Narcos: Mexico
Narcos: Mexico | |
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Genre | |
Created by |
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Starring | |
Narrated by | |
Theme music composer | Rodrigo Amarante |
Opening theme | "Tuyo" |
Composers | |
Country of origin | United States Mexico |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Production locations |
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Running time | 55–69 minutes |
Production company | Gaumont International Television |
Original release | |
Network | Netflix |
Release | November 16, 2018 – present |
Narcos: Mexico is an American crime drama web television series created and produced by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro that premiered on Netflix on November 16, 2018. It was originally intended to be the fourth season of the Netflix series Narcos, but it was ultimately developed as a companion series. It focuses on the illegal drug trade in Mexico, whereas the parent series centered on the illegal drug trade in Colombia. On December 5, 2018, Netflix renewed the series for a second season.[1]
Premise
Narcos: Mexico explores the origin of the modern war on drugs, beginning at the time when Mexican traffickers were a loose and disorganized confederation of small-time independent cannabis growers and dealers. The series dramatizes the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s as Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) unifies the traffickers in order to build an empire. DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Michael Peña) moves his wife and young son from California to Guadalajara to take on a new post, and he quickly learns that his assignment will be more challenging than he ever could have imagined.[2]
Cast and characters
- Michael Peña as Kiki Camarena, a DEA agent who garners valuable intel about Félixs organization.
- Diego Luna as Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel and founder of the modern Mexican drug trade
- Tenoch Huerta as Rafael Caro Quintero
- Alyssa Diaz as Mika Camarena
- Joaquín Cosío as Ernesto "Don Neto" Fonseca Carrillo
- José María Yazpik as Amado Carrillo Fuentes (reprising his role from Narcos)
- Matt Letscher as Jaime Kuykendall
- Aaron Staton as Butch Sears
- Lenny Jacobson as Roger Knapp
- Ernesto Alterio as Salvador Osuna Nava
- Tessa Ia as Sofia Conesa
- Alejandro Edda as Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán
- Alfonso Dosal as Benjamín Arellano Félix
- Clark Freeman as Ed Heath
- Fermin Martinez as Juan José "El Azul" Esparragoza Moreno
- Fernanda Urrejola as Maria Elvira
- Gerardo Taracena as Pablo Acosta
- Gorka Lasaosa as Héctor Luis Palma Salazar
- Guillermo Villegas as Sammy Alvarez
- Horacio Garcia Rojas as Tomas Morlet
- Jackie Earle Haley as Jim Ferguson
- Manuel Masalva as Ramón Arellano Félix
- Teresa Ruiz as Isabella Bautista
- Yul Vazquez as John Gavin
- Julio Cesar Cedillo as Commander Guillermo González Calderoni
- Scoot McNairy as Walt Breslin, DEA agent (narrator of the story; McNairy is first seen on-screen and credited in the last episode of the first season)
- Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar (reprising his role from Narcos)
- Alberto Ammann as Hélmer "Pacho" Herrera (reprising his role from Narcos)
- Francisco Denis as Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela (reprising his role from Narcos)
- Pêpê Rapazote as José "Chepe" Santacruz-Londoño (reprising his role from Narcos)
- Jorge A. Jimenez as Roberto "Poison" Ramos (reprising his role from Narcos)
- Julián Díaz as Blackie (reprising his role from Narcos)
- Eric Lange as Bill Stechner (reprising his role from Narcos)
- Brian Buckley as John Clay Walker
Episodes
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
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1 | "Camelot" | Josef Kubota Wladyka | Eric Newman & Clayton Trussell | November 16, 2018 |
2 | "The Plaza System" | Josef Kubota Wladyka | Carlo Bernard & Doug Miro | November 16, 2018 |
3 | "El Padrino" | Andrés Baiz | Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson | November 16, 2018 |
4 | "Rafa, Rafa, Rafa!" | Andrés Baiz | Scott Teems | November 16, 2018 |
5 | "The Colombian Connection" | Amat Escalante | Andy Black | November 16, 2018 |
6 | "La Última Frontera" | Amat Escalante | Jessie Nickson-Lopez & Clayton Trussell | November 16, 2018 |
7 | "Jefe de Jefes" | Alonzo Ruizspalacios | Story by : Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson and Clayton Trussell Teleplay by : Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson | November 16, 2018 |
8 | "Just Say No" | Alonzo Ruizspalacios | Doug Miro | November 16, 2018 |
9 | "881 Lope de Vega" | Andrés Baiz | Clayton Trussell | November 16, 2018 |
10 | "Leyenda" | Andrés Baiz | Carlo Bernard | November 16, 2018 |
Production
Development
Netflix renewed Narcos for two more seasons on September 6, 2016, a few days after the release of the second season.[3] Production on the fourth season began in Mexico in late 2017, following the release of the third season. On July 18, 2018, Netflix announced that the fourth season would instead "reset" with almost an entirely new cast as a new Netflix original series titled Narcos: Mexico.[2]
The first season was released on November 16, 2018,[4] and Netflix renewed it for a second season on December 5, 2018.[5]
Cast and crew
In December 2017, Michael Peña and Diego Luna were announced to star in the upcoming series.[6] A few days later, Matt Letscher joined the cast in a regular role.[7] Other key cast members revealed by showrunner Eric Newman include Tenoch Huerta, Joaquín Cosío, Teresa Ruiz, Alyssa Diaz, and José María Yazpik (reprising his role from the third season of Narcos).[8]
Newly enlisted Mexicans Amat Escalante and Alonso Ruizpalacios directed episodes for the upcoming series, while Colombian Andi Baiz, director of several episodes for the first three seasons of Narcos, also directed for Narcos: Mexico.[8]
Murder of location scout
Carlos Muñoz Portal was one of the show’s location scouts, but he was found murdered with multiple gunshot wounds on September 15, 2017 in central Mexico near the town of Temascalapa.[9][10] A spokesman for the attorney general in Mexico said that there were no witnesses due to the remote location, but the authorities would continue to investigate.[11] Authorities are considering the possibility of narco gang involvement,[12] but the murder has not been solved.[8]
Factual differences
Although many of the events and characters are based on true history, some liberties were taken to streamline the story of the Mexican drug war into a cohesive narrative. Unlike in the television series, Mexican police say that Félix Gallardo personally ordered the capture of Kiki Camarena. The murders of John Clay Walker and Albert Radelat were real, however it's reportedly stated that they were tortured and interrogated beforehand. The character of Sofia Conesa, portrayed as the love interest of Rafael Caro Quintero, was named Sara Cosio in real life.[13]
Critical reception
The first season of Narcos: Mexico has a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 35 reviews with an average rating of 7.43/10, with the critics consensus stating "Dangerous, thrilling, and highly addictive, Narcos: Mexico's first season expertly expands the franchise by exploring new territory in the drug war's grim history and showcasing electric performances from Diego Luna and Michael Peña."[14] On Metacritic, season one holds a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 9th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Drama Series | Diego Luna | Nominated |
6th Platino Awards | Best Ibero-American Miniseries or TV series | Narcos: Mexico | Pending | |
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV series | Diego Luna | Pending |
References
- ^ "#NarcosMexico has been renewed for Season 2". Twitter. December 5, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Strause, Jackie (July 18, 2018). "Netflix Releases First Look at Reset 'Narcos: Mexico'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ^ Hibberd, James (September 6, 2016). "Narcos Renewed for Two More Seasons". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
- ^ Russell, Scott (September 6, 2018). "A New Empire Rises in First Teaser for Narcos: Mexico, Coming to Netflix in November". Paste. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ Ramon, Dino-Ray (December 5, 2018). "'Narcos: Mexico' Renewed For Season 2 By Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (December 19, 2017). "'Narcos' Season 4 to Star Michael Peña, Diego Luna". Variety. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 3, 2018). "'Narcos': Matt Letscher Joins Netflix Drama As Series Regular For Season 4". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ^ a b c De la Fuente, Anna Marie (May 17, 2018). "'Narcos' Showrunner Reveals Key Cast Members Joining Season 4 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ "La violencia en México supera a la ficción". El País. September 11, 2017.
- ^ "Narcos filmmaker shot dead scouting for locations in rural Mexico". The Telegraph. September 17, 2017.
- ^ Collins, Pádraig (September 17, 2017). "Netflix scout for Narcos TV show found shot dead in Mexico". The Guardian. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ "Narcos location scout shot dead in Mexico". BBC News. September 17, 2017.
- ^ "Two Bodies Unearthed in Mexico Forest". Los Angeles Times. United Press International. June 18, 1985. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
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(help) - ^ "Narcos: Mexico: Season 1 (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ "Narcos: Mexico : Season 1 (2018)". Metacritic. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
External links
- Netflix original programming
- 2010s American crime drama television series
- 2018 American television series debuts
- Serial drama television series
- Television series by Gaumont International Television
- Television series about organized crime
- Spanish-language television programs
- English-language television programs
- Television shows set in Mexico
- Works about the illegal drug trade
- Films about the illegal drug trade
- Films about Mexican drug cartels
- Television programs about drugs
- Films about Colombian drug cartels
- Television series set in the 1980s