Mayans M.C. is not wasting a single scene, with Mayans M.C. Season 3 Episode 5 emerging as one of the most nail-biting hours of the series, proving once again that the series is getting better with age.

If you had asked me at the start of the season if I thought harm would come to EZ, I would have laughed in your face, but Mayans M.C. Season 3 is firing from all cylinders.

The big surprise from the final scene is that Gaby lived to tell the tale. Having EZ be the one to be shot subverted expectations, much like the series has been doing throughout this latest batch of episodes.

EZ was on a high after leading his people to success by getting the drugs over the border, but little did he know that Coco was causing problems and that the plan would not work.

Even if EZ listened to Bishop and stopped scheming at the border, the Mayans' other factions would have probably still come knocking for revenge.

The Santo Padre charter has not been on the best of terms with the others for some time now, and now that they're taking shots at each other, it's only a matter of time before something much bigger happens.

EZ getting shot will solidify to Bishop and the rest of the charter that they need to start making plans to fight back or run the risk of being made extinct before the end of the season.

I'm not sure what this means for EZ and Gaby. Assuming EZ lives, Gaby will likely be harmed on an emotional level after what happened. She decided to let EZ back into her life, only for her to almost being killed.

That's going to sting, and if she ultimately cuts EZ out, he will embrace the darkness more so than before. It's also possible EZ will want to cool things off with Gaby and revert to the way he was in prison.

He was vocal about losing everything in the inside so that you don't have any weaknesses. Being pursued by many different factions is a recipe for disaster, so it remains to be seen how he will react.

Bishop and the other member of the Santo Padre charter will be on high alert, which could also signal the end for Coco.

If you watch Mayans M.C. online, you know Coco has been battling with his addiction for a while now, but now that he's fully immersed in the inner workings of Meth Mountain, he's a liability that will need to be handled.

It's not out of the realm of possibility to think Bishop will point the finger somewhat at Coco. Everyone slowly realizes he's too far gone, and the point they draw the line will be when they learn that he intentionally cut the tarp to steal some of the drugs.

It's quite the juxtaposition for Coco, but Richard Cabral is throwing it out of the park every week with his performance of this man who is slowly losing everything.

Felipe and Miguel's conversation about Dita gave us a rare moment of vulnerability for Miguel. He's been causing problems left, right, and center for too long, but he's the type of character that excels when the layers are peeled back on him.

He has a newfound respect for Felipe, but I couldn't rule out Miguel taking the news much worse. He's been a firecracker who changes his mind like the weather, and there's still a chance he will use the photo against the Reyes family at some point down the line.

The vulnerability for Miguel finally allowed him to let Emily back in. A few episodes ago, I would have said their relationship was dead in the water, but we're now getting somewhere with them.

The timing of Erin saying she thought Emily was strong was impeccable, however. Emily has obviously changed her demeanor over the years since her sister last saw her, and it seems like Erin deems her sister weak while she's with Miguel.

It was flawlessly highlighted when Emily didn't drag Miguel for his actions but instead got into bed with him. There's going to be a conflict between the sisters if Erin feels like Emily is still being played.

Angel taking the ring to Adelita was quite the surprise, but it seems like he's asking her to marry him more so out of guilt for what happened to her.

Did he think Adelita's emotional scars would just disappear when he brought her the ring? It wasn't a well-thought-out plan, but he is also affected by her return and their past.

On a show like Mayans M.C., happiness is a foreign concept, so it's probably best to think that the relationships will implode and the deaths will mount.

There are so many different factions at play here, but I hope that the series balances it out in the coming episodes. We're at a point where any character could die, and there would be a long list of suspects.

That's pretty terrifying.

What did you think of the tense shootout at the end of the episode? Do you think Coco needs to be found out? What did you think of Miguel's heart-to-heart with Felipe?

Hit the comments below.

Mayans M.C. continues Tuesdays at 10/9c.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.