Narcos, Netflix’s hit narco-drama, takes the genre very seriously and comprehensively. It follows Colombian cocaine cartels from their rise and fall with riveting dramatization…
Narcos, Netflix’s hit narco-drama, takes the genre very seriously and comprehensively. It follows Colombian cocaine cartels from their rise and fall with riveting dramatization that spans history lessons with gripping thriller action sequences and uses its cast powerfully; featuring rapid-fire Spanish dialogue coupled with subtitled subtitles to engage viewers from start to finish – it is hard to check Facebook or tweet while watching someone dig their first drug transport tunnel or order someone’s death with just an eyebrow raise.
Narcos is not without its flaws. Like all depictions of “real events”, Narcos remains tied to American perspectives on the War on Drugs, creating the risk of misrepresentation. According to NPR’s Eric Duggan, using white DEA Agent Steve Murphy as its main viewpoint keeps audiences at an arm’s length from Latino characters in the show; though an attempt was made at creating emotional resonance through chain-smoking genre cliches such as him and Javier Pena – but that alone wasn’t enough to offset the show’s tendency towards using U.S. perspectives on Colombia’s drug war and American interventions in its depiction.
So the show misses several opportunities to delve deeper into the realities of the conflict, for instance never fully exploring social divisions such as those fueling Escobar’s rage and desire to break free from his youth ghetto – the fact that he remains imprisoned after season one ends suggests this remains unaddressed.
The show does an outstanding job of humanizing Escobar. He may be an evil criminal mastermind, but he’s also a loving family man and father figure to his daughter and mother – frustrated at social divide and wanting acceptance in a world that views him only as villainous.
Narcos may not be perfect, but its story telling style stands out. Narcos shows drug lords aren’t simply one-dimensional villains and that drug prohibition wasn’t always successful.
As its second season looms closer, it will be interesting to witness what changes the writers bring about. Perhaps we will get a glimpse of life after Felix’s empire crumbles and Cali Cartel moves in on Pablo’s territory in the 1990s, after cocaine money fuelled an illicit business boom at this turbulent time and America’s antidrug and anti-Communist campaigns were interwoven – providing plenty of drama as you tell this tale!