Los Espookys Season 2 Episode 5 Review: El Virus (The Virus)

The team hits an interpersonal speed bump, endgames are coming into view, and dreams are dashed on a great Los Espookys Season 2 Episode 5, “El Virus (The Virus).”

The Espookys’ latest gig has a member of the cast of Mi Puta Madre reaching out to help cancel her own show. With an MIA Andres and an otherwise imposing time crunch, they come up with the idea of creating a virus that could be likened to ransomware.

For the first time in a few episodes, the gig goes smoothly. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for team dynamic, as Andres is on the outs with the Espookys after a blunt speech from Ursula on behalf of the group.

This moment is a culmination of the simmering frustrations with certain aspects of the team dynamic, from Andres jumping from house to house while trying to settle on a place to live to Tati’s marriage to Juan Carlos. While inevitable, I appreciate it wasn’t wholly over-the-top, even if Andres’ dramatic exit and ride off into the night by horseback was (and incredibly on-brand).

Meanwhile, everyone’s individual stories continue to lead to interesting, awkward, and hilarious places.

Andres goes back to his adoptive parents in the hopes that they will take him back. It goes as badly as you would expect. Though he hopes it fixes everything by apologizing and consenting to their marriage demands, he quickly discovers that’s not the case as his mother reminds him, he is in his 30s and it is time to act like an adult.

His reaction is both perfectly entertaining and deeply felt. Who doesn’t love being reminded of how old they are?

But his attempt to seduce Juan Carlos takes the cake, as his ex admits that the clout chasing made their relationship work. Gotta appreciate the honesty there.

While Andres deals with how he will make it on his own, Tati gets a reality check courtesy of an all-female panel of authors at a conference. She is dressed in her finest period garb (that period is likely the early 19th century, and I love her so much for it).

It’s a remarkable and funny moment as we look inside her mind—literally—as we see one Tati try to turn her brain on. It’s nothing and everything you’d expect from her and reminds me so much of things like Troy and Abed’s Dreamatorium on Community.

Elsewhere, Renaldo’s search for answers in Miss Belleza Latina’s demise continues as he goes to the source to help stop his visions—the home all the pageant queens share. Though it seems like an idyllic situation, there is something the girls are hiding, and the leading suspect is…

All of them.

The interactions and behaviors all give off some extremely suspicious vibes. When you sit with the idea, another twist arises thanks to one beauty queen’s request for her blue sweater back, should Renaldo see Karina again.

The question remains, was that an accidental burst of information or intentional? Will we ever know?

The dots are finally connecting, and Renaldo’s search for Karina’s murderer leads to a startling discovery and potential suspect in the case that also ties in Melanie and Ursula’s arcs, bringing the U.S. ambassador into the fold and Ursula’s attempt to get Alcadesa Teresa elected.

I like how threads are all being woven together into a fun, exciting, and absurd series of twists and turns this season, constantly keeping us on our toes. The pacing has been interesting, and everyone has their own strange thing going on.

Now, everything turns on whether we’ll be getting a resolution on any of these significant developments. Will Renaldo find out the truth? Will Ursula’s candidate win out? Will Melanie be ruining any lives in the final episode of the season?

Random Thoughts

• Oliver Twix’s favorite sitcom opens the episode and takes a turn for the murderous and dramatic for a quick second.
• I appreciate the use of Tati’s dream brain world for Renaldo, especially as he makes that connection and automatically plugs things in.
• Ursula being contacted by the sea monster now working at the embassy feels right, and I love that she intuitively knew it was Andres’ former sea monster.
• Melanie’s ambitions of being an ambassador in Miami being stunted is just as hysterical as I thought it would be, even more so given that a map would have disabused her of those notions.
• Also, the portrayal of American diplomats is perfect. No notes.
• Renaldo’s father being introduced so late into the season has me re-evaluating what we knew about the man before his appearance in this episode.

What did you think of this episode of Los Espookys? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Los Espookys airs Fridays at 11/10c on HBO.

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