‘Mayans M.C.’ Season 4 Episode 1 Recap: “Cleansing of the Temple”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Mayans MC Season 4 Episode 1 Recap
JD Pardo as EZ Reyes in ‘Mayans M.C.’ season 4 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Prashant Gupta/FX)

FX’s Mayans M.C. season four episode one picks up seconds after the season three finale, with the Santo Padre charter under attack by men they once considered brothers. After a brief recap of key season three events – Galindo’s escape, Angel’s engagement, Taza’s confession, Coco’s descent into meth hell, and, most importantly, Bishop’s failed attempt to take down the other kings (Ramos and Canche) – episode one finds our guys in dire straits. Yuma, Oakland, and other Mayans charters are armed to the teeth, and with Canche very much alive and leading the attack, the odds are definitely not in Santo Padre’s favor.

Unlike other fight scenes and gun battles, Mayans M.C. writer, director, and executive producer Elgin James decided to make fans squirm (panic, stress out, and become slightly nauseated also apply) by stretching out the fight for the entire episode. By the time it was over I needed a stiff drink and a warm bath. Seriously, how is it possible my stomach muscles hurt when I only watched the mayhem from the safety of my living room?

And now onto the “Cleansing of the Temple” recap…

EZ (JD Pardo) is the first to realize the clubhouse is under attack. Angel (Clayton Cardenas) grabs his bro and races into the clubhouse just as the bullets begin to fly. It’s quickly apparent Santo Padre’s in no way ready for this fight; their gun cabinet’s basically empty of weapons and ammunition.

Ravi is the first to fall as the guys attempt to get into positions to return fire. EZ scrambles up onto the roof and spots Canche (Jimmy Gonzales) – the Yuma president he thought he’d killed in an explosion (in the season three finale). EZ’s able to take out a few Mayans before being spotted.

Canche yells, “I saw you EZ! I’m coming for you, you motherf**ker!”

Tranq (Frankie Loyal) joins EZ on the roof and they come under fire, with Tranq taking a bullet in the leg before they manage to get back inside the building. EZ breaks the news Canche’s alive and well – and out for revenge.

(Just to make it easier to keep track, I’m going to call all of the charters working with Canche “Yuma” while describing the gunfight.)

Tables are moved to block windows and doors, and EZ orders everyone to keep shooting. Yuma disables the lights and Santo Padre’s suddenly plunged into darkness. Candles and flashlights are grabbed but it’s tough to figure out what to shoot when you can’t see any targets.

Bishop (Michael Irby) calls for his guys to figure out how much ammo they have left. They’re stunned to see how little they have to protect themselves with. EZ thinks they need to grab the generator from the other building but there are not enough bullets to provide adequate cover fire. Fortunately, they’ve got plenty of alcohol and can make Molotov cocktails to hold off Yuma.

Only Creeper (Joseph Raymond Lucero) and Angel volunteer to help EZ with the generator retrieval, but Nails (Justina Adorno) doesn’t want her baby daddy to go. Creeper asks for more volunteers and no one steps up – cowards! – so it’s all up to him and EZ.

EZ makes it back onto the roof and immediately gets into a life-or-death fight with a guy who’s somehow gotten on the roof. EZ’s nearly killed but manages to stab his attacker and toss him off the roof.

EZ launches the first Molotov cocktail and Creeper makes it to the outbuilding.

Angel continues to shoot out one of the windows and kills a guy just as he’s climbing over the fence. The dead man is caught on something and dangles in death.

EZ’s pinned down after tossing a couple of Molotov cocktails while Creeper manages to get the generator and heads back to retrieve gas cans. Inside, one of the girls trapped with Santo Padre panics and Bishop gets angry. Nails tells him they’re all scared, calling him a motherf**ker for not understanding their panic.

“We’re going to f**king be all right!” screams Bishop, although there’s absolutely no way they’re all going to be all right.

Meanwhile on the roof, EZ catches fire and one of the more helpful women trapped with the guys puts it out. (She’s also the one who suggested Molotov cocktails in the first place.) Unfortunately, while EZ’s busy trying to stop from being burned to death a Mayan makes it into the building to hunt Creeper. Fortunately, Creeper’s able to take him down but while doing so he attracts more attention.

With the fire out, EZ gets back to work providing cover for Creeper. Creeper makes it to the truck by the gate and pushes the vehicle into the fence, pinning someone’s arm. It’s pretty much a last-ditch effort to keep Yuma out of their yard and it doesn’t work – but at least he tried.

Creeper becomes Yuma’s primary target and he’s hit numerous times, including taking one in the neck, before making it back to the porch. His guys are able to pull him inside.

And suddenly we’re out of the battle and into the peace and relative calm of a truck’s cab. Gilly (Vincent Vargas) has Coco (Richard Cabral) in the passenger seat and is heading to the clubhouse when they come under fire outside the gates. Coco had no idea what went down when he was busy getting high with the meth-heads at the cult camp, and Gilly says by way of explanation, “We blew up Yuma.”

Gilly sends Coco to the nearby van which has half of Santo Padre’s guns and ammunition. Coco doesn’t want to go and Gilly reminds him, “I just saved your ass from a tribe of crackhead murder hippies!”

Coco’s able to get inside but is forced to make a run for it when Yuma launches a Molotov cocktail through the front window. So much for retrieving any firepower!

Back into the middle of the battle we go and Bishop’s ordering his men to shoot only when they have to. They’re almost out of ammo and their odds of survival are decreasing by the minute.

Creeper knows he’s going to bleed out and asks for his neck wound to be cauterized. The screams and sounds of sizzling flesh that follow are why I included nauseating in paragraph two.

The guys have trouble getting the generator to work and Angel doesn’t help matters when he informs everyone Yuma’s getting closer. EZ finally gets the generator to turn on and they set up two spotlights. Bishop tells them to flip the switch on his count but the panicky girl picks the worst time to decide to flee the building. The countdown stops as her body’s riddled with bullets. She flops down in the mud, dying but, regretfully, still conscious and screaming.

Taza, who’s been absolutely useless just drinking himself into oblivion, picks this moment to chime in. “I warned you. I f**king warned all of you.”

Bishop tells him to shut up and Taza (Raoul Max Trujillo) points out Bishop should have just killed him when he had the chance. EZ interrupts their argument, telling both to shut up because he hears footsteps on the roof.

They listen carefully as whoever’s up there makes it to the door. The guys gather at the base of the stairs, ready to shoot. Gilly is one trigger pull away from death as he makes his way down the stairs with Coco.

As they’re describing how they made it through enemy lines, Yuma approaches the front of the building. The generator’s finally put into action, the lights are flipped on, and Santo Padre mows down a line of Mayans.

They’ve succeeded in briefly stalling the charge, however, they’re now down to their last few bullets. Bishop and Taza get into it again and Angel tells them to stop. He’s got too much to live for – and too much to die for.

Mayans MC Season 4 Episode 1 Recap
Michael Irby as Obispo “Bishop” Losa in ‘Mayans M.C.’ season 4 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Prashant Gupta/FX)

Bishop admits he has no idea what to do next. Coco tries to rally the gang but Bishop isn’t ready to allow Coco to take on the role of cheer captain. Bishop demands to know where Coco’s been and Coco throws his daughter under the bus. He doesn’t take any of the blame and claims Gilly was with him helping to save his daughter. (Coco needs to come clean but this probably isn’t the time or the place for true confessions.)

The clubhouse quiets as Canche begins yelling outside. “EZ, I f**king saw you. You f**king missed, now you’re going to f**king die,” screams Canche. All those gathered around him begin chanting “Mayans,” punctuated with rhythmic pounding.

A short while later the chanting continues and the remaining Santo Padre guys appear to have come to terms with their imminent deaths. Angel promises Nails that if he makes it through, he’ll never leave her or the baby. He hands her his gun with one bullet and begs her not to let them hurt the baby.

Tranq makes what he believes could be his final phone call to his mom. Creeper attempts to stay alive, Taza’s passed out, Gilly checks out his gun, and EZ looks around the room. He asks Bishop what they’re doing and Bishop says the plan is to take out as many as possible when they come through the door. After all, this is what they signed up for.

Gilly correctly assesses they have enough left to kill a dozen or so.

EZ’s worried about Nails and the baby. They shouldn’t have to pay the price for Santo Padre’s sins.

EZ places his gun on the floor and yells out for Canche. He’ll give himself up if Canche will let the rest go. Canche reminds EZ he doesn’t have any leverage and confirms he wants to kill them all. EZ says there are innocent people inside and Canche’s quick to respond his son was innocent yet EZ blew up the building while he was inside.

EZ shoulders all the blame and asks for his blood to be the last spilled.

EZ walks outside and stands in front of Canche and the surviving Yuma, Oakland, Stockton, and Portland Mayans gathered behind him. EZ, again, asks for everyone else to be let go.

Before Canche can answer, Angel joins his brother outside. The remaining Santo Padre members, including Bishop, also line up beside EZ.

They engage in an uncomfortable stare-off that ends with Canche saying, “Isn’t this f**king quaint,” and then knocking EZ out.

EZ comes to and is forced to kneel next to his Santo Padre brothers. Canche delivers an emotional monologue about the bombing and how it stole his son’s sight. Canche describes those who were injured and killed in the explosion and demands to know if Santo Padre celebrated after the attack.

Canche laughs as he confirms Ibarra’s wife will need to have a closed casket funeral for her husband. He adds so will all of the families of the Santo Padre men kneeling in front of him. His statement’s punctuated by the execution of the man directly to EZ’s left.

Canche reminds Bishop and his men Ramos only wanted what was best for the club and yet Santo Padre shot him in the face. Canche describes Santo Padre as rabid animals that need to be put down, and then bends down to EZ’s level. He places his gun under EZ’s chin but then takes it away and puts it under Angel’s. “You came at my family. Now I come after yours,” snarls Canche.

Canche orders EZ to look at his brother as he kills him, but it’s actually a different Mayan who falls dead.

Canche stands as Marcus Alvarez (Emilio Rivera) appears out of nowhere and asks what he’s done. Marcus calmly walks through the group and hits one man who seems ready to shoot him. “You going to point a gun at me, mother**ker?!” (Stupid move, man. Very stupid move.)

Canche explains he didn’t start this fight and Marcus briefly looks at Angel and EZ before addressing Bishop. He asks Bishop what he’s done and then yells, “This is my f**king club. You f**king hear me? You f**king hear me?! THIS IS MY F**KING CLUB!”

Mayans M.C. season four episode one ends with a dedication to “our brother, Roel Navarro.” Navarro played Pavia in eight episodes including the season three finale.




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