Exploring the Origins and Ambitions of M.I.A. – A Deep Dive into Its Narrative and Production Insights
By Published May 7, 2026, 1:26 PM EDT Grant Hermanns is a TV News Editor, Interview Host and Reviewer for ScreenRant, having joined the team in early 2026. He got his start in the industry with Moviepilot, followed by working at ComingSoon.net. When not indulging in his love of film/TV, Grant is making his way through his gaming backlog and exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
is back in the world of crime thrillers with Peacock's , though he doesn't see it as a spiritual sequel to his Netflix hit.
Co-created by Dubuque and , the new series centers on Etta Tiger Jonze, a young woman in South Florida whose family run a boating and boat tour business, while also covertly working as drug smugglers for a local cartel. When a job goes wrong and results in the death of her whole family, Etta begins a quest for revenge against those responsible, while also aiming to climb her way up the criminal underworld.
Ahead of its premiere, ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns interviewed Bill Dubuque and Karen Campbell to discuss M.I.A.. When asked about the show's inception and viewing it as an Ozark spiritual sequel, the co-creator of both laughed as he admitted that "I wish I'd thought of that" and "had talked to you before we started this press junket," feeling that kind of "extension" of his Netflix hit would "make me look smarter than I am."
Instead, Dubuque explained that he didn't view M.I.A. as an Ozark spiritual sequel, with his goal going into its development instead being to "create a character and start that character at the lowest possible rung," referring to Etta's start as trying to be part of her family's alternate business and bouncing back from their deaths. He further teased that future seasons of the show will see her grow as "a power broker in that area":
Bill Dubuque: But [I wanted to] take away everything, take away their family, money, identity, wound them, and then say, "Get going on a revenge story." And to just do it with someone that could use their brains rather than your usual, stereotypical ex-Special Forces [character] or gun nut. So that's kind of where it was, but I like your idea better. I think I'll use that in the next interview. [Laughs]
On the surface, it's understandable why some would draw and M.I.A.. Beyond Dubuque again serving as the co-creator of the series, the concept of a family being part of a criminal empire and having a testy relationship with their underworld bosses does largely align with the Byrde family from the Netflix series.
The main plot setup for M.I.A. could also be viewed as something of an alternate universe version of , in which Jason Bateman's Marty is brought in front of his cartel bosses to be murdered after his business partner skims $8 million from them, narrowly convincing them to start a new laundering operation in the titular area. Unlike the prior series, however, the protagonist of the new show is not the matriarch or patriarch of the Jonze family, and a member whose parents are reluctant to let her be part of their operation.
Even more of a notable shift in plot is the fact that being on the back foot with getting the cartel their money in time, but rather is on a quest for vengeance. Interestingly, though, Dubuque's comments seem to point to the show being more than an atypical revenge thriller, with Shannon Gisela's character seemingly aiming to create a criminal empire of her own as the series progresses.
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One of the other beneficial differences for M.I.A. from Dubuque's work on Ozark is that its cartel characters are getting a much more prominent role in the series. The Netflix show largely kept said characters in a recurring capacity to antagonize , with season 4 being where they had a bigger presence amid internal power struggles. With the Rojas brothers having a similar bid for power, and Dubuque teasing Etta's own rise, the Peacock series is already taking a very different path from Ozark.
All nine episodes of M.I.A. season 1 are available to stream on Peacock now.
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Like Follow Followed Release Date May 7, 2026 Network PeacockCast
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Shannon Gisela Etta Tiger Jonze -
Wynn Everett Nancy - Tracey Reynolds Bridget
- Chabely Ponce Dulce
M.I.A. follows Etta Tiger Jonze as she seeks vengeance for her family's murder, rising from orphan to Queenpin of South Florida's criminal underworld. Balancing justice and power, she crafts her chosen family amidst the drug trade.
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