Narcos: Encontrando Algo Nuevo

Mama, hay muchas diferentes cosas que te gusta ver en la television. Unas de esas cosas son telenovelas. Aveces es difícil porque trabajas y no pasan en los fines de semanas. Pero tengo algo que te podrá ayudar con esa problema. Recientemente, vi un nuevo show llamado Narcos. Tiene mucha violencia, pero es muy interesante. Se trata de la historia de drogas en relación con Columbia, pero también con los Estados Unidos. Tiene mucho que ver con el hombre llamado Pablo Escobar y lo que hizo para llegar al nivel de poder que tenia. 

Narcos empieza narrando de un punto de vista de un americano trabajando para el DEA. El empieza a explicar su historia y como llego a estar en Columbia peleando contra las drogas. Es muy interesante porque explica la historia de drogas en Latino América, pero también explica como los Estados Unidos fue afectado por las drogas, en especial Miami. Se que este show te gustara mucho porque de lo que he visto que ves en Netflix, te gusta cosas que son tipo telenovela. Pero si hay mucha violencia y ya se que no te gusta mucho la violencia, especialmente para mi, pero tu ya eres adulta y no es malo que lo veas. 

También se que el tercero época va a tener que ver con las drogas y como se relacionan con los carteles de México. Se que siempre que pasaban las noticia de carteles, las veías porque vienes de México y te interesa. Es algo que seria especialmente interesante para ti. Por eso, recomiendo que empieces a ver Narcos ahora y no esperar tanto. Pero no hay que preocuparse porque Netflix publica este show y por eso, nunca se va a quitar de Netflix. Ya se que como trabajas todo el día, lunes a viernes, no tienes tiempo para la tele, pero pienso que deberías ver este show en los fines de semana si tienes tiempo. Te quiero mucho y espero que te guste! Sino te gusta hay muchas diferentes recomendaciones de que puedes ver. Una otra cosa buena es que casi todo esta en español entonces nadamas necesitarías subtítulos para ingles, que desde que yo he visto, no hay mucho de. 

Narcos: Pablo, Drugs, Money, and Colombia

I fully understand why you guys always told me to never do drugs and to always resist the love of money, but mom and dad, according to Narcos, Pablo Escobar did it in such a unique and interesting manner that he was able to garner the support of an entire nation.  In the first two episodes, the viewer is presented with an image of Escobar that displays him in an extremely ideal light. He is mentioned and shown to be a family man and a man of honor among other things.  It seems as if Pablo’s drug dealing allowed him to present two different sides of himself; there was Pablo the drug dealer, money launderer, and clever businessman, and Pablo the kind, thoughtful citizen who stood for the people and wanted to serve the people.  Nonetheless, the personality dichotomy that Escobar possessed and how that contrast presented itself in the relationship he had with the people of his country, his cohorts, and his enemies offer plenty to the show.

Beginning with Escobar’s drug operation and the sheer size of it, his intentions with the money he was making became clear, Escobar wanted to serve the people of Colombia.  During episode 2, it was mentioned that the magnitude Escobar’s earnings were so great that they were too large for a country the size of Colombia.  In order to subvert governmental consequences, Escobar and his team turned to laundering in order to wash the dirty money.  A few shots later in the same episode, there was a rally where Pablo was well-received by the people of Colombia.  They chanted his name while he was being interviewed on television.  During the interview, Escobar mentioned, to the camera, that he had no political aspirations, but he did speak on the hardship of the poorer Colombian citizens.  He mentioned that the wealthy elites made their fortune by exploiting the poor while “leading” the nation.  Escobar expressed that he knew the dreams of the people and the could better relate to him.  It is important to recognize at this point that the people of Colombia knew nothing of the illegal business that Escobar was conducting, and Escobar had no intention of having them find out anytime soon.  Here, the distinction between the two separate halves of Escobar should be noted, Escobar the drug dealer and Escobar the kind citizen.  It should also be noted that even with the money that Escobar had, he was still willing to put it towards the people of Colombia.  It is interesting to see how Escobar displays both sides of his character and how that plays out throughout the series.

Specifically in episode 2, the morality of Escobar is displayed in several ways.  A few shots after the rally where the people of Colombia chanted his name, Escobar is shown to be having an affair with the woman who interviewed him.  During their affair, the women whom he was having the affair with said something in regard to Escobar’s wife, Tata.  Immediately after, Escobar refuted her statement and told her to never disrespect his wife.  Here, Pablo makes the distinction between him disrespecting his wife and someone else disrespecting his wife.  In one way, this shows the high regard he has for his family, but also how he indirectly shows that he is the only one who has authority to do so.  Later in the episode, while Escobar and his cohorts were using an area in a park, they overhear a woman and her child also in the park.  Escobar mentions that he had the park closed for the entire day.  One of his cohorts says that he will take care of the issue, but Escobar refutes him saying that it’s only a woman and her child.  Escobar then calmly escorts her out of the park.  Again, how Escobar displays both “sides” of him contribute to the storyline that the show presents and adds a special dynamic to his character.

Drugs and the love of money can easily corrupt an individual, but the way in which Escobar carries himself throughout the show makes it a bit more complicated than that.  While Escobar has money, power, influence, and the means to make money, his underlying motive, to protect the people of Colombia, is his main focus.  The drugs and money are, apparently, the means to achieve his goal.  It will be interesting to see where his business takes both the series and his character in the future.  

A possible Narcoleptic watches Narcos

Narcos is a show set during the infamous and questionable war on drugs. The show follows not one, but two the opposing in this pseudo documentary and drama. Following and narrated by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) officer Steve Murphy who is stationed in Columbia with his wife and child. The other half of the cast is the disturbing yet oddly charming Pablo Escobar. The two make for a duo that indirectly mirrors each other

The story starts on a police raid in a karaoke bar. After the DEA use some old fashioned tracking to locate their target they call the police. Remember they're the DEA they can track and condemn the drug traffickers, but they can't take any legal action against them. The police gun down every single person for the righteous cause. The targets were all given little pet names like Poison, and Big Badmouth. Gives a fantastic removal of the human element to make the people seem other worldly, this has been done for various reasons over the years, but in this case it's done to make the targets more identifiable and easier to shoot. This is just the opening of the story.

The rest of the episode mostly follows Escobar's rise to power through trafficking cocaine. This was done through the aid of his business partner Cockroach, and his many business dealings. Escobar manages to make the idea of drug trafficking seem like a clever and legitimate business venture through his mannerisms and dealings. In fact the entire episode begins to build up both sides as people you want to see win. Until they begin to do things that call both people into question.

Murphy is the DEA officer and narrator. He serves as a sort of window into a pre-cocaine Miami. He recounts how before the events of the show 1 kilogram of weed was considered a huge bust and cause for celebration. When Escobar began importing the cocaine into the U.S his job became a lot harder and more dangerous. His scenes show the effects that Escobar has caused on Miami. Talking about how he had to shoot a seventeen year old kid in self defense. The drug war officially started after Reagan's speech on the dangers of drugs. Although, rather cynically Murphy points out that it may have been because wealthy business men were concerned with their lack of profits that the war started. He still willingly went to Columbia out of patriotic pride and a sense of duty.

The difference between the two characters that makes us see Murphy as the “good guy” and Escobar as “the villain” is what actions they take and how they can justify them. Murphy has only acted in self defense or because it's his job. While he doesn't make any excuses for shooting a 17 year old drug dealer he does try to deflect any criticism that the audience might direct at him. Saying that is essentially his job, and that good and evil are relative concepts. Escobar, however doesn't make any excuses for what he does. Maybe it's because he's not the narrator, or perhaps he doesn't care what people think, because when he's as wealthy as he is, who could challenge him?

Narcos seems to take this idea of there being no true good and evil, and run with it. I'm beginning to think Netflix has some sort of fetish or secret business deal with it's directors to make this a central theme in most of their Netflix Originals (could be both). The series itself has me captivated and may distract me from the far more important things I have to do, like get an education. The series seems to be trying to capture the spirit of the many humans who fight in a war, and to serve as a criticism of the Drug War.

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