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2 • September 2 - 8, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By Joy Doonan TV Media F ans of the wildly popular FX pro- duction "Sons of Anarchy," which premiered in 2008, have deeply felt the show's absence since it ended in 2015. It was one of the network's most successful series to date, pull- ing fans in with its gritty premise — it followed the internal politics of an arms-dealing biker gang in the fic- tional town of Charming, California — and making them stay with its surprisingly enduring human sto- ries. Now, the show's much- anticipated spinoff, "Ma- yans M.C. ," will revive this rich fictional world when it premieres Tuesday, Sept. 4, on FX. The new series, fea- turing a fresh batch of characters, exists with- in the same universe as its predecessor but tells a completely new and independent sto- ry, creator Kurt Sutter revealed at a Televi- sion Critics Association press tour. Fans who are hungry for a crossover won't be disappointed, however, as Sutter also revealed there will be cameos from familiar faces and flashbacks that clearly establish the two mythologies as part of the same world. Notably, Emilio Rivera, who plays Marcus Alvarez, leader of a rival gang to the titular Sons of Anarchy, will be a recurring presence in "Mayans M.C ." In an interview with Entertain- ment Tonight at Comic Con 2018, "Mayans" cast members agreed that Rivera's character "is the glue that cements the Sons of Anarchy with the Mayans." Adding to the fanfare, Sut- ter also teased that the premiere of "Mayans M.C." would feature an ap- pearance from "Sons of Anarchy" character Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal, "Married… with Chil- dren"), whose reputation as a ruth- less gang matriarch made her both a loved and hated fan favorite. Sarah Bolger ("The Tudors") is a new face, infusing the plot with some scintillating drama as the high-profile wife of a cartel boss, as well as a love interest to protagonist Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes (JD Pardo, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2," 2012). As the series opens, EZ, a young Chi- cano man, is a new prospect look- ing to join the Mayans Motorcycle Club. Flashbacks reveal that he was once a successful student looking for- ward to a promising future, but his vi- sion for the road ahead was torn away from him by cartel violence on the California-Mexico border. Having lost his former potential, he now seeks revenge, redemption and the respect of his childhood sweetheart, Emily (Bolger), by way of becoming a full-fledged Mayan, smuggling heroin for the Galdino cartel from the cover of his family's butcher shop business. EZ faces the pressure of family legacy to boot, as his older brother is already a prized member of the Mayans at the show's outset. The "Sons of Anarchy" storyline ended with the death of Jax Teller, the Sons' leader whose character arch was defined by his gradual de- scent into ruthless violence and loss of a moral compass. While this plot has been laid to rest, EZ's beginnings as a naive young man on the brink of darkness gives fans a fresh context to invest in the same themes of re- demption and loss of humanity that they loved in the original series. In the season 1 trailer recently re- leased by FX, EZ's father, Felipe Reyes (Edward James Olmos, "Battlestar Gallactica"), is seen in the butcher shop, bathed in shadow and remov- ing a gun from its case. "You're in this now, son," he then says to EZ, "there's no getting out." Viewers can expect Pardo to take on this chal- lenge with the same fervor as his ea- ger-to-please character. On a Comic Con panel, he regaled the audience with how he convinced Sutter to cast him for the lead role by pitching his passion. "How about you give me 45 minutes, I'll go outside, I'll memorize these lines and just kick some [butt]," he recalled telling Sutter, according to CinemaBlend. In an interview with Deadline, Sutter also explained that the new mythology and characters provide an important opportunity for "Ma- yans M.C." to exist in a context of political relevance. "Trump's been elected and all this stuff with the border is going on," he said. "There are these [...] vigilante groups on this side that have felt empowered to go hunting immigrants jumping the wall. So we have a whole episode about this group of [...] yahoos that are going out and picking people off hopping the fence." He also noted that, as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the current racial crises at the border, the message that characters are seen stamping on packages of smuggled heroin translates to "tiny hands." With this in mind, viewers can be sure to expect that "Mayans M.C." will step up to the challenge of not just reproducing the testosterone-fu- eled action of its predecessor, but also grappling with more complex and hard-hitting undertones. While "Sons of Anarchy" is a thing of the past, show creators have expanded the fictional universe, giv- ing fans a fresh perspective to ex- plore. The cast of the new "Sons" spinoff, "Mayans M.C." is pumped to delve into the action and intrigue of the new story. Watch the premiere episode when it airs Tuesday, Sept. 4, on FX. Driving into the action: 'Sons of Anarchy' universe revived with new spinoff Cover Story this week Sarah Bolger stars in "Mayans M.C." Conan An Arizona mom was arrested after her toddler ate mac and cheese laced with marijuana. The Arizona mom was charged with impersonating a Florida mom. The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Tomorrow night is the premiere of an all-new season of "Bachelor in Paradise." If you meet someone on "Bachelor in Paradise," it's the only situation where you lie and tell people you met on Tinder. I saw that the Amazon Echo will now notify you when it learns the answers to your old questions. Which backfires when you have friends over and Alexa says, "To answer your question: Cialis IS covered by insurance." The Late Late Show With James Corden Donald Trump's back on the campaign trail, and according to a new article, the president records his rallies on his DVR and watches them afterwards to enjoy the, quote, "evidence of his brilliance." Evidence of Trump being brilliant — at this point, that's pretty much the only evidence the FBI doesn't have on Trump. Jimmy Kimmel Live Can you feel the dragon energy in the air? Kanye West is here tonight. We have many subjects to discuss. We could do two hours on Twitter alone. Late Night With Seth Meyers A new poll has found that a majority of Americans say that driverless cars will have a big impact on the elderly. Specifically, if they don't cross the street fast enough. Late Laughs 001767455r1 Match of the Month For more information about Kinship Partners, please call (218)-829-4606 or visit our website at www.kinshippartners.org Be a Friend. Be a Mentor. Photography donated by Mike Aulie at Sothers Studio Why not start your own friendship journey? Madison and Memphis have faced some struggles in their young lives but they were fortunate enough to have been taken in by their grandparents. Madison, 9 and Memphis, who is 7 have been blessed to have wonderful grandparents who have provided love and support at a very important time in their lives. However, when their grandfather became ill it became clear that additional support would be welcome and Kinship Partners was able to provide mentors for the siblings. Bruce and Pam Cunningham saw the need and decided they would each become a mentor. 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