#Queen of the South Season 5 Episode 9 Review: A Prueba De Balas (Bulletproof)

Where to even begin? Queen of the South Season 5 Episode 9 was packed full of action and character moments. The hour flew by, and I’m still catching my breath. 

That Oksana had a daughter who helps reveal Kostya’s identity should feel like a contrived plot device, yet it doesn’t. 

Teresa hid Tony for years, and when she brought him into the light, he was blown up by a car bomb meant for her. It makes sense that Oksana would hide her daughter to keep her safe.

Plus, Amara is now considered family by Teresa, James, and Pote. Oksana lost her life because she was Teresa’s ally; they won’t forget that. Including Amara in this group makes me wish we had another season to see how that dynamic plays out. 

Alas, we only have one more episode. 

Despite now having Kostya’s identity, Devon still wants Teresa to kill him, and why not? If she fails or gets caught, they get to blame a drug cartel for the murder of a Russian official and keep the CIA’s hands clean. 

If she succeeds, she becomes one of their most powerful and valuable assets. 

Devon: Teresa, you do this for me you will be the largest, most powerful cartel in the world and you can finish building your shiny American dream. Kostya is an enemy of the state. Now, you can be an instrument to defend our democracy or a casualty of it. You choose.

Teresa: What you’re asking me is impossible.

Devon: You were a money changer on the streets of Sinaloa. What you’ve already achieved is impossible. I have no doubt, you’ll find a way.

With Kostya getting his cocaine shipments from Boaz, he has no reason to deal with Teresa at all.

And let’s talk about Boaz’s new method of distribution for a moment. Yes, putting the liquid cocaine into IV bags and shipping it as medical supplies is brilliant in that it’s far easier to ship it undetected, but if one bag is somehow misplaced or set aside for medical use, the consequences will be disastrous. 

For whatever reason, someone accidentally drinking the liquid cocaine as Tequila never worried me nearly as much as seeing those “medical supplies.”

That Boaz is still alive boggles my mind. The man is a snake, able to slither away and pop back up to strike where you least expect him. 

I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with the end of the series if I don’t see him dead.

As James pointed out, this is a suicide mission, and Teresa knows it. Neither of them expects her to walk out of that meeting alive which is why James tells her he loves her, and they spend their last afternoon together making love. 

That Teresa allowed herself these last hours of joy spoke to how little confidence she had in the plan. If she believed it was going to work, I doubt she would have let herself have these wonderful moments with James, never mind admit that she loves him too. 

At the meeting with Kostya, I kept expecting him to switch glasses with her, but he never did. He assumed any poison would be in the Tequila, not coating the glass. 

Seeing the realization that he’d been bested cross his face as the blood dripped from his nose was highly gratifying. 

But if it wasn’t for the arrival of the calvary, I think his men likely would have killed Teresa before they made a run for it. 

Thankfully, Pote came to Teresa’s rescue. 

I would be remiss not to talk about Pote and Kelly Anne in the suburbs. 

Kelly Anne: She was so sweet.

Pote: (about the cookies) They might be poisoned.

Kelly Anne: Oh, come on.

There’s no way to shut off the constant adrenaline that comes from living life on the edge. I was oddly relieved that Pote had their normal suburban home armed to the teeth. They were on their own, not knowing if anyone from their recent past had tracked them down. 

What was sweetly surprising was how quickly they started to adjust to a normal life. Kelly Anne made friends with the neighbors. And murdering a raccoon breaking into the trash only managed to bond Pote and the husband next door.

Watching Pote play soccer with the kids made me wish they could stay there and raise their child without fear. But even when Chicho called, and Pote turned him down, I still knew it wouldn’t last.

Pote: I’m not with Teresa anymore. I’m retired.

Chicho: Pote?

Pote: I’m about to have a family, a new life. You need to take care of Teresa now, Chicho. It’s your job. Don’t let me down.

Chicho: I won’t.

As much as I wanted to see Pote and Kelly Anne safe and happy, I also wanted him at Teresa’s side. Too bad we can’t clone Pote.

Despite killing Kostya and being on the CIA’s good side, Teresa knows it won’t last. She knows that at some point, the CIA will come for her. 

Pote: Congratulations, Teresita. You’re now the world’s biggest gangster.

Teresa: That title belongs to Devon and the CIA. We’re getting out of the business.

Teresa is willing to cash in her chips and walk away, but Devon won’t allow it, which is sad. Teresa’s right, Devon is the bigger gangster, so maybe he’s the one who needs to be taken out. Maybe they can make it look like the Russians did it. 

This leads us to the final moments of this penultimate episode which leaves us with lots of questions. 

Did James really kill Teresa? Two things make me suspect this is a ruse.

First, Teresa was using cocaine just before she got shot. She normally does that when she’s nervous or upset, not when she’s happy and relaxed, which she appeared to be in this scene. 

Second, James not only admitted that he loved Teresa, but she told him she shared those feelings. After all that they’ve been through, I don’t believe James would kill her, even if not doing so put a bounty on his head with the CIA.

Additionally, we’ve got one final full episode left. Will it be about them settling in Belize only to watch Teresa be killed? That sounds like a letdown, and nothing about this series has let me down so far. 

One of my bigger worries is that Kelly Anne didn’t pick up the phone when Pote called. Maybe I’m just paranoid, but I desperately want to see her and Pote have a healthy baby, and preferably a girl, just to see the look on Pote’s face when he finds out he’s having a daughter. 

So, with one more episode left, what do you think is about to happen, TV Fanatics? 

Is Teresa alive or dead when it’s all said and done? Will Kelly Anne and Pote get their happily ever after? Check back in for my final Queen of the South review. (It makes me said to say that.)

Hit that big, blue, SHOW COMMENTS button down below to chime in, and until then, you can watch Queen of the South online here at TV Fanatic. 

C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.