When we get led down a path that traps us like flies in a spiderweb, sometimes using our fear to escape is all we have left. Brenda and Teresa walked themselves into a sticky situation last night, and as fearful as they were, managed to make something out of it.
The episode opened with where we left off last week, with Brenda and Teresa on the hunt for money to get their immigration papers. Future Teresa pops up in the backseat and tells Present Day Teresa it’s okay to be scared. And that’s coming from the future drug queenpin, so it must mean something.
In the next scene, James’ warehouse crew kidnaps Don, a DEA ally. His face is bloodied when James walks in and says, “Jesus, Don, you’re bleeding all over yourself.” Yeah, I’m sure he couldn’t tell as he chokes on it through his tears. Thanks, James.
They want to know where the DEA safe house is, but Don won’t give up the address. After James calls Camila to confirm what will happen – a potential war with the DEA – they shoot Don in the head and take his phone to text his wife, who is also a part of the DEA.
In the next scene, Brenda and Teresa find a tunnel that leads to a door with a crank wheel. This is their future. Teresa starts to open it and, from the sounds of disgust they make, it smells awful. That’s because there are stacks of freakin’ rotting dead bodies inside. Geez, Starbucks brings back the Pumpkin Spice Latte and all of a sudden it’s Halloween-time, dead bodies and creepiness. Gross-gross-gross: The women run outside and throw up. Sensory overload for sure.
It’s almost as if they are trapped on an island and don’t know what else to do. Brenda starts panicking, saying they have to go back to the house. Teresa starts screaming at her. They are stuck if they stay or go. Cue The Clash. But their decision is about to be made for them. Two men approach them with a gun. Brenda says they are on their way, but that’s not enough for the men and they take the women with them.
Next we see Epifanio, who is stressed more than ever. Elections are tomorrow. Burning houses from raids and cartel allegations against him are all over the news, and he wants Cesar to find his wife because “she knows that my hands are tied.” As Cesar leaves the room, Camila calls him – speak of the devil – and tells him that he doesn’t have to travel to Dallas to find her because she is in Mexico and will send a car to pick him up so they can talk about the bright future with the Jimenez cartel. Camila’s two steps ahead of everyone, including bringing her daughter Isabella home, and Cesar must choose a side.
Brenda and Teresa are tied up in chairs because they have something this man, who is part of Epifanio’s group, needs: Information. This guy is the scariest enemy they have shown all season. Rosary candles are lit up behind Teresa and Brenda. As awful as the scene is, it’s a great shot.
Teresa looks up at him and says “If you value keeping this secret a secret, you have no choice with what to do with us… You might think you can clean up what we saw, but you don’t have enough time.” If he doesn’t let them go, people will find out what has happened to them and it will not be good for him, or more importantly, Epifanio. So, she puts on her big girl boots and tells him she wants $250,000 along with their freedom. He nods and comes closer to them with his knife. He taps it on his vest. And then decides to give them the money! Future Teresa and Present Day Teresa are starting to fuse.
Camila is having a fancy candlelit dinner meeting to welcome Epifanio’s men on to her side. “None of you would be here if you were happy with the way things were currently being run.” She assures them of their safety and new wealth. She is winning them over one by one.
And she needs to win over one last person. We finally see Isabella and Camila interact in person. Camila gets down on her knees to hug and kiss her daughter, who is sitting down and not happy about this situation, which Camila says was done for Isabella, just like everything else.
“Up until yesterday I thought I was going to be the daughter of a governor, and now I’m the daughter of a drug dealer, again,” Isabella says, crying. “You ruined my life. So don’t tell me you did this for me. The fact is you hate him more than you love me. And that breaks my heart, Mami.” Mother-daughter fight of the year, am I right? Camila is crushed. She knows deep down Isabella is right but doesn’t want to face it.
Back to Teresa and Brenda – the man will honor her deal as long as they honor his. But if anything happens or if anyone comes to him with questions, he will come for them. Brenda has to make sure they won’t go after her cousin and Tony though, which angers the man so he grabs Brenda with his arm around her neck and Teresa runs away once they start shooting towards her. She abandoned Brenda. Ugh. Now I’m upset. She dragged Brenda into all this and still left her behind.
She gets to the car with the money and drives off with three SUVs chasing and shooting at her. One bullet hits a tire and her car flips over into the trees. And that’s where we leave off until next week.
Last night’s episode was all over the place. It was the second to last of the first season, and good news: season two has been confirmed as a go.
The last episode of Season One airs at 9 pm next Thursday, Sept. 15 on USA.
