Narcos

Did You Know?

• A spin-off series, Narcos: Mexico, was released on November 16, 2018, set in Mexico in the 1980s.
• In November 2019, a turn-based strategy game titled Narcos: Rise of the Cartels was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.
• A mobile game, Narcos: Cartel Wars Unlimited, was released in January 2023 for Android and iOS, available exclusively for Netflix subscribers.

Plot

Season 1 follows Pablo Escobar from the late 1970s, when he began manufacturing cocaine, to July 1992. The story is told from the perspective of DEA agent Steve Murphy. Escobar, already a black marketeer in Medellín, partners with chemist Mateo Moreno to produce and distribute cocaine. They expand operations with larger labs in the rainforest and, using Carlos Lehder's expertise, transport cocaine to Miami, where it becomes popular among the wealthy. As cocaine becomes a major drug in the American market, the DEA sends a task force to Colombia. The season ends with Escobar's escape from prison. Season 2 continues after the escape. Soldiers see Escobar outside La Catedral prison but are too afraid to arrest him. The United States sends a new ambassador who involves the CIA. Escobar retains his cartel's loyalty at first, but it begins to slip as he needs more time and resources to hide. He uses tricks such as riding in a taxi trunk and employing young lookouts to evade capture.

Cast and characters

Wagner Moura portrays Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug lord and leader of the Medellín Cartel, in seasons 1 and 2. Boyd Holbrook plays Steve Murphy, a DEA agent working to bring down Escobar in seasons 1 and 2. Pedro Pascal appears as Javier Peña, a DEA agent tasked with stopping Escobar and later the Cali Cartel, across seasons 1 through 3. Damián Alcázar plays Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, leader of the Cali Cartel and a rival of Escobar, in seasons 2 and 3. Joanna Christie portrays Connie Murphy, Steve's wife and a nurse, in seasons 1 and 2. Maurice Compte plays Colonel Horacio Carrillo, a Colombian police chief and commander of Search Bloc, in season 1 and recurring in season 2. Alberto Ammann appears as Hélmer 'Pacho' Herrera, a high-ranking Cali Cartel member, in seasons 2 and 3 and recurring in season 1. André Mattos plays Jorge Ochoa, a founding member of the Medellín Cartel, in season 1. Roberto Urbina portrays Fabio Ochoa, a high-ranking Medellín Cartel member, in season 1. Diego Cataño plays Juan Diego 'La Quica' Díaz, an assassin for the Medellín Cartel, in season 1 and recurring in season 2. Jorge A. Jimenez appears as Roberto 'Poison' Ramos, a hitman for the Medellín Cartel, in season 1 and guest in season 2. Paulina Gaitán plays Tata, Escobar's wife, in seasons 1 and 2. Paulina García portrays Hermilda Gaviria, Escobar's mother, in seasons 1 and 2. Stephanie Sigman plays Valeria Vélez, a journalist and Escobar's mistress, in season 1 and recurring in season 2. Bruno Bichir appears as Fernando Duque, Escobar's lawyer, in seasons 1 and 2. Raúl Méndez plays President César Gaviria in seasons 1 and 2. Manolo Cardona portrays Eduardo Sandoval, Vice Minister of Justice, in seasons 1 and 2. Cristina Umaña plays Judy Moncada, a former Medellín Cartel leader, in season 2 and guest in season 1. Eric Lange appears as Bill Stechner, CIA station chief, in seasons 2 and 3. Florencia Lozano plays Claudia Messina, a DEA supervisor, in season 2.

Production

The series was announced in April 2014 through a partnership between Netflix and Gaumont International Television. The first season of 10 episodes was estimated to cost about $25 million. It was primarily written by Chris Brancato and directed by Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha, who also directed Elite Squad and its sequel. On September 15, 2017, location scout Carlos Muñoz Portal was found murdered with multiple gunshot wounds in his car in central Mexico near Temascalapa. A spokesman for the attorney general in Mexico state said there were no witnesses due to the remote location, and authorities continue to investigate; narco gangs' involvement is being considered. The series opens with a title card reading: 'Magical realism is defined as what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something too strange to believe. There is a reason magical realism was born in Colombia.' The opening theme, 'Tuyo', is a bolero written and composed by Brazilian singer-songwriter Rodrigo Amarante. The title sequence, created by DK Studios under artistic director Tom O'Neill, uses 1980s-themed images addressing Colombian drug trafficking, U.S. efforts to control it, era glamour, mountain footage, neighborhoods, residents, archival news, and violence. The montage includes news clips and images of Pablo Escobar from his personal photographer, El Chino. O'Neill stated the production team took inspiration from James Mollison's photo book The Memory of Pablo Escobar. The word 'narcotics' derives from Greek narkōtikos, from narkoun. In Spanish, 'narco' abbreviates narcotraficante; in the U.S., 'narc' refers to a narcotics police officer.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 78% of 50 reviews were positive, with the site stating the series lacks sympathetic characters but offers solid acting and a fast-paced story. On Metacritic, season one holds a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews. IGN gave the first season a 7.8 out of 10, calling it a true-to-life account with stellar performances and tension-filled stand-offs. Tirdad Derakhshani of The Philadelphia Inquirer reviewed it positively, calling it intense, enlightening, brilliant, unnerving, and addictive. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter praised the pacing and Wagner Moura's acting, noting that director José Padilha brought a documentary feel. Nancy deWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal wrote that the omniscient-narrator device works well for the complex story. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times said the series is built on sharp writing and acting. Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times called it a grand if inconsistent experiment that wears its ambitions on its sleeve. Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire commented that an unlikeable character trumps a bland blonde man whose authority is his only interesting trait, regardless of voice-over.