Netflix reviews straight to your screen: ‘Narcos’
This is part 4 of a 6-part series. Reviews reflect the pilot episode of each series.
The “Narcos” pilot is set up like the prelude to a prize fight. We’re introduced to our contenders — in this case, Steve Murphy (budding DEA agent) and Pablo Escobar (budding drug lord) — and the anticipation is built on the foundation of two trains, one track.
Escobar — the draw of the series — is presented to us like so many charismatic crime lords before him: calm, intelligent and narcissistic. When backed against a corner, his first instinct is not to lash out, but rather to convince the corner that it’s backed up against him. When introducing himself, he recites his full, four-pronged name. Steve Murphy, the protagonist of the show, is, as all good guys are, far less interesting. He’s a cop, he’s mustachioed and he’s got a blond, attractive wife — who’s a nurse, I might add. They’re like the family politicians seek out when they come into town: photograph fodder. Nonetheless, I was somewhat invested in his character — he’s given some good lines (dialogue, not cocaine).
My big issue with the pilot was the use of narration, which seemed to take up the majority of the episode. It felt, at times, that I was watching a documentary on the History Channel with great actors doing the reenactments — if aliens were mentioned, the resemblance would have been uncanny. I don’t mind narration, it can actually elevate a movie (“Sunset Boulevard,” “American Beauty”), offering deeper insights into the action; but here, it’s mostly useless, describing to the audience what we can already see. However, the documentary format does offer one gold moment in which Nancy Reagan’s “just say no” speech is immediately followed by the “no, no, no” of a man about to be executed by Escobar.
Verdict: Fake Escobar hooked me like real Escobar hooked millions. Choose television over drugs, kids.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7elNhHwgBU
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