Over the years, Kurt Sutter has created a number of projects for FX. Most notably among them are Sons of Anarchy and its spin-off series Mayans M.C. Both series navigate the dangerous situations the motorcycle clubs find themselves involved in. Each of the Sutter-created series has a knack for introducing morally complex characters; in both series, Sutter incorporates an expansive list of memorable and meaningful characters that are impossible to root for at times.
Naturally, Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. are wach led by one character who offers fresh insight into the complicated world each man finds themselves in. For Mayans M.C., it is EZ Reyes (J.D. Pardo), where Sons of Anarchy has Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam). Within their complicated worlds, both EZ and Jax find themselves questioning their morals. EZ and Jax are both extremely flawed characters, but does one make a more convincing protagonist than the other?
As the main characters of their respective programs, EZ and Jax share a number of qualities. Both men have dark family pasts that make certain interactions with their motorcycle clubs (M.C.s) difficult. The death of EZ's mother looms over him, as do the decisions he made following her death. Jax's father was also killed, and his memory guides Jax throughout Sons of Anarchy. EZ's relationships with his brother Angel (Clayton Cardenas) and father Felipe (Edward James Olmos) fluctuate, as do Jax's relationships with his mother Gemma (Katey Sagal) and Club President turned step-father Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman). Their romantic relationships run additional interference with their M.C.s. Jax deals with Wendy (Drea de Matteo) and Tara (Maggie Siff), while EZ struggles to move on from his relationship with Emily (Sarah Bolger), who is now married to the leader of the cartel the Mayans work for.
With their similar backgrounds, EZ and Jax embark on similar journeys in Mayans M.C. and Sons of Anarchy. When viewers meet Jax, he is already serving as the Vice President of SAMCRO. There isn't much further he can go, but Jax's club ranking shifts throughout the series. For a short while, he becomes a nomad and eventually, rises to become SAMCRO's President. EZ has a steadier path, as Mayans M.C. begins with EZ as a prospect. He slowly rises through the ranks, eventually becoming Vice President. By the time season 4 draws to a close, EZ has seized the presidency from Marcus Álvarez (Emilio Rivera) and Bishop (Michael Irby).
Despite their similarities, EZ and Jax interact with their environments in extremely different ways. Jax spends the entirety of Sons of Anarchy trying to move the Sons into a better form of business. Per his father's manifesto, Jax makes several attempts to get the club out of guns and tries to legitimize them. Jax is far from a perfect character and makes several mistakes throughout the series. Most of Jax's mistakes were within his personal life, not the club. As a ranking member of the club, Jax partakes in a number of illegal ventures, but never tried to fuel a killer instinct of his own accord. The closest he came was after his son had been kidnaped, as he became blinded by rage.
EZ takes a slightly different path. Early on, Mayans M.C. draws attention to EZ's gifted mindset. His promising future took a turn after EZ mistakenly killed a cop for the death of his mother. At first, it seems EZ's boy scout nature is still intact, as he is supposed to serve as an informant on the Mayans. EZ tries to resist the violence, but quickly becomes swept up in it to earn their trust. When he has the opportunity to leave the Mayans, he doesn't take it, and begins making decisions that are detrimental to his moral integrity. In season 4, EZ kills an innocent in one of the most shocking scenes of the series. That scene marks a notable shift in EZ's character where even Angel fails to recognize the man standing across from him.
At the start of Mayans M.C. it is a lot easier to root for EZ than it was to initially support Jax in Sons of Anarchy. EZ's clear hesitancy to become too tangled in the Mayans' web is commendable. However, EZ's behavior as the series goes on becomes so impulsive that it's difficult to agree with. Jax doesn't experience as drastic a shift in his character, but he certainly undergoes his own dark period. Having seen how Jax's story wraps up and the evolution of how he arrives at his final decisions, Jax is a much more morally sound protagonist to root for.
With Mayans M.C.'s renewal for a fifth season, EZ's story is far from over. EZ is currently entering a dangerous reign over the club, wanting to wage war against the Sons. EZ's undeniable anger matches the attitude Jax had following Tara's death in season 6. EZ's arrogance in the leadership role underestimates the bonds some of the other Mayans have with one another. Jax was a man that could admit and own his mistakes and right now, EZ doesn't seem to be in the headspace to do so.
Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. are now streaming on Hulu.