This episode of Mayans MC turned up the heat on some people that quite frankly made me nervous. Let's discuss!
Club Doings
If I have learned one thing from
Sons of Anarchy, it is that the politics of club business is always a little tricky to follow, so you must pay attention to the pieces set up throughout the episode to pull it all together. This episode was mostly focused on the club, which was interesting because we got to see how the move as one group. Here is the gist of what the club was doing, various business partners with Galindo were uneasy after the heist of the heroin in the first episode. The Mayans met with men that work in the prison and the Chinese to calm their fears about how the transport and shipping is going as they distribute the product. This meeting was done at a casino which is considered neutral ground. The club was able to soothe tensions and the meeting was deemed a success with all parties feeling better about where they stood. All in a day's work right? Wrong, this impromptu summit also involved finding a rat within the Chinese inner circle and turned up the heat to boiling on Angel and his crew that deal with Adelita's rebels
Los Olvidados behind the MC's back.
At the beginning of the episode, Angel arrived at Adelita's basecamp and says he has a buyer for the stolen H, Adelita informs him that they only have 6 keys left as they had burned 3 in the video for Miguel. The heat is on and they need to move the drugs quickly for everyone's sake. This meeting ties directly back into the summit at the casino because that buyer that Angel spoke of is named Jimmy Yen and does a little business on the side without his Chinese crew's knowledge. Cut to what is mentioned above, and when the Chinese and Mayans start to enjoy some scotch after the successful gathering, Bishop shoots Jimmy in the head. All of this was done at the request of Galindo as a favor to the Chinese as they couldn't kill their own man. This was a warning shot figuratively and literally to whomever dares to deal behind their crew's back and that is exactly what Angel, Coco, Gilly and EZ are doing. I had earlier pondered what reaction Bishop would have should he find out what Angel is spearheading behind his back and this episode may have given the answer. The biggest thing that stuck with me after Jimmy was killed was that it was said he broke the cardinal rule of not cutting in the club to his side hustle. If the truth came out soon, could the club forgive Angel and his boys if they get cut in and all go against Galindo? Perhaps, but at the end of the episode El Padrino seemed to know their was a rat in this crew and it is a very uneasy feeling. Also worth mentioning that at the start of the episode we see that the orphans, kidnapped Cristobal and Adelita are running out of food and need funds. Adelita is a very interesting character, you can't help but root for her cause, but at the same time she is using the stolen drugs to fund her orphans and that seems counterproductive to the cause. They have to do what they need to survive, but it feeds the vicious cycle that has ruined their lives. We also get a scene with EZ and Cristobal and I half wondered if he would take off with him to reunite him with his mother, it brought up some emotions that EZ would rather continue to bury as well.
I'm a Cop
One of the biggest mysteries since the series began is what happened to EZ that sent his life into chaos. We got some more breadcrumbs this week as to what lead him down this path. Every turn he took this episode seemed to dredge up painful memories. Whether it was holding Cristobal and feeling what could have been had he and Emily had their baby, or having a run-in with racist cops at the casino, we as the audience are starting to get the full picture. In one flashback to eight years prior, we see the act that landed him in prison, the shooting of the police officer. He was chasing someone and they exchanged gun fire back and forth. When someone was approaching him behind, he reacted and shot him without seeing who exactly that was. EZ probably did not know the cop he killed and it was a chain of events that spiraled out of his control. The biggest question that remains is why a young man attending Stanford would be bloodied and bruised while chasing someone with guns blazing. Could this interaction have something to do with Angel? Could it have to do with him needing money? Could it all have been something he couldn't get out of? That part is unclear, but what it is clear is that EZ's life took a sharp left turn before the death of the police officer and it has set his course from the happy man we saw in the first flashback in episode one.
EZ is not the only one being affected by his past, his father Felipe is as well. When EZ's handler Jimenez shows up unannounced, Felipe gives him the business and tells him his son has done everything he wanted. Jimenez says he is just there to makes sure everything is on track and gives him a new number for EZ to contact with him. Felipe then notices that he is being followed and confronts the guy who is doing it. Edward James Olmos is such a pleasure to watch in any role he does, and I loved seeing him in protective dad mode once again. Felipe doesn't need a babysitter and the man doing the following learns that quickly, Jimenez put him there to make sure everything is fine because things are heating up around the border with Galindo. I have to wonder if this all stems from Cristobal's kidnapping and the fact that Miguel is out for blood and the DEA has gotten word. Either way, Felipe hates this deal his son is in and is fearful it will get him killed. At the end of the episode he rips up the new number and does not inform EZ of its existence. Seems like Jimenez will be dealing with the elder Reyes for now.
Galindo Family Values
Miguel is quietly spinning out of control and it doesn't help that his father's confidant Devante is in his ear now. We learn how the cartel recruits younger crew and it is a bit disturbing. Once a young boy is zeroed in on as a problem for the cartel, they are given a choice to join the family's blood oath. Miguel terrifies a kid that caused some grief and slices his palm once he 'agrees' to join. Miguel like EZ was never supposed to be here, his family wanted to ensure he had a life outside of the cartel and sent him to get his education. Like EZ, circumstances brought him back and now he is in a place that he wasn't destined for. This similarities and contrast between our protagonist and antagonist is quite striking and the fact that they love the same woman is even more intense. Miguel is ruthless now and it could cost him everything that he holds dear. He is keeping a distance from Emily because he knows she is aware he lied about retaliation. This deepens the chasm between them further and causes Emily to no longer fully trust her husband.
Speaking of Emily, she is losing control as the trail to her son grows cold. She had the right instincts to go to the square where the ice cream man and his son was burned, but she really has no other moves to get him back. This is one character I can't quite get a grasp of. So far Emily has been here to establish EZ's past life and heartbreak and Miguel's personal life as a father and husband. The problem for me here is that she remains mostly isolated to those two. I am hoping that somehow she can be brought into the main story in some way. Yes, she is missing her son, and that drama plays on the periphery of the club as they search for him for Miguel, but I want to see her interact with more than just the Galindos. This could happen because Emily is not one to sit back and take Miguel's word for it as we've seen.
Some Odds and Ends:
* Who else loved the final scene with Felipe tucking in Angel and EZ? It shed some light on Angel and Felipe's dynamic finally and you could almost feel the relief from Felipe of having both his sons under one roof safely for at least a night.
* SOA connection alert! According to the twittervese you could call that number Felipe was given and get a special message from Tellar-Morrow automotive!
* Miguel now has a plant in
Los Olvidados as the young girl with the scar on her face brought back a boy with a slice on his palm. Emily may just get Cristobal back soon.
* Angel and EZ may be in an MC but that doesn't mean Angel won't call a club brother out for trying to short his actual brother. I loved when he shut down Coco using his brother to count cards and made sure EZ got his cut. Being a protective big bro never changes.
* EZ is stashing quite a lot of cash for what I can only guess is nest egg for a getaway.
So what did you think? Are you scared for Angel? Who was EZ chasing? Do you think Felipe was smart not to give that card to EZ? What do you think Miguel would do if he found Adelita? Let me know!
