FX’s Mayans M.C.
Season 1, Episode 5: “Uch/Opossum”
Directed by Batán Silva
Written by Bryan Gracia

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, ““Murciélago/Zotz”” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Gato/Mis” – click here
An opossum turns over in the rod as EZ (JD Pardo) rushes to the hospital past it. FYI, the opossum has a defence mechanism in response to fear where it tips over and its death-like state deters predators— after the predators are gone, they pop back up.
EZ’s concerned for Emily (Sarah Bolger) after she was trampled across the border. The place is blocked with cartel thugs, and Miguel Galindo (Danny Pino) watches over his wife. A nurse named Rita helps cop Frankie sneak EZ in to see Emily, behind the backs of everybody else. They talk about the rebels. She doesn’t have much other perspective than a kidnapped child, whereas he’s not quite sure why the rebels would kill a nun. When EZ slips out he’s noticed by Nestor (Gino Vento). Uh oh.
Angel (Clayton Cardenas) finds someone in his house when he wakes up. There’s the head of Alice waiting for him, stuck on the end of a rifle. Cole is there waiting for him, looking to have a chat. Nasty bastard. The big man explains a few things about himself and asks if there’s something the club’s trying to move. He says the group he works for “are unfuckable.” There could be a deal, except it’d be a deal with the devil. Just as bad as being in bed with the cartel.
EZ meets Felipe (James Edward Olmos) for one of their chats. Dad’s always worried about his son. EZ’s scared for Emily, though his hands are fairly tied with Agent Jimenez (Maurice Compte) trying to get him to flip her for the DEA. All pops can do is offer the truth: “She‘s not the same girl you knew eight years ago.”
Angel tells Coco (Richard Cabral) and Gilly (Vincent Vargas) about meeting Cole. They’re trying to get things done so Adelita (Carla Baratta) can get a much needed influx of cash. They’ve got to keep their eyes on the regular club business, too. Simultaneously, in the desert, EZ’s brought to see Miguel. Insert big nervous gulp here! The cartel’s leader asks about “nostalgic feelings.” EZ says he was merely concerned for Emily. Miguel talks about lots of capitalist ventures for his drug money to transform the landscape of that migrant town— the prospect likens the whole thing to “Michael Corleone” and The Godfather. But at the bottom of it all, Miguel says EZ must stay away from Emily from now on.
At the clubhouse, Marcus Alvarez (Emilio Rivera) shows Bishop (Michael Irby) and the main patches a picture of Adelita. He’s waiting to tell the rest of the club, until it’s a “Judas–free” zone. We know the prospect and his brother are keeping secrets. Across the border, EZ and Angel go to a house to pick up a transport for Cole, where they get ambushed by policia. The cops want a bribe. They release EZ— he’s got until morning to bring them $100K, or his brother and the transport + his pregnant wife die. The prospect calls Coco, who’s in motion to cobble together whatever money possible. He leaves in a flash making Bishop curious. Chucky (Michael Ornstein) wrongly believes it’s family trouble, then Taza (Raoul Trujillo) wonders if it has to do with Adelita. Getting messy.
In the tunnels, Gilly makes it through and winds up at Alice’s place. He wasn’t expecting to see Creeper (Joseph Raymond Lucero) and Riz (Antonio Jaramillo). They’re curious why he’s got no ride, he’s looking dirty. He plays it off, heading inside for a “quick blowie” and a wash. Gilly gets back to the club later and things are a little less suspicious.
Coco and EZ go to Adelita. She’s reluctant, until the prospect convinces her Angel’s essential to the rebels going forward. They go back to the policia with the cartel drugs they were previously trying to sell. Only time’s going to tell if this works or not. These cops are greasy. They want to take Adelita in, considering she’s a wanted woman. They’re planning worse, as well. But the rebels anticipated trouble, and they take down the lawmen one by one. When Angel gets back he finalises the deal with Cole, along with the knowledge he’ll end up decapitated like poor Alice should things go bad.
What’s ole Felipe up to? He meets a guy at a bar who’s obviously not happy to see him. Felipe’s also carrying around his revolver. He then goes to a house taking pictures of a woman and a child. Not sure what he’s planning, it doesn’t look wholesome. This is Jimenez’s family. Felipe goes to see Kevin later, showing him his birth certificate. The old man says he was an inspector for “División antidrogas federales” during the ’70s and ’80s. He and his partner did “some very bad things.” He tells Kevin not to mess around with his family, else things get nasty. He then sends the DEA agent the pictures of the Jimenez family he took.

“The truth doesn’t set you free— the ugly truth does.”

At the clubhouse, Emily’s waiting for EZ. She talks about her abortion and having done it solely to hurt him. She’s lost in the immoral world of her husband’s business, and the chat she had with Devante (Tony Plana) only makes it all shittier. Angel catches his brother close to her, then she takes off. Big brother questions the prospect’s judgement. This leads them into a brotherly brawl until they see a picture of mom busted out of the frame. EZ says he won’t do anything to compromise his brother. Except it isn’t true— he’s working with the federal government.
Miguel accuses his wife of allowing their son to be taken. When she fights back he smacks her around, throwing her to the couch violently. She taunts him, spitting in his face, and then they make rough, passionate love. What an incredibly fucked up couple. She’s not as lost as she is slightly turned on by the danger of that world.
Note: While EZ has a bit of sex, we see what looks like another opossum stuffed and mounted on the nightstand. Father Gore’s interpretation? That while the opossum is able to avoid predators, using his defence mechanism as a shield, sooner or later real death will catch up with him, just like it did this piece of taxidermy. Might be a metaphor for EZ’s situation, too. He’s hiding in plain sight working for the DEA against the club he’s trying to get a patch with, so though he may be good at hiding right now, sooner or later everything’s going to catch up with him.
Solid episode, particularly in terms of the intrigue going on and all the layers of what’s happening. Lots of tense moments that are going to build to a brutal head eventually. Loving all the characters. “Gato/Mis” is next time.