FX's Mayans M.C. season 1, episode 5 recap: Uch/Opossum

Deception and secret relationships reign supreme on Mayans M.C. as several groups get closer to discovering the truth for which they desperately yearn.

This episode of Mayans M.C. is titled “Uch/Opossum” and started off with an actual opossum “playing opossum” as EZ rides by on a motorcycle. Ultimately, however, the animal may only take a silver medal to Emily’s (Sarah Bolger) performance.

In fact, everyone is deceiving each other right now. The M.C. leadership knows there is a mole, and the duplicitous foursome is holding cards close to the cut. Coco’s (Richard Cabral) got dark family secrets that pale in comparison to probably only Felipe Reyes (Edward James Olmos), who is holding his own dark past along with EZ’s (JD Pardo) secret. Expect even more deceit as the lines between factions blur.

Rekindled love?

EZ goes to see Emily at the hospital, and he can’t figure out why Los Olvidados killed the nun. It’s because they’re evil, according to Emily, and one has to wonder if she believes it or is continuing her plan to ruin her rival’s image. Nestor (Gino Vento) is creeping nearby, sees the pair leave the room, and reports back to Miguel (Danny Pino). Neither Miguel nor Devante (Tony Plana) knew the nun was going to get killed, much less desecrated. Miguel dispatches his goons to round-up EZ for a secretive desert discussion near the border where he mentions his Santo Padre housing development plan. And then Miguel revealed a business plan to develop a few hundred desolate acres near the border.

Before Emily gets discharged, she gets a visit from Devante. He reiterates what Emily has heard before from Dita, saying if she wants to be part of the planning and cartel biz, she has to accept it all. Hopelessness hangs like a cloud, however, because she feels Cristobal’s abduction has irrevocably changed Miguel.

New relationships and deceit

Angel (Clayton Cardenas) hears a bump in the house and goes to investigate. It’s Cole (Branton Box), and he’s got Alice Reed’s (Barbara Williams) severed head on the end of a rifle. Somehow he knows about Angel’s llello and wants to make a deal. With Angel’s Chinese connection dead, this is a great opportunity that he tells Coco and Gilly (Vincent Varga) about. The catch: the crew needs to bring an Afghani national on the no-fly list across the border.

EZ and Angel go to see the Afghani about a half hour from the border, and it’s a setup. Dirty Mexican police ambush them and already have the asset. Wanting to make a quick buck, the sleazy commander demands $100,000 to get the Afghani and his pregnant wife across the border. He lets EZ go and holds on to Angel for collateral. One frantic phone call later and Coco is scrambling to support.

As Coco peels out, Marcus (Emilio Rivera), Bishop (Michael Irby), Taza (Raoul Max Trujillo), and Tranq (Frankie Loyal) exit a closed-door meeting where Adelita’s (Carla Baratta) photo – the one taken by Miguel’s child spy – is confidentially shared. El Padrino wants it kept close circle with just those four. When they see Coco speed off, they ask Chucky (Michael Ornstein) about it. When shown the photo, all Chucky can tell them is that it might be the girl he saw Coco with at the diner (Not even close, BTW).

“Adelita” to the rescue.

Early in the day, Adelita is walking/talking with a mystery man named Rodrigo (who wears a disguise but is really a priest). She’s adamant about staying on track and clearing her movement’s name after the nun murder. He knew Adelita’s family and says her father would be proud. More importantly, however, is he calls her by her first name.

"Adelita’s real name is Luisa!"

Coco and EZ go to see Adelita. She’s ready for battlefield triage, leaving Angel to rot, and continuing the movement. Coco, however, suggest the heroine trade the heroin. A quick recon of the Sonora border location later – a mysterious part called “wrath” – and all three are departing to the ransom location with one of her generals.

As they walk into the barrio, poor children line the dirty streets, whistling at the newcomers. The commander double-crosses them, and plans to rape Adelita. All but Adelita are escorted out by armed guards. Moments later the general signals an adjacent child, the whistles begin anew, and the troops go into action. Masks are donned, firearms appear, and every crooked cop is executed. The kids from Hostel now have competition.

It’s very clear Adelita’s Army extends far beyond Santo Padre.

Once all the bodies are cleared, Cole comes in and offers big money for the heroin. The partnership can be lucrative if the Mayans M.C. plays nice. He tosses the head (why’s he carrying around the head?) to Angel when mentioning what happens if they don’t play ball.

Secret history

Felipe meets with Jimenez’s father, who he knows intimately. The pair used to be fellow inspectors for anti-drug federales, and they did some very bad things to very bad people. Hence the old photo of him in OD-green fatigues standing on a severed head. He later confronts Jimenez and warns, “Please don’t make me become that man again. Don’t f**k with my family or I’ll ruin you and everything you love.” While driving away he texts photos of Jimenez’s kids to make the point clearer.

Beneath the surface

A few smaller pieces are coming together behind the scenes. Gilly dug through the border tunnel from last episode and discovered the entrance is near the whorehouse. Tanq followed Coco to the warehouse, walked the underground tunnels, and eventually lost him. Additionally, behind the scenes Galindo approached Mayor Antonia Pena (Alexandra Barreto), and threatened to pull the rezoning development plan away from Santo Padre if she doesn’t cooperate. She tells Bishop and they embrace after he offers to help. (They obviously used to be a thing.)

Let the love triangle commence!

Emily shows up in EZ’s trailer to his surprise. She feels like she’s losing another guy and can’t stop it. Gushing with emotion, she tells him she had the abortion to spite him and Cristobal has been abducted as karma/punishment. Just as EZ is about to confess his own secret, Angel barges in to break things up. She leaves, the brothers tussle, and vow to stick together.

She returns home and gets interrogated by Miguel. They also have a fight, which is more physical than that of the Reyes brothers. The night ends as Emily and Miguel have hate-sex (she’s likely thinking of EZ), and EZ has boredom-sex with a random woman (he’s likely thinking of Emily). They both pretend to be interested in their current partner, which makes this the second time Emily has played opossum this episode.

Next. Mayans M.C. Season 1, Episode 4 recap: Bat/Zotz. dark

Mayans M.C. airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on FX.

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