The Santo Padre Charter is changed forever, and it's clear that they're pretty much holding on for dear life at this stage.

Mayans M.C. Season 4 Episode 1 kicked off in the aftermath of Mayans M.C. Season 3 Episode 10. And it was a beautifully directed, written, and acted hour that highlighted how far these characters are willing to go to save one another.

The entire hour was intense, with people being killed off left, right, and center and the desire from the people inside the building to survive was admirable.

It truly was a life or death scenario, but it was apparent our favorite characters were outnumbered.

The other charters needed someone to pay for the crimes, and quite frankly, the Santo Padre Charter needed to be taken down a few pegs after recent developments.

EZ offering up his life to save Angel, Nails, Bishop, and the others put all of EZ's best traits on full display.

He wanted the bloodshed to end with him, but in this cutthroat world of an eye for an eye, why would Canche accept such a deal?

Allowing EZ to save everyone before dying would have made him a hero in the eyes of the people in his club.

That wasn't enough for Canche, who very nearly died, along with his son and the other members of the Yuma charter.

Watching the episode, it was evident there was no way our characters would make it out of this situation without some dire consequences.

I won't soon forget the terror on EZ's face when he thought Angel had been executed.

JD Pardo turns in a nuanced performance every single episode, and the first chapter of Mayans M.C. Season 4 was no different.

From a technical standpoint, the visuals of the other charters closing in on the Santo Padre land were visually stunning.

The stakes were high. I mean, I even entertained the possibility that EZ would have been killed, only for the others to try to bounce back in the aftermath.

If you watch Mayans M.C. online, you know the series likes to take significant risks, and killing off its lead would have changed the fabric of the series for good.

Marcus popping up to save the day was something that didn't seem possible, but there had to be a way to allow several members of the charter to survive to fight another day.

Marcus knew he got there in the nick of time, and despite his want to leave the gang life behind, he's being pulled back in.

The four-month time jump at the top of Mayans M.C. Season 4 Episode 2 felt like a bit of a copout to bypass all of the fighting, but by the end of the hour, it was clear the time jump was a way to put all of the characters in very different situations.

Coco's return has been in the works for a while, and honestly, I figured he would die before the Mayans would accept his return.

He essentially left them high and dry, burned many bridges, and thought he could return when they least expected it.

The good thing about his return is that the series will showcase recovery as he and his girlfriend get acclimated to a more domesticated lifestyle away from the mountain.

Understandably, Hope is struggling to fit back into society after spending so much time away on the mountain. Still, at least she and Coco have each other during such a turbulent time.

Leticia is going through her troubled teen phase, which isn't surprising, considering her upbringing.

It's hard to imagine Coco and Hope being much of a parental unit to Leticia, but it looks like Hope is taking an interest in her life.

There are only so many times Leticia will bite back at Hope before opening up about why she's struggling.

Angel deleting the photo of his and Adelita's baby was a surprise, but maybe he's conceded that he should be putting all of his focus on Nails and their child.

Angel continues to hold a torch for Adelita, but their relationship has been marred by different sides pulling them apart at every turn.

I believe Adelita will return, and if she returns with their child, there will be some things they will have to work out.

The series seems intent on driving them apart, but my theory is that Nails will be the one left upset in the end.

Nails is a decent character, but the series doesn't give her enough material to connect with her. I truly felt for her when she refused to let Angel go outside.

She knew it would be a death sentence, and she didn't want her child to grow up without a father.

EZ adopting a dog from the pound was a random development, but clearly, he's working on himself after almost dying.

He's still haunted by his time in prison and his actions as a part of the Mayans, particularly detonating the bomb at the Yuma charter.

Emily's waitressing job took me by surprise. She's been deeply immersed in politics thanks to her husband, but she needs to reset after the events of Mayans M.C. Season 3.

How do you bounce back after knowing your significant other tried to murder you? Gaby's absence during the premiere episodes might suggest that Emily and EZ will find their way back to one another.

Then again, Miguel will not take kindly to the way things panned out, and if he returns, well, everyone should be worried.

The Mayans want to believe he's gone, but there has to be more.

Sons of Anarchy's involvement seemed frivolous at first, but my jaw hit the floor the moment someone handed over the jacket.

The storytelling was on top form, and the writers did a great job of cleverly executing this revelation that has officially lit the fuse on the war between the Mayans and the Sons of Anarchy.

The bigger question will be whether all of the Mayans' charters will work together or if they will continue to splinter after everything that's happened.

What are your thoughts on EZ's survival?

Do you think Angel wants to be with Adelita?

What do you think will happen in the war between the Mayans and the Sons of Anarchy?

Hit the comments.

Catch a new episode of Mayans M.C. Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.