Narcos

Character-driven, elaborate, personal, authentic, raw. A spectacular drug saga charting the 1980s and 90s in countries that were drug havens. A brilliant mix of semi-documentary and fiction. A little loose at times, of course, due to the number of episodes, but still dwarfing most of the competition in terms of content. (05.11.2019)

A semi-documentary film. At times, important details are missing, and there’s some unnecessary redundant stuff too. Overall, however, an excellent emotional affair, with an accurate portrayal of Colombia and its customs, as well as the period and its self-proclaimed leader Pablo, who, played by Wagner Moura, claims immortality. The creators are already good at blurring the distinction between good and evil in the first series, so Pablo has its good and very bad sides. A very intense dose of suspense and gripping highlights to start with, let's see what the second season is like. (06.10.2019)

Impressive opening with a vivid, authentic, raw and engaging Pablo. For now, a very impressive and thorough performance, wrapped in the original atmosphere of 1980s Colombia, interspersed with documentary footage. (18.09.2019)

The intense Colombian ride continues with ferocity and southern temperament. A high-octane extravaganza that doesn't lose its intensity even in the dialogue passages. (18.09.2019)

First minor stumble, or the loss of the otherwise precise tempo. The period when Escobar started to dabble in politics was not the happiest for him, and the series fully reflects it. Lots of talking, at the expense of rhythm and supporting narrative. (18.09.2019)

Talking and politicking that honours the original concept, but doesn't really stand out against a standard that is, of course, pretty damn high. (22.09.2019)

Preparations for war. As usual with these shows, it's very likely that the last episodes will bring real carnage. (22.09.2019)

Clearly the best episode so far. Not only because of the gruesome deaths of some of the main characters, but also because of the concept itself, which turns the story into an all-out war on the streets between the narcos and the police. (29.09.2019)

The action scenes turn into action politics and negotiations, but they don't reach the same level. It's lifted by the terrific scene with Poison, which is a bit like the rooftop chase from Fast and Furious, only less popcorny and more authentic. (30.09.2019)

A crucial episode in terms of the movement of pieces on the chessboard, as the main and essential ones start to dramatically decrease. (30.09.2019)

A prison episode that takes place entirely in one big building, but is paradoxically more narrative and dynamic than several other episodes. The highlights, of course, are Pablo going wild and the final murder. (02.10.2019)

A decent military ending lacking a bit more careful character work and perhaps, subjectively speaking, more dramatically portrayed consequences of their actions, but that will probably all build up in the later episodes of the second season. Ironically the last episode isn't the most intense, it just spectacularly encourages an immediate viewing of season 2. (02.10.2019)

The first season was a tad better, because the rise is a nicer watch than the fall. And that's exactly the key difference between the two seasons. Wagner Moura was of course fantastic as Pablo, but he wasn’t alone, the series has a lot of characters that grow on you in different ways. Directorially confident and technically precise – this applies to both seasons. We’ll see what the gentlemen from Cali will bring now. (12.10.2019)

A solid start to the second season, which slowly begins to style Pablo as an iconic arch-villain and symbol of evil, rather than a cocaine smuggler and drug lord. Why not, it’s actually pretty accurate. (08.10.2019)

The second episode feels more like a bombastic start of a new phase, designed to grab the audience by the balls and not let go. Lots of new faces that look fresh at first sight and provide a fresh breeze to the sails. Escobar is depicted as a family man, and there are a couple of executions at the beginning and the end to make things juicier. (08.10.2019)

Carrillo one man show. Surprising, controversial, shocking. (09.10.2019)

An episode which, on the one hand, with its arrangement and depiction of Pablo's demons, kind of loses its otherwise awesome authenticity and quality and shows that even the famous Narcos franchise can be a cinematic craft with standard elements of clichés and appealing twists. The spectacular ambush is impressively filmed and unexpected, but it's hard to say how realistic it is and how compatible it is with the rest of the series, it feels like a slap in the face in the otherwise incredibly authentic streets of Medellin. (10.10.2019)

A repetitive episode that we have seen in a slightly modified form several times before. Basically, we're just waiting for someone to take Pablo down. (10.10.2019)

Los Pepes launch a massacre and Escobar is backed into a corner acting like a rabid dog. The best action scene of the series so far – a nighttime house raid, where the cinematographer does a breathtaking job of capturing the action in long takes without a single cut like in Hard Boiled. (10.10.2019)

Surprisingly, a completely different episode than the standard Columbian carnage. Excellent emigration interlude. Impressively executed and strongly realistic. (12.10.2019)