Estrategia de Entrada

Joshua John Miller

David T. Friendly

Scott Rosenbaum

David Ehrman (consulting)

Tom Flores (associate)

**Estrategia de Entrada** is the 3rd episode in the series. It translates to "Entry Strategy."

## Summary

Camila tests Teresa's loyalty on a major drug operation; Camila makes a move to take over Epifanio's cartel; Brenda plots her escape.

## Netflix Summary

Teresa proves her loyalty to Camila and later impresses the trafficking boss with a special skill she picked up as a money changer in Mexico.

## Plot

The episode begins with a flashback of Teresa and Guero in a bathtub. He tells her that one day she'll come home and he won't be there, because he'll be dead. He makes her swear on his genitals that she understands. Teresa wakes up from her flashback on her dirty mattress on the floor of the warehouse. The Queen of the South says, "'*Morning*. *From what I'm feeling, this is as good as your day's gonna get."*

Camila receives information on Teresa from one of her minions. She finds that Guero was stealing from Epifaño by using a contact in the Federales to get back seized cocaine and sell it. The minion reports that Batman killed Guero, while Gato and Pote killed Chino. Camila asks about Teresa's family, and he says that she won't be able to get to her through that because Epifaño already killed off anything she cared about, and that he has men everywhere looking for her -- California, Florida, Arizona.

Teresa sits on the edge of her mattress and asks where her things are, since they're missing from the crate at the end of her bed. A woman who is sewing tells her in Spanish that they weren't stolen, that James moved her up and she will sleep with the mules now. Teresa crosses to the mules' pen and asks which bed is hers. No one answers her, but she finds it anyway-- it is raised off the ground and much cleaner than her former bed-- and takes out her phone to look for a signal. She moves to another location to listen to her 5 voicemails, all from Brenda.

In Mexico, Brenda snaps at Tony for asking her a question she deems stupid. They turn down a street in search of water for Tony. Batman is tracking her phone as he and Pote drive to her location.

Teresa borrows another mule's phone to call Brenda. Brenda is immensely relieved to hear that Teresa is alive. Teresa tells her that the cartel can use their phones to track them and that Brenda turning off her phone to save the battery is what saved her life. Teresa tells her to turn off her phone and go to the "crazy green place." Teresa instructs Brenda to smash her phone and run, and tells her that she loves her. Teresa gives a heartfelt thanks to the mule who let her borrow her phone.

While Tony is smashing Brenda's phone, she looks up to see the truck that Pote and Batman are in. They run through a restaurant and steal a vehicle from behind the store, managing to evade the men chasing them.

Teresa breaks her phone and throws away the pieces. She is sitting on her bed when James comes in, and thanks him for putting her there. James tells Tina and Julie to get dressed for the Savings Club. Teresa asks if she's doing anything today, and he tells her to come with him, taking her by the arm and pulling her to a fenced wall. He tells her that he knows what she's doing and that ingratiating herself with Camila, making herself valuable to Camila, will only make it harder for her to get out. He tells her to be careful and to just do small things when she's asked so that Camila will grow bored of her.

Camila is watching Teresa from the security cameras. She calls James to ask him why he isn't at the Savings Club. He responds that he's on his way and she tells him to take Teresa with him, because she wants his opinion on her and he's good at getting people to trust him. He protests, because he doesn't want to get arrested or killed because Teresa is inexperienced, but he has Teresa join him anyway.

Camila calls her daughter Isabela, who is at school on her way to her world literature class, expressing her excitement at seeing her next week. Camila tells her that she can't see her next week. Isabela hangs up in anger, because her mom is always cancelling on her, and doesn't answer when Camila calls her again.

James orders Teresa to stay in the car while the other two girls get out. He hands her a new cellphone and tells her that if anything happens, she is to call the preset number.

Bill, a worker at the store, is on the phone with his wife, who is upset with him because he's cancelling on her. James jokes with Bill and goes to find the cocaine shipment, which is concealed in boxes of baby wipes.

Teresa takes this time to call the hair salon she referred to as the "big green place" earlier, asking for Brenda, who like the green nail polish. Brenda takes the phone and asks her why she isn't there, to which Teresa responds that she's in America and she can't talk, but she needs to buy a burner phone and find a coyote who can take her to Dallas.

James notices a staff member staring at him out of the corner of his eye as he's checking the shipment of cocaine. Bill returns and tells him that that is just Keegan and he's always there, but James replies shortly that he's not.

Teresa, still on the phone with Brenda, tells her to just get here and leave the new number with the salon, before being dragged out of the car by DEA agents.

The DEA agents handcuff her and throw her in the back of a white van. They begin to interrogate her. One kicks her and steps on her face, and threatens her. He says that if she doesn't tell him that he's working with Camila by the third ring of his phone, she's screwed. The Queen of the South appears and says, *A snitch is a snitch. Don't do it.* Teresa repeats that she doesn't know anything. The agent puts the phone to Teresa's ear. Camila is on the other line, and she tells her to get out of the van. Camila is waiting outside of the van. She says that she was impressed with what she did the previous day with the drugs, but she still needed to know that she could trust her, and now she knows that she can. Camila and the van leave. James pulls up in the store van and honks at Teresa, making a 'what the hell' gesture.

In the van with Teresa, James tells her that he didn't know that this was going to happen and that he told her to be careful. At a stop, James looks out his window to see a man watering some plants staring at him. Teresa asks who he is, and James tells her that they own him and that if he doesn't stop watering his plants by the time he gets there, they keep driving. James sees the buyer, Lopez, in the mirror and moves the van around to meet with him. Teresa unbuckles to get out and James tries to stop her, but she insists.

   They both get out to meet Lopez, who is uncomfortable at seeing Teresa there, because he doesn't like "new," and asks where Aveline is. James tells him that she OD'd. Lopez says that it's a shame, but is still wary of bringing Teresa on. James has to vouch for her.

Teo Aljarafe meets with Camila to tell her about the trawling company she wants to buy. He's upset that Camila didn't give him all of the information about what she wanted the ships for. She promises that if he sticks with her, he will be able to buy the whole damn building they're in.

Teresa and James pull up to the place where Lopez wants the goods offloaded to, and James tells Teresa to keep her mouth shut in there as they exit the van.

Lopez confirms that it's 90% pure, then begins to confirm that the money is real. James accepts the money as real, but Teresa notices that something is off. When the other men leave, she asks to see the money. James hands her a wad of cash and she pulls one out and says that it's fake, and that they're cheating him. He asks if she's sure and she tells him that she was a money changer in Sinaloa for 5 years, he life depended on it. He replies that it still does and that if she makes a mistake -- Teresa reveals a scar hidden by her hairline and tells him that she spent 5 weeks in the hospital after making a mistake with her boss's money.

The men come back in and James asks to weigh the bill. Lopez pulls a gun on Teresa and says that he demands reparations for being insulted like this.

James weighs two bills and they are both less than a gram, which is the normal weight for US money. Lopez swears he isn't responsible for this and passes blame to the only other person who handled the money, Lucian. Lucian tells Lopez that he's been working for him for almost nine months and that he knows him, giving him the keys to his house and telling him to check it. Teresa tells him to check his car, because she knew someone who hid the money in their car so they wouldn't have to collect it before they tried to escape.

The men find stacks of cash hidden in the underbelly of Lucian's car. Lopez asks James what they can do to make it right. He turns to Teresa and tells him that these men stole from them and asks what they should do. Teresa responds that they should do nothing and let him go. He tells her that that's the wrong answer.

In the car, Teresa asks what will happen to Lucian. James tells her that it is already done. She notices that they are not going to right way to the warehouse, and James says that Camila wants to see her.

In the empty club, Camila is waiting for Teresa. She asks how she knew the bills were fake. Teresa tells her that Guero taught her to look out for things, like nervous people. Camila gives her a Rolex watch for saving her $50,000. Teresa says thank you, but she doesn't want it and tells her to keep it as part of the debt she owes Camila for bringing her here.

Teresa has a flashback about giving the necklace of Molverde to Guero, saying that she'll do anything to protect him.

In Mexico, Brenda and Tony board a school bus to travel across the border in. Brenda tells her that she's going through a lot of shit for this and it better be worth it. Tony is crying by his mother's side. Brenda asks Teresa if America is as bad as everybody says it is, as we focus on a rat killed in a mousetrap and women being pumped with drugs. Teresa is crying as she whispers no, they're gonna love it here.

## Appearances

* Teresa Mendoza
* Guero Davilas (flashback)
* Brenda Parra
* Tony Parra
* James Valdez
* Camila Vargas
* Epifaño Vargas
* Lopez
* Pote Galvez
* Cesar "Batman" Guemes
* Teo Aljarafe
* Agent Ramirez
* Tonto
* Isabela Vargas
* Aveline (mentioned)

## Quotes

* *One day you're gonna come home and I won't be here, 'cause I'll be dead.* Don't say that. *You know that, right? Right now, you're gonna swear by this holy thing that you got in your hand that you really get it. So you know I never lied to you.* I swear. -*Guero* to Teresa in the bathtub flashback
* *Get in the car, Tony.* But it's not our car. *Are you even my son? Get in the pinche car! -Brenda* to Tony as they're trying to escape Cesar and Pote by stealing a bakery's car
* *I don't know how much shit you're in, but I know what you're trying to do.* And what am I doing? *You're trying to ingratiate yourself with Camila. But the second that you become valuable to her, the second she takes an interest in you, it's gonna be harder for you to get out, so be careful. -James* giving Teresa advice
* *I don't like gringos. Last time I checked, there were a lot of gringos in Texas.* -Brenda, with tears in her eyes after Teresa tells her to get to Dallas
* What are you doing? *I want to meet him.* No, you don't want to meet him. If he sees your face, he knows you. She knows you know him, you see how that works? *If I know too much, I'm indispensable. If I know too little, I'm disposable.* Did you listen to a word I said?-James to *Teresa* as they get out to meet with the buyer
* *Everything my husband has, I helped him build. So if you're afraid of him, you have to be afraid of me too.* -Camila to Teo
* *When life gave you a choice about what to do with the man that stole from us, you chose mercy. That was the wrong choice. Women in this business, we cannot afford to look weak. Don't ever make that mistake again.* -Camila to Teresa

## Songs

* White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane
	+ Lopez pays James for the cocaine and Teresa asks to check out the money.
* Indita MIA by APM Latin Players
	+ Teresa has a flashback of giving Guero the necklace.

## Notes & trivia

* Teresa reveals a scar on her head to James and says that she spent 5 weeks in the hospital after making a mistake with her boss's money.

## Gallery

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