waters are so muddy now. The truth is this—good people do bad things and bad people do good things, at times. It’s so gray.”
“Mayans M.C.” debuts new episodes every Wednesday on FX, with those episodes debuting on Hulu the next day. You can hear our full discussion below:

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