Mayans M.C. season 1 episode 5 review: Love is definitely not in the air

The action took a backseat to some explosive relationship drama on Mayans M.C. this week, and it’s not a bad thing.

For a show about a bunch of leather-clad outlaw bikers, Mayans M.C. doesn’t seem to mind centering entire episodes around the emotional turmoil of its characters. That’s what “Uch/Opossum” did this week, setting the action on the back burner and turning up the heat for our favorite couples.

First up were EZ and Emily, the high-school sweethearts who find themselves at odds thanks to their chosen families. With Emily still recovering from almost being trampled to death last week, EZ throws good common sense out the window to arrange a meeting with her at the hospital. The two share a moment, one that Galindo’s head security guy witnesses, and from there, things get messy.

It’s hard to predict what the endgame might be for EZ and Emily. The prospect clearly carries a torch for his one-time love, and Emily seems to have tender feelings for him as well, since she breaks down later in the episode when she admits to having an abortion just to spite him. I think the issue I’m having accepting this relationship for the star-crossed lovers thing Kurt Sutter and the writing team are pushing on us is that we just don’t know enough about the woman involved in this deadly love triangle.

We’ve been treated to glimpses of EZ’s past, and we follow him through much of the action on this show, so we’re slowly getting a feel for what drives the character, his struggles, and his darker impulses. Even with Galindo, a man set up to be the show’s villain, we see him agonize over his ruthless business dealings and lament his own part in his son’s kidnapping.

Emily, thus far, has been relegated to the grieving mother role. Most of her scenes center on Cristobal, her search for him, and her worry that he may be dead. While that motivation is completely understandable, she hasn’t been given the chance to exist beyond parenthood the same way Galindo has, which means her true nature is still largely a mystery.

We were treated to some hints about Emily’s character this week — she defends her husband’s actions to EZ while taking Galindo to task for what happened at the church in private, meaning she understands the value of loyalty or at least the appearance of it. She also admits to knowing her husband was ruthless before they married, which means his turn as a cartel boss probably isn’t as shocking as it would be for other women.

But it’s her violent encounter with Galindo at the end of this week’s episode, one that begins with accusations and ends with a physical altercation that leads to sex, that felt truly revealing of who Emily is and what her relationship with Galindo involves. The two share a toxic connection — both were quick to exploit each other’s weaknesses to gain the upper hand in their argument — but their romp after that fight felt less about love and forgiveness and more about asserting dominance over the other. Galindo feels he’s losing control of his wife, and Emily feels she’s losing control of the carefully cultivated life she’s built. I don’t for a second view Emily as any kind of victim — she’s too smart and too tough for that — but I need to know more about her before I can fully board this EZ/Emily ship the writers are building.

MAYANS M.C. — “Uch/Opossum” — Season 1, Episode 5 (Airs Tuesday, October 2, 10:00 p.m. e/p) Pictured: Clayton Cardenas as Angel Reyes. CR: Prashant Gupta/FX

Another relationship that had its time in the spotlight this week was Angel and Adelita’s complicated love affair. For Angel, feelings are clearly involved. The guy is betraying his club to help this woman take down the cartel, and as much as I love the older, bone-headed Reyes, I can’t accept that he’s motivated by purely noble intentions. Adelita is more focused in her mission. The woman’s been through a lot, and her one-track-mindedness has served her well thus far.

But when Angel and EZ make a deal with Cole — the crazed ex-military drug runner who massacred an entire family last week — and find themselves on the wrong side of the Mexican law because of it, it’s Adelita and her rebels that come to their aid. She’s willing to risk the heroin they desperately need to sell for cash, and members of her own family, to save Angel from some corrupt cops south of the border, so I also can’t believe that this partnership is strictly business for her either.

A few important plot points were laid out separate of any relationship drama. Bishop and the elders of the gang are suspicious of a Judas among their ranks. Thanks to Chuckie, they think Coco might be the one handing over intel to the rebels. They’re not entirely wrong, but it’s sad to think Coco might go down for this damn scheme Angel concocted, all because he was trying to do right by his daughter.

We also got to see Galindo and EZ face-off in No-Man’s Land this week. Of course, the meeting was all about Emily and the machismo marking of territory, but watching them spout off lines from The Godfather was just too fun not to enjoy. We doubt both of these men will be alive by the end of this season, but the set-up to their ultimate showdown is making for some  good TV.

Thoughts From The Table

• This week’s episode title “Opossum” could refer to an impending death, or it could represent a character who’s able to adapt to hostile situations by “playing dead” i.e. remaining in the shadows. Maybe that’s Emily? Or Felipe? We’ll have to wait to find out.
• Speaking of Felipe, while I enjoy watching Edward James Olmos threaten jerks as much as the next woman, I’m a bit tired of this subplot with the fed. If we’re to keep being reminded that EZ must eventually inform on Galindo (and probably the club) let’s get something more out of it than a lackluster confrontation.
• If Coco dies, we riot. That is all.