Queen of the South Episode 2.06 El Camino de la Muerte (The Road of Death)

Captured by narco-cult leader El Santo, Teresa embarks on a spiritual journey with real-world consequences.

Staying Alive

After being on the brink of drowning, Teresa wakes up in chains in a dark cell, somewhere in Bolivia. Suddenly, a little girl in a devil mask appears and greets her kindly. The girl says she is Teresa's protector, so she unchains her and takes her out of the cell. She's been there two days unconscious. "Give me your hand and you'll be invisible," the girl says. They walk together and on their path there are more people in cells, along with animals and some workers making cocaine. Then, they reach a patio and find people playing some kind of game. This mysterious building looks like the site of a cult. Finally, Teresa sees familiar faces -- Guero and James, who are walking also with their own little companions. Indeed, they seem to be invisible, but when Teresa tries to, everybody runs after her. Güero and James try to escape, too. The little "devil girl" reaches Teresa again and as soon as she holds her hands, our hero is invisible again. It's time to see the Leader.

Meet El Santo

Teresa, Guero, and James are back in a cell, and from a dark corner they hear a voice. It's El Santo, the leader of that strange cult. Teresa tells him they are there because they want to make contact with him and persuade him to become their cocaine provider. But things won't be easy. El Santo refers to cocaine as some kind of pure, divine element to spread his sinister creed, but she replies they are precisely looking for that kind of purity. El Santo seems to agree to closing a deal with them, but he warns he won't sell 100 or 200 kilos. It's a ton, or nothing. Teresa agrees, but the guy has an additional demand. If they want the drug, one of them must die...

Time for atonement

Back in their cell, Teresa, Guero, and James discuss who of them must die. It's impossible to choose one, so when Teresa's protector comes and asks for their decision, Teresa says she will be the victim herself. Guero and James want to stop her, but it's too late. Teresa is already on her way to her demise.

El Santo is waiting for her in a chapel where he's bleeding people he calls enemies. But when he is about to kill her, he says she's already given her heart away, so he fills a cup with blood, draws a cross on her forehead with it, and gives her to eat a strange insect, wishing her, "Buena muerte"--Good death.

Mother and daughter

Isabella is getting to understand who her father really is. So when she accidentally sees a flirty woman leaving her father's office, she feels fed up. The woman explains she's just there for business, but Isabella knows it's a lie. Then, abruptly, Isabella decides to leave Mexico and go to Dallas to come to terms with her mother, Camila.

When Camila sees her daughter knocking on her door, she can barely believe it. They hug and then Camila decides to cook chilaquiles for her. They look happy and willing to forgive each other. But when Camila tells Isabella she's already signed the papers to divorce from Epifanio, her daughter feels betrayed and leaves her mother once again -- without even saying goodbye.

Alternate realities

Teresa, Guero and James are leaving Bolivia for Chile on a truck loaded with drugs. They take "El Camino de la Muerte," the Road of Death, and find a post of local soldiers. They just can't avoid them so Teresa decides to pull up, gets out of the vehicle, and tries to sweet-talk her way out of the situation. However, there's nothing she can say to skip the post, because the soldiers are La Capitana's men, and they have orders to stop and kill Teresa Mendoza and her friends.

So they open fire. James fires back and kills them all, but a bullet gets Güero, who falls dead to the ground.

Teresa and James manage to escape and they are taking Guero's body with them. All of a sudden, Teresa wakes up from a dream. She's still in the chapel in front of El Santo, and she understands it wasn't a dream but a vision. So everything happens again. One more time, they are in the truck on El Camino de la Muerte. Teresa knows she's been here before. They find the military post again, but instead of talking to the soldiers, she and her friends escape into the jungle. Everything is confusing. Teresa's little protector is with her, guiding her steps. Suddenly, Teresa finds James, who tries to calm her down. They hug, they kiss, and right at that moment, Guero shows up and shoots James to death.

Teresa's choice

James's death was a vision once again. Teresa is actually still in El Santo's chapel and in this threshold between fantasy and reality, she sees her future self, the Queen of the South, giving her an ominous message, "You have to choose." Either James or Güero, one of them must die. "It’s time to make yourself, Teresa", El Santo says. "You are one of us now."

The final fight

So they all pack and leave El Santo's den, just like in Teresa's visions, only this time they find some locals blocking the road. It's an ambush! La Capitana's soldiers don't take long to show up and open fire at them. Teresa flees into the jungle and finally finds her nemesis among the bushes: La Capitana. They fight furiously. And when Teresa is about to die strangled in the mud, she collects back her strength, punches her enemy on the face and hits her viciously with a rock, screaming to the top of her lungs. Finally, after so many brawls, La Capitana is dead.

James vs. Guero

James and Guero have also escaped into the jungle, and when they are completely alone James points his gun at Güero to kill him. But before this happens, a soldier shoots at James on his shoulder while Guero takes his gun out and kills the soldier. So they are even... for now. They get back to the road to find Teresa covered in blood and mud. She looks at them, devastated. Deep inside, she knows one of her friends will have to go.