Narcos: Mexico Season 3 Review
Narcos: Mexico Season 3 widened its focus as the series entered a new decade, the 1990s. While the second season ended with the arrest of Miguel Angel Felix (Diego Luna), the third instalment shifts its focus to the divided cartel leaders who continue their battle for power even to this day.
The series explores the story and events of the three different cartels in Mexico: The Arellano family led by Benjamin (Alfonso Dosal) who controls Tijuana, while the Sinaloa Cartel led by El Chapo (Alejandro Edda) is looking to get a piece of the border and the Amado led Juarez Cartel is growing rapidly in power while the others engage in a gang war.
In a statement to Hollywood Reporter, co-creator Carlo Bernard, who took over from Eric Newman as showrunner for the final run commented, “I used to joke with Eric that the only thing worse than organized crime is disorganized crime. And that’s what you’re seeing in terms of the chaos and the violence and the upheaval that this season ushers in.”
The main focus of this season was Amado Carrillo Fuentes also known as the ‘Lord of the Skies’. The character played by actor José María Yazpik, stole the show and showcased a more humane side of the infamous drug trafficker. While the real-life Amado was regarded as a dangerous violent person, the season focused on the methodical approach that made him a kingpin in the Narco world.
The third season had bits of action sprinkled around it, but nothing close to what we saw in Season 2. Luisa Rubino who portrays journalist Andrea Nuñez was our narrator for this season. Watching the show being narrated from the view of a journalist instead of a DEA agent was odd at first, but given enough time, it does grow on you.
The series also showed us the impact of the events that were unfolding in Columbia such as Pablo Escobar’s death in the ongoing drug trafficking in Mexico.
Every iteration of the Narcos series captivates and transports you to a time that was filled with ambiguity and violence. While the original Narcos series that focused around Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel ended on a more conclusive note, the Mexico iteration left several questions unanswered. This is quite apt as the Mexican drug war is an ongoing story that still continues to this day. Even as the credits roll at the end of the season, Narcos: Mexico’s story is anything but finished.
The final season of the series is a slow burn that focuses on the subjects of toxicity, poverty, corruption and press freedom that has impacted the ongoing drug war in Mexico. Even though it is a show that has been dramatised for commercial purposes, the real-life events from the show are just as fascinating and shocking. After all, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
Final Verdict: 4.2 stars (out of 5)
