Support NeoGAF

[Moff]

Around episode

Spoiler

nine

was when I really started to like his character.

I think he himself was fine, but

Spoiler

everything around his private life and especially his wife was dumb. everything felt so forced shoehorned in:
- her experience with mules
- her saving the communis girl
- them adopting the kid
- her pointing out the truck

unnessecary drama, didn't fit the show, imo

pena was much cooler than him, I want him to be the lead in season 2

 

[lucebuce12]

I think he himself was fine, but

Spoiler

everything around his private life and especially his wife was dumb. everything felt so forced shoehorned in:
- her experience with mules
- her saving the communis girl
- them adopting the kid
- her pointing out the truck

unnessecary drama, didn't fit the show, imo

pena was much cooler than him, I want him to be the lead in season 2

I do mostly agree with you except for

Spoiler

adopting the kid. It did feel a little odd, but that was about the only thing regarding his family that "worked" I feel. Really showed just how much he'd come to like this place, despite everything.

Though I do agree Penna is certainly cooler than him.

 

[TerminalDogma]

I just binge watched this show over Friday/Saturday/Sunday and wow, its really good. I was a little let down by the ending, just because I was expecting it to be more final then it was. I knew going in there was going to be a season 2, but I still figured this would have a more concrete ending. Still, I was completely engrossed from halfway through the first episode (I didn't know much about Escobar), and I personally loved the semi documentary feel of the show.

While I'm not a native speaker, even I could tell the subtitles weren't getting everything across COMPLETELY straight. But they did a good enough job to let you know whats happening.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Wait how are they gonna do a second season based on Escobar? Looking on wikipedia

Spoiler

there was very little time between the end of this season and his death

I wonder if they could stretch it out by having flashbacks to Pablo's early life? This didn't really get into that much.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

Saw the final episode of this show yesterday. Damn, best show I've seen so far this year, I think. There was never a boring moment and I always wanted to see more. Didn't much care for the DEA protagonist though. He started off as a douche and ended as a complete jackass. It was also strange how little screen time he had. Not that I mind, but it was just weird how the protagonist and narrator was barely on screen at all for the first four episodes. Escobar's character and actor however was really good, as was the overarching plot. I was surprised by the ending; it didn't feel like there was much left, and reading the posts here it seems like others caught that too. I'm all in for another season, as long as there's something to show in it.

 

[DarkFlow]

I wonder if they could stretch it out by having flashbacks to Pablo's early life? This didn't really get into that much.

That would be rather boring.

 

[SuperAndroid17]

Finished Season 1...cant wait for Season 2. Took me 2 days.

What a breath of fresh air! Love the show.

 

[cirrhosis]

I ate up the hype when I first saw the trailer months ago and have been looking forward to it since. I started watching it on Friday and finished it Sunday. Easily the best show I've seen so far this year.

Looking forward to Beasts of No Nation next month.

 

[mantidor]

And another thing

Spoiler

No Popeye? You'd think he would be relevant to Escobar's story

Now that I finished seeing all episodes

Spoiler

I think Poison is supposed to be Popeye. I feel they purposefully fictionalized people close to Escobar like what the did with Virginia Vallejo being now Valeria Vasquez, except the ones who are dead of course. I guess it was to avoid lawsuits?

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

Now that I finished seeing all episodes

Spoiler

I think Poison is supposed to be Popeye. I feel they purposefully fictionalized people close to Escobar like what the did with Virginia Vallejo being now Valeria Vasquez, except the ones who are dead of course. I guess it was to avoid lawsuits?

Another reason why they might want to do that is to give them more room to make things up about the character(s) and add more side-stories to them or other kinds of details.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Another reason why they might want to do that is to give them more room to make things up about the character(s) and add more side-stories to them or other kinds of details.

yeah but the spoilered seems the most likely as well as these shows tend to always have the disclaimer at the beginning that these are fictionalized characters and that any similarities are coincidences.

 

[sir_kevith]

I binge watched it also. Really agree with everyone regarding the main dude kinda being garbage haha. I think they've just been alluding that he kind of sucks all along though. Cutting corners, harrassing innocent people, out of shape,

Spoiler

got some innocents killed

, AND doesn't speak spanish still. He clearly looks ineffective compared to Pena and isn't making up for it with his personality.

I also agree that the first episodes felt poorly edited and were bit hard to get into. That said, it's ended up being my favorite original show on Netflix so far. It feels really different for this type of show with the fiction taking a backseat to the history vs something like Boardwalk Empire where it's mostly fiction. Looking forward to S2

 

[Gray Matter]

Just finished it.

It started off strong, but as I went along, I kept losing interest, not because it was bad, but because I partly knew the story of Escobar already. I feel like they covered too much time in just one season, let's see what they can do in season 2.

Also, not related, but Wagners accent just completely put me off, he's a good actor, but why the did most important role was given to someone who can't deliver a believe accent is beyond me.

 

[DarkFlow]

Still no 4K streaming on Netflix. Wtf did they do, delete them?

 

[KingKong]

Fun show. Towards the end I forgot that this wasn't a miniseries so the 'cliffhanger' if you can call it that caught me by suprise

 

[phazedplasma]

Its weird they dont have centra spike/gray fox/ISA in this season.

 

[Sectorseven]

With 10 episodes they covered like 13 years worth of events. Next season is going to feel oddly paced by comparison.

 

[DarkFlow]

They really should do a new drug lord every season. Mexico is full of them, they could go on for years.

 

[birthday-suit]

I feel like they should have made this a show about a character based on Pablo Escobar.

Little plotlines likebthebbaby getting adopted had me wondering wait did that happen for real?

And I wish they never had the narrator. Or just saves it for certain episodes. But it feels like it speeds things up rather than be a TV show you're engaged in.

 

[mantidor]

Little plotlines likebthebbaby getting adopted had me wondering wait did that happen for real?

The real DEA agent did adopt his daughter in Colombia.

The baby being the daughter of the guy who blow up the plane has to be fictional though.

 

[Lucky Forward]

A question about episode 3:

Spoiler

Escobar was elected to congress but then his mug shot was dramatically revealed and he was forced to resign. I remember the earlier scene of him being arrested and having the mug shot taken, but can someone please remind me of what exactly he was arrested for and how he got caught?

 

[lucebuce12]

A question about episode 3:

Spoiler

Escobar was elected to congress but then his mug shot was dramatically revealed and he was forced to resign. I remember the earlier scene of him being arrested and having the mug shot taken, but can someone please remind me of what exactly he was arrested for and how he got caught?

He was

Spoiler

arrested for drug trafficking. The police captain wanted a bigger cut than was Pablo was giving and started causing trouble. Pablo went down there to deal with it, instead they "arrested" him and took a mugshot of him. The charges didn't stick, of course, and they managed to negotiate a new deal. That mugshot was literally the only thing that legally proved that he had been involved in drug trafficking at the time.

 

[Mossybrew]

With 10 episodes they covered like 13 years worth of events.

Really? I didn't really catch on to how much time was passing from episode to episode, they didn't really make it clear unless I failed to pick up on something.

Anyway finished the first season and enjoyed it. Pedro Pascal is awesome, he needs more good roles ASAP.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

Really? I didn't really catch on to how much time was passing from episode to episode, they didn't really make it clear unless I failed to pick up on something.

They certainly didn't make it clear, and while I'm sure it took that amount of years in the real version, there's no way the season spanned that much time. It felt like the show didn't span more than a few months at most; the only thing that made that weird was Escobar's children. His daughter came out of nowhere and his son grew up damn fast.

 

[DrSlek]

I just watched the first episode last night. That bridge scene hooked me good.
Time to binge!

 

[Curufinwe]

It was funny to see Christian Tappán as Kiko Moncada. The last time I saw him on TV was as Father Francisco in Anita no te Rajes decade ago.

 

[Lucky Forward]

He was

Spoiler

arrested for drug trafficking. The police captain wanted a bigger cut than was Pablo was giving and started causing trouble. Pablo went down there to deal with it, instead they "arrested" him and took a mugshot of him. The charges didn't stick, of course, and they managed to negotiate a new deal. That mugshot was literally the only thing that legally proved that he had been involved in drug trafficking at the time.

Thanks. Now that you recapped it I remember all that happening, but at the time I didn't realize how significant it would prove to be.

 

[Curufinwe]

They really should do a new drug lord every season. Mexico is full of them, they could go on for years.

The focus will surely shift to "Pacho" Hererra and the Cali Cartel at some point next season.

 

[xxracerxx]

The focus will surely shift to "Pacho" Hererra and the Cali Cartel at some point next season.

As I said after I finished the series,

Spoiler

I assume it will switch over within the first 3 episodes at the latest. Pablo will be killed and the focus will shift.

 

[mantidor]

The focus will surely shift to "Pacho" Hererra and the Cali Cartel at some point next season.

I still don't get the focus on him when the Cali cartel was lead by the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers.

 

[Eidan]

Just started the show. Hate the narration, and don't care for the main character. I can't understand why Murphy would be the main character.

 

[Tugatrix]

I still don't get the focus on him when the Cali cartel was lead by the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers.

he was the brain of the operation I guess

 

[Cornballer]

It's been two weeks so spoiler tags are off now.


Also, there was a feature on Narcos in the Onion A|V Club yesterday:

- Narcos uses voice-over to subvert the antihero narrative

If you read a handful of reviews of Narcos, Netflix’s new original show, before deciding whether to dive into its 10-episode first season, you would undoubtedly come across one point of critique and bafflement in just about every review: What’s with the voice-over? Narcos is heavy on the exposition and historical detail, most of which is delivered to the audience via voice-over from DEA agent Steve Murphy. In the season premiere especially, it’s intrusive, messy, and irritating. Sure, it’s a nod to Goodfellas, and Narcos certainly shows no shame in embracing mob- and crime-drama tropes, but it still feels out of place at first, a puzzling way to guide the viewer through the complex story of Pablo Escobar and the rise of cocaine in the 1980s. As the season rolls on, the voice-over not only becomes less prominent, but also serves as one of the more compelling ways the show adds depth and complexity to the narrative. Narcos pulls a bait-and-switch, using Murphy’s voice-over in the first episode to establish a traditional male antihero narrative, only to consistently and perceptively subvert that narrative with each new episode.

More via the link.

 

[Eidan]

I just finished the episode with the siege. Here I was expecting some intense, suspenseful action sequence, but instead we get vintage news footage and Murphy narration that sounds copy and pasted out of Escobar's wikipedia article. I really do hope he starts to shut the hell up as the series goes on.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

I liked the news footage to be honest, it felt like it added realism. And also I didn't really mind the narration either. I mentioned earlier that I too dislike the character, but I didn't really have any issues with the narration itself.

 

[teruterubozu]

I'm 2 episodes in and bam, lots of sex. lol, Netflix.

 

[Curufinwe]

I'm 2 episodes in and bam, lots of sex. lol, Netflix.

I think they had three sex scenes in a row in one episode.

 

[Eidan]

I think they had three sex scenes in a row in one episode.

Yeah, the second episode goes from Pena, to Escobar, to Murphy.

 

[justjohn]

Finally finished. The last episode was much better and I thought the main actor playing Pablo was actually pretty good. The next season should be the last I think.
Also this show has surprisingly taught me some Spanish. I didn't know a lick of Spanish but after watching this show I've got a few words down surprisingly.

 

[Curufinwe]

It reinforced some of the Spanish I picked up years ago watching telenovelas, but I was never able to pick up what the homophobic slurs were despite the large volume of them.

 

[Slacker]

The next season should be the last I think.

Why is that? The show is called "Narcos," not "Escobar."

 

[sooperkool]

Narco traffic is a very ripe subject. I imagine they'll do more stories and subjects.

Mexico is ripe for a season or two. Of course, no central character is gonna ball like Escobar.

Dunno, Chapo might.

 

[phaonaut]

Just finished the season, probably my favorite Netflix Original series. The theme song is really catchy also.

 

[Tugatrix]

Just finished the season, probably my favorite Netflix Original series. The theme song is really catchy also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hPsY7yVhek

Here you have it

Curiously the singer is Brazilian and so a Portuguese Speaker, so is odd to see it singing in Spanish

 

[mantidor]

It reinforced some of the Spanish I picked up years ago watching telenovelas, but I was never able to pick up what the homophobic slurs were despite the large volume of them.

The subtitles are kind of poor, there really aren't that many homophobic slurs, the thing is that the word for "fag" is used in Colombia in all kinds of situations to the point it has almost lost its original meaning. Intention is absolutely important when you are using it, close friends will call "marica" to each other in the most endearing and loving way, and they will also use it to deride something as petty or worthless.

 

[Frog-fu]

Binged it in a day. Really enjoyed it. It's a super solid show with a great cast, top not score and fantastic cinematography.

I'm finding some of the impressions here a little odd, specifically the complaints about the voice over pauses. The show wouldn't work without them. There is too much that needs to be contextualised for it to make sense to viewers unfamiliar with the subject matter, and what better way than to take a page out of Scorsese's book?

The show is great, I hope it continues after Escobar.

 

[Haribi]

Just finished it and I liked it overall but I feel like it could've been so much better. First of all it was way too fast paced. Everything went by so fast and I would've like it more if they went into more detail and spent more time on each of the story lines. I can't get as emotionally involved with the characters and the story as I'd want to in such a fast paced show. Everything just flies by and it almost feels like a documentary that skips from one point in Escobars life to the other. I wanted to see more of the day-to-day operations, of Gacha, the Ochoa brothers and just more focus on his life as a Drug Baron and the Medellin Cartel before the war with the government.
The whole Escobar being public enemy number one thing and his war with the government should've been season 2 while season 1 should've focused on his beginning and the rise of the cartel and his life as a drug lord.
In Episode 1 he discovers the trade with cocain and a few minutes later he is already the richest and most powerful man in Columbia. That was just too fast for my taste.

Maybe I just went in with the wrong expectations of this being a Pablo Escobar show. It was actually a DEA show.



Also, this Navegante guy is creepy as fuck.

 

[Blablurn]

Fuuuuck

Just finished it

I had no idea they are ging to make a second season

 

[darkwing-buck]

3 1/2 episodes in and I love it. I didn't know that Escober is played by the guy from Elite Squad till I came into this thread. Great Actor

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Colombian family in FB saying they don't wanna watch it due to Pablo's accent slipping haha. So petty.