Narcos: Season 1

I am not a huge fan of subtitles. If I've learned anything from the first season of Narcos its that you shouldn't let subtitles scare you or turn you off of a show and I think I knew that before I went into it, but it didn't really set in until I was about 5 episodes in and loving it. I'll talk more about the subtitles because it is a huge element of the show, but the reason I'm just getting finishing the first season of Narcos is because of the subtitles that I didn't want to read. But now that I have finished it, let's talk Narcos Season 1.

The first season of Narcos follows the true story of Pablo Escobar (played in this series by Wagner Moura). For a good part of the 80s, Pablo Escobar was enemy number one for the United States when it came to the war on drugs. The show begins at the start of his drug production and distribution career in Colombia, and the real life DEA agents that dedicated much of their lives to tracking him down, Javier Pena and Steve Murphy (played by Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook).

The interesting thing about this show is that it delves into a part of history that, I'll be honest, I'm not really aware of. I think it's coming to a time when a lot of the information about the war on drugs in the 80s is becoming declassified and enough of the people involved are dead so it's okay to talk about things like this now, but while I had heard about Pablo Escobar, I didn't know much about him. On one hand, Narcos is a really interesting history lesson on the war on drugs and the lengths that both these drug cartels, AND the government officials, including DEA agents were willing to do to combat one another. In the case of Escobar, the things he did to gain power and the things he did to avoid capture, and in the case of the DEA, the things they were willing to do to investigate his crimes and the lines they were willing to cross to do what they perceived was the right thing.

And that's where the dramatization comes in. Now I don't know how much of it is true, how much of it is dramatized and while the show does do a really good job at filling giving interesting history lessons without it feeling like a documentary, I imagine that a lot of the show is hyperbole in order to create entertainment.

 In my opinion, it does take a few episodes to get used to the format. The subtitles were a big blocker with this show, but after watching the first two episodes, the other hurdle I had to get over was the fact that I was learning a lot with this show. And I mean that in a good way. While there is a lot in this show that is probably dramatized, there is probably a lot that is true and fascinating. Just coming to that understanding and getting used to the format does take a few episodes but when you're used to it the show had both interesting historic facts and really good drama. The three characters I've mentioned so far are characters that are consistent across the board and they are really good at their performance. I got invested in the characters of Steve Murphy and Javier Pena. It's not until later on in the show that you start to see some of the consequences of their choices take effect on them and their personal life and they are interesting character studies.

But then there's the performance of Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar and I have to give him a hand, he is a powerhouse.

From the beginning, you know that this guy is not a good guy at all. He does really horrible things, and he's not a good guy. And yet, as the season goes on he oddly has more scenes where I feel oddly sympathetic towards him as he's dealing with the things in front of him. He's the kind of antagonist that you understand what could maybe drive him to the lengths he goes because there is a very personal narrative being told, and yet he only continues to be this menacing figure who you have no idea how he's going to react to a particular situation. Is he going to hug you or beat you over the head with a pool cue...

Those are the villains that I love the most and that's where the intriguing format comes in. A lot of this is based off of real life accounts. A couple of months ago I watched The Infiltrator with Bryan Cranston and it seems like there were so many characters and personalities in this saga that was the war on drugs in South America.

Another thing that people might like about this show is the politics and Game of Thrones-like scheming that happens among Escobar and other players. There are a lot of really great actors playing drug dealers and cartel leaders who most people will have absolutely no idea who they are unless they study law enforcement and the war on drugs, however, there is a little bit of a politics battle going on throughout as Escobar both creates peace among drug dealers in Colombia and yet it is fragile and it is very much like Game of Thrones.

But what's even more interesting is how Escobar interacts with the politicians of Colombia, and the internal politics of the country during the 80's. Something I found very interesting was the lack of American politics mentioned in the show. They bring up the fact that Reagan starts the War on Drugs and they bring up the Just Say No campaign, however, the bigger focus is the internal politics of the Colombian government trying to deal with Pablo Escobar and the federal agencies like the DEA and CIA's affect on their decision making.

And this is where I actually started to appreciate the subtitles because it didn't feel like a problem that only affected America that we can easily perceive it as. This problem affected Colombia dramatically, probably more than the US, and it was fascinating seeing that perspective.

Again, I can't speak on accuracy on how that struggle was portrayed but I really appreciated it.

And that's where I'll start talking about the subtitles because that is something you really need to be aware of before going into Narcos.

98% of the show takes place in Colombia or Latin American countries. 98% of the people in those countries mainly spoke Spanish. There is a lot of English being spoken in the show, especially when the DEA agents are in the scene. However, about 60% of the show is in Spanish and requires non-fluent speakers like myself to read subtitles. It is a thing, so if you don't like subtitles, you need to be aware that you have to pay attention and read subtitles to enjoy this show.

 However, one of the huge things I took away from that is that it required me to pay attention to what was going on on screen and once I got used to the subtitles, I saw the emotions and non-verbal choices made in the show. This sounds stupid and obvious, but the subtitles made me pay attention to the show more.

I think that when I watch TV shows that don't have subtitles I find it easier to focus on something else and get the jist of what's going on from what I hear. However, Narcos taught me that there is a lot going on screen that I need to pay attention to in order to enjoy the show to its fullest extent. So even if you don't like subtitles, I do recommend Narcos, and highly.

Put on top of the subtitles is the fact that the show is a bit of a slow burn, especially towards the beginning. A lot happens and it does take a lot of energy that most shows don't require of you.

But again, I do think it is worth it. The performances are one thing but just the historical drama that occurs really do make the show worth wild and probably one of the best shows on Netflix right now.

I think the cool thing about Netflix right now is that they are putting out so much original content that even if I wanted to do a list of the best shows on Netflix, it would be a long list of shows I would need to watch. I still might do a post some day soon just pointing out some of the best shows that are on Netflix right now and why they are extraordinary, but for now, I will say Narcos is a show you definitely should invest time into.

But those are my thoughts on Narcos Season 1. Have you watched it? What did you think? Is it worth the subtitles? Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @MovieSymposium as well as send me your requests for films and TV shows I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

I'll leave you with this. Like I said, it's been enough years that information has become unclassified and these stories can be told more. I've already mentioned The Infiltrator, but the Tom Cruise film, American Made is another example of a movie that is part of the War on Drugs in Latin American chronicles that I'm interested in checking out. You might see a review of this movie soon. Enjoy!