El Beso de Judas

El Beso de Judas is the 17th episode in the series. It translates to "The Kiss of Judas." It premiered on June 29, 2017.

Plot synopsis[]

Teresa's loyalties are tested when she is ordered to hunt down and kill a DEA mole. After learning the DEA has an informant, James sets a trap to find out who it is. A wedding in Sinaloa brings together Camila, Epifañio, and Jimenez.

Plot[]

Mexico[]

The camera takes us through a radio station. On the radio, it is said that Epifaño didn't appreciate the song that was performed for him. Inside the station, the walls are covered in blood and there are bodies on the floor.

36 Hours Earlier[]

Mexico[]

Colonel Cortez and Epifañio are in a limo together. Cortez shows him a magazine about the drones he's purchased, claiming that they'll solve all of their problems. Cortez tells him that their real problem is Camila, and Epifaño tells him to be careful, because he's talking about the mother of his child.

Outside the limo, a masked gunman fires on the limosine. Cortez tells him to get down and gets out, firing on their attackers. He kills some of them but a black truck gets away.

Safe house in Texas[]

Teresa is outside lighting matches. She has a flashback of Guero lighting a match, having her blow it out, then lighting it again. Teresa is delighted and asks him how he did it. She tries to figure it out, and is brought back to the present when James asks her if she's alright. Teresa tells him that she's fine and he says that something's come up and he needs her inside.

Phone call: Safe house in Texas vs. Jimenez ranch[]

Camila is smoking and on the phone with Don Manuel Jimenez. She tells him that his shipment will arrive in Galveston tomorrow and her people will be there to pick it up. Jimenez tells her that he admires that she runs a tight ship. He says that he looks forward to celebrating their new partnership at his godson Nico's wedding. She reminds him that Sinaloa is still a very dangerous place for her. Jimenez tells her that if she's worried about her safety, he can send his plane and his bodyguards to escort her. Manuel says that his brother, Boaz, will be there and he wants to personally thank her for rescuing him from the DEA. Camila asks after him and Manuel says that Boaz is a pain in his ass, and if his mother weren't alive, he would have made her put a bullet in his head. Boaz overhears this as he hides behind a post in the stable.

Inside the safe house[]

Camila goes inside to find James speaking with a police officer. Officer Denny tells them that after the raid, he got close to one of the DEA agents, and according to her, they have an informant who led them to the warehouse. He doesn't know the name of the informant, but he's working on it. Camila tells him to keep them updated and Denny leaves.

James says that without a name, they don't know how exposed they are. Camila says that she's not taking any chances, and they are to hunt down and kill the rat.

Epifaño's home in Mexico[]

Cortez says that it was a coordinated attack, starting with the tunnels. Epifaño insists that they don't know if Camila was behind this. Isabela hugs him as he comes inside and tells him that she was worried about him. He promises her that he's not going anywhere, and tells her to wait for him in the den. Epifaño says that the people that did this are rabid dogs and they need to be put down. Cortez asks what will happen if it was Camila, and he says that she'll meet the same fate.

Epifaño's den[]

Epifaño asks Isabela if she's alright, and she shakes her head no. Isabela asks if she was being naive for thinking that once he became governor, she could stop worrying that he would be gunned down in the streets. Epifaño lies and tells her that that part of their lives is over and he's just a governor now.

Safe house[]

James tells Camila that Manuel's bodyguards are waiting downstairs for her. Camila asks him if he believes in omens. When she woke up that morning, there was a crow sitting in the windowsill. James says that there was an assassination attempt on Epifaño that morning, but Isabela is fine and she wasn't with him; he escaped without a scratch. Camila is relieved that Epifaño survived because his death would devastate Isabela.

Guero's motel[]

Teresa knocks on Guero's door to warn him. The door is unlocked and she goes inside. Pote appears in the doorway behind her, pushing her inside and holding a gun to her head. You spared my life in Mexico just to put me in an American prison? Teresa swears that she's not a rat. He demands to know who she went there to meet. She admits that it's Guero and that he's still alive.

Camila's warehouse[]

Guero walks in as Detective Loya is speaking to a woman, telling her that he needs her. The two of them push Guero into a wall. Agent Finnerman says that he just called Interpol about him. Guero says that he wasn't running, he just wanted to clear his head. Loya calls bullshit and says that he went off to see Teresa and probably tried to convince her to run away with him. Loya says that she chose a cartel over him. Guero says that they're right, and now he doesn't have a reason to protect her, and that he came back to help them catch her.

Guero's motel room[]

Pote answers a call from James, who tells him that Denny came through. Pote says that Denny has a line on her rat, and she's going to have to choose between him and them.

Culicán, Mexico[]

Camila strides into Nico's wedding and meets up with Don Manuel, greeting people as she goes. Boaz is drunk and Manuel tells him to get ahold of himself.

Warehouse[]

Finnerman asks Guero if he recognizes someone that they're interrogating. Guero says that it's Rivas and he's working with the Jimenez cartel. Rivas claims that Jimenez is smuggling 200 kilos into Galveston for Camila. Guero advises them to take the deal and make the bust.

Nico's wedding[]

Manuel and Camila lead a toast. Camila gives a speech to the newlyweds, but is interrupted by Epifaño, who enters with a bunch of soldiers. Boaz had invited them. Epifaño offers a toast to the newlyweds. Epifaño tells Camila that he just requested their song and asks her to humor him, because he nearly died that day.

Warehouse[]

Denny calls his girlfriend in the DEA, Valerie Postak, and sweet talks her. She says she'll join her at the Willow Street house in an hour.

Willow Street house[]

Pote and The Charger roll out plastic wrap over the floor. They plan to use her to get the name of the rat, then kill her.

Nico's wedding[]

Epifaño and Camila are alone on the dancefloor. She tells him that she didn't order the assassination attempt. Camila confirms that she blew up the tunnel, but the assassination attempt wasn't her. Epifaño tells her that he misses this. She thanks him for the dance and leaves.

Willow Street house[]

Agent Postak pulls up outside and primps in her car. Teresa takes Denny's phone off the kitchen island and uses it to warn her, telling her that his wife is home and she needs to leave. The Charger realizes that she's leaving and James asks what the hell just happened as Teresa replaces the phone. She is caught doing this by Pote.

Nico's wedding[]

James calls Camila and tells her that it didn't work out because something spooked the agent. Camila tells him to go to Galveston now, because that shipment is their last chance to rebuild their business.

Camila finds Isabela at the wedding and tells her that she looks beautiful in that dress. Camila reminds her that she's been trying to get ahold of her for weeks. Isabela shoots back that Camila is the one who left. Isabela tells her that she doesn't want anything to do with the cartel world or anything in it. Camila tells her that one day she's going to realize that her father isn't who she thinks, and then she'll realize how unfair she's been to her.

Epifaño brags about his limo, which is fully armored, like the president of the United States' is. Manuel asks what all this is about, and Epifaño tells him that he needs to be more relaxes like his brother. Epifaño says that he's come to renew his peace accord.

Outside the limo, Kique Jimenez greets Olivia and asks who she's with, kissing Isabela's hand. Kique's cousin, Pedro, calls her la narco princesa. Isabela is offended and tells him that her father's not part of the cartels anymore. Pedro apologizes, saying that he wouldn't want him siccing the army on him. Kique tells him that he's being an asshole and Pedro leaves. Kique asks Isabela if she really believes that her father's out of the business, and she confirms it. Kique tells her that it's cool that he's got her to defend him.

While Manuel is refusing Epifaño's order to work for him, Boaz shoots him in the head. Epifaño is shocked at this turn of events.

Texas[]

James has a bad feeling about the pickup.

Mexico[]

Epifaño asks Cortez what he offered Boaz, and he says that Boaz will be overseeing the day-to-day operations. Epifaño is upset that he's handed him the reins to the business. Cortez tells him that it was Manuel who was behind the assassination attempt. Epifaño calls Boaz a Judas, and Cortez says that yes, he is, but he's their Judas.

Inside, the band plays a song they've dedicated to Epifaño Vargas.

Galveston Shipping Yard[]

Finnerman is waiting for the Vargas cartel at the yard. He tells Guero that he'll have the 12 minute car ride back to the office to convince Teresa to snitch on Camila.

Mexico[]

The band continues with the song, much to Epifaño's displeasure. It tells the story of Epifaño, and how the Crocodile killed his parents, so he swore revenge and became the biggest trafficker in Mexico before becoming governor. A tear runs down Isabela's face as she realizes her father has lied to her, and Epifaño tells Cortez to shut the band down.

Galveston Shipping Yard[]

James instructs the Charger to check out the shipment and make sure it's good. The Charger enters the truck and tests the cocaine. Outside, James hears the caws of a raven. The Charger accepts the keys from the driver as Finnerman tells his agents to prepare to move. Teresa tells James that they should get out of there as he continues to watch the raven. As the Charger approaches the door to the truck, sirens are heard coming around the corner. The Charger dives into James' van and they try to escape, slipping on masks, but are boxed in by the DEA. Teresa looks outside her passenger window and sees Guero looking back at her from the backseat of the DEA's car. Her heartbeat becomes audible.

The sicarios and narcos enter a warehouse, with The Charger and Pote going one way and James and Teresa staying together. Finnerman orders Loya to stay there and watch Guero before commanding the narcos to come outside.

Queen_of_the_South_2x04_ep_el_beso_de_judas

Teresa asks James how they're going to get out of there. James says that they're not, she is. Teresa tells him no, that they can do this. James tells her that it's okay before heading off to act as a distraction so Teresa can escape.

When Loya points out Teresa running across the roof, saying that it doesn't look like Guero will get a chance to say goodbye, Guero knocks him out and takes his gun.

Guero and Teresa come face to face inside the warehouse, each holding a gun to each other. He tells her that he's here to help her and he was just trying to buy some time. Finnerman interrupts them and instructs them to put down their weapons, coming up behind Guero and kicking him. As Guero goes down, he draws his gun and shoots Finnerman. Guero backs up so he's closer to Teresa, and when Finnerman moves, James shoots him.

Teresa puts herself between James and Guero, telling James that he's with them. James realizes that Guero is the rat. They've just killed a DEA agent, and they need to get out of there, so they run.

Loya comes in and tries to shake Finnerman awake, but he's already gone.

Safe house[]

As Camila and James come downstairs, Teresa tells them not to shoot Guero. Camila asks Teresa if she knew he was alive, and she lies that she didn't.

Guero tells Camila that all the information he gave the DEA were dead ends, and he can connect her with a new supplier, El Santo. Camila says that El Santo's a mad man and he says that he's the last chance she's got.

Epifaño's car, Mexico[]

Isabela is still upset with her father, and when he tries to take her hand, she pull away.

Radio station, Mexico[]

Cortez shoots someone in the head. He takes a puff of weed and says this is my favorite part, turning up the song that angered Epifaño.

Appearances[]

Quotes[]

Isabela: When you became governor, I thought we were through with that life, through with having to worry that someone was gonna kill you in the streets. Was I wrong? Was I being naive? Tell me.
- Epifaño: No. You're not wrong. That part of my life, of our lives, is over... I'm just a governor now, that's all. I had to rage war on the cartel and rid the streets of violence once and for all. And as a result, there are people who want nothing more than to see me dead. And someday, God forbid, if they succeed, I pray that you remember me not as the man I was, but as the man that I aspire to me. The man that wants nothing more than to make his daughter proud.
- Isabela: I am, Papi. I'm so proud of you.
James: You're relieved?
- Camila: Epifaño's a bastard. But he's still Isabela's father. If something would happen to him, Isabela would be devastated.
- James: We're at war. One way or another, she's going to have her heart broken.
James: I don't believe in omens. I believe in survival instinct. Like the one that tells me to stay away from wounded lions.
James, to Teresa: Look, I don't like it any more than you do, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect us.
Isabela: You're the one who left. Dad turned his back on the cartel, and you turned your back on us.
Teresa: How are we going to get out of here?
- James: We're not. You are.
Guero: I love you.
- Teresa: Bullshit.
- Guero: I'm with you. I always will be.
Guero: El Santo's the last chance you got. You need to go to Bolivia.

Songs[]

Leon de Culiacan by Espinoza Paz
Querida Mia by APM
No Te Vayas by Javier Solís
El Mercado by APM
Mexican Nostalgia by APM
Mala Praxis by Italia Renata

Notes & trivia[]

Guero is staying in motel room 7.
This is the first time James interacts with Guero onscreen.
Teresa steps in between James and Guero so that neither will shoot and kill the other.
Writer Ben Lobato made a cameo in this episode as the singer who gets pulled off the stage. He also wrote the song.

Parallels (contains spoilers)[]

2x04	2x11
James, to Teresa: I don't like it anymore than you do, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect us.	James, to Teresa: But if you come back with me, I can fix this. I'll protect you.

2x04	3x??
Epifaño tries to take Isabela's hand, which is resting on the seat between them, and she pulls away.	Cortez tries to take Isabela's hand, which is resting on the seat between them.