The original Netflix series – Narcos – attempts to tell the tale of Pablo Escobar, the most notorious man involved in the drug cartel that still lingers around the border of Mexico. The series explores the vastness of Escobar’s work and the inability of the police to shut it down.
Whilst the series has become a resounding success, the first episode can initially feel weighty. It focuses on the early creation of the drug industry in the 1980s, with information given to the viewer via a voice over from Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) who is a DEA agent working with Colombian authorities.
Despite the dates and figures, the show has some incredibly poignant moments. The rise of ‘Cockroach’ or Mateo Moreno out of a pile of the dead cannot help but leave the viewer chilled. Nor can Moura’s portrayal of Escobar who is shown posing for his mugshot with a large grin on his face. The flicking between real footage and fiction helps give the show a real feel of authenticity as well as excitement.
Image: Yvonne Esperanza