A Narcos Letter

Dear Titus Andromedon,

This week I watched something that I can’t decide if you would like or not. I watched Narcos. Narcos is a show based off the true story of Pablo Escobar and his drug trafficking ring. While I think you would like this show because the entire thing is a drama, and therefore dramatic. I don’t know that you would enjoy the violence and greed that come with the show.

Anyone who knows you knows how much you love drama. Drama makes you happy. This show, while not the epitome of drama, is pretty dramatic. The way the camera follows Pablo and shoots quite a few of his scenes from below, makes him seem more powerful. Now don’t get me wrong, he was powerful. The camera angles just make him seem a little more dangerously powerful. When the camera isn’t shooting from below it is shooting at eye level. This makes Pablo seem more approachable because you see him at the level you would in everyday life.

The other thing that intensifies the drama in Narcos is the voice over. The voice over, that is supposed to be one of the DEA agents, is very intense. This intensity would be great, if it weren’t going overboard sometimes. Don’t tell me, show me. The voice frequently tells you things that you could have inferred or would be better just shown. People say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, what is the point if you aren’t just experiencing? Suspense. The DEA agent is trying to build the suspense to leave you on the edge of your seat. This is great. But, in the intensity it is  good to also have someone filling you in. Without the voice some scenes might lose their touch or leave you confused.

Stories can be confusing sometimes, especially true ones. This is where I think you would not enjoy this show. While, dramatic, it is based off true lives. Albeit, the show has taken some liberty with the story. That doesn’t make it any less true, and in that regard, I find myself almost wanting to look up where they took those liberties. I don’t think you would enjoy that by it being a true story, that means other people know it, and that you could easily just look up the information and spoil the entire show for yourself. That waiting, the suspense, is what you live for in a TV show. Having the information available about what could be next  whenever you want it is a dangerous game to play.

The thing I know you would have the most though is the fashion. The show is set in the 70s-90s for the most part. That means that all of the following were in: big hair, tight miniskirts, horrible prints, and other things from the 70s. The wardrobe in this show, while accurate was not very appeasing. Pablos wears sweaters to go to drug related activities. The moms/women are all wearing dresses, skirts, or pantsuits. The police wear hideous prints and Pablo does too. While I appreciate the authenticity, I don’t appreciate the every changing patterns and colors. I think if you looked at some of the outfits the characters wear you would cry and refused to watch.

Overall Titus, it is a good show and is dramatic enough to be up your alley. There are some downsides but everything has those and so I say try it. Give it a shot.

Sincerely,

Taylor Shanders