The end of summer 2015 started with a bang when Netflix debuted its latest original series Narcos. Fresh off Walter White’s coattails, the (true) crime series appealed to audience fascination with the far-reaching consequences of the drug trade. Or rather, in the case of Narcos, where it all began.
Season one chronicles the rise of the ‘80s drug lord Pablo Escobar as he establishes his cocaine empire in Colombia and introduces this highly addictive drug to the United States, escalating the decades-long war on drugs in America. Along with Escobar, we get glimpses of other notorious historical figures and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s efforts to control the rising threat with multiple legal, political, law-enforcement, and civilian threads at play. While season two zeros in on Escobar’s dwindling days before his eventual execution, the action-packed series doesn’t break pace even when narrowing its focus, instead finding its groove even more before shifting entirely in season three. And that is why the real main character here may not be the one on all the posters.Knowing the heart of your story can help you construct a seamless tale despite all of the moving parts — especially one that incorporates fiction and reality into one. Narcos sets out to recount how cocaine has influenced America and while this is achieved through excellent characterization and thrilling plot that keep you glued to your seat episode after episode, one never loses sight of the overarching message. Hard to ignore when archive footage flashes onscreen to emphasize the brutal realities of drug-related violence both in the U.S. and Colombia.
That’s important to remember when presented with two main voices: that of DEA agent Steve Murphy’s voiceover narration and smuggler-turned-kingpin Pablo Escobar, embodied by Boyd Holbrook and Wagner Moura, respectively. Who’s telling the story can make the difference in where audience allegiance lies for your characters. Since we’re with the DEA agent, his victories and losses are where our sympathies lie. But where creators Carlo Bernard, Chris Brancato, and Doug Miro excel is in the way they present the voiceover. Holbrook voices the omniscient narrator view with a rather dispassionate tone, while simultaneously playing the more sympathetic Murphy. But the true trick is how the writers were able to paint Escobar in a sympathetic light at times despite this — before reminding you he was a murderous psychopath. It’s unsettling and proves the genius of what the writers room was able to accomplish, along with Moura’s stunning performance.
His portrayal of Escobar plays into Hollywood’s obsession with giving villains all shades of gray; origin stories, if you will, to explain away the "why" behind the madness. Interestingly, neither Murphy nor his partner Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal), receive such detailed character arcs in Narcos. Theirs only go as far as the drugs go, shifting from Escobar’s Medellín cartel to the Cali cartel in season three.
Executive producer Eric Newman once told The Hollywood Reporter, "We plan on stopping when cocaine stops. I think there’s a reason why we call this show Narcos and not 'Pablo Escobar.' It’s very much about the trade."
And to make this re-tooling of the Escobar story and drug trade stand out from the crowd, a unique hybrid of docu-style footage and voiceover narration with a raw visual aesthetic culminates in an extremely visceral, suspense-filled package. Even Holbrook’s gravelly voiceover tinged with a lazy drawl sets a particular tone, juxtaposed with fast action and an upbeat Colombian soundtrack for an unsettling (yet addictive) result. Not coincidentally, it was for Main Title Design, Original Main Title Theme Music, and Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series that Narcos received its only Emmy® Award nominations.
Moura did receive a Golden Globe® Best Performance by an Actor nomination for his quietly calculating, terrifyingly charming rendition of Escobar. The serenity that surrounds him making him even more alarming. It’s easy to get swept up in the incredulity of the whole story, but that’s where the filmmakers don’t let you forget — these were real people. Real deaths Escobar orchestrated and carried through with himself; the images of dead bodies and sinister mug shots reminders of the grisly truth.
To ensure a level of accuracy, both the real Javier Peña and Stephen Murphy acted as consultants on the show, even making cameo appearances at the end of season two. Holbrook-as-Murphy’s voiceover an unceasing textbook of facts: Escobar was one the world’s seven richest men, among other things we didn’t need to Google while watching because it was laid out for us. Sometimes — very rarely I might add — it does pay to tell, not show.
Mixed reviews for Narcos also reminds us that filmmakers produce a truth, not the truth, no matter how much history they include. It’s a way of starting the conversation, making way for other points of view, and while it may feel like a documentary, it's still a fictionalized account for all its accuracy, made to entertain as much as enlighten. The show’s most impressive feat, therefore, is the way it forces self-examination of the viewer as we watch these characters make impossible choices.
Screenwriters can read the pilot episode here and stream the series on Netflix, including its spin-off, Narcos: Mexico. Because, as Newman said, sadly the cocaine hasn’t stopped.