Narcos

For me, probably the fifth failure in the field of universally acclaimed drama series. One is almost inclined to wonder whether the fault really lies with the works themselves, but those who know me know that it simply couldn’t be any other way. At the very least, Narcos surprised me at how all ten episodes manage to consistently feel like the prologue to something that never comes. Time jumps, disconnected scenes, the constant introduction of new characters that more than once we meet and bit farewell to within ten minutes of a single episode, stingy one-take sequences, and a terrible, unbelievably awful voice over from one of the protagonists. The latter is itself part of what is clearly the most unbearable aspect of the series, namely the storyline involving the American police officers (whose real-life inspirations were actively involved in the making of the series – aha). This pair of hard-boiled cops with their ironic smirks, six fingers of American whiskey in coffee mugs, porn, and tough guy comments in comically badass American accents come across as the work of an eight-year-old Clint Eastwood fan and reliably bury any scene, especially when compared to Wagner Moura's focused and charismatic performance as their antagonist. Beyond that, I still couldn't get past the form, which most of all resembles a dramatized documentary; some scenes are downright sloppy (the urban exteriors often feel like the unacknowledged result of guerrilla filmmaking), and the series never comes close to a sequence as well-constructed as the opening bar shootout during the first season. If this is the 3rd highest rated series here, that takes a lot of wind out of my sails. (05/18/2018)

A Spanish-language series, a South American production with no stars... not long ago, you would have laughed at the idea. Fortunately, miracles have been happening on TV in recent years, and Narcos is another one of them, and the boundary between film and series has been crossed even south of Hollywood. Just think of the best crime-drama series of recent years and enhance it with the fact that this time it’s not fiction but the ruthless Colombian history, and very objectively depicted at that. You won't see the glorification of the Americans or the Colombians who went for the narco-baron's throat. In short, José Padilha and co. have portrayed Escobar's life journey in a way that would make an expert on the ups and downs of great men – Martin Scorsese – proud. (09/27/2015)

I guess, you will not find out what the problem (or more precisely the unpleasant snag) of this series is… It has two central lines. Drug dealers "South American" Spanish-speaking lines that is focused on the late career of the patron of the Medellin cartel Pablo Escobar (fantastic, respectful and, Mour that does not overplay at all), which is full of intrigue, tension, well built and adhering to genre specifics, without however, deviating significantly from reality (after all, there is no reason for that, because even the reality was sometimes hard to believe). The second DEA "North American" English-speaking story line is way too much procedural, addressing the details of the investigation (both agents were actively involved in the development of the series) and the hunt for the drug lord, who was one of the richest/most dangerous people of his time. You already know what the snag is, right? Yes, each story line is completely (but really completely) different. It cannot be said that one is better or worse than the other one, because their style, atmosphere and concept are so different that they are simply incompatible in many respects. In addition, there is a third component in the form of very frequent documentary sequences that are like a radio broadcast and are accompanied by archival then footage. Although each of the components works great independently and there is nothing to complain about (perhaps it just looks like each agency is represented only by one person), they do not fit together and do not form a coherent whole. Which, given their qualities, is rather a letdown. And it is even a bigger letdown since it has already been shown that these seemingly incompatible approaches to this topic can still be successfully combined (I mean Don Winslow). In other words, it is a disappointment, but it is certainly not something that would change the indisputable fact that Narcos has become one of the top shows in contemporary quality TV. (08/28/2015)

Character-driven, elaborate, personal, authentic, raw. A spectacular drug saga charting the 1980s and 90s in countries that were drug havens. A brilliant mix of semi-documentary and fiction. A little loose at times, of course, due to the number of episodes, but still dwarfing most of the competition in terms of content. (11/05/2019)

An amazingly gripping introduction. Pablo’s rise is compelling and Miami in the 80s always brings back memories of Scarface and the days I used to cruise around Vice City. The semi-documentary style and the narrator’s idiosyncratic style perfectly illustrate the atmosphere of success and horrific destruction that the white snow brought to Florida with it, but the money... Season 2: the first half is unbelievably high-speed. Carillo’s return and farewell are some of the high points of the series. Moura is excellent the whole time. Even though the second half (of the second half) is slower overall, it’s that much more methodical... conspiratorial. Introspective. Hard to say if it was a good idea to prolong the series with two more seasons. Of course, it has potential, but I hope that it won’t be a mere dilution and that the creators will continue to keep their feet firmly on the ground. Coma Mierda. (10/05/2015)