Bandidos Season 2 Review – This Netflix sequel makes us miss the treasure hunt genre

Episode Guide

Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3/5

There is something pretty charming about treasure hunt movies like National Treasure and Indiana Jones that sparks nostalgia given that this genre has been quite dry for the past decade. But The Tomb Raider reboot and One Piece live adaptation are bringing back attention to such stories as evident with Netflix quietly renewing Bandidos which was a lowkey 2024 release following Mexican bandits on their hunt for lost treasure. 

But don’t let appearances or its reception fool you as Bandidos is a pretty exciting addition to the genre which just might get its recognition now thanks to Season 2 which popped up in less than a year! The show stars several popular Latin talents and telenovela stars including Alfonso Dosal, Ester Expósito, Nicolás Furtado and Mabel Cadena. With various themes of found family, heists, betrayals and identity crises, Bandidos Season 2 has a little something for everyone.

Well, the Netflix show picks up after the events of Season 1 with Miguel trying to find the Tear of Fire diamond. Lili is threatened by a dangerous figure from her past who goes as far as to target the rest of the bandits. With all their money being stolen, the bandits agree to team up with Lili and find the lost treasure of Moctezuma which includes the diamond. 

But unbeknownst to them, Lili’s past is closing in on them while there is no guarantee of the treasure ever existing in the first place. That’s not the only thing as Citlali now hates Lucas while Octavio accidentally messes up Ines’ custody battle for her son, Alex. Oh, and there is trouble in paradise as Miguel is threatened when Lili’s ex, Leo shows up.

Bandidos Season 2 expands the world of the bandits and gives us some really cool locations such as the snow-clad Pyrenees and long-forgotten Mayan caves. Flashbacks to the ancient past regale viewers with the complicated story of Mayans and Mexico’s colonized past with traditional outfits and jewellery contrasting the colonizer’s bloody armours.

For the modern present, reggaeton and pop music keep the energy high as expected from a heist adventure. It doesn’t waste time in exposition and cuts right to the chase. The high energy and crisp pace continue even when Miguel is going on with his history lesson. The show does it by giving us the above-mentioned flashbacks which retell the adventures of the explorers and the locals of the 16th century.

But along with the visually colourful production, the show keeps viewers hooked with likeable and intriguing characters. Everyone has an ulterior motive, bandits are, after all, thieves. But despite it, they are a group of misfits who understand each other, the best type of found family trope there can be.

It keeps viewers on the edge as we are never sure who will betray the gang, when and for what reason. While in Season 1, we are not given a glimpse of their traitorous sides, this season is different. There is ample ammunition that allows us to mistrust everyone yet we cannot help but hope that they will pull through and stay loyal.

Bandidos Season 2 also uses complicated narrative structures and mysteries that make it fun to unravel along with the characters. The finale, especially, reminds us of Expósito’s other Netflix show, Elite which always begins with a crime which the protagonists try to then mould to fit their cover. However, Bandidos shines by balancing out the action with heartfelt moments that flesh out the characters and their dynamics with each other.

But we do have to call out the overuse of conveniently dropped clues that show up at just the right time. Sure, the show’s very premise requires suspension of belief as it follows bandits who have all the right skill sets and resources to find treasure that no man has ever found. But there are two episodes in particular where they flout the deus ex machina trope and hash out ridiculous logic which they expect viewers to take in stride.

That being said, the show does redeem itself with the penultimate episode which is emotionally charged, funny, bittersweet and quite a rollercoaster ride. While not perfect, Bandidos Season 2 is lighthearted and fun to watch as we root for the good guys to find the treasure and escape the bad guys. Just don’t look too closely at the delicate mesh that is the story’s logic.

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