Narcos: Mexico – Season 1

Narcos: Mexico wants you to believe that it is a new series. The entire cast has been changed; the lease is different; and it is even listed separately in the catalog Netflix . Although the filling is different, the structure is quite similar to other seasons. Just as the drug war is cyclical and repetitive, the new episodes of Narcos collapse in trying to find a new bias, taken hostage by a rhythmic formula and by the performances of their own. big casting. Pablo Escobar has come to an end and we are now embarking on a new country – but with the same problems. In a Mexico as corrupt as Colombia, a former police officer from a small town inside decides to organize national marijuana production. With a different vision of business, Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo ( Diego Luna ) interrupts incessant local wars by territory and creates the first Mexican cartel.

Although the dream of both is the same, the trafficker remembers little the character lived by Wagner Moura . Cruel violence still exists, but Gallardo is essentially a computational entrepreneur, who commands everything around him in the best style of Crime King. His authority is gained through millionaire bribes and political agreements. When violence is necessary, it is usually done in a veiled way, without destroying planes filled with innocents like Escobar. Although the character spends more time on his smoking chair than in reality, Diego Luna makes these moments even more interesting to watch. With his own quirks and an action full of nuances, the actor surpbades the enormous expectations placed on him and delivers a refined character, convincing moments of anger at times of serenity.

The scenario is not so favorable to the talent of the other protagonist. Michael Peña who lives the cop responsible for the capture of Gallardo, does well what the plot tells, but never reaches the same notoriety as Luna. For those who do not know the actor, you may have the feeling that he is considerably more limited than his fellow Mexican, but not so simple. The bow of the character Kiki Camarena, the agent portrayed by Peña, is actually less interesting than the others in the series and never pbades the same dramatic tension as the axis of the traffickers. In this way, each episode works like a kind of rocker, changing its rhythm and quality when the nuclei alternate. Such a difference makes the loss of the series even more obvious with the departure of Pedro Pascal . The charismatic agent who has strengthened and taken the "good" side to the back we often miss. Even knowing the consequences of the actions of Gallardo and his cartel, it is difficult to end by not applauding them. Tenoch Huerta gives life to the trafficker Rafael Caro Quintero, creator of a new species of marijuana and partner of Félix Gallardo. Together with Don Neto ( Joaquín Cosio ), they are responsible for some of the best sequences in the series. Both are addicted to cocaine and, showing all the duality that such a drug can cause, they present scenes both very funny and tragic. It looks like everything can go wrong at any time. Too bad the good acolytes do not exceed these two quotes, especially with regard to female characters. They hardly exist. The few who have a minimal function, whether it is bady Latin stereotypes or wives strictly tolerant of their husbands ambitions. If what you are looking for in a series are women in three dimensions, Narcos: Mexico will disappoint you.

What does not disappoint is the production. The natural landscapes give a different tone and contrast with the violence proposed by the plot. In addition to having an essential function, the soundtrack is also flawless. To the sound of clbadical bands such as Toto and Culture Club she locates the viewer in the 1980s and shows how the American influence is gaining more and more space. Although the narrative itself clearly indicates the political power of the United States over Mexico, the soundtrack rebaderts it subtly in a cultural context.

It is clear that the series is trying to reinvent itself, but in general I fell into a cat and mouse structure very similar to what was shown previously. The great merit lies in the dedications of the new year. The problem is that such acts have become the main and almost unique pillar that supports ten episodes, and not one of the qualities that made Narcos what it is today.

Every story that involves drug traffickers and who has the war on drugs tends to be very similar. The originality becoming fatal each season, the creators will have a difficult mission to accomplish or the relevance of the series will become smaller and smaller.