Topic: Netflix's Narcos - The Pablo Escobar Story

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Watched 9 and 10 last night.  Wow what a ride. One of the best factual dramas I have ever watched. Riveting stuff.

Eps 9 and 10 spoiler below and possible spoilers for season 2.

Spoiler

Not knowing the exact Escobar story beforehand but knowing he was eventually killed, I was totally expecting Pablo to die in a rein of bullets during the firefight at La Catedral prison.  Not to be though as he indeed escaped La Catedral. Go Pablo!!

The part where Pablo killed his two partners Moncada (with the pool queue) and Galeano was particularly brutal and showed just how much Pablito was losing it.  Anyone who has read the book etc,  Was this part made up for TV as I cant find any mention of these two guys on a google search?

I do know he was eventually killed in 1993 only 1 year after he escaped from La Catedral.  I dare not read too much into it as I don't want to spoil the second series for myself.

I assume the second series will focus on the year between his escape and death and the manhunt for Pablo by the authorities and Los Pepes group (Los Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar, "People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar")

Anyhow, season 2 needs only be half as good as series 1 and I will love it

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Spoiler

he shot moncada and Galeano at la catedral

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[Saul Goodman]

Sounds like you just have an issue with the voice over.

Personally, I'd rather have a voice over explain certain scenarios to the viewer than some cheesy, shithouse dialogue being created to accomplish what the voice over can do simply and within the confines of the story.

No, the voiceover was a big issue but the show itself became quite boring and repetitive. I just found the telling very unimaginative, it was very much the Pablo story told by a million other people replayed again. This happened, then this, then this . . . .  on and on. Yawn.

[Fiasco]

No, the voiceover was a big issue but the show itself became quite boring and repetitive. I just found the telling very unimaginative, it was very much the Pablo story told by a million other people replayed again. This happened, then this, then this . . . .  on and on. Yawn.

It reminds me of a Grand Theft Auto game. The opening few scenes were very, very GTA like. With the voiceover and the fast paced chronology it's very much like a video game. I think it's great though.

[XabiAlonsosBeard]

Finished watching this last night. Thought it was good.

I've watched quite a few Escobar related things, and I don't agree that this is just a re-telling of what went before.  I discovered a few things that I didn't know about Pablito before.

Also, South American women! My word.

One thing that I noticed was that one of Escobar's secarios, the black bloke, was known by the name "Blackie". South American culture using physical descriptions when assigning a nickname to somebody in informal conversation.  Now, where have we heard that before, only for all and sundry to totally dismiss such a thing out of hand?.....

[The G in Gerrard]

Know this sounds wrong but your watching it get caught up and start rooting for Pablo then they show the footage of what he done and it knocks you that this man was a terrorist murderer drug kingpin amongst other things

Wasn't rooting for Pablo but I get what you mean. Just saw episode 6 so any like ability anyone had towards him surely goes.

[KERRYKOP]

Know this sounds wrong but your watching it get caught up and start rooting for Pablo then they show the footage of what he done and it knocks you that this man was a terrorist murderer drug kingpin amongst other things

Up until he did that thing, you know? The really, really bad thing, I was on team Pablo. Never stopped liking Gustova though, the rails fell off really for Escobar when he lost his council. 

Spoiler

I wonder if they'd have just let him be a politician would as many people have died? Probably, because he wouldn't have stopped until he became president, which wouldn't have been the smoothest hand over Id imagine.

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[Cusamano]

Ive binged watch 5 episodes in a row.

Up to Episode 8 - Epic

[Fiasco]

Finished this last night. A truly wonderful series, one that started off so well and maintained the quality right until the final episode. Well produced, visually very good with the juxtaposition between the slums and the high life, very well written. Also funny in parts with the dialogue and some of the acting was outstanding.

Just a couple of things in spoiler tags. I'm not sure they need to be there, but just in case.

Spoiler

What a sick, ballsy motherfucker Escobar was. I mean, beyond being obviously smart, ambitious and business-savvy, he was a fucking psychopath. When you are watching a series, something like The Sopranos maybe, you don't feel bad rooting for one mobster/crew over another because that's the life they chose, they knew the risks. Obviously, The Sopranos is based on true events somewhat but not within a mile of what's depicted in Narcos. I saw earlier in the thread about people finding themselves rooting for Pablo and how that dies off very quickly after he blows a commercial plane up. I totally get that. I never rooted for him throughout the show, rather I was open-mouthed at what he did. I've read about him in the past, I knew some of the stuff already, but a lot of it really opened my eyes. It must have been crazy growing up in Colombia back then. As for the next series, more focus will be on the Cali cartel I imagine, and even further down the line if they want to they've got a decades worth of drug war in Mexico to work with. What's gone on in Mexico over the past decade or so makes Colombia in the 80's and 90's look like a petty argument between a group of friends. Well, not quite, but you get the point.

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[KERRYKOP]

Watched "Cocaine Cowboys" last night as per recommendation in this very thread. A fine collection of maniacs in there as well even more so in fact and a fascinating story of how Miami came to be a city built by the drugs trade. 

[XabiAlonsosBeard]

Watched "Cocaine Cowboys" last night as per recommendation in this very thread. A fine collection of maniacs in there as well even more so in fact and a fascinating story of how Miami came to be a city built by the drugs trade.

Ha. I watched this yesterday too. Griselda Blanco and her main hired muscle were both genuinely psychotic individuals, by the sounds of it.

I think there's a Cocaine Cowboys 2, specifically about Griselda Blanco.

[Raaphael]

Finished season one today. Wagner Moura is awesome.

[pathetic]

watched season 1 in two days. excellent season and by far the best I've watched in a while. Agent Murphy is a twat.

[Brian Blessed]

Why is he a twat?

[Yiannis]

Spoiler

He refused to go back home when his wife asked him shit scared after all that shit had happened. Plus they had a kid now. His response was almost like a maniac's one who's dead set on a mission. Understandable to a point but that's your family.

[close]

That makes him an irresponsible twat. The biggest twat is the CIA agent though.

[stoa]

Spoiler

He refused to go back home when his wife asked him shit scared after all that shit had happened. Plus they had a kid now. His response was almost like a maniac's one who's dead set on a mission. Understandable to a point but that's your family.

[close]

That makes him an irresponsible twat. The biggest twat is the CIA agent though.

About Agent Murphy being a twat:

Spoiler

Agree about the thing with his wife, but I also hate how he's coming across as this poor fella who basically tries to be a good guy, but gets so caught up in his fight against drugs that he's basically forced to become a bad-ass who doesn't give a fuck about it. It's one of those things that tend to happen too often. The American good guy being forced to do bad stuff by some dirty foreigner, so he can't really be blamed for it if innocent people are getting killed.

[close]

Just a couple of things in spoiler tags. I'm not sure they need to be there, but just in case.

Spoiler

What a sick, ballsy motherfucker Escobar was. I mean, beyond being obviously smart, ambitious and business-savvy, he was a fucking psychopath. When you are watching a series, something like The Sopranos maybe, you don't feel bad rooting for one mobster/crew over another because that's the life they chose, they knew the risks. Obviously, The Sopranos is based on true events somewhat but not within a mile of what's depicted in Narcos. I saw earlier in the thread about people finding themselves rooting for Pablo and how that dies off very quickly after he blows a commercial plane up. I totally get that. I never rooted for him throughout the show, rather I was open-mouthed at what he did. I've read about him in the past, I knew some of the stuff already, but a lot of it really opened my eyes. It must have been crazy growing up in Colombia back then. As for the next series, more focus will be on the Cali cartel I imagine, and even further down the line if they want to they've got a decades worth of drug war in Mexico to work with. What's gone on in Mexico over the past decade or so makes Colombia in the 80's and 90's look like a petty argument between a group of friends. Well, not quite, but you get the point.

[close]

About Escobar:

Spoiler

I have to say, I found myself feeling a bit sorry for Escobar at times. He's definitely being a massive psychopath, but it's also kind of tragic to see his transformation into complete madness towards the end thinking everybody is against him and stuff. I think a lot of it has to do with the acting. At times, Escobar just comes across as this slightly dim and tubby guy who just doesn't know what he's doing only to phone one of his guys to go and kill a mother and her kid a minute later.

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[Yiannis]

Indeed, it's a recurring phenomenon, Stoa.

I mentioned it before but love that woman's(cannot remember her character name) line to Murphy about how he should learn about his country's history in South America. Good thing they included that even in a subtle way.

[johnsmithlfc]

3 episodes in and loving it!
Will finish it hopefully by the end of weekend.... Great stuff so far.

[eddiedingle]

Excellent stuff.  It reminds me of Underbelly actually. The format, the voiceover. Anyone else get that from it.

A lot better than underbelly though.

[roblfc13]

"Stay in the fucking tree." - Christ that line had me in bits.

Belting series. Been a while since one has gripped me right from E01.

[stevensr123]

Netflix are completely smaashing it out of the park.

[Redcap]

Netflix are completely smaashing it out of the park.

HBO are a thread away from losing their primacy as the benchmark for paid original programming. They have Westworld and Vinyl coming next year, which will be huge. But if those don't take off the perception will be that Netflix has taken over.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Ha. I watched this yesterday too. Griselda Blanco and her main hired muscle were both genuinely psychotic individuals, by the sounds of it.

I think there's a Cocaine Cowboys 2, specifically about Griselda Blanco.

theres a cocaine Cowboys reloaded which is the first one with some added bits in it, can get it on iTunes, around 2 1/2 hours long.

[The G in Gerrard]

Superb season. Season 2 will be this time next year? Really enjoyable from start to finish. Can't fault it.

Spoiler

the loss of Gustavo more than being "imprisoned " changed Pablo no?

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[Buck Pete]

Superb season. Season 2 will be this time next year? Really enjoyable from start to finish. Can't fault it.

Spoiler

the loss of Gustavo more than being "imprisoned " changed Pablo no?

[close]

Yeah defo agree with the Gustavo comment

Spoiler

When Gustavo was killed, I cannot remember Pablo commenting on his death once, but you could see the change in Pablo.  He trusted nobody. He surrounded himself with scally dickheads who were just getting high on their own supply.  Pablo was then pressured by these henchmen at La Catedral to kill his 2 trusted lieutenants for no reason in what looked like a simple face saving exercise and to not show weakness.

If the story we have been watching is true to life then Gustavo dying was the beginning of the end for Pablo. IMO.

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[KERRYKOP]

Watched 'Cocaine Cowboys 2' last night, deals with Griselda Blanco and her crazy shit. Was thinking at the end of Narcos, no one would get near Escobar's story. They could also easily do a series on this lady as well.

[Agger]

What books have people read on him?

I've only read one, Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden, and that's brilliant and highly recommended.

As for the series, quality from start to finish.

[The G in Gerrard]

Spoiler

When Gustavo was killed, I cannot remember Pablo commenting on his death once, but you could see the change in Pablo.  He trusted nobody. He surrounded himself with scally dickheads who were just getting high on their own supply.  Pablo was then pressured by these henchmen at La Catedral to kill his 2 trusted lieutenants for no reason in what looked like a simple face saving exercise and to not show weakness.

If the story we have been watching is true to life then Gustavo dying was the beginning of the end for Pablo. IMO.

[close]

Yeah deffo. Way show is portrayed...

Spoiler

Pablo lost his only friend and someone who could share the burden with him. The two he killed in the prison weren't people he trusted. Imagine if they called him asshole. Didn't expect him to be so easily swayed by those in the prison.

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[Fiasco]

Yeah defo agree with the Gustavo comment

Spoiler

When Gustavo was killed, I cannot remember Pablo commenting on his death once, but you could see the change in Pablo.  He trusted nobody. He surrounded himself with scally dickheads who were just getting high on their own supply.  Pablo was then pressured by these henchmen at La Catedral to kill his 2 trusted lieutenants for no reason in what looked like a simple face saving exercise and to not show weakness.

If the story we have been watching is true to life then Gustavo dying was the beginning of the end for Pablo. IMO.

[close]

Spoiler

I was a bit gutted when Gustavo was killed. He was a fantastic character, and by virtue of being Pablo's cousin he could counsel with him in a much stricter manner than the others. When he was being interrogated and beaten I thought hmm, is he gonna give in here? Absolutely no fucking chance. These people believed deeply in what they did and even in the face of certain death they would not back down. You've got to admire how they acted in that regard.

[close]

[Brian Blessed]

[Mouth]

Watched 'Cocaine Cowboys 2' last night, deals with Griselda Blanco and her crazy shit. Was thinking at the end of Narcos, no one would get near Escobar's story. They could also easily do a series on this lady as well.

Too fucking right. Its a fucking mental story. She was let out of jail after the docu was made, don't know if they added that update. Went home to Columbia and ended up getting shot.

In a similar vein, check out Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja. Its about the weed smuggling antics in Miami, made by same people.

http://putlocker.is/watch-square-grouper-online-free-putlocker.html

[slamjam]

Started again when they launder money don't know if it's true or made up for this 5 million a week for his taxi firm with taxis hahaha

[Macphisto80]

Pablo builds his own prison, fills it with all his own shit, eats what he wants, drinks what he wants, goes to bed when he wants, plays football with his mates, and orders in hookers. I think you call that a holiday resort to most other people. I like his style.

[Popcorn]

Finally finished it, thought it was brilliant.

Didn't know too much of the Escobar story beforehand but it's absolutely mental.. Fascinating watch.

[Raaphael]

I recommend the documentary called "Sins of my father", about Pablo Escobar`s son Juan Pablo. Who, by the way, actually seems to be a decent fellow.

[Xxavi]

I recommend the documentary called "Sins of my father", about Pablo Escobar`s son Juan Pablo. Who, by the way, actually seems to be a decent fellow.

In the book?

Because in this show, he is growing up to be an annoying prat.

[Raaphael]

In the book?

Because in this show, he is growing up to be an annoying prat.

He seems like a decent human being in the documentary. It`s on Netflix. Really interesting.

[G1 Jockey 4(betfair)]

Excellent stuff.  It reminds me of Underbelly actually. The format, the voiceover. Anyone else get that from it.

A lot better than underbelly though.

a little yes.
i prefer underbelly...

[TheKid.]

Finished season one today. Wagner Moura is awesome.

His accent is horrible though. No wonders Colombians had complaints about it

[Yiannis]

Couldn't tell.

[Cusamano]

He's great

I have no idea what an authentic Colombian accent is and what isnt so im not arsed.