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Narcos - Netflix Show - Released August 28th


illone

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I'm on episode seven now. I praise the acting and direction and cinematography. I think they are top notch. But the writing is mediocre. The show has gotten confused and vague in it's narration and does a poor job contextualizing the events that it depicts despite the fact it is being presented in a semi-documentary manner with an omniscient narrator speaking directly to the audience. There is no understanding of the boundaries of Pablo's power, and that saps all of the tension from the events of the show. We are given no sense of why anyone would think they could go against Escobar and live, so we can just safely assume the character will die every time they go out into public.

I think the writers were just not sure how to tell this story as a TV series. And the show has also done a poor job of characterizing pretty much everyone but Pena and Escobar. Murphy's character, the narrator, is completely inessential. I don't think they have any idea what to do with him. And I think they're caught between an anti-hero and villain presentation of Escobar, but in a bad way. It feels like they're trying too hard to present him as sympathetic and monstrous in turns--to obfuscate his character, to try and present him in a naturalistic way. But really it just comes off as a bit heavy-handed and confused, and that his motivations are never really clear enough for the audience to understand him.

The show's most interesting moments for me are the documentary segments, and that's something newish they've introduced into the genre that is good. The series reminds me of Boardwalk Empire. That's another period crime serial on a fascinating subject with great acting and cinematography and a great score that could have been great if better written.

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I don't necessarily agree Steve.

I think there are many ancillary characters who can get mixed up but I think the story moves along in great direction and is fairly easy to follow.

The actor who plays Escobar does an excellent job. He portrays Escobar as a conflicted antagonist who is completely ruthless. Yet somehow, there is an understanding of how Escobar is revered in the way he is (at least at the beginning).

Escobar is the driving force behind this much like Walter White was the driving force behind Breaking Bad. What makes it more interesting to me though, is that this story is based on true events.

Having not known the complete story of Escobar going into this I find it completely enthralling. It's hard for me to not read the history of Escobar until after I watch the whole thing.

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  • 11 months later...
On 9/6/2015 at 7:38 PM, Spaceman Spiff said:

It's cool that they've got Barry Seal in here.  Wonder if they have Jon Roberts, Max Mermelstein, etc.  I'm on episode 4 but I like it.

 

Cocaine Cowboys reference? :ols: Now that is a GREAT flick...

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  • 2 weeks later...

They're going to have an uphill battle in season 3, I suspect.

 

Escobar was such a central role to the story and now he's gone.  They tried to portray the Cali cartel as a menacing figure toward the end of season 2, but there are issues.

 

Escobar was the villain of the show, much like Walter White was the villain of Breaking Bad.  You ended up caring and somewhat rooting for him.  You won't get that with the Cali cartel.  It will be a cat and mouse season, pitting US forces against the Cali cartel.  It will probably still be very well made but I think it will lose some of its endearing qualities with Escobar out.

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