Narcos

Based on seasons 1–2: the ELITE SQUAD films handled complex historical and political issues fairly deftly. This tries to do the same, but with far less success: the history is rewritten and the politics confused, and the rather soap operatic style tends to add another layer of distortion rather than effectively conveying the drama of the situation. In a way, the problem is of being not nearly cynical enough (about the events) but at the same time far too cynical (with respect to the audience).

it's ok. Good enough to commit to 2nd series? Nah. I also often think productions that excessively use explanatory voice overs assume Im retarded

so good, that it makes other tv series seem dull.

Score would be higher except for that as much as I like Moura & Holbrook as actors, their characters simply aren't compelling enough to elevate this to a truly A+ level. Luckily Pena is, thanks to Pedro Pascal's meteoric rise. Escobar was at first but after a while he's just making all the worst possible decisions. The Cali cartel season isn't as good as the Medellin ones but certainly isn't bad. Music is phenomenal, as are Escobar's sweaters.

I love the fact that it's mostly in Spanish

An outstanding series. It has quickly become one of my favorite series, and I can't wait for the next season. The command of tone is just impeccable. It deftly moves between comedy, action, and drama--and does each very well. It certainly takes liberties with the historical record, but it gets everything right big picture.

not bad at all. but something is missing, just like in 'elite squad's. i expect jose padilha to be more striking. ps. this should have been a 8-10 episode mini serie, instead of neverending season one two bullshit.

What I like most about the series as a whole is that it begins by seeming to be the story of one particular monster and ends up becoming something much broader and more uncomfortable. At first everything revolves around Pablo Escobar: his rise, his violence, his family, his ability to be charismatic and terrifying at the same time. But season after season, the series reveals something harsher: the problem was not just one man. The man falls, the... - Full Review

1x; Stopped after S2.

It turns the drug trade into a slow accumulation of power, paranoia, and national decay, where every rise already carries the shape of its fall inside it. The series can romanticize its own machinery at times, letting myth drift too close to glamour, but the atmosphere of corruption and inevitability remains strong. What stays with you is the sense of violence as structure, not interruption. 8/10 — Brutal, addictive, and steeped in fatal momentum.