E.Z. Reyes is playing a dangerous game, but after Mayans M.C. Season 5 Episode 7, the same could be said for everyone who survived the bloodiest installment yet.
E.Z.'s rule has been called into question several times since he usurped Bishop to become the leader of the Santo Padre charter.
Love or hate him: He always finds a way to bounce back when the odds are stacked against him.
With three episodes left, I wonder when his luck will run out. I mean, it has to.
Then again, having his luck run out would probably be too similar to the conclusion of Sons of Anarchy.
The thought of Mayans M.C. ending on the same sad note as Sons of Anarchy doesn't spark joy, but what else can we expect from a universe that pits people against each other?
We'll start with Creeper's death because, even though we knew it was coming, it happened following one of the most intense scenes in Mayans M.C. history.
If you watch Mayans M.C. online, you know Creeper was forced to bide his time because E.Z. got him sent to solitary confinement to prevent him from calling and telling the truth about who the rat was.
The worry on E.Z.'s face as Hank picked up the call from the prison was satisfying, even if it only lasted a few minutes.
E.Z. knew there was this slight chance his plan wouldn't work, and Creeper would get to tell Hank the truth before being stabbed by the people he now controls.
Could you imagine the possibilities if Hank was told the truth at that moment? I almost wish we didn't see Creeper on the phone to make us wonder whether something was said, and Hank knew he had to bide his time to unmask E.Z. for what he is.
It also raises a bigger question: Will Katie/Kody, or whatever the heck we should call her, be the one to take E.Z. down when he least expects it?
At this point, E.Z. doesn't know the true extent of Kody's search for answers, and hey, if she knows E.Z. is the rat, what else has she found out while she's been off-screen?
There's also the possibility that, when confronted with the truth, E.Z.'s men won't believe her because she's to blame for Creeper being locked up in the first place.
Kody's history doesn't instill me with the hope she'll be able to avenge Creeper meaningfully, but maybe she'll get it together and avoid rushing to scream at E.Z. when she learns of her boyfriend's demise.
It would be highly satisfying if killing Creeper did open the floodgates for E.Z.'s takedown because his decisions have only been to help himself and the people closest to him.
E.Z. did grab the perfect opportunity to put Jess in the frame as the rat, but I didn't expect Nestor to be the one to kill her.
Throughout Mayans M.C. Season 5, they've carved out this bond that seemed like it would graduate from friendship to relationship, but Nestor's actions were driven by feeling as though she lied to him and his brothers.
Yes, Jess was feeding some information back to her sister and, by extension, the Sons of Anarchy, but she quickly realized it wasn't in her best interests to send back information.
She had a sense of community with the Mayans and was genuinely happy.
Obviously, there were points she witnessed things that terrified her, but overall, she showed in her final episodes she had an allegiance to them.
E.Z. was at peace with his decision to throw the blame onto others, kill them, and think about the consequences later, but the gruesome conclusion that found two members from another Mayans charter dead will come back to haunt everyone.
The series teased a Mayans vs. Mayans war on Mayans M.C. Season 4, and now, it's looking likelier by the day. E.Z. wasn't behind the two killings inside the clubhouse, but he'll be considered responsible by the people outside.
It makes me wonder whether a target around E.Z. is growing bigger or if he'll be able to skate by like he always does.
One person who won't be able to bounce back is Adelita. The beauty of her arc is that she's defied the odds at every opportunity and prepared accordingly.
I figured this episode would be about her mission to kill E.Z. to save her family, but instead, she went rogue, tried to destroy the cartel, and handed the cash to Mini.
Looking at the bigger picture, it seems Adelita drew the line at killing E.Z., so she knew the only way forward was to go out guns blazing, and boy, she really did.
Mini calling Adelita the devil and stabbing her to death was a shocking ending to Adelita, but with the number of enemies she had, I'm surprised she lasted this long.
You could see the shock in Adelita's eyes as the life drained from her. Her protege betraying her seemed to hurt more than the knife wounds she was being dealt.
The sad part is that she knew she was probably not returning from Mexico and left money for Angel and their son, seemingly to make a run for it.
Adelita has drifted in and out of Angel's life ever since Mayans M.C. Season 1, so it seemed more like she was gone and he was expecting her return down the line, which makes her death even harder.
Will he ever learn the truth, or will he always wonder what became of her? It's hard to imagine the cartel not going after him in retaliation for her actions, but maybe his half-brother Miguel could play into the resolution.
Heck, even E.Z.'s ex could play a big part in how the series ends its run.
Emily has been trying her best to keep her hands clean because she didn't want Cristobal to have two killer parents, but something changed in Emily when she was threatened with prison.
She's been away from her son before, and knowing that Miguel could be headed to prison, she knew she had to take stern action to secure her future.
It was cruel that Emily murdered Mrs. Buksar in the same place her son was murdered. I'm not sure Emily will get away with it, but I'm not surprised the murder sent her back into Miguel's arms.
Did she want him to know she did it to save their family, or did she start to understand why her husband has done some despicable things over the years?
It's hard to tell, but my theory that these two will go on the run together is getting closer to reality with each episode.
"To Fear Of Death, I Eat The Stars" was one of the series' best episodes, successfully changing EVERYTHING as we head into the final three episodes.
What are your thoughts on all of those deaths? Do you think Emily is headed to prison?
What will happen when the other charters learn about what happened in the clubhouse?
Are you surprised E.Z. managed to get Creeper killed when he picked up the phone from Hank?
Hit the comments.
Mayans M.C. continues Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.