Online Series: Narcos

[chicagoskycam]

The thing I never quite understood about these wealthy traffickers is why they don't just quit while they're ahead

If they've got hundreds of millions of dollars in an offshore account, why continue to risk it all by staying in the game?

They've won. Go enjoy retirement!

It's like those people who win the lottery, but don't quit their job as a janitor

I don't think the money matters to them anymore at some point. It's the power, ego and being in charge of what they built. Pablo couldn't even behave in the prison he built that was basically a country club, all because he thought someone might be stealing from him. He already had more money than he could spend and lost track of millions buried around the country.

 

[chicagoskycam]

it wasnt becoming more legal or accepted in 1986.
its just that moving 3 tons of coke, over 3 pounds of weed is a **** ton of more money.
(basicaly why sinsemilla got them there. it was much better product sure. but it was smaller to pack, so you could move more.)

That wasn't the point of the comment. Governments have created environments for these guys to thrive in through regulation. Much like the violence during prohibition, much of it unnecessary. I found the level of corruption in Mexico more surprising.

 

[Neutrinos]

I don't think the money matters to them anymore at some point. It's the power and being in charge of what they built. Pablo couldn't even behave in the prison he built that was basically a country club, all because he thought someone might be stealing from him. He already had more money than he could spend and lost track of millions buried around the country.

Money or power, it doesn't matter. Once they've got 100+ million in the bank, why not just retire and enjoy a stress-free life?

It just doesn't make sense to me

 

[chicagoskycam]

Money or power, it doesn't matter. Once they've got 100+ million in the bank, why not just retire and enjoy a stress-free life?

It just doesn't make sense to me

We view it as give me 100 million and I'll be good. Again, it's not about the money with these guys. It's their Ego and power. Why the hell did Pablo want to be a politician at some point? Some of it is just human nature, it's never enough and people want more. Once they have the money they simply want more. Both Felix and Pablo earned for acceptance with big players in their respective countries.

One other thing is I don't think it's as simple as quitting. You're a liability with the knowledge you have of the business. Stop paying the government and cops to protect you and they come for you. Your previous partners come for you.

 

[LightningStrikes]

It was nice to see Escobar again. Damn that 1st season was truly awesome!

 

[montreal]

just finished it, thought it was pretty good although slow at the start. I've been watching the Mexican show about El Chapo and I'm almost done that, it's been ok as I didn't know much about any of this story.

 

[LightningStrikes]

I didn't say I liked them. I said they were trying really hard to make them likable. They tried to make Rafa into this poor peasant who just really loved his plants and his gf but was corrupted by cocaine and wanted to kick it but the devil powder just wouldn't let him go and was tricked into the kidnapping by the dudes in the capital.

But that has happened in all four seasons of Narcos - and other shows too. The show's Escobar was awesome, I was truly hit when he eventually got 'got'. They show "the other side". The caring, loving, struggling. As viewers we sympathize with that, we can identify with these aspects - even though we're of course no multi billionair who loves torturing and killing people and has no remorse. Same with Pacho wanting to avenge his brother's death and his struggle due to his sexuality, the Cali brothers story line with Miguel trying to follow in Gilberto's footsteps etc. etc.

And hey, maybe (surely?) they had that side in them too. It's not always black and white, even a ruthless killer or mob boss has people around him he loves and cares for. In the show do they blur the line too much? Do they 'glorify' them? I'm not sure. Obviously, it's the DEA characters' job to remind us, the viewers, how terrible these people are/were. TBH that's the weak link for me in Narcos Mexico, none of the DEA officers are really likable or interesting. I rather watch Gallardo, Neto or even Rafa do their thang.

Loved how they introduced Chapo. They make fun of him but we all know what he will once become. Can't wait!

Gallardo comes off as a guy who does not really want to do the things he does. As opposed to the show's Escobar, Gilberto etc. he seems to be on the verge of losing control a lot of the time. Compared to them he actually seems weak. Was the real Felix weak?

 

[Tuggy]

Just finished the new season last night and loved it.

 

[the squared circle]

I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as the other seasons. And man, I couldn't stand Rafa.

Anyone else think Felix was a dead ringer for Patrice Bergeron??

 

[darko]

The guy that plays Rafa was fantastic. Rafa doing his best Al Pacino impersonation lol. Loved how they used the same actors for Pablo and Cali (Gilberto, Pacho, Chepe etc). Even 2 of Pablo's henchmen were same actors (Blackie and the other guy). It was only missing Limon, La Quica and that crazy sicario Navegante lol.

 

[montreal]

The guy that plays Rafa was fantastic. Rafa doing his best Al Pacino impersonation lol. Loved how they used the same actors for Pablo and Cali (Gilberto, Pacho, Chepe etc). Even 2 of Pablo's henchmen were same actors (Blackie and the other guy). It was only missing Limon, La Quica and that crazy sicario Navegante lol.

it would have been too early for Limon.

 

[Disclose]

by logic it shouldnt be the last time we see Pablo. we do KNOW chapo gets to meet him.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Wasn't as great as seasons 1+2 IMO. Solid TV, sure, but something was missing. Maybe it's because neither Kiki or James on the cops side nor Félix or Rafa on the cartel side were charismatic or in any way interesting.

Probably most problematic was the development of Félix. Just compare it to Escobar. We saw his emotional side, his family side, his struggles, his downfall. Félix just went from fromer cop and underdog to boss of the bosses. Things don't work out? Let's just sit in a chair with the thinking face and 10 minutes later he storms a building with an army. Wut?

Interestingly, they did it quite well with the character Neto. Why, though? Isn't Félix the main guy?

 

[jasonleaffan]

Wasn't as great as seasons 1+2 IMO. Solid TV, sure, but something was missing. Maybe it's because neither Kiki or James on the cops side nor Félix or Rafa on the cartel side were charismatic or in any way interesting.

Probably most problematic was the development of Félix. Just compare it to Escobar. We saw his emotional side, his family side, his struggles, his downfall. Félix just went from fromer cop and underdog to boss of the bosses. Things don't work out? Let's just sit in a chair with the thinking face and 10 minutes later he storms a building with an army. Wut?

Interestingly, they did it quite well with the character Neto. Why, though? Isn't Félix the main guy?

I personally feel it was missing the violence from the other seasons. Most likely because Felix was not as violent as the Columbians. Don Neto was an excellent character and the actor did an amazing job.

I just realized today the female Narco is based on the real life Narco who is nicknamed The Queen of the Pacific. Who is somehow currently free, after being arrested in Mexico and serving time there and then being extradited to the US.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Entertaining, as always. I struggled a little bit with this season though. The big point I’m wrestling with is Felix. I think it’s a great performance by Diego Luna, but the way the character is written, he rarely seems like the guy everyone says he is — the godfather, the jefe of jefes, etc. Sure he brings everyone together and creates the organization, but save a few moments here and there, he’s actually getting pushed around and screwed over by others through a lot of the season. He is more of a cog in the machine than the one pulling the levers. It really only takes until the last 20 minutes or so of the finale for him to seem like the mastermind the rest of the cast keeps saying he is. So I guess this was just a drawn out origin story in a sense? I love me some Don Neto. The scene with him and Rafa listening to Culture Club while high on coke is one of my favorite things I’ve seen this year.

Apologies if this has been mentioned here, but if you enjoy Narcos, you’d also probably like the books Power of the Dog and The Cartel by Don Winslow, which are fiction but some of the characters have obvious real life analogs and the stories cover the same time and places and some of the real life events.

 

[End of Line]

Had to laugh when Nava made Felix the CIA's bitch without him ever knowing.

 

[Tuggy]

No date in the video but did say that Narcos: Mexico season 2 is coming soon.

 

[Tuggy]

 

[ecemleafs]

Anyone else think Felix was a dead ringer for Patrice Bergeron??

lol now that you say it...

 

[montreal]

trailer looks pretty good, seems like it's been a while since season 1 so I might need to do a quick re-watch in the next week or two.

 

[elMatador]

Binged the season 2 yesterday. El Chapo is going to burn down the villages in the next season.

 

[Savi]

Season 2 left me with a big "that's it?" feeling afterwards
Kinda felt like a silence before the storm that S3 is going to be with El Chapo and the rival cartels

Don't get me wrong, S2 isn't bad or anything but definitely not memorable. Think Felix was too boring a villain for it to be better than it was.

 

[Danko]

Season 2 left me with a big "that's it?" feeling afterwards
Kinda felt like a silence before the storm that S3 is going to be with El Chapo and the rival cartels

Don't get me wrong, S2 isn't bad or anything but definitely not memorable. Think Felix was too boring a villain for it to be better than it was.

Agree. I just finished it last night, I felt really detached from Felix this season and the Chapo character definitely has me interested in next season.

 

[tacogeoff]

Just finished. Had to rewatch season 1 to get everything back in order. I quite enjoyed it overall. I didnt mind felix at all and found his progression into a very over ambitious person interesting.

Season 3 is going to be fireworks though as everything should spiral into chaos and a struggle for power.

 

[Voight]

I had a feeling the 3rd season would be about Amado Carillo Fuentes. I had read about him a while ago and learned he became the top dawg when Felix went down, at his peak his net worth was 20-25 BILLION. For reference, Chapo's is estimated at 14 billion.

I don't think they will delve too much into Chapo and his rise as Netflix already has a series for that. of course he will be involved but from the late 80s to his death in the late 90s, Carillo Fuentes was number one and the king of kings if you will.

I think after all the pizzaz of season 1 they wanted 2 to be a build up for season 3. Sort of lay the ground work while also getting Felix out of the story and building the connection between Cali and Mexico.