Narcos (season 2)

The second season of Narcos, an American crime thriller drama web television series produced and created by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro, follows the story of notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who became a billionaire through the production and distribution of cocaine, while also focusing on Escobar's interactions with drug lords, DEA agents, and various opposition entities.[1][2]

Narcos
Season 2
Blu-ray cover
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes10
Release
Original networkNetflix
Original releaseSeptember 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
Season chronology

It stars Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar – a Colombian drug lord and the leader of the Medellín Cartel, with Boyd Holbrook, Pedro Pascal, Joanna Christie, Juan Pablo Raba, Diego Cataño, Paulina Gaitán, Paulina García, Bruno Bichir, Raúl Méndez, Manolo Cardona, Cristina Umaña, Damián Alcázar and Eric Lange playing various real life based characters.

All 10 episodes of the season became available for streaming on Netflix on September 2, 2016, and were met with more favorable critical reviews than the first season, with critics particularly praising the performance of Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar. On September 6, 2016, Netflix renewed the series for a third and fourth season.[3]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring
  • Stephanie Sigman as Valeria Vélez – a Colombian journalist who also serves as Pablo Escobar's mistress, based on Virginia Vallejo[8][9]
  • Maurice Compte as Horacio Carrillo – a Colombian police chief, based on Colonel Hugo Martínez[10][11]
  • Julián Díaz as El Negro or "Blackie" (né Nelson Hernández) – a member of the Medellín Cartel, who is frequently seen by Escobar's side
  • Juan Sebastián Calero as Navegante – a violent associate of the Cali Cartel who works as their top henchman
  • Jon-Michael Ecker as El León or "The Lion" – a childhood friend of Escobar's who becomes his first drug smuggler into Miami and subsequently runs Escobar's Miami operations
  • Leynar Gómez as Limón – a pimp and taxi driver from Medellín who becomes one of Escobar's sicarios, based on Alvaro de Jesús Agudelo (a.k.a. "El Limón")
  • Martina García as Maritza – an old friend of Limon's roped into unwittingly helping Escobar
  • Brett Cullen as Ambassador Arthur Crosby – A former Navy officer sent as US Ambassador to Colombia by George H. W. Bush in 1992, replacing Noonan
  • Germán Jaramillo as Gustavo de Greiff, Colombia's Attorney General and vehement critic of President Gaviria's drug policy
  • Alfredo Castro as Abel Escobar, Pablo's father

Episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
111"Free at Last"Gerardo NaranjoAdam FierroSeptember 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
In the aftermath of a massive military effort to take Pablo into custody, the family reunites while enemies worry. Steve and Connie fight about safety.
122"Cambalache"Gerardo NaranjoZachary ReiterSeptember 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
Tata gets impatient with life on the run. Pablo responds to President Gaviria's reward offer. Steve and Javier meet their new boss.
133"Our Man in Madrid"Andrés BaizZachary Reiter and Steve LightfootSeptember 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
President Gaviria has a new job for an old colleague Carrillo. The Search Bloc's new tactics shake up Pablo, but also unsettle Steve and Javier.
144"The Good, the Bad, and the Dead"Andrés BaizTeleplay by : Zachary Reiter and Carlo Bernard & Doug Miro
Story by : T.J. Brady & Rasheed Newson and Steve Lightfoot		September 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
The Cali cartel discusses moving in on Pablo's territory. Limón proposes a plan to Maritza. Tata gets a gun for protection.
155"The Enemies of My Enemy"Josef WladykaTeleplay by : T.J. Brady & Rasheed Newson and
Carlo Bernard & Doug Miro
Story by : T.J. Brady & Rasheed Newson		September 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
The Search Bloc gets a new leader following the death of Carrillo. Javier loses faith in the system. Pablo brings Tata's brother Carlos down from Miami to cheer her up.
166"Los Pepes"Josef WladykaJulie SiegeSeptember 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
The newly-formed Los Pepes want to destroy Pablo and his empire. Tata's brother urges her to leave and seek safety with her children.
177"Deutschland 93"Josef WladykaCarlo Bernand and Doug MiroSeptember 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
As the danger intensifies for the Escobars, Pablo sends his family to another country. Gaviria weighs the opportunity to use them as leverage.
188"Exit El Patrón"Gerardo NaranjoTeleplay by : Gideon Yago & Curtis Gwinn
Story by : Gideon Yago		September 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
Colombia begins to turn on Escobar after his latest terrorist attack. Tata receives help from an unlikely ally. Quica gets increasingly anxious.
199"Nuestra Finca"Andrés BaizJulie Siege & Clayton TrussellSeptember 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
Pablo is reunited with an estranged family member. Judy Moncada's life is put in danger. The DEA and CIA clash over how to handle Los Pepes.
2010"Al Fin Cayó!"Andrés BaizCarlo Bernard & Doug MiroSeptember 2, 2016 (2016-09-02)
Javier deals with the repercussions from Judy's interview. Tata tries to convince Pablo to surrender for the sake of his children.

Reception

The second season of Narcos received more favorable reviews than the first with critics particularly praising the performance of Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 92% positive, based on 16 critic revies: "Narcos' sophomore season manages to elevate the stakes to a gut-wrenching degree in what continues to be a magnificent account of Pablo Escobar's life."[12] On Metacritic, Season 2 holds a score of 76 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13] IGN gave the second season a score of 7.4 out of 10 saying it "Good" and reads "It may go overboard with its love of Pablo Escobar, but I can't truly fault the show for taking advantage of its best performer and character – or for scrambling to find an emotional core on a show that can feel rather clinical."[14]

Season two received generally positive reviews from many media outlets. Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club lauded the performance of Moura's and said, "While the show never soft-pedals the havoc Escobar created, it makes him surprisingly sympathetic, thanks in part to Moura’s shrewd, affecting performance."[15] Mark A. Perigard of Boston Herald said, "Moura’s performance anchors this show."[16] Critic Neil Genzlinger of New York Times said, "Mr. Moura is inscrutably brilliant at the center of it all."[17] Writing for IndieWire, Liz Shannon Miller said, "The show has figured out how to balance its ostensible heroes. The buddy cop energy between Peña and Murphy was one of Season 2’s most enjoyable side dishes--enough to make one hope for more."[18] The New York Post's, Robert Rorke said, "Without [Escobar] there’s a gaping hole. So allow yourself to be mesmerized and appalled at one of the most outrageous true crime dramas ever filmed."[19] Emily VanDerWerff of Vox said, "The second season of Narcos, Netflix’s historical drama about drug lord Pablo Escobar and the law enforcement officers who worked to bring him down, is a marked improvement over the first."[20]

Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen also reviewed the series positively saying, "Where season 1 spanned 10 years, season 2 captures Escobar's last days on the loose. Each tightly packed episode moves quickly without sacrificing richness, chronicling the uneasy alliances and gross tactics employed to snare Escobar."[21] Television critic, Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter said, "What works in the early going of season two is that the fall is almost always more thrilling, if not engaging, than the buildup. Escobar senses the loss of power and Moura does some of his best work as viewers read the worry and interior thinking on his face."[22] John Anderson of Wall Street Journal wrote, "The sense of desperation among all the characters is heightened; the stakes are higher; the politics more sordid. Other aspects of the series, however, have remained disappointingly the same."[23] However, Writing for Collider Chris Cabin expressed that, "There are potent and provocative ideas that lie frustratingly dormant throughout this series, which seems to be just happy to play a competent but only occasionally compelling Michael Mann riff.[24]

References
  1. "Netflix Plans To Create Original Series About Colombian Drug Lord Pablo Escobar". Fox News. April 2, 2014.
  2. "Netflix's 'Narcos' Series On Pablo Escobar 'Will Be Like Nothing Ever Seen Before'". Huffington Post. May 3, 2014.
  3. Hibberd, James (September 6, 2016). "Narcos Renewed for Two More Seasons". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  4. "Netflix's Pablo Escobar Drama Adds 'Hatfields' Alum (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. June 5, 2014.
  5. Ge, Linda. "Netflix's 'Narcos' Casts Joanna Christie — Star of Tony-Winning 'Once' (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  6. "'Narcos' Netflix Casting: Ana De La Reguera, 'The Book Of Life' Actress, Joins Cast". Latin Times. October 9, 2014.
  7. Bowden, Mark (November 26, 2000). "A Former Ally Offers A Profile Of Escobar". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  8. "Entrevista exclusiva con la nueva chica Bond mexicana". Publimetro (in Spanish). Metro International. March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015. Hago a Valeria Velez, un personaje distinto basado en la amante de Pablo Escobar, Virginia Vallejo, un personaje importante en Colombia
  9. "Stephanie Sigman Joins Netflix Series 'Narcos'". Variety. July 20, 2014.
  10. Harvey, Chris (August 1, 2015). "The terrible reign of cocaine king Pablo Escobar". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  11. "Maurice Compte boards the Netflix series Narcos". Digital Spy. October 10, 2014.
  12. "Narcos: Season 2 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  13. "Narcos Season 2". Metacritic. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  14. Matt Fowler (August 31, 2016). "Narcos: Season 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  15. Joshua Alston (September 1, 2016). "Netflix's Narcos becomes a full-blown addiction in its potent second season". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  16. Mark A. Perigard (September 1, 2016). "'Narcos' reigns as drug lord drama". Boston Herald. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  17. Neil Genzlinger (September 1, 2016). "Review: In 'Narcos' Season 2, Pablo Escobar's Time Is Running Out". New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  18. Josh Bell (September 2, 2016). "'Narcos' Review: Season 2 Finds Its Path To the Future — And Its Real Star". IndieWire. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  19. Robert Rorke (September 1, 2016). "Moura oozes menace again as Pablo Escobar on 'Narcos'". The New York Post. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  20. Emily VanDerWerff (September 4, 2016). "Narcos season 2 offers so much to love. But it also exemplifies the worst of TV". Vox. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  21. Jeff Jensen (August 26, 2016). "Narcos season 2: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  22. Tim Goodman (September 2, 2016). "'Narcos' Season 2: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  23. John Anderson (September 1, 2016). "'Narcos' Review: More Potent Than Ever". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  24. Chris Cabin (September 1, 2016). "Fall TV Review Guide 2016 Round 7: 'Falling Water,' 'Channel Zero,' 'Goliath' & More". Collider. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
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