Maurice Compte (“Mateo”) and Marta Milans (“Caroline”) join us to discuss the emotional family conflict at the center of M.I.A. and how grief, ambition, and corruption shape the dangerous world surrounding the Rojas family.
In our conversation, Compte and Milans reflect on filming in Miami, the importance of representation and authenticity throughout the series, and the fractured relationships fueling much of the show’s emotional tension.
About the Series
Set between the Florida Keys and Miami’s neon-lit criminal underworld, M.I.A. follows Etta Tiger Jonze after tragedy destroys her family’s drug-running business, forcing her into a violent and unpredictable world where survival often comes at the cost of loyalty and trust.
As the story unfolds, power struggles and emotional fractures begin tearing families and alliances apart from within.
M.I.A. premieres May 7, 2026 exclusively on Peacock.
Watch the Full Interview
What We Asked Maurice Compte & Marta Milans
- What did filming in Miami bring to the identity and atmosphere of the series?
- Why was representation and authenticity important to the cast and production?
- How does grief shape the fractured relationship between Mateo, Samuel, and Caroline?
- What motivates Caroline’s fight against local corruption surrounding her skyrise project?
- How does emotional tension fuel the larger Rojas family conflict throughout the season?
Miami as More Than a Backdrop
One of the defining elements of M.I.A. is the way Miami influences nearly every aspect of the story.
Compte and Milans discussed how filming in the city helped ground the series in authenticity while capturing the tension between glamour, ambition, corruption, and violence that defines the show’s atmosphere.
The neon-lit setting becomes inseparable from the emotional and criminal chaos surrounding the characters.
Representation and Authenticity
The cast also reflected on the importance of cultural representation and authenticity throughout the production.
For both actors, grounding the characters and family dynamics in emotional realism was essential to making the world of M.I.A. feel believable despite the escalating danger surrounding the story.
That authenticity extends not only to the performances, but also to the way the series approaches family, grief, and community within Miami itself.
The Fractured Rojas Family
At the center of the emotional conflict is the fractured relationship between Mateo, Samuel, and Caroline following the death of their father.
Rather than presenting the family conflict in simple terms, the series explores how grief, resentment, ambition, and responsibility slowly pull the characters in different directions.
The emotional tension surrounding the Rojas family becomes one of the major forces driving the story forward.
Corruption, Power & Survival
Milans also discussed Caroline’s battle against corruption tied to her skyrise development project, a storyline that reflects the larger themes of power and influence running throughout the series.
In M.I.A., nearly every character is forced to navigate systems shaped by money, violence, and hidden agendas.
That pressure creates an environment where personal relationships become increasingly difficult to separate from survival and ambition.
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