'Mayans MC' season 2 'Xquic': Clayton Cardenas as Angel delivers his best performance
Spoilers ahead for season 2 episode 5 of 'Mayans MC' titled 'Xquic'
It was a heartbreaking end to a thrilling episode. 'Xquic' revolved around the Mayans and the Galindo cartel working together to rescue Adelita (Carla Baratta). But the cat and mouse chase involving two red herrings before Angel (Clayton Cardenas) and the club find her doesn't end the way they planned.
Adelita tells Angel that she can't escape from Potter (Ray McKinnon). Playing the sacrificial lamb, she must stay back if Potter is to leave politician Montserrat Palomo and the rebels alone. With the police arriving quickly, she tells Angel to leave. EZ (JD Pardo) practically drags him out to flee just as the cops arrive on the scene.
But before Angel finds Adelita he spends most of the episode anxious. He doesn't just have Adelita on his mind. Before getting the news of her capture, Angel had made shocking discoveries about his mother's murder and his father's true identity from when he was in Mexico. But when he meets his father Felipe (Edward James Olmos) this episode, he doesn't confront him and make a scene. Instead, he just collapses on his shoulder and cries.
Afterwards, when Bishop (Michael Irby) tells him he is on the bench as a result of the Swole Boys issue, he is livid. "I'm going to Mexico to find her. If you want to stop me, you got to put a bullet in my back," he yells at Bishop. This leads to a brawl between the two with Bishop visibly winning. In the midst of the brawl he yells out that the baby is his. Once back in the operation Angel finally finds Adelita only to make the dismaying discovery of her plan.
This episode Angel was constantly in a state of conflict -- not only with those around him but also with himself. In 'Lahun Chan', he revealed to EZ how he felt like their parents always preferred EZ over him. This episode -- only as he had made progress on the details of his mother's murder -- he is informed that his baby mama has been taken hostage.
Torn between these situations Angel is restless and finds himself in a tense state throughout. But luckily for him he has EZ by his side. The episode also showed how the Reyes brothers are stronger and better when working together. EZ manages to ground and support him throughout the ordeal. "I'm here," he tells him.
'Mayans MC' airs on Tuesdays at 10 PM on FX.