Silver or Lead? Narcos Review! (Mindscape Reviews!)
Posted On October 15, 2017
Hello Readers & Watchers! I hope you all liked our first TV show review on F.R.I.E.N.D.S! Many of our friends loved it & that kind of raised the bar for us. So, having said all of that, today Omkar & I are reviewing Narcos which as you all know is one of the most amazing crime thriller that Netflix came up with! Hope you enjoy this one too!
“SPOILERS INCLUSIVE!”
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INTRODUCTION:
For the first 2 seasons, Narcos is the story of the cocaine lord Pablo Escobar. While it is really tragic what he did & how his business had become lethal, it is also true that he had a whole other side. That’s why you must watch this show.
I believe there are 3 stages of watching Narcos:
1. Wanting Pablo Escobar dead.
2. Switching sides.
3. Crying when Pablo Escobar is dead.
I know, you might think I’m crazy, but for those of you who have watched it, you know what I mean. Those who haven’t, don’t judge before watching it for yourself!
So, in this post, we’ll be reviewing just the first 2 seasons of Narcos that focus majorly on Escobar. The recently released 3rd season is about another cocaine gang (Cali Cartel) which is in continuation with the story but nothing to do with Escobar. So, we could take that up another time! That one’s also pretty badass, let me tell you.
So, if you Cntl + F on Pablo or Escobar, this post will bomb up just like that plane in the show. Shall we lay the ground work?
PLOT:
If I give away the plot, you’d have MANY regrets & trust me, so would I. So, I’m not going to give it all away. Yes, there are already a lot of spoilers in here; that’s why it’s called a review. So, I’ll try my best to tell you guys about the plot without giving away a lot of the suspense.
Season 1:
The story of Pablo getting into the business starts when Cockroach comes to him with his cocaine-producing factories. That’s where the story of Pablo changes into Pablo, the Cocaine Lord. Soon, he generates a lot of revenue by selling drugs using smart techniques, logistics & game plans. On the other side, Drug Enforcement Agents (DEA) Murphy & Pena & Colonel Carrillo are on his hunt & they’re pretty damned good at their jobs. So, you kind of support them, but you also kind of don’t want Pablo to get caught.
As the story progresses, you’ve got your favourites on both the sides (apart from Pablo & Murphy & Pena.) And given the theme of the show, some of your favourites will die. So, towards the end of season 1, Pablo is in a jail which he designs for himself with his own security guards even. It’s called La Catedral & it’s basically a luxury prison. The whole point of it is that the Government will knoe where he is & wouldn’t be a threat to anyone. But, that turned out to be hopeless as he kills 2 people (his own men) while in this prison. And so, towards the end of Season 1, he flees that place.
Season 2:
I liked Season 2 much more than the first one, for many reasons! More action, more plot twists, more characters, more tragedy & intensity! Agent Pena starts secretly working with Los Pepes. Carrillo comes back & acts fiercer than ever. Pablo is more protective of his family. There’s a scene when they escape & move to one of their homes. There’s no wood & fire to stay warm. So, Pablo just burns lots of bundles of notes!
Few episodes later, his family leaves him to stay in a hotel, so that they are safe. And he’s left all alone; which was a really sad moment. Also, Cali Cartel start expanding their operations now that Pablo is continuously on the run. Cali constituted of Miguel, Gilberto & Pacho mainly.
Towards the last 2 episodes, it becomes extremely emotional with how Pablo tries to connect with his father & how only Limon is left by his side. And then, in the last episode, the few imaginal scenarios again leave you in a dilemma. The one with President Pablo & another with a conversation with Gustavo.
Murphy & the team trace him successfully & go attack his residence. After a few gun fire shots, Limon is dead. And then, a few seconds later, while escaping on the roof, Pablo is dead, just like that, everything is finished.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
Bad Bang:
Pablo Escobar’s character is dominating, fierce, charismatic & brilliant. And for a hardcore villain, he’s actually a kind-hearted person when it comes to his people. And, that is something unique you don’t usually find in negative leads. He becomes a cocaine king while also being a perfect family man. His love for his wife, kids & mother is portrayed amazingly well throughout the 2 seasons. Even his love for Colombio & its people was so evident by way of his generosity & not wanting to flee. All his men – La Quica, Limon, Blackie, Velasco & others are also shown in excellent capacity. Tata’s character comes off really strong when the family is falling apart & how she holds them together.
In the beginning, Pablo Escobar is shown fearless & makes quick decisions like bombing a plane or murdering people while in a luxury prison. But, later he becomes more mature & learns from his mistakes & treads carefully. And while doing so, he falls a bit behind while other cocaine players acquire the market. Towards the end, Pablo just becomes a sad person with little hopes. Watchers hope that somehow, he’ll bounce back, but those hopes are bleak & eventually none. Pablo Escobar, in a nutshell, goes from strong to super strong to super helpless.
Good Bang:
When it comes to the duo of Murphy & Pena, I get so satisfied with their on-screen action chemistry. They complement each other in the best way, with Murphy being the good cop & Pena kind of being the bad cop. Murphy is idealistic & sticks to the rules, while also being a family man. Pena tries to go out of the way. Most of the times this maverick attitude of his always wins the game. So, they make a great team & it’s also fun to watch their few humorous non-Pablo talks.
As for Carrillo, I loved him! His way of working was a lot different than the DEA agents. But, I think his ruthless attitude was what Colombia needed at the time. And, the same attitude probably got him killed.
I liked President Gaviria & Vice President Eduardo’s sense of partnership & understanding. They would’ve been fantastic leaders if situation was different. And even in those crises, they handled matters really well!
I must say, all the ACTORS have done such a fantastic job playing these real life characters that I am speechless! I have become fans of these people; especially Wagner Moura, Pedro Pascal & Boyd Holbrook! Kudos to all the actors!!
OVERVIEW:
While discussing Narcos, Omkar & I talked a lot about it. Why was the impact of Narcos so huge that we all started rooting for the super villain? In most of the shows, there are two sides, but they are never equally strong. But, only in Narcos, did we see, both the players, plus other side actors, all at it with equal determination!
There’s Pablo & his men rising in the industry! Then there are Murphy & Pena! Then we see Gaviria & Eduardo trying to calm down the country! There’s also Los Pepes & Cali Cartel coming up in the business! Just so much going on & you think,
“Wow! This is the best show ever!”
You cannot decide whether you are more saddened about Gustavo’s death or about Carrillo’s death.
You cannot decide whether you are happy or sad that Limon planned that plot twist.
You cannot decide whether you are happy or sad about Tata & kids leaving Pablo.
You cannot decide whether you should stick to morality & Murphy or evil & Escobar!!
But, you will love Narcos for all the thrill, action, crime & suspense that it has! We’ve given it a 9/10!
What are your thoughts on Narcos? Tell us in comments below!
(I did a lot of background reading about Narcos & found that there were many factual errors in the show that Pablo Escobar’s son pointed out. Though my review is based only on the show. You can check those facts anywhere online. They are quite intriguing.)
About The Author
Aishwarya Shenolikar
Hello! I'm Aishwarya, an Introverted bookworm & writer. I have been reviewing books since 6 years on my blog - Mindscape in Words. My favourite genres are Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Magical Realism, Poetry, Fantasy & Memoirs. I like the kind of books which evoke emotions on several levels leaving me wrecked, but also incredibly content. I'm dreaming for the world to paint a landscape full of words, more like Mindscape in Words. Hope you enjoy the view.