Summary
“Xaman-Ek” was a solid episode with its share of good moments and an eagerly-anticipated reconciliation, but it felt like it was biding its time a little too much.
This recap of Mayans MC Season 2, Episode 2, “Xaman-Ek”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.
It was only a matter of time until EZ (JD Pardo) and Angel (Clayton Cardenas) kissed and made up, but “Xaman-Ek” at least gives them a pretty good reason: Now that they know Happy Lowman (David Labrava) killed their mother, they’re united by a common goal. EZ might be a snitch, and he might have stuck around the club after his brother warned him not to, but as he explains to Angel here, he needs to belong somewhere – and he’s scared of what might happen if he doesn’t.
Mayans MC has always straddled a fine line; its goal is to make us care about and empathize with criminals. And it has mostly done a good job of that. EZ is believable as a generally well-meaning man in over his head, and Angel, while rougher around the edges, isn’t shy about showing his emotion when it comes to Adelita (Carla Baratta) and their unborn child. However, how this will ultimately conflict with his role in the MC and the MC’s relationship with the government and Galindo (Danny Pino) remains a ticking-clock looming over the show’s short-term plots.
As ever, those plots are tangled, and only become knottier in “Xaman-Ek”. A relationship between Dita (Ada Maris) and Felipe (Edward James Olmos) raises more questions than it answers, especially in regards to her knowledge of EZ’s previous relationship with Emily (Sarah Bolger), as well as who is really working for who. Between the MC, Galindo, Lincoln Potter (Ray McKinnon) and Los Olvidados, it’s difficult to keep up with the various conflicting allegiances. Some levity in “Xaman-Ek” was found in Angel and EZ’s various interactions with a gang of steroidal bikers, but it felt like what it was – filler, while the core plots develop in the background. There’s clearly a lot more to come; I just hope the show manages to keep from tripping over itself on the way to wherever it’s going.
