Pote, you slay: His best ‘Queen of the South’ moments

The fourth season of USA Network’s Queen of the South is in full swing and keeping us on our toes. Teresa’s in a new city – The Big Easy – meaning new enemies. She’s lost her right hand man, operations manager James, and has a larger cartel to manage with aplomb.

Although joined by plenty of interesting new faces, in season four Teresa has been without many older, much loved colleagues. Some have met with death; others have gone off to a different life. But many looming faces we love aren’t done with Teresa yet.

We’ve already taken a look back at the past three seasons and judged whether Teresa’s friends (and a few enemies) have a good chance of reappearing. Today, we’re dedicating our feed to the O.G. ally of Queen of the South: the man, the myth, the legend that is Pote Galvez (Hemky Madera).

Be wary of spoilers if you’re not already caught up.

Pote and Teresa became family (S1E13 “Cicatriz”)

Picture this: Teresa is sitting in the passenger seat with her gun aimed at Pote. She’s taking them on what he thinks is a suicide mission to El Limpiador’s save Brenda. Pote still works for Epifanio, the big bad of S1. 

Teresa asks Pote the million-dollar question: why did he try to stop Gato from raping her (way back in the pilot). Pote responds he couldn’t allow Teresa to be raped, as it wasn’t right – no matter the circumstance. He further claims he isn’t the worst person in the world. Pote buys Teresa’s trust by telling her it isn’t a good idea just to walk up to El Limpiador’s farm. He’s familiar with the farm and can help her with her strategy. When Teresa asks exactly why he would want to help, Pote answers:

“Seeing what’s happening to my friends, and you letting me live, it’s more than that pinche cabron Epifanio would ever do for me. Teresa, you don’t need to hold a gun on me. Gato deserved what he got, but the rest of our guys didn’t. They were my friends.” Teresa lowers her weapon. “Now let’s go get yours.”

The moment heralds the start of a very, very beautiful friendship.

Pote gives Teresa a lesson in self-defense (S1E2 “Dios y el Abogado”)

While living at Camila’s safehouse, Teresa’s guard is down and Pote comes up behind her pressing a knife to her throat. Pote asks Teresita where her gun is and she tells him it’s in the closet. Pote schools her:

“Living in a safehouse doesn’t mean you’re safe. And a gun in the closet can’t save you. Camila will surround you with distractions. Don’t get comfortable, Teresita.”

Don’t you just love it when Pote nails some of those truth bombs? He’s the moral compass of the story and he’s taught us to trust no one.

Pote shows us how far he’ll go to discover the truth (S2E4 “El Beso de Judas”)

Teresita is keeping something from Pote and it’s bugging our sicario. With a rat on the loose, Pote needs to make sure that even his boss is clean. Pote pulls a gun to Teresa’s head. “You spared my life in Mexico just to put me in an American prison?”

Teresa is forced to come clean and tell Pote the truth: Guero is still alive. This adds a deeper layer of trust between the pair. Teresa now knows Pote will stop at nothing to protect her.

Pote shows his class (S2E5 “El Nacimiento”)

We all know Pote is the most badass sicario of them all, and if you need someone assassinated in close quarters, he’s the top man. (James is more of a long range sniper.) So when the team needs a high-level lieutenant killed, Pote is the obvious choice for the job. 

This is a slightly awkward mission, as El Puño was Pote’s mentor, but we’re guessing Camila got even more kicks from this slaughtering because of their personal relationship. Pote stabs El Puño in the neck and sits down with him.

“I want you to know that killing you is an honor for me. That’s why I chose to kill you the way you killed La Mancha. That’s what I call killing with class, with elegance. The end of your days, my friend.”

Pote shows his loyalty (S3E2: “El Colgado”)

S3 of Queen of the South started with a bang with our crew being on the lam in Europe. After everything goes to hell in E1, we find Pote in the company of thieves and torturers in the crew’s Maltese apartment.

Despite being tortured, Pote refuses to give up Teresa’s location. The torturer muses how a sicario without his shooting hand is nothing. Knowing they will injure his hand beyond repair, Pote still refuses to give up Teresa. The villains smash up Pote’s hand beyond badly, leaving him for dead.

Pote shows he’s dad material (S4E5 “Noche de las Chicas”)

Brenda’s son and Teresa’s godchild Tony has become a terrible teen, nothing but trouble all season long. After running away from home, Pote tracks Tony down to a park bench and asks him to come home – and for the gun Tony stole. 

Tony responds that his dad, Chino Parra, joined the cartel when he was only fourteen. Pote asks Tony to do a series of firearm exercises to show he can be trusted with a gun. When Tony aces his mini-exam, Pote gives him back the gun: “This is our secret. Between men. Let’s go home.”

Pote realizes he’s deserving of love (S4E8 “Secretos y Mentiras”)

After Tony goes to live with Teresa, Kelly Anne and Tony share a tear-filled goodbye. In the living room, Pote opens up to Kelly Anne about the fact that Tony had tried to kill him a few days before. “I took his father away from him. If someday he has the courage to pull the trigger, it’s okay by me. I’ve made my peace with it.”

Kelly Anne ain’t about to lie down. “No, that’s not okay with me. You don’t get to go around making crazy decisions without even considering the people who love you.”

“You love me? I don’t deserve that.” 

“Yes, you do. You are the kindest, sweetest man I’ve ever met.

“I’m also a murderer.”

“Yeah. Well, so am I.”

They hug and we say “Awww”, and also “Damn it feels good not to be a murderer.”