‘Queen of the South’ Series Finale Recap: For Teresa. Is It Really Farewell to the Queen?
It’s over. Five years ago, Queen of the South fans met Teresa Mendoza, a young woman in love with her hustler boyfriend Guero. Caught up in his mess, she survived the hammer that Epifanio and Camila’s cartel dropped on her. At times, it cost her. At times, it hurt. But Teresa made it easy to root for her in this TV show.
Season 5 stressed viewers out as she faced multiple threats to her business and life. Lafayette. Kostya. Boaz. Devon. And after the penultimate episode, the gunshot scene from way back in season 1 came true. Here we are that the series finale, and it’s not just for Teresita, but for Pote, Kelly Anne, King George, Tony, Brenda, and James. Here’s a recap.
[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Queen of the South Series Finale, “El Final”]
Pote says goodbye to Teresa
It’s 24 hours after Teresa took a bullet. Pote enters the morgue as Oksana’s daughter Samara gives a tearful witness statement to the police. A flashback shows Pote weeping over Teresa’s body as he slams the door in Samara’s face.
Pote, alone in a motel room, drinks his sorrows away. Another flashback shows Pote telling Teresa that George’s people have things arranged in Belize for them. They reminisce over George, and Teresa says when they die, scatter their ashes in Culiacán.
It’s present day and Samara meets with Pote; he hands her money. Pote promises to carry out Teresa’s wishes, but Samara knows he will do what a sicario does.
Meanwhile, James slinks into the Belize police department’s office to photograph proof of Teresa’s crime scene. SHE’S DEAD!
Kelly Anne calls Pote to check in, and he explains he must handle business in Mexico alone. He warns her to lay low. After hanging up, he signs off on Teresa’s cremation paperwork. They slip a covered body into the fire. WTF? Is this really happening?
Boaz takes over
Back in the U.S., Devon meets with Boaz, who’s bought Teresa’s house in New Orleans. He’s taken over the drug game, but he’s worried Pote will find him. Devon assures him someone is tracking Pote in Mexico.
In another scene, Chicho meets with a local man on the side of a road who smuggled someone over the border. It’s Pote! They talk about Teresa’s death, take stock of their guns, and drive toward Sinaloa for revenge.
In New Orleans, Marcel attempts to go straight, but he has a ruined reputation. Boaz barges in and offers to do business now that Teresa is gone. Marcel doesn’t bite, and Boaz threatens to kill him if he jumps back into the drug trade.
Pote and Chicho stop, and Pote climbs a hill to scatter Teresa’s ashes. Whose heart isn’t aching right now?
James calls Devon from Sinaloa. He wants to ensure they’re done, and Devon agrees. Lies. When he hops in his vehicle, he finds evidence there’s a bomb. He gets out the car, and an assassin shoots at him. James kills him and finds photos on his phone of Pote and Kelly Anne. James calls Pote to warn him.
Pote calls Kelly Anne to give her instructions and doesn’t realize Boaz’s henchmen are following them. Devon’s goons arrive at Kelly Anne’s and she slips out just in time, but not before watching her neighbor take a bullet. Pote and Chicho evade the shooters and carjack an innocent.
Kelly Anne gets to the safe house. Pote and Chicho get a flat tire, and while Chicho is off asking for a jack, the cops roll up and offer to help. A BOLO alerts the cops about two suspects, and they arrest Pote. Chicho gets away.
Things look dire for Pote
Kelly Anne is antsy, and the two goons track her to the motel. Chicho visits Pote in jail, and updates him on Kelly Anne and James. Kelly Anne was not at the motel when Chicho arrived, and James is in the wind. Pote says he’s taking a plea deal for the carjacking and will do 3-4 years.
Devon pops up on Boaz in New Orleans, and he’s snorting cocaine next to Kelly Anne’s neighbor’s mutilated body. Devon tells him about Pote, and Boaz wants to put a hit on him in jail. Devon tells him to stand down. It doesn’t go over well.
Guards move Pote to protective custody and say the order came from higher up. The scene flashes forward four years. Pote leaves prison and Chicho is waiting for him. Pote’s ready to kill Boaz.
Marcel calls Boaz to tell him about Pote’s release but puts a high price tag on the information. He guarantees that Boaz will find Pote at his bar tonight. During this conversation, Marcel’s furniture is moved out of his office.
Chicho gifts Pote with a new gun in their trailer hideout. Though Pote didn’t want to know, Chicho couldn’t find Kelly Anne. Marcel pulls up and he plans to double cross Boaz. But Boaz is outside the trailer blasting a machine gun. Pote and Marcel get away but Pote takes Chicho.
Boaz receives an unholy death
Boaz is torturing Chicho in the bar when Pote walks in. They beat him, and Boaz is about to shoot him until Pote challenges him to a sicario fight. Boaz agrees. They have a brutal knife fight, and it looks like Pote is losing with a knife stuck in his arm.
He rallies! He stabs and stabs and stabs Boaz, gutting him like a pig from his navel to his neck. Then he cuts his throat. For Kelly Anne! For Teresa! Boaz is finally DEAD.
After challenging the rest of Boaz’s crew, he grabs Chicho. The next day, Pote meets with Marcel and Chicho. He plans to disappear, but hands Marcel some papers and says, “After all you and Teresa went through, she still considered you family.” It’s a deed and money for the waterfront property. Chicho receives the bar.
Teresa is alive, but the Queen is dead
In a closing scene, Pote walks on a beach where a little girl is playing. He approaches her. It’s his daughter and Kelly Anne! They walk up to the house and James walks out. We learn that he saved Kelly Anne at the motel. Then Teresita walks out. She’s alive!
A flashback shows how they planned her fake death. Samara was the perfect witness, and the morgue staff received payment. She bought a boat two years in advance, and that’s how she escaped. They fooled Devon and everyone else.
Only these four know the truth, and this time, Teresa’s cooking a meal for Pote. They’re a family, living a quiet, new life. It’s hard not to cry. To Moyocoyotzin! Salud.
