Mayans MC sets up the final episode with “A Mixed-up and Splendid Rescue” written by Jenny Lynn and directed by Alonso Alvarez-Barreda (whose other credits include Snowfall and 911) and “The House of Death Floats By” written by Sean Tretta and directed by Elgin James. Things start to really heat up, and the death count is mounting by the second episode.
In “A Mixed-up and Splendid Rescue,” the mixed-up part is evident – but not the splendid rescue. EZ (JD Pardo) is trying to prove his family can act like a happy family as he and Gaby (Sulem Calderon) try to make a nice brunch for Felipe (Edward James Olmos) and Angel (Clayton Cardenas). Gaby tells EZ that she’s been accepted into nursing school – but in Lodi. EZ is happy for Gaby, but she says she hasn’t decided whether she’s going or not. Angel is late for brunch and ruins the event by being obnoxious because he’s jealous of EZ’s happiness in the face of his own loss of Adelita (Carla Baratta).
Leticia (Emily Tosta) finds Coco (Richard Cabral) on the brink of death with Hope (Vanessa Giselle) passed out with him on the couch. Leticia’s frantic attempts to wake Coco up rouse Hope who gives Coco Narcan, saving his life. The two vow that they are going to get clean. Leticia has her doubts and is pissed at Coco. I adore Tosta and was glad to finally get to see her do something this season. In the end, Hope sneaks off while Coco is sleeping. She’s too far gone to kick it.
Laura (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) comes by to see Taza (Raoul Max Trujillo). She’s brought him something from David. She confesses that she’s the one who ratted on him because she saw him with David – and that’s how we learn that Taza is gay – though to be more accurate at this point he’s really just A-sexual, having no desire for another relationship after David’s death. He explains to her that if the club found out, he’d be executed for it.
Miguel (Danny Pino) is becoming increasingly unhinged. He gets the coroner’s report on his mother’s death and learns she was strangled. He goes to see Maria (Monica Estrada) and she tells him that his mother had been afraid of Emily (Sarah Bolger) and she was too. She didn’t elaborate on what she meant…Next Miguel goes to Nestor (Gino Vento) who tells him about the motorcycle tracks by the house the night Miguel’s mother died. He’s convinced that Emily and EZ conspired to kill her. That night he goes to Emily in bed and almost strangles her while they are having sex. She has no idea what’s going on and just thinks it’s rough sex and hot.
Meanwhile, El Palo (Gregory Cruz) is trying to broker a deal with El Banquero (Guillermo Garcia) to bring down Miguel. Bishop (Michael Irby) enlists Ibarra (Mike Beltran) and the Sahuarita President (Wilson Ramirez) in an effort to make himself the one king.
Nails (Justina Adorno) confesses to Hank (Frankie Loyal) that she’s pregnant. He’s ready to step in and look after her. He even goes to see his mother (Christine Avila) and asks to bring ‘Stephanie’ to their weekly dinner. It’s utterly heartbreaking how thrilled the two of them are.
When Angel is bored and calls Nails for a bootie-call, she goes to him and eventually tells him that she’s pregnant. Angel is thrilled.
Gaby and EZ have a heart-to-heart on a train trestle bridge – it’s a nice metaphor for their relationship. Can they bridge the gap between their visions of the future. Gaby confesses that she doesn’t want to leave right now, but she also tells EZ that she can’t go back to having darkness in her life and not feeling safe. That night as they walk through town to get some ice cream, two idiots start heckling Gaby while EZ takes a call from Bishop. When he meets her coming out, she says she doesn’t want ice cream, but he knows what’s going on and goes in and picks a fight with the two guys. When he starts really beating the one guy, Gaby tries to stop him and when she touches EZ, he elbows her in the face. She’s terrified and the cops come in and arrest EZ…
I especially enjoyed Trujillo’s performance in this episode as we get to see a side of Taza we haven’t before. Pardo and Calderon continue to have great chemistry and the two are breaking my heart. Even though this really feels like Jax’s journey all over again, they bring something new to the story.
Things get a lot more deadly in “The House of Death Floats By.” Loyalties are really starting to be tested in this episode. EZ gets out of jail, and Angel is waiting to pick him up. He apologizes for ruining the brunch and finally tells EZ about Adelita and the baby. He then tells EZ about Nails and the new baby. As always, EZ is ready to be happy for Angel,
EZ goes to the butcher shop, hoping that Gaby is there working, but Felipe sent her home when he saw her face. EZ is devastated by what happened and tells his father that he’s been haunted his whole life by a picture he saw in one of his mother’s books of a dog swimming in the ocean that was about to drown. He confesses that he’s felt like he’s been about to drown his whole life. As he leaves the shop, he tells Felipe that he’s never told anyone that before and that he loves him.
EZ goes to see Gaby and her uncle (Octavio Solorio) tries to tell him she’s not home. As he’s leaving, Gaby relents and comes out. She tells him that she endured so much violence to escape the violence back home that she vowed never to let that kind of darkness into her life again. She tells him that as an American he is free to chose the patch, a life of violence, but she won’t. She’s decided to go to Lodi. She tells him that she loves him, and if he loves her, he’ll let her go.
Coco wakes up and seems to be clean. Leticia is researching rehabs, naively thinking that the Club will help to pay for Coco to go. Coco explains to her that if they find out what he’s been doing, they’ll kill him – it’s a death sentence. Leticia has cleaned the house too. She was clearly really frightened by Coco almost dying and is determined to help him. I love that she’s more of an adult than Coco – I really liked her scene with Hope in the last episode when she really gave it to her. Leticia knows all about addicts from Coco’s mother – how they lie and steal and care about no one other than themselves. Coco doesn’t quite fit the profile because he really does care about Hope. As soon as he learns that she’s gone back to Meth Mountain, he’s determined to go and save her. Leticia tries to stop him, but it’s no use.
Emily is feeling the after glow of the night before but has to use make up to cover the bruises Miguel left on her neck. As she looks at herself in the mirror, her face loses its happy aspect and becomes pensive. She takes a tranquillizer. When she comes back from a run, Erin (Holland Roden) notices the bruises and flips out, telling Emily that she has to leave and that Miguel is dangerous. Emily accuses Erin of only being there to freeload. Erin leaves.
El Palo continues to try to broker a deal with El Banquero bringing in the Mayan Canche (Jimmy Gonzales) to run all the heroin, cutting out Santo Padre, and getting rid of Miguel. El Banquero brags that he has Paloma (Mia Maestro) working for him.
Unfortunately for them, Adelita has big plans for Paloma. Adelita shows up where Paloma is giving a speech and two of her disciples go after her with knives. Paloma takes refuge in the washroom, but that’s where Adelita is hiding. She shoots the guard and holds a gun at Paloma’s head. Mini (Melany Ochoa) in a mask circles Paloma. Adelita has passed on her identity to all the other girls and women. She tells Paloma that she isn’t Adelita – Mini is. Mini then takes off her mask and stabs Paloma – way too many times for Paloma to live. In the desert later, Adelita tells Mini that she is Adelita now and that she has always had to do this last part of the plan alone. She leaves Mini and wanders off into the dark. Is she going to kill Miguel? Is she going to kill herself? Will she kill Miguel and then go back to Angel? I’m betting that if she does go back to Angel, he’ll drop Nails in a heartbeat – so maybe there’s still hope for Hank?!?!
At the Club, a Temple has been called. We see that Steve (Momo Rodriguez) is really struggling with having killed someone – he’s even neglecting his job as Prospect. When he tries to talk to EZ, EZ brushes him off at first, saying he’s late for Temple, but then he turns back and asks what’s wrong. Steve tells him that he’s struggling, and EZ tells him to ‘just bury it’ and keep going – it’s what he’s been trying to do – but of course, we know that that just keeps bubbling out in violence – an expression of his own self-hate.
Nails tries to tell Hank what’s going on with Angel but ends up just agreeing to go to dinner with his mother. The Temple is actually to vote on patching Steve in and patching Coco out. There’s a huge party planned for that night as a blow out before the final part of Bishop’s plan. As the party gets started, Angel announces that he and Nails are engaged. Hank is heartbroken and devastated. EZ is thrilled for Angel – and recognizes that EZ has given Nails their mother’s engagement ring – and didn’t we all want to see that on Gaby’s finger????
Miguel has Nestor bring Alvarez (Emilio Rivera) to him on the “killing hill.” It’s clear that Alvarez realizes that he’s in danger. He says ‘not today’ as he gets out of the car. His gun is in his belt with his suit buttoned to allow easy access. Miguel tells him his suspicions based on what he’s learned and what Nestor has told him – but Nestor covers for him, saying he didn’t say anything about the tire tracks because he didn’t think it was important. However, he’s likely only delayed the inevitable because Miguel puts him in an impossible no-win position. He wants Alvarez to kill EZ to demonstrate his loyalty to him. It’s clear when Diana (Patricia De Leon) pulls him away from checking on Santiago (Zachary Gallegos) that night that he’s troubled by what he has to do – and what he now has to lose.
Miguel comes home to the news that Erin has left – probably for good. Miguel remarks it will be nice to have the place to themselves again. He then proceeds to set about killing Emily. He gets her in a nice warm bath – full of rose petals – and gives her wine – with her tranquillizers dissolved within. When she finally passes out, he pushes her under the water and goes into the other room. He is not, however, a killer – he just doesn’t have it in him, so after a brief cry, he goes back and rescues her. Can’t wait to see how he tries to explain that one… And those rose petals came in really handy as he’s hauling her out of the bath as they stuck just to the right places! Nicely played show!
Laura comes home from work to find Palo, sitting on her couch…
Back at Meth Mountain, Coco gets to Hope’s trailer – with no one noticing or stopping him. I mean, he as a sniper in the army! How is he so stupid about this – where he’s already been captured! Of course, Isaac (JR Bourne) captures him again. He too is artfully displayed – would they really have hung him up by his wrists to torture him and left his boxers on? Isaac tells him that Hope is just bait to lure new marks in to Meth Mountain. He clearly never had any intention of killing her as he will continue to use her. It’s clear that Isaac is determined to make a junkie out of Coco and steal his soul, and as Coco objects, he shoots him up. If it was against his will, will the Club forgive him? If he’s been patched out, would they come to his rescue if Leticia goes to them? Will he have to be a Prospect again if they do let him back in??
As the party gets underway at the Clubhouse, Bishop announces that Coco is out. And then they torture Steve who thinks he’s going to also be turfed – but then they give him his patch. Steve says nothing – it’s pretty clear that he no longer wants it, but nobody pays any attention. Moving around as if in a dream, he’s trying to pick up bottles like a prospect when Creeper (Joseph Raymond Lucero) tells him to stop it, he’s one of them now, and sit down with them at the table. Bishop is in fine form, telling stories at the head of the table with all the rest sitting around laughing. Steve sits there stone-faced. EZ is across the table from him. Steve suddenly says to EZ that he just can’t do it, and before EZ can register what’s happening or stop him, Steve puts his gun in his mouth – which is a good thing as he was about to shoot himself in the side of the head which would have killed Hank too – and kills himself.
Everyone is stunned by Steve’s suicide. The cops are there – at least they could call this one in, right? EZ finally bolts – and goes straight to Gaby. He tells her that he loves her – and that he’s coming with her! But we already know that there is no easy way to leave the life once you’re in…
We come to the final episode with a number of characters dead and others in real peril. I’m not 100% sold on how the season has played out – it’s been a bit up and down – but we’re definitely coming to a great climax on all sides. This episode had some amazing performances from Loyal, Pardo, Baratta, and Calderon. I can’t wait to see how things play out in the season finale! What are you hoping for? Let me know your thoughts on the episodes and your hopes for the finale below! And we already know that we’ve got another season coming!
