From “Ozark” co-creatorBill DubuquePeacock’s latest crime drama“M.I.A.,” is a wild and bloody ride focusing on familyvengeance and having the courage to do what’s right. Set in South Floridathe series follows Etta Tiger Jonze (Shannon Gisela)who finds herself reeling in the aftermath of a tragedy. Determined to make those responsible pay for her painEtta ends up in Miamiintent on taking down the people responsibleone by one. A vastbloody narrative full of secrets and betrayalsthere is a lot happening in “M.I.A.” Though it doesn’t always snap together perfectly — as engaging as the series isit’s also thoroughly preposterous — the show will definitely keep audiences tethered to their screens.
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“M.I.A.” opens in the Florida Keys at the Tiger Jonze marina. Etta’s parents are pushing her to finally attend collegebut the fiery 21-year-old has plans of her own. An adrenaline junkie with lofty goalsEtta feels stifled and underutilized as the tour guide in her family’s boating business. Insteadshe covets her brothers’ rolesworking alongside their dad to run drugs for a major cartel. Etta swears she’s ready to live life on the edge. Howeverafter a typical drug run ends in chaos and a spray of bulletsshe realizes she truly has no idea what her family was dealing with.
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Full of guilt and desperate to make those who hurt her loved ones payEtta sets out for Miami in search of her estranged aunt and a path forward. What she doesn’t expect is to find a safe haven and a dear friend in Lovely (Brittany Adebumola)a Haitian immigrant seeking her own fresh startand her cousin Stanley (Dylan Jackson)who is guided by loyalty.
The nine-episode first season is completely entertainingand works because of its intriguing characters. Etta’s rage is understandablebut her youthful ignorance and compulsive behavior continue to land her in tough spotsfrustrating viewers and harming not only herself but also the people closest to herincluding Lovely and Stanley. In addition to Lovelywho truly is an angel on Earthand the kind-heartedneurodivergent Stanleythis world has an eclectic group of people. Ellais (Alberto Guerra) is a cartel consigliere struggling to adapt to a new regime. Carmen (Danay Garcia)Etta’s auntis hesitant to open her home and heart to old wounds. Maribel (Selenis Leyva) is the plastic surgeon who unwittingly becomes a part of Etta’s clean-up crewand thenof coursethere is Lena (Tovah Feldshuh)the motel owner who knows a thing or two about revenge. When the plot begins to go off the railsleaning into the absurdit’s the characters in this gritty and glittering depiction of Miami that keep the series afloat.
From the varied menacing cartels to the revelations regarding the fallout between Etta’s mother and her auntthe twists and turns in the show are endless. In fact“M.I.A.” begins to feel more like a rogue superhero telenovela than a serious crime drama. In Episode 5“Fault Lines,” Etta and Lovely are forced to fight for their livesand what should be an adrenaline-filledviolent sequence becomes a hyper-dramatic horror show. It’s far from the first or last over-the-top scene that will undoubtedly force audiences to suspend a high level of disbelief in order to immerse themselves in this world.
Due to the size of the castthe time jumpsand the varied storylinesthe series loses a bit of steam in its pacing. Dubuque spends a great deal of time painstakingly explaining Etta’s family dynamics. This takes the totality of “M.I.A.’s” opener“Revenge,” as well as Episode 6: “Original Sin,” which flashes back to 25 years ago and takes nearly an hour to address a plot point that could have been handled in just a few scenes.
When it’s all said and donethe series manages to tie all of its varied threads together. From shootouts to knife fights and burningsthe series is a buffet of violence and intense thrills. Moreoverwith a frustrating yet tenacious female protagonist at the centerthe show may undoubtedly get even larger and more outrageouswhich might be the very thing keeping viewers tuned in.
“M.I.A.” is now streaming on Peacock. The show’s pilot episode will air on NBC on ThursdayMay 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.