Queen of the South Season 4 Episode 1 Review: Bienvenidos A Nueva Orleans
Christine Orlando
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There's no question that Queen of the South Season 4 Episode 1 has a new vibe as Teresa moves her empire to New Orleans and trades in her white business suit for white motorcycle leathers.
But it's clear that her goal of getting a footing in a legitimate business in America won't come easily.
The culture of corruption, not to mention racism, has the lines between legal and illegal looking blurry at best and it's going to take all of Teresa's skill to pull this off.
Has she underestimated how difficult this latest step in building her empire will be?
Running a cartel is like driving a motorcycle a hundred miles an hour in traffic, any miscalculation, any mistake can have fatal consequences.
Teresa
Teresa is juggling a lot of proverbial balls in the air right now.
First, is her partnership with Castel.
Related: Queen of the South's Alice Braga Talks Spoilers, Romance, and Bodyguards
Even though it appears to be paying off already, the woman had the charges against Teresa dropped for killing Epifanio Vargas.
But Teresa was the first person Castel thought of when she heard that someone was cutting into her territory in Colombia.
Castel: You know in this line of work there's an enemy in every corner.
Teresa: That doesn't mean we need to create them where they don't exist.
Once Teresa gives her word, she keeps it, but it takes people time to figure that out. especially in this world.
Take Boaz.
Boaz doesn't like having to answer to anyone, so it was only a matter of time before he became a problem for Teresa.
I practically laughed when Boaz gave his word that he wouldn't torture anyone to find out who stole from them.
How do you trust someone who murdered his brother on a whim?
We didn't see Camila Vargas during the premiere or her daughter, Isabel, but I'd be shocked if they don't show up at some point during Queen of the South season 4.
But there will be plenty of new players to challenge Teresa.
The club owner down the road, Marcel Dumas, put Teresa on edge and rightfully so. I wonder if she ate those pralines because I don't think I would.
Judge Cecil Lafayette was just plain creepy. How many bodies do you think are buried in his rose garden, because I don't think he was kidding about human blood being their secret ingredient.
El Gordo was your typical egotistical drug kingpin with too much temper and too little self-control, but in the end, Teresa brought him around...
I like money more than murder. You've got balls, flaca.
El Gordo
You'd have to have balls to walk into a crazy man's territory unarmed, knowing he wants to kill you, step on to the plastic wrap laid out on the floor without flinching, and walk out with a business deal.
But that's Teresa. She doesn't react emotionally. She doesn't take the bait. She thinks things through logically and not only outplays her opponent but brings them over to her way of thinking.
We also can't forget to mention El Gordo's penchant for throwing black-tie cock fighting events which lead to one of the best Queen of the South quotes of the hour...
Javiar: We're in for Gordo's fight. Fifty thousand buy in. There's a dress code.
Pote: A dress code for a cock fight? I miss Mexico.
Even with Guero dead and James gone, Teresa still has her loyal inner circle.
It was good to see King George again. His crazy antics have been dialed down since his debut, perhaps due to Teresa's good influence and the toll of personal losses, but I love how close he and Teresa have become.
And then there was Teresa's gift of a beautiful home, complete with gourmet kitchen for Pote.
Pote: Nobody has ever done something like this for me.
Teresa: You deserve it. You work hard, you protect me, you counsel me. You're my friend, my family.
Teresa would never have survived or thrived the way she has without her loyal friend and bodyguard, and it was clear she knew that.
The look on Pote's face as he saw that kitchen and realized it was a gift for him made me want to hug him. He was in such awe.
Teresa: After everything we've been through, this is a new start.
Pote: It seems like since we've moved here, you need less of me.
Teresa: Everyone I've loved is gone except for you. I will always need you by my side.
But Pote's right, if he's living elsewhere, he can't protect Teresa, and if she thinks she only needs him during working hours, the visit from Judge Lafayette's officer should show her how vulnerable she is.
Finally, we get to Teresa's love life.
In my interview with Alica Braga, I asked if Teresa would find some romance even though James and Guero are out of the picture. She mentioned that we'd find hints in the latest video promo for the new season.
I've always felt some heat between Teresa and Javiar. They don't share the connection that she and James did, but there's definitely an attraction there.
Plus, it appears that Javier has her back with his cousin, Boaz, but we'll see how far that will go.
What I wasn't expecting was Teresa getting involved with someone completely outside her world.
Eddie is handsome and charming. Their music lessons have taken a personal turn, and Teresa's still working on her scales.
I just hope that this new connection doesn't end up being another liability for Teresa.
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And is someone trying to kill Tony while he's off at some boarding school or is he overreacting?
Teresa has worked hard to keep him out of the world of the cartel after both his parents got killed, but will this latest crisis have her moving him closer?
It feels good to have the queen back wearing her crown, even if she continues to have to fight for it.
Check back for my review of Queen of the South Season 4 Episode 2, and until then, you can watch Queen of the South online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
