From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, Season 1, Episode 8, “La Conquista”
Written by Marcel Rodriguez
Directed by Fede Alvarez
Airs Tuesdays at 9pm (ET) on El Rey Network
Somehow From Dusk till Dawn: The Series has managed to exceed expectations. With just 2 episodes left, the first season has been clever, imaginative, and exciting. There have been a few bumps along the way, some of the pacing has been off and the transition from screen to TV hasn’t always been smooth, but for the most part the series has benefited from the great chemistry between D.J. Cotrona and Zane Holtz as Seth and Richie Gecko, and a hectic, bloody, cool attitude.
“Pandemonium” ended with Richie being shot by Freddie (Jesse Garcia) and drugged by Santanico (Eiza Gonzalez). “La Conquista” opens with a flashback to Carlos (Wilmer Valderrama) and his ever evolving back story. From the beginning Carlos has been the big question mark for the show. His character hasn’t always been handled very well and as a result he’s kind of the weak link. It’s not that Carlos is a bad character or that he isn’t important to the overall story; its just that he’s always felt a little off like he wasn’t quite connected to everyone else.
With several different storylines going on “El Conquista” isn’t From Dusk till Dawn: The Series best episode. Between Seth, the Professor (Jake Busey) and the Fullers looking for a way out of the Titty Twister, Freddie fighting Carlos, and Santanico trying to convince Richie to “set her free”, its all kind of messy. “El Conquista” does give us a lot of answers though. We finally get to see how and why Carlos and Santanico were created and Katie is getting closer than ever to finding out what really happened to her mother.
It’s a shame that the episode has issues because they distract from some of the seasons best action sequences. The scenes that follow the group led by Seth moving deeper and deeper into the temple are tense and very well shot. Holtz continues to be the standout. His scenes with Gonzalez are sexy and dangerous. When Richie asks Santanico, “You want me to be cursed like you? You call that living?” it speaks volumes about his character. Even though he eventually gives him his reluctance to leave Seth is a great moment.
If “La Conquista” had come earlier in the season the disjointed nature of this episode may not have been an issue. While we get some satisfying answers, and an interesting direction for the final two episodes, “La Conquista” leaves something to be desired, especially when one considers what a stand out the whole season has been.
Final Thoughts:
How amazing are the female characters on this show? Katie (Madison Davenport) is still struggling with memories of her mother but she is so tough and Santanico is the perfect mix of fierce and crazy.
“I’m not a monster, I’m a prisoner and your going to set me free”
“If hell has circles you just stepped off the bottom rung”
“Don’t make this any weirder than it is. Temple of Doom I can do, Crystal Skull I’m out”
Tressa Eckermann