Narcos: Mexico Season 3 Review – A well-written end to this epic crime saga

Episode Guide

Episode 1 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 8 -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 9 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 10 -| Review Score – 4/5

Narcos: Mexico Season 3 bows out on a high, with a flurry of gunshots, bloody violence and well-written characters. The story this time branches out into four different arcs, each following an individual across the years leading to notorious drug trafficker Amado’s fall from grace.

The story itself picks up where we left off from before, with Amado crash-landing in the desert and arrested by military police. Released after three months, he sets to work enacting big changes in his criminal empire.

While this is going on, DEA agent Walt becomes obsessed with finding and stopping Amado no matter what. He’s a man possessed, determined to follow through with every lead – even if that means losing his wife Dani in the process. There’s a nice inner-conflict that rages within Walt across the 10 episodes because of this, and that much is especially true by the time the final credits roll.

The big turning point here though comes from Walt moving down to Mexico, teaming up with the notorious General Rebollo in a bid to put a dent in the drug trafficking that’s consumed the country.

Also in Mexico is crooked cop Victor. For much of this season he remains independent to the other players but he serves an important part of this story overall.

With cops well-known in Mexico to create crimes, rather than solve them, Victor is somewhat of an enigma. He begins with bribing numerous people before learning of a missing girl called Teresa. This case strikes a chord with him and as he begins investigating, Victor uncovers a long line of dead girls.

This is the feminine epidemic, and as one may expect, it doesn’t make for a particularly easy watch. Seeing this crooked cop playing it straight though serves up a wonderful juxtaposition and works really well to give some depth to this guy.

The other character who takes a big focal point this year is local journalist Andrea, who works for one of the few newspapers not controlled by the government. Desperate for the truth, she finds herself spying on the Narcojuniors, Judge Soto and his son Alex, as well as the Arellano family. Sinking her teeth into this story, we follow her across the season as she learns just how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Of course, the main conflict here still gravitates around the gang warfare, and there’s a lot of it peppered across the 10 episodes. Shocking deaths, shootouts and corruption are common occurrences across the season, and that’s only compounded further by the complicated and ever-shifting hierarchy of the gangs.

You’ve got El Chapo and the Sinaloa’s just starting to establish themselves, Amado and his guys, the Cali cartel, along with Enedina and the Arellano family. This simmering pot of tension does boil over several times this season, including a particularly devastating shootout in an airport carpark

Alongside the excellent plotting and strong characters are numerous slick and well choreographed scenes. Not content with just showcasing an exciting gunfight, Narcos: Mexico flexes its artistic muscle, with some strong camera work and beautifully composed scenes.

One in particular follows a random bystander and her daughter as they witness a fight in the streets between the Mexican military and Enedina’s son, Benjamin. Moments like this crop up throughout the season and they really help give this show an artistic edge.

Of course, everything here is steeped in realism too thanks to narration and interjected media footage confirming what’s happening on screen. From the Peso dropping in value through to corrupt figureheads and political assassinations, the complicated world of Mexican politics is laid bare for all to see, and Narcos: Mexico does an excellent job capturing this chaos in an authentic and exciting way.

Much like the previous seasons, Narcos: Mexico weaves its story effortlessly, taking the best parts of Narcos and spinning that into an enthralling and epic crime saga. This is one of the best crime dramas on Netflix and this explosive final season lays it all out on the table in the best possible way. An absolute must-watch.

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