Narcos

Narcos
Genre
Created by
Starring
Theme music composer Rodrigo Amarante
Opening theme "Tuyo"
Composer(s) Pedro Bromfman
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Spanish
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
  • José Luis Escolar
  • Paul Eckstein
Location(s) Colombia
Cinematography Mauricio Vidal
Running time 43–57 minutes
Production company(s) Gaumont International Television
Release
Original network Netflix
Picture format 1080p, 2160p (16:9 HDTV)
Original release August 28, 2015 (2015-08-28) – present
External links
Website

Narcos is an American crime web television series created and produced by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro. Season 1, comprising 10 episodes, originally aired on August 28, 2015, as a Netflix exclusive.[1]

Set and filmed in Colombia, season 1 tells the story of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who became a billionaire through the production and distribution of cocaine, while also focusing on Escobar's interactions with drug lords, DEA agents, and various opposition entities.[2][3] The series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on September 2, 2016 with 10 episodes.[4] On September 6, 2016, Netflix renewed the series for a third and fourth season.[5]

Plot

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
110August 28, 2015 (2015-08-28)
210September 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)

Season 1 (2015)

Main article: Narcos (season 1)

Season 1 chronicles the life of Pablo Escobar from the late 1970s, when he first began manufacturing cocaine, to July 1992. The show chronicles the main events that happened in Colombia during this period and Escobar’s relationship to them. It is told through the perspective of Steve Murphy, an American DEA agent working in Colombia. The series show how Escobar first became involved in the cocaine trade in Colombia. He was an established black marketeer in Medellín, moving trucks worth of illegal goods (alcohol, cigarettes, and household appliances) into Colombia during a time when this was strictly forbidden, when introduced to Mateo "Cockroach" Moreno, a Chilean exile and underground chemist, who pitched the idea that they go into business together, with Moreno producing and Escobar distributing a new, profitable drug—cocaine. They expand beyond Moreno's small cocaine processing lab by building additional, larger labs in the rainforest and, using the expertise of Carlos Lehder, transport their product in bulk to Miami, where it gains notoriety amongst the rich and famous. Soon enough, Pablo develops larger labs and more extensive distribution routes into the US to supply growing demand. With cocaine's growth into a drug of importance in the American market, one that accounts for a large flow of US dollars to Colombia and escalating drug-related violence in the US, the Americans send a task force from the DEA to Colombia to address the issue. Murphy is partnered with Javier Peña. The role of Murphy's task force is to work with the Colombian authorities to put an end to the flow of cocaine into the United States. It ends when Escobar escaped La Catedral prison.

Season 2 (2016)

Main article: Narcos (season 2)

Season 2 is a continuation of where Season 1 ended. Some soldiers find Escobar and his entourage right outside the perimeter of La Catedral, but are too petrified by Escobar to make an arrest. At the embassy the US sends a new ambassador who brings the CIA into play. In the beginning, there is little change for Escobar, as he still has the loyalty of his cartel. However, this starts to slip as Escobar needs to use lot of time and resources to hide from the government. Among the tricks he uses to avoid being seen are hiring a cab driver, who in turn hires a young woman to sit in the backseat as a decoy, while Escobar is hiding in the trunk; and having young look-outs reporting about Search Bloc attempts to find him.

At the beginning Escobar easily adapts to his new life, giving money to the community while ruthlessly killing those who tried to grab his empire. The Colombian police and Escobar engage in massive battles, resulting in high tension and unrest in Colombia. Cali cartel forms an unlikely alliance with Judy Moncada and Don Berna, and decide to bring in the Castanos. Agent Peña starts working with Los Pepes, who kill Valeria and Fernando Duque. After La Quica and Blackie are caught, Escobar goes on the run with Limon. Pablo and Limon hide in a safehouse where he celebrates his 44th birthday. When Pablo tries to make contact with his family, the DEA and military track him down via radio triangulation and corner Pablo on the rooftops. Pablo is hit twice in the ensuing shootout, and though he might survive his injuries, Trujillo executes him with a shot to the head. Tata goes to the Cali Cartel for their help in leaving the country. Peña returns to the U.S. and is asked to provide intel against the Cali Cartel.

Cast

Main cast

Recurring characters

Special guest appearances

Production

The series was announced in April 2014, through a partnership deal struck between Netflix and Spanish language network Telemundo. The series is primarily written by Chris Brancato and directed by Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha, who directed the critically and commercially successful Elite Squad (2007), before directing its sequel in 2010, which became the highest-grossing film ever in Brazil.[14]

Opening theme and title sequence

Title card

Narcos opens with a title card, from which the narrator reads: "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".[15][16]

Opening theme

Narcos' opening theme, "Tuyo", is a bolero written and composed for the show by Brazilian singer-songwriter Rodrigo Amarante.[17]

Visual montage

The theme scores the visual montage comprising the title sequence, created by DK Studios under artistic director Tom O’Neill. The 1980s-themed images address Colombian drug trafficking in general, the United States’ attempt to control it, the era’s glamour, footage from the mountainous regions of Bogota and surrounding underprivileged neighbourhoods, shots of local residents, archival news coverage, and violence. The montage excludes some people who were unwilling to appear in the credits, but it does include some news clips and images "of Pablo Escobar and his entourage, like those at the zoo, [which] came directly from the drug baron’s personal photographer, who goes by the name El Chino." According to O'Neill, "the production team took inspiration from James Mollison’s photo book 'The Memory of Pablo Escobar'."[18][19][20][21]

Etymology

In Spanish, the term "narco" is an abbreviation of the word "narcotraficante" (drug trafficker).[22] Before this usage, in the United States, the epithet "narc" (or "narco") referred to a specialist officer of a narcotics police force, such as a DEA agent.[23][24]

Reception

Season 1

Season Critical response
Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
1 78% (45 reviews) 77 (19 reviews)
2 90% (20 reviews) 76 (13 reviews)

First season received generally favorable reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes a review aggregator surveyed 45 reviews and judged 78% to be positive. The site reads, "Narcos lacks sympathetic characters, but pulls in the viewer with solid acting and a story that's fast-paced enough to distract from its familiar outline."[25] On Metacritic, Season 1 holds a score of 77 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews".[26] IGN gave the first season a 7.8 out of 10 score saying it "Good" and reads "It's a true-to-life account, sometimes to a fault, of the rise of Pablo Escobar and the hunt that brought him down laced with stellar performances and tension-filled stand-offs. Its blend of archival footage reminds us that the horrors depicted really happened, but also manage to present an Escobar that is indefensible but frighteningly sympathetic."[27]

Writing for Philadelphia Inquirer, Tirdad Derakhshani reviewed the season positively calling it, "Intense, enlightening, brilliant, unnerving, and addictive, Narcos is high-concept drama at its finest."[28] Television critic, Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter also reviewed the series positively saying, "The series begins to find its pacing not long after, and we see the strength of Moura’s acting, which to his credit never races, in the early going, toward over-the-top menace or the drug-lord cliches we're all used to at this point. Credit also the fact that Padilha brings a documentary feel to Narcos."[29] Nancy deWolf Smith of Wall Street Journal wrote, "The omniscient-narrator device works very well for a complex story spanning many years and varied sets of players."[30] Critic Neil Genzlinger of New York Times said, "It’s built on sharp writing and equally sharp acting, as any good series needs to be."[31] However, chief television critic Mary McNamara of Los Angeles Times wrote, "It's a grand if inconsistent experiment that, from the moment it opens with a definition of magic realism, wears its considerable ambitions on its sleeve."[32] Writing for IndieWire, Liz Shannon Miller said, "An unlikeable character, no matter the circumstances, remains unlikeable, but an unlikeable character trumps a bland blonde man whose position of authority appears to be his only really interesting character trait, no matter how much voice-over he utters."[33]

Season 2

Second Season generates greater reviews as compared to previous season. Rotten Tomatoes a review aggregator surveyed 20 reviews and judged 90% to be positive. The site reads, "Narcos' sophomore season manages to elevate the stakes to a gut-wrenching degree in what continues to be a magnificent account of Pablo Escobar's life."[34] On Metacritic, Season 2 holds a score of 76 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[35] IGN gave the second season a score of 7.4 out of 10 saying it "Good" and reads "It may go overboard with its love of Pablo Escobar, but I can't truly fault the show for taking advantage of its best performer and character – or for scrambling to find an emotional core on a show that can feel rather clinical."[36]

Season received generally positive reviews from many media outlets. Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club lauded the performance of Moura's and said, "While the show never soft-pedals the havoc Escobar created, it makes him surprisingly sympathetic, thanks in part to Moura’s shrewd, affecting performance."[37] Critic Neil Genzlinger of New York Times said, "Mr. Moura is inscrutably brilliant at the center of it all."[38] Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen also reviewed the series positively saying, "Where season 1 spanned 10 years, season 2 captures Escobar's last days on the loose. Each tightly packed episode moves quickly without sacrificing richness, chronicling the uneasy alliances and gross tactics employed to Snare Escobar."[39] Television critic, Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter said, "What works in the early going of season two is that the fall is almost always more thrilling, if not engaging, than the buildup. Escobar senses the loss of power and Moura does some of his best work as viewers read the worry and interior thinking on his face."[40]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result ref
2016 Writers Guild of America Awards Episodic Drama "Explosivos" Nominated [41]
Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Television Series Drama Wagner Moura Nominated [42]
Best Television Series – Drama Narcos Nominated
BAFTA TV Awards Best International Programme Nominated [43]
Satellite Awards Best Television Series – Drama Nominated [44]
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Main Title Design Nominated [45]
Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Rodrigo Amarante Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series "Descenso" Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 "Netflix Orders 10 Episodes of Pablo Escobar Drama 'Narcos'". The Hollywood Reporter. April 1, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Netflix Plans To Create Original Series About Colombian Drug Lord Pablo Escobar". Fox News Channel. April 2, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Netflix's 'Narcos' Series On Pablo Escobar 'Will Be Like Nothing Ever Seen Before'". The Huffington Post. May 3, 2014.
  4. ↑ "'Narcos' Sets Season 2 Premiere Date". Deadline. June 13, 2016.
  5. ↑ Hibberd, James (September 6, 2016). "Narcos Renewed for Two More Seasons". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  6. ↑ Ge, Linda. "Netflix's 'Narcos' Casts Joanna Christie — Star of Tony-Winning 'Once' (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  7. ↑ Harvey, Chris (August 1, 2015). "The terrible reign of cocaine king Pablo Escobar". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Maurice Compte boards the Netflix series Narcos". Digital Spy. October 10, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Entrevista exclusiva con la nueva chica Bond mexicana". Publimetro (in Spanish). Metro International. March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015. Hago a Valeria Velez, un personaje distinto basado en la amante de Pablo Escobar, Virginia Vallejo, un personaje importante en Colombia
  10. ↑ "Stephanie Sigman Joins Netflix Series 'Narcos'". Variety. July 20, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "'Narcos' Netflix Casting: Ana De La Reguera, 'The Book Of Life' Actress, Joins Cast". Latin Times. October 9, 2014.
  12. ↑ Bowden, Mark (November 26, 2000). "A Former Ally Offers A Profile Of Escobar". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  13. ↑ Guryney, Kyra (December 5, 2014). "Top 10 Tales from Pablo Escobar's Son's Book". InsightCrime.
  14. ↑ "NARCOS REVIEW (NETFLIX)". IGN.
  15. ↑ Almario, Alex (September 24, 2016). "REVIEW: 'Narcos' state of mind, ALWAYS RIGHT NOW". The Philippine Star.
  16. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (August 27, 2016). "Review: Netflix's 'Narcos' takes on the legend of Pablo Escobar". What's Alan Watching?.
  17. ↑ Romero, Angie (September 11, 2015). "Meet the Musical Minds Behind 'Narcos,' Netflix's New Pablo Escobar Series". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  18. ↑ Olité, Marion. "The Story Behind The Opening Credits #1: 'Narcos'". Konbini.
  19. ↑ "'Narcos': A discussion with Creative Director TOM O'NEILL at Digital Kitchen". Art of the Title. September 22, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Review: The Memory of Pablo Escobar by James Mollison". Photo-Eye Bookstore.
  21. ↑ Mollison, James (2007). The Memory of Pablo Escobar. London: Chris Boot.
  22. ↑ "'El Narco': The Trade Driving Mexico's Drug War". NPR. October 25, 2011.
  23. ↑ Ramos, R. (1990). Chicano intravenous drug users: The collection and interpretation of data from hidden from Hidden Populations.
  24. ↑ "EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 'NARCOS' HYPNOTIC THEME SONG". Decider. August 31, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Narcos: Season 1 (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Narcos". Metacritic. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  27. ↑ Wheatley, Chris (August 27, 2015). "Narcos: Season 1 Review". IGN. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  28. ↑ Derakhshani, Tirdad (August 27, 2015). "Narcos: Season 1 Review". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  29. ↑ Goodman, Tim (August 19, 2015). "'Narcos': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  30. ↑ deWolf Smith, Nancy (August 28, 2015). "Easy to get hooked on Netflix's drug drama 'Narcos'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  31. ↑ Genzlinger, Neil (August 28, 2015). "Review: 'Narcos' Follows the Rise and Reign of Pablo Escobar". The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  32. ↑ McNamara, Mary (August 26, 2015). "Netflix's 'Narcos' plays up Pablo Escobar's menace and magnetism". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  33. ↑ Bell, Josh (August 26, 2015). "The Grug War gets a superficial dramatization in Narcos". IndieWire. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Narcos: Season 2 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Narcos Season 2". Metacritic. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  36. ↑ Fowler, Matt (August 31, 2016). "Narcos: Season 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  37. ↑ Alston, Joshua (September 1, 2016). "Netflix's Narcos becomes a full-blown addiction in its potent second season". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  38. ↑ Genzlinger, Neil (September 1, 2016). "Review: In 'Narcos' Season 2, Pablo Escobar's Time Is Running Out". The New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  39. ↑ Jensen, Jeff (August 26, 2016). "Narcos season 2: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  40. ↑ Goodman, Tim (September 2, 2016). "'Narcos' Season 2: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  41. ↑ "2016 Writers Guild Awards Winners & Nominees". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  42. ↑ Moraski, Lauren (December 10, 2015). "Golden Globe Awards 2016 nominees list". CBS News. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  43. ↑ Lazarus, Susanna (May 8, 2016). "BAFTA Television Awards 2016 – winners in full". Radio Times. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Narcos – Awards – IMDb". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  45. ↑ Prudom, Laura (July 14, 2016). "Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners: 'Game Of Thrones' Leads Way On Night 1". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
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