Narcos - General Discussion

[Bcharmer]

2 hours ago, Sheenieb said:

Yes. Hugo Martinez wasn't corrupt, but he faced criticism for his ... methods to find Pablo. My source material is the book Finding Pablo. I highly recommend it.

I have had the book for a few years now, and haven't even started it yet. But I'm gonna. Plane trip coming up. :)

As for humanizing Pablo? I know these are fictional characters, but Tony Soprano and Dexter were murderous monsters, and also loving family men (if you don't count TS's cheating and fighting with Carm). Dexter was very sweet with Rita and the kids. So, this isn't bugging me at all. I'm actually enjoying the scenes with Pablo and his kids... and I loved the scene with Pablo and Tata sipping tea together, or dancing. I appreciate that they are showing this side of his personality, too. 

[thuganomics85]

And so his reign of terror has finally come to an end!  While these last two episodes were a bit slow at times, I kind of enjoyed seeing Pablo reduced to a pathetic man, desperately trying to survive, with only a glimmer of the tyrant he use to be.  It strangely reminded me of the final episodes of Breaking Bad, only he didn't any kind of redemption like Walter White arguably did (certainly debatable.)  Instead, it ends with him fleeing from the cops, and just getting dropped like another common criminal.  A fitting end for him.  Glad they didn't stretch it out anymore, but I will certainly miss Wagner Moura's powerhouse performance.  I have to think/believe that he will be getting plenty of offers going forward, and will continue to be discovered by more viewers from different places.  Well done, sir.

While I do feel bad for his kids, Tata and Hermilda get no sympathy from me either.  Although, I guess at least Tata knew what kind of man he was, but was just cool with it.  Hermilda truly was delusional.  That scene of the real Hermilda was nuts.  But the part where everyone was on the bus celebrating his death around her was definitely the perfect scene to show how totally off she was, when it came to how people viewed her monster of a son.

A little bummed that Javier got sidelined, but I'm glad it looks like he is being set-up to come back, since the Cali cartel is already in full swing.  I do like seeing how they were formed this entire time, and how in the quest to bring down Pablo, the government and law enforcement accidentally helped create another monster, by ignoring their actions for as long as they did.

Another enjoyable season of what is slowly becoming one of the more under-appreciated shows on Netflix.  I'm glad we're getting two more seasons!

[Rapunzel]

On ‎9‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 9:40 PM, itsadryheat said:

Looks like the last scene with Javier getting grilled about the Cali Cartel was gift to all of us.

Per Constantinople upthread, Netflix says "Why bother renewing Narcos for another season, when we can renew it for two more seasons?!"

As the series is called "Narcos," meaning it should be about more than Escobar or even the Cali Cartel, they could technically keep it going for more than just two more seasons. It could be an anthology type series, like American Horror Story, and feature a different Cartel each season.

I would love to see a more accurate series done on Griselda Blanco (called the "Godmother" or the "Black Widow"), for example. She had ties to the Medellin Cartel and, though some have stated she and Escobar hated one another, apparently they may have actually had an affair, according to Griselda's diaries. Seeing a more accurate series focused on a female drug lord would be interesting. She earned the "Black Widow" nickname as she had a few husbands die/murdered, and she is definitely interesting enough to warrant an accurate series. The version that is out there now on Netflix is way off the mark as far as accuracy goes. It is still somewhat entertaining, but there isn't much that is historically accurate in that version.

Beyond Griselda, there are also many of the Mexican Cartels they could have a series about. There is plenty of material out there to keep the series going for some time - I definitely hope they go beyond Escobar and even the Cali Cartel, which is so closely tied to Escobar.

Edited September 11, 2016 by Rapunzel

[itsadryheat]

Queen of the South on USA-possibly fictional Griselda?

[Rapunzel]

44 minutes ago, itsadryheat said:

Queen of the South on USA-possibly fictional Griselda?

No, definitely not Griselda. Queen of the South is based on a True Story (read the book), but not Griselda's. They have completely different life paths and are in completely different locations/eras in real life.

As one example of the differences, Teresa, in Queen of the South, and in real life, was from Mexico (called "La Mexicana").

Spoiler

She got the nickname when Epi helped her flee to Spain after she turned over the journal early on in the original series. As the original version is primarily set in Southern Spain (hence the "del Sur" part of the name of the original series), they mostly speak Castilian in the original. Her Mexican speech is different enough to be noticeable, so she gets the nickname of "La Mexicana" in the original version.

Griselda was from Colombia and spent time in Miami and New York. The time periods are also different - Griselda was big in the 70s. The real life Teresa (whose name is different in real life, I believe), is more recent than then 70s.

Edited September 11, 2016 by Rapunzel

[itsadryheat]

Gracias-time to put down the remote and open a few books. Appreciate the recommendations!

[Rapunzel]

No worries - all are very interesting subjects. I'm spoiler tagging some info on Griselda for those who may not want to know much about her and her history.

Spoiler

Griselda, ironically, was killed by a method she takes credit for inventing - shot by those while  riding motorcycles. Her true story is quite fascinating (despite one of her nicknames being "The Black Widow" for "allegedly" killing her husbands, she is actually at least bi-sexual). It's definitely a story worth reading/watching about.

Griselda was basically one of the first female drug queens and started back in the 70s, which is why I wish they would make an accurate series out of her life.

I'll spoiler tag some additional info on her family, which also helps distinguish her from Teresa in "Queen of the South." as well as "La Reina del Sur." Nothing too major, just a fact about Griselda's real life.

Spoiler

She also had children in real life, and I think all but one (or maybe even all) were killed off as they went into the "family business."

Edited September 11, 2016 by Rapunzel

[paramitch]

On 9/2/2016 at 10:20 PM, Jade Foxx said:

WHY IS NO ONE WATCHING WITH ME??

I came to the show late, but absolutely love it. It's fantastically written, produced, and acted. I just binged season 1 over the past few weeks and just started season 2 this weekend. Stunning as always.

On 9/3/2016 at 10:43 PM, itsadryheat said:

Eight Episodes In. I thought Season 1 was wild, Season is 2 knocking me out! Was thinking to my self how Pablo can remain so calm while creating all this chaos and not get sick. Then a scene appears where he had passed out-stress related. And a little more insight into Pablo's mom & wife. Can see where Pablo gets the entitlement from.

I've really liked the continued depictions of Pablo's personal life. I know some have seen them as almost apologetic or fawning (as if depicting a monster who has another side to himself is not allowable), but I really like those choices. I absolutely think Pablo was a monster -- the evidence is irrefutable. But I do think the moments showing his real love for his family and friends are fascinating because they not only make him seem human, they also often illuminate what a poisonous narcissist he could be. They almost make him more, not less, evil to me.

On 9/3/2016 at 11:33 PM, thuganomics85 said:

Just got started!  Last season was one of the most pleasant surprises of that year, and I'm hoping the same thing will happen this time.  Pablo is such as evil, scary man, but Wagner Moura is still giving one of the best performances on television, in my opinion.  Every time Pablo is on screen, he's just so magnetic and I can never take my eyes off of him.  Just perfection from Moura.

Thankfully, I'm still enjoying Javier and Murphy too.  It especially felt like they were more humorous this time.  Even Murphy's admittedly over-the-top voice narration was actually entertaining this go around, since even Murphy seem like he couldn't believe half the stuff he was saying; especially about Pablo somehow escaping the prison.  Not surprised though that Connie left for Miami and he's now beating the crap out of a bunch of businessmen who were buying and selling the drugs he is trying to stop.

Agreed on the show, and definitely on Moura's performance as Pablo -- he's incredibly charismatic and just brilliant.

On Javier and Murphy, I'm torn. I love Pedro Pascal's performance as Javier, and think he's the real heart of the show for me, but while I like Murphy, I find him frustratingly performed (I just think Holbrook is written and performed as too bland and passive). But I do love Holbrook's voiceovers. It's just weird to me that -- throughout the show so far -- Holbrook is more interesting and believable in voiceover than onscreen.

[paramitch]

On 9/4/2016 at 0:35 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Episode opens with Pablo singing to classical music in the shower, while a bunch of prostitutes get murdered by his order.  And it ends with him dancing with his wife to classical music, while a bunch of police officers get murdered on his orders.  If that's not Pablo in a nutshell, I don't know what is.

Really though, that Colonel was an idiot to take the "break down the door" approach, instead of stealthier one.  That approach can work for some, but someone like Pablo?  You have to think that he would have back-up plans.  Really, he's someone who even has back-up plans for his back-up plans.  But I'm guessing it was mainly that the Colonel hated having to do something based off the Americans intel, and wanted to maintain some kind of control.  Too bad it ended up being for nothing.

Looks like the Americans are forming a new group, and have stacked the deck with awesome character actors.  Both Richard T. Jones and Patrick St. Esprit are back, and we've also got Eric Lange as some kind of CIA spook, and best of all, Brett Cullen!  Brett Cullen is great in everything!  I also recognized Javier and Murphy's boss, but I can't place her at the moment.

This Attorney General seems to be shaking things up a bit.  I do like amongst all the chaos and violence, Pablo also keeps trying more legal approaches with Fernando and him negotiating.  He really does try to cover all bases. 

Glad that the woman in the taxi from the last episode seems to have escaped.  I hope she stays far away from all of this.

I found that juxtaposition very haunting -- Pablo enjoying his arrogant paradise of a life, against the senseless massacre of so many lives just to make a point and to satisfy his egotism. He's vile.

I love the actors on this show and was tickled to see Brett Cullen, who is a wonderful actor (and according to friends of friends, one of the nicest people ever). I also love the new boss, and think she's terrific so far. I can't wait to watch Murphy and Javier underestimate her and to have her (I hope) kick ass and come through.

[paramitch]

On 9/4/2016 at 1:05 PM, thuganomics85 said:

Holy shit, I totally forgot about how stone-cold Carrillo is.  It's so nuts, because on one hand, I want to be "Yay, someone who even scares Pablo is back!"  But then he does things like toss prisoners off planes and executes a teenage spotter in front of the other kids to make a point, and then I don't know what to think.  I'm guessing my reaction was pretty much what both Steve and Javier's reactions were.  It has to scare both of them knowing what lines they are crossing to bring down Pablo.

At least Pablo's big plan to counter it is simply have the kid be interviewed.  With Pablo, I really thought he was going to something horrid, like have the kid try and take out Carrillo.  This is the same guy who convinced a young man to blow himself up on a plane.

Interesting strategy of having Judy reveal the locations of her factories to the police, and that's how they get a bunch of Pablo's men.  The return of Pacho and the other cartel is certainly shaking things up.

I found Carrillo's actions so fascinating because I understood his letting his rage get the best of him. It happens. The horrible aspect was that it turned him into a shadow of his adversary -- no lives were sacrosanct, everything was worth the outcome.

Meanwhile, Escobar's rage over the murdered kid was just so perfect for me writingwise. Because, WTF? He has coldly murdered thousands. Men, women, children, babies. Coldly and with total knowledge.

But this little boy witnessing a single shooting sends him into days of rage? Into screaming vendettas?

Yes, it was tragic, but on top of the acres of bodies we have witnessed, Pablo's emotion is false and loathsome. It just felt weird to me (if of course totally believable). How weird to watch this man make it all -- yet again -- all about him. As if lives spent were okay as long as they were at his bidding, but lives lost against him were unforgivable. His narcissism and tunnel-vision once again define him.

[chick binewski]

On ‎9‎/‎4‎/‎2016 at 7:56 PM, itsadryheat said:

Anyone notice the real Murphy and Pena cameo in the Miami bar scene, when Pena found out Pablo was killed? Nice touch!  Been researching like a maniac since watching season 1. This is the wildest tv ride I've ever been on. Thought Season 1 was too much..until I watched Season 2.

I'll have to watch that scene again - no idea Pena & Murphy were in that shot.

I know season one took some liberties, but season two's derivations from the true story bugged me. I think the fictional stuff was done (in part) to establish groundwork for season three, which bugs me more. I mean, I do want two more seasons but not at the expense of taking what works and turning it into something else. One thing I liked about season one was its' focus on law enforcement (which it continued this season - showing any Colombian who entered civil service did so with the understanding the deadly consequences)  and the relationship of Pena and Murphy. Maybe the show was trying to weed out Holbrook to make way for a Pena-centered future, but having Pena work with a (fictional) drug queenpin was a bit much. I thought the show was over-focused on portraying Escobar as a family man; I thought there should have been at least a mention of how brutally he treated a lot of young women - especially since he met his wife when she was 13. I also didn't care for the retelling of the Virginia Vallejo character's story. It portrayed her ending as that of a victim, when the truth was (and is) very, very far from that.

Okay, you'd never know it from my post but I did really like the series. And I thought Eric Lange was great (in this and The Bridge) so I'm hoping his CIA character returns in season three. 

[paramitch]

On 9/3/2016 at 0:18 AM, Jade Foxx said:

Trying to reconcile how one of the most psychopathic murdering terrorists of the 20th century was also a loving husband and father who walked around in a shirt, plain white tennies, and mom jeans.

This works for me because it's very real and very human. Plenty of real-life human monsters were nevertheless "good family men." Look at the vast majority of Hitler's cabinet, for instance.

On 9/3/2016 at 10:46 AM, snowwhyte said:

I think Pablo just has an incredible ability to compartmentalize and rationalize his behavior. His ability to still see himself as the hero of his own story and a loving family man who is forced to do hard things actually makes it seem so much worse to me. It's so much easier when our villains don't have any shades of grey. People who are capable of the things he did should not also be able to form loving bonds with people. How can he show so much love and kindness for his own family and yet have such a disregard for the lives of others?

Yeah, for me that makes it more upsetting and real, as well. I mean, one minute he's overseeing the slaughter of mothers and babies, policemen, defenseless women, etc., and the next he's raging and frothing at the mouth over the death of a single boy. Pablo's ability to compartmentalize and excuse his own behavior is one of the most grotesque things about his character on this show. It's almost horribly funny, how sentimental he is about the very few people who matter to him.

On 9/3/2016 at 1:38 PM, pivot said:

I think his wife is worse. She knew damn well what Pablo was doing and even encouraged it and then turned around and whined about how the government wasn't protecting her children. 

Yeah, I find his wife equally abhorrent because I think she has shown that she is absolutely aware of the contradictions in Pablo and for her they are almost not there at all. For her it isn't a matter of monstrous egotism, she has simply made a choice. I think she knows exactly how evil their lives are and what they cost, and she has chosen not to care. To me, Pablo is soulless, but Tata had a soul, and sold it.

On 9/10/2016 at 8:59 PM, Bcharmer said:

As for humanizing Pablo? I know these are fictional characters, but Tony Soprano and Dexter were murderous monsters, and also loving family men (if you don't count TS's cheating and fighting with Carm). Dexter was very sweet with Rita and the kids. So, this isn't bugging me at all. I'm actually enjoying the scenes with Pablo and his kids... and I loved the scene with Pablo and Tata sipping tea together, or dancing. I appreciate that they are showing this side of his personality, too. 

I like the scenes because they remind me that this person was real. As with my Third Reich analogy earlier in this post, I find Pablo's crass sentimentalism very believable and real. 

I think Pablo's constant justification is very important, as well. He's always blaming the other side for what "they" made him do. "They" forced him to go scorched-earth. "They" didn't give him respect, etc. One of the most famous commonalities among the Nazi upper management (for instance, many of those running the camps, etc.) was that they bemoaned what they were "forced to do" in the course of their evil work. They managed to commit atrocities each and every day while bemoaning that they were necessary -- and then congratulated themselves on being strong enough to take it.

And that's very much what I see with Pablo so far this season, as well. It's fascinating if incredibly chilling to watch.

[Constantinople]

It was driving me a little batty what song was playing on the radio when Navegante strangled (or garrotted) The Lion because I only heard it about a million times back in the day.

A little internet sleuthing turned up A Little Respect by Erasure.  It was released in 1988.

Although the show is now in 1992 or 1993, an 80s song seems appropriate because Pablo's heyday, and by extension the Lion's, was the 80s.  Similar to how Pablo was wearing a Benetton rugby shirt in the previous episode, which I associate much more with the 80s than the 90s.

[knaankos]

This was certainly the "Live Free or Die" Episode of Narcos (breaking bad fans will relate)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

There was a guy in my dorm who played "A Little Respect" by Erasure constantly!

But I agree that Pablo in Benetton is more an indication of him clinging to his glory days, like a guy who still wears his varsity jacket and talks about how he scored four touchdowns in a single game. 

The looks on his sicarios' faces when he was raging about how he wanted to take everyone out was telling. 

Poor Valeria. I never particularly liked her but she got killed for helping Tata. FYI - the character of Valeria is based on Virginia Vallejo who is still alive and wrote a book about her relationship with Pablo. She agreed to testify in two different trials and was later granted political asylum in the United States. 

Edited September 19, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[paramitch]

ElectricBoogaloo, I can't tell you how gross I find that information on Virginia Vallejo. If she was anything like Valeria, she certainly didn't deserve a happy ending and a book deal. Just, ugh.

[Auntie Anxiety]

Thank you, Netflix, for offering up this great show. I was raising kids throughout the time of the Colombian drug cartel and didn't really know much about the situation. It was fascinating.

That being said, it took me a long time to figure out why Pablo's mother looked so familiar and I finally realized that she was a dead ringer for Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie. The resemblance is uncanny!

[1stworldview02]

Netflix true crime series Narcos spurs huge demand for Colombian women.

Produced by Netflix, the show "Narcos" takes on the infamous Medellin drug cartel which follows the rise and fall of Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar and the Drug Enforcement Agency agents hunting him. The story is told largely from the points of view of Escobar (Brazilian actor Wagner Moura) and U.S. DEA Agent Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook), on opposite sides of what would become an all-out war.

Many critics of true crime dramas have always complained they are promoting crime and violence by glorification, an unintended consequence of American entertainment industries. These shows can have other interesting consequences.  The Foreign Bride industry has seen a huge spike in demand for Colombian women. This can be viewed as positive or negative, depending on social perspective.

Foreign Brides, sometimes referred to as "mail order brides", a term the industry completely rejects, have become a billion dollar a year business.  According to industry leaders, Colombia represented only about 3% of the market three years ago.  Since the popularity of Narcos, many companies have seen near tenfold increases in men seeking Colombian wives.

A Foreign Affair (AFA), a company that helps men find women through international tours, says tours to Colombia are now selling out. AFA arranges group tours where 10 to 20 men travel together to Medellin, Cartagena or Barranquilla. During the tour, they attend arranged Social events where the men meet hundreds of beautiful Colombian women looking for marriage. Women can also place their profiles on the AFA web site, in the hopes of finding a husband.

Kenneth Agee, the marketing director for AFA says, "Because of the show we are doubling our tours to Medellin for next year. Narcos has brought a lot of attention to the intense beauty of Colombian women.  Although the show is often very violent, the women of Colombia come across as very family oriented and loyal. These values seem harder and harder to find in this world. I would have to agree, because of the interest in Narcos, we even added an excursion to where Pablo's self-built prison was located, in the hills overlooking Medellin.

The crowning of 2015 Miss Universe Paulina Vega put Barranquilla, Colombia on the map. Barranquilla now has recognition for being home to some of the most beautiful and talented women in the world. Not only is Miss Universe from here, Grammy Award winning pop singer Shakira, and actress Sofia Vergara also call Barranquilla home.  Vergara stars on the ABC series Modern Family as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett. She's been nominated for 4 Golden Globe Awards, 4 Prime time Emmy Awards, and 7 Screen Actors Guild Awards, all stemming from this role. In 2014, she was ranked as the 32nd Most Powerful Woman in the world by Forbes.

David from Mesa AZ says he met more qualified women in one week than he has during the last 10 years. In 2010, Lisa Ling and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) filmed a one hour show on the AFA tour called "Online Brides - Our America with Lisa Ling."  Even Lisa Ling was surprised by the beauty and sincerity of the women from Barranquilla.

Janet Davis, head of a women's rights group says "AFA is just taking advantage of women from these third world countries. This is no different than Pablo trafficking in narcotics, but these companies traffic women." Proponents refer to a Report (INTERNATIONAL MATCHMAKING ORGANIZATIONS: A REPORT TO CONGRESS) that these marriages have much lower divorce rates and abuse rates compared to traditional domestic marriages. This data makes international dating similar to a woman in the US joining eHarmony to look for a husband.



23-year-old Viviana, from Cartagena, says "I come to these events because I know the men attending are serious about marriage, they are faithful and are good to family. For Colombian women, it is the most important thing, good husband and good family.

Kenneth says, "It has not been all rosy. Narcos has brought us some problems. In Cartagena, we have several Penthouses we rent out.  One was originally owned by "Don Diego" head of the Norte Del Velle Drug Cartel, the other by Pablo's people. Over the past year, the properties have been tracked down by individuals thinking they will find large qualities of cash hidden, thus we sometimes find holes all over the walls after a tenant leaves.

For Narcos fans, those who love the gangster genre, or just those who just like seeing beautiful Latin women, there's good news; Netflix's has confirmed Season 3 and 4.

[Anela]

I have contempt for all of the drug dealers, and the people who knowingly work for them, as well as love them. 

I thought the actor who plays Pablo, said this season was lower on action than the first. I beg to differ! 

[viamber]

Anyone else find it odd that Steve hasn't learned Spanish in his time down there in Columbia? Seems like a tremendous disadvantage given his job and how not only his partner and team speak the language but so do the sicarios! Why isn'tbecome a it a job requirement before getting hired to become a DEA agent?

Oops! *why isn't it a job requirement*

[BeckyThatcher]

Wow. This episode really got to me. Campaign intrigue, Justice for Puff, and Lara.

Lara- From turning a blind eye to openingly confronting the Cartel and Escobar, what a stunning brave painful portrayal.

This episode was poignant and heartbreaking. It quietly built up as we watched Justice Lara, knowing the sacrifice, seek the truth, accept his faults and culpability, and pursue corruption no matter the costs. I could barely watch.

I'm late to watching this (after Gomorrah I needed a break), but cannot stop pressing "play" for just one more episode.

[BetterButter]

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3 promo:

[nodorothyparker]

All Episodes Talk Season 3

 

The Gentlemen of Cali gather their associates together for a big surprise announcement about the future of their business.

[nodorothyparker]

A gas incident threatens to disrupt the Cali-government deal and Jorge is asked to help out.  Peña grapples with his former Los Pepes connection.

[nodorothyparker]

The Rodriguez brothers go into hiding during negotiations.  Pacho meets with the Lord of the Skies in Mexico.  Peña's new DEA team visits Cali.

[nodorothyparker]

Peña hatches a plan to get to try to capture Cali leader Gilberto Rodriguez.  Amado proposes a business idea to Pacho.

[nodorothyparker]

Paranoid about leaks, Miguel cracks down on his security.  Pacho makes a decision about his new offer.  Peña works on cultivating a witness.

[nodorothyparker]

Jorge takes a dangerous risk.  An accident in New York threatens to expose Chepe.  Peña travels to Curacao to arrest a potential witness.

[nodorothyparker]

Peña plans another covert operation to take down a key Cali member, but he risks running out of time during his search.

[nodorothyparker]

David seeks revenge on behalf of his father, putting Enrique in danger.  Peña asks Don Berna for help on a rescue mission.

[nodorothyparker]

David follows his suspicions.  Peña is shocked to discover the depth of corruption in the Colombian government.  Miguel  is sought after once again.

[nodorothyparker]

David and Peña are in a race against each other to find Pallomari.  Peña makes a serious decision about the future of his career.   

[beowoof]

I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this. I thought the season was great! And I'm already looking forward to the next one. Moving the show to Mexico will be an interesting shift. I hope Pena comes back, but I think he will. I don't think he'll be happy on the family ranch for long.

[larapu2000]

I thought this season was great, too.  I really liked the re-centering of the story on Pena, he was always the more interesting character, plus Pedro Pascal is a far superior narrator.  

I didn't want to spoil myself about the fate of the characters, but I got so nervous for Jorge and his family that I had to do some googling to quell my anxiety.

I also really liked Pacho's character and his motivations for not wanting to surrender being tied to his sexual orientation and how the cartel gave him the power to live his life as he wished.  Whether or not that's true, I have no idea, but as a narrative device, it worked for me!

LOL at Maria that just bounced around from protective dick to protective dick.  You've gotta admire those survival skills.  And the fact that it led to David's death was particularly satisfying.  If you just listened to your dad, you little asshole...

Excited about the move to Mexico! I don't even care if they change central characters, I really liked the new DEA agents that got introduced this season.  But can Hot Colonel Martinez somehow find a reason to show up there, too?  Our time with him was brief, but VERY appreciated....

[snowwhyte]

I missed Murphy a bit at first. I enjoyed his partnership with Javier with all it's complexities but I am glad that he went home to his wife and daughter. I am glad they kept the voice over and just switched it to Javier. 

[itsadryheat]

Season 3 another Narcos Grand Slam!  Each episode was action packed, suspenseful, great stories, awesome character development and too short. Love how they inject the narrative facts for us. Such a difference in the sons - wanna be and successful lawyer. Season Three forum was not up when I started the first episode, so much happens in each episode that I'll need to re watch to comment. Finished watching entire season this afternoon. In a Narcos funk-tried not to binge watch, but couldn't stop myself. 

[pivot]

9 hours ago, heartcore said:

I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this. I thought the season was great! And I'm already looking forward to the next one. Moving the show to Mexico will be an interesting shift. I hope Pena comes back, but I think he will. I don't think he'll be happy on the family ranch for long.

I loved this season of the show. I thought it was interesting to see the shift in the Cali investigation vs. the Escobar one. 

I am bummed to see the end of the Colombia seasons. I thought the show did such a great job integrating the Colombian culture into the show much of which I was unfamiliar with. 

I think for next season I'd like Pena to have a partner again. I think the show works a bit better when he has someone to play off of.

[itsadryheat]

42 minutes ago, pivot said:

I loved this season of the show. I thought it was interesting to see the shift in the Cali investigation vs. the Escobar one. 

I am bummed to see the end of the Colombia seasons. I thought the show did such a great job integrating the Colombian culture into the show much of which I was unfamiliar with. 

I think for next season I'd like Pena to have a partner again. I think the show works a bit better when he has someone to play off of.

 

Good point!  Not much development and focus on the fanny pack & hair relationship, or their relationship with Pena. This season seemed more Cartel than DEA, compared to S1 & S2 which was a better story line balance. Did like Pena's interactions with the suits but he is good with a partner,

[thuganomics85]

Just finished my watch and it all kind of blurs together, so I guess I'll just post all of my thoughts here!

I really enjoyed this season.  I was worried that Wagner Moura's absence would make me feel like something was missing, but I actually thought they did a great job at making the Cali Cartel just as interesting as Pablo Escobar.  I liked how at first they treated their criminal activities like "a business" and "dignified", and wasn't as bombastic or showboating like the former was.  But then Gilberto gets arrested and suddenly it starts falling apart for them.  You really got the sense that he was glue of the group, and once he was out of the picture/in jail, Miguel, Pacho, and Chepe suddenly were directionless and made things worse.  I did think all of their final fates were fitting for how the characters operated and acted.

Nothing against Murphy or Boyd Hoydbrook, but I definitely prefer Javier Pena as the lead, and Pedro Pascal is the superior actor.  He had a lot of great moments where he didn't even say anything, but just his facial acting or reactions told the whole story.  It was a bit weird getting use to him without a partner to bounce off of, but I did start digging the relationship he formed with the newbies at the end.  Also liked his interactions with Stechner and Crosby (Brett Cullen is the best!)

I was inadvertently spoiled about an article with the real Jorge, so I knew he would make it out, but I still enjoyed the character.  The actor did an excellent job.  Glad Maria was still standing, even she basically just had to leave one cartel for another!  The actress was insanely gorgeous.

Pretty fun supporting cast this season with Shea Whigham, Glenn Morshower, Louis Herthum, Kerry Bishe, and especially Edward James Olmos.

Did not predict that Navegante would fall at the hands (or gun) of Jorge of all people.

So, the next season will be set in Mexico?  Interesting.  And, yeah, I'm guessing that shot of Javier staring is signaling that despite what he claims, he'll be back. Can't wait!

[benteen]

The thing is, IMO, the DEA agents are the least interesting part of the show.  Boyd Holbrook and Pedro Pascal (whom I'm glad to see has top billing) are terrific actors but their roles on this show are largely thankless and do not stand out.  Great addition to the show though by having Edward James Olmos play Pena's father.

Really good episode, showing the Calli way of doing business.  The revelation that they were paying most of the phone operators was chilling. 

[itsadryheat]

Excellent intro episode.  Interesting plot - Cali cartel, running empire using a business model, and making a 6 month deal with the government to spend minimal time in prison (ha!) in exchange for Cartel giving them all their info, stopping production and distribution, in exchange for the 4 Cartel heads to keep all their dough, and live their lives after stint in prison.  Fascinating concept, but seemed like a pipe dream.  Interesting main characters including new chill security guy Salcedo. Amazing the level of people they gifted with bribes . . . appears the entire city.

[Jade Foxx]

Me, while watching the Cali Cartel guy sensually dance and kiss the other guy on the dance floor:

On 9/4/2017 at 2:04 PM, snowwhyte said:

I missed Murphy a bit at first

Surprisingly, I missed Escobar....such a hard psychopath to follow.

[Paws]

Just finished this episode. This season is fantastic!  I'm so worried about Jorge Salceda.

[Jade Foxx]

Is no one watching? ?

[itsadryheat]

I binged watched last weekend before the boards were up. So much happened, I don't remember what happened when, to comment by episode. Unfortunately.  

I do remember how much I loathe David.

[snowwhyte]

22 hours ago, itsadryheat said:

I binged watched last weekend before the boards were up. So much happened, I don't remember what happened when, to comment by episode. Unfortunately.  

I do remember how much I loathe David.

I thought about taking notes after each episode and then commenting when the episode threads went up but I was too impatient to see the next episodes. I want to comment on each episode but it's going to have to wait until I do a rewatch as I don't want to accidentally post spoilers.

I also hated David. He's such a petty, mean, little man.

[itsadryheat]

I'm on the same row boat with you snowwhyte!  I have intermittent thoughts on this season, but can't remember what episodes they were in. Hopefully next time, the thread will be up in time. So much good stuff I'd like to talk about regarding Jorge! . . . and  . . . running the cartel like a "business" . . . the payoffs . . the creepy accountant . . . and Paco's Dancing With The Stars audition.  I guess I will patiently wait, dang it.

[Care Bear Stare]

On 9/4/2017 at 4:30 PM, larapu2000 said:

LOL at Maria that just bounced around from protective dick to protective dick.  You've gotta admire those survival skills.  And the fact that it led to David's death was particularly satisfying.  If you just listened to your dad, you little asshole...

I really, really want to believe that Maria ended up trading intel for money, then left the country with her kid to start over somewhere else.   With the Salazars and David out of the picture, she wouldn't really need "protection", right?  She surely knew that being some narco's woman for the third (!) time would not work well for her in the long term, especially after getting groped by the guard and being called a "Cali whore" by Henao.  I know her options were limited, but ugh.  

Pallomari - I cannot with this guy!  "My family requires a certain amount of square footage!"  Well, okay!

Anyway, I LOVED this season.  It's definitely my favorite of the 3.  

[itsadryheat]

1 hour ago, Care Bear Stare said:

I really, really want to believe that Maria ended up trading intel for money, then left the country with her kid to start over somewhere else.   With the Salazars and David out of the picture, she wouldn't really need "protection", right?  She surely knew that being some narco's woman for the third (!) time would not work well for her in the long term, especially after getting groped by the guard and being called a "Cali whore" by Henao.  I know her options were limited, but ugh.  

Pallomari - I cannot with this guy!  "My family requires a certain amount of square footage!"  Well, okay!

Anyway, I LOVED this season.  It's definitely my favorite of the 3.  

 

Pompous ass and his pompous ass wife. And to think they are probably living next to one of us. Hope they are getting their pompous asses checked living in the USA.