This week on Mayans showed that being a good wife and being a devoted mother are two very different things when your child is threatened. We also learned more about the toll the deal EZ made is taking on him and his relationships. Let's discuss.
Trust
The rabbit jumped and rocked Emily's world. We had to watch a desperate and defiant Emily fight against the rebels who eventually ripped her young son Cristobal from her arms and it was heart wrenching. Sarah Bolger didn't have a lot to work with in the pilot, but here we saw a devastated mother trying to stop a gang from taking the one who mattered most away from her. The curious thing is how this character reconciles being with someone like Miguel knowing who and what he does as a profession. That world bled into her life and she could no longer sit back and pretend to turn a blind eye. Emily wants to know everything that her husband Miguel is doing to get their child back, and he is trying to avoid letting her know what those things are.
Miguel in all of this is a conflicted father torn between familial obligation and the birthright of running his father's cartel no matter the personal cost. He calls on the Mayans to assist him and we learn more about his marriage and where he stands with the regime that still remains from his father. There are also tense moments that let us know that EZ is well aware who his former girlfriend is married to and vice versa. The tense exchange when Miguel tells the club his son was missing and EZ blurting out the question of Emily's safety was all we needed to know when it comes to where are these players stand in the triangle. EZ obviously lives with the knowledge that Emily married a very powerful and dangerous man, and it most likely eats away at him like most things that were taken from his former life. Back to Miguel, it is hard to imagine feeling sympathy for a man that brutally tortures a man whose only fault is driving his ice-cream truck past where a rebel group is making a propaganda video describing why they are targeting his cartel, yet I feel for the struggle of missing his child.
The cracks of the Emily/Miguel marriage clearly show in this episode when she begs him not to retaliate after the video and he agrees until his mother tells the story of his older brother being taken at a young age and his father refusing to bend to the rebels. We learn that Miguel thought his brother died of pneumonia when in fact he was murdered due to a trader in his father's midst and his father striking back to show force. Miguel agrees to do the same and okays the burning of the ice cream man and his son as a message to Adelita's rebels. When Miguel avoids her, Emily knows something is wrong and this leads her straight to Felipe's butcher shop and EZ. This was a very interesting way to get those two in the same room, but it worked perfectly to show their shared connection.
Emily and EZ share their first meaningful scene in the present and I for one was captivated. Seeing her go to him cards on the table about her son was heartbreaking but also insightful for what these two mean to one another. It was real on both fronts because they obviously have a trust that Miguel doesn't share with her, and that's why she ended up there. EZ in return, didn't keep club business to himself and told her that Miguel had indeed retaliated, and that he would help her get Cristobal back. These interactions have all the hallmarks of a tragic, yet engaging love story and I am looking forward to seeing more. Miguel and Emily are now deeply fractured and Emily fell back to the place that makes her secure in EZ..... This will get messy and I am more than sure I cannot wait to see the angst.
Mayans Being Mayans
Aside from dealing with Miguel's son, we get to see the Mayans deal with day-to-day club doings while seeking out a member of the DogWood crew, Louie, who is not holding up his end of a deal. This was a little murky in the beginning for my taste because I for one had no idea what this had to do with the story until they caught him. A little more clarity would have been nice as Angel, Coco, EZ and others tracked this guy from his apartment to a dog kennel/back alley detox center. Louie seems like a throwaway character for punchlines and a way to introduce more of Coco's backstory. They needed more information on the drug running from him and to get a larger cut because they had to seek him out. They turn a blind eye to him being involved in underage girls participating in porn until Coco's 'sister' was involved (BTW, Coco doesn't have a younger sister involved, but it worked nicely to scare him). All of this confusing drama was interrupted by Miguel's above mentioned drama and I for one was happy, because I was thoroughly confused. Hopefully we will get more on this dynamic later.
The Mayans crew once again intersects with Miguel's needs when his son goes missing. In these scenes we get to see how much the club despises working for him and the power he holds. EZ mouthing off to Miguel about not treating people like peasants was awesome and the fact he didn't get clocked in the jaw this time but praised by Bishop and El Padrino was a cool moment. Bishop really showed what kind of leader he is and dare I say, I like his leadership style. He lets his club do their thing and is there for support. I still am scared by the fact that Angel and EZ are working on opposite sides of him and worry we have not seen how brutal he can be when threatened. Time and more episodes will tell where this will land for the Reyes men.
Another very important piece to Mayans being Mayans is the fact that Angel is the key to finding Miguel's son but he can't let the club know that. EZ knows about the deal and is wanting Angel to contact Adelita about what is going on. Angel toes the line most of the episode until the end when he goes to Mexico and asks Adelita about Cristobal. This deal is complex because Angel has aligned himself with Adelita's crew, so he can't just demand that they return Emily and Miguel's son. He must tread carefully but at least finds out that the boy is alive and being taken care of. I do think she could have given him a heads up that this was going down so he wasn't blindsided and scrambling to maintain composure. Another interesting tidbit from this interaction is that Angel seems to feel more for Adelita than her just being an ally. What is THEIR past? The Reyes boys sure do seem to be drawn to complicated and unavailable women don't they? I hope we get more of Angel and Adelita's personal connection in coming episodes because it could provide more clarity about how he got to going against his club to help her.
Some Other Observations:
* The emotional scene with EZ and Felipe was heartbreaking. EZ was desperate and willing to turn to his DEA handler to help with Emily's son and it added more layers to how deeply he loves her. He also cracked about his brother and how much he loves Angel and what this doing to him. In turn, Felipe reassured his son that he has to trust himself and do what he needs which was a great father/son moment. My issue here is the distance with Felipe and Angel, I need to know why they stay away from each other and I hope we get that next episode.
* Coco's backstory is being planted. We see him oddly searching the porn site and then see him find his mother who is a prostitute. I think it is great that they expanding the stories past the Reyes and Galindo family and I am looking forward to seeing if his mom plays into the bigger story.
* I squealed when Chucky from sons was at the Mayans junkyard. That guy is the cockroach of the SOAverse and it was funny that he some how ended up down there helping this club.
* I think Emily needs to be careful going to EZ like that. Miguel's people are clearly loyal, he may not be too pleased she ran off to him even though she told them she was getting a roast. I doubt Miguel will buy that.
* Anyone else get the vibe that Miguel's mom is lying about his brother?
So what did you think? Will Miguel and Emily get their son back? Are Emily and Miguel already doomed? Let me know!
