What I’m Watching: Narcos

Narcos: Season 1, Episode 4 “The Palace in Flames” (B+)

It’s no wonder that every episode feels so packed and full of content – there’s so much to cover and it only gets more interesting as it goes. Pablo getting blamed for the murder at the end of last episode presented a serious problem since the idea of him getting extradited to the United States meant that all bets were off. Naturally, they just changed United Against Kidnappers into a similarly vigilant organization advocating against extradition. The fact that judges had to hide their faces when handing out verdicts to ensure their own safety is absolutely insane, but it was fair since he hired M19 to storm the supreme court and created a big military conflict that was a cover for the destruction of all the files that would have allowed the government or the DEA to make a case against him. Making the whole court disappear was a perfect and terrifying way to put it. Giving the sword back to the insurgent who initially offered it to him seemed like a kind gesture, but instead it was his final act before exterminating all of them, acknowledging that he is truly unforgiving and finite in the way he acts. Communism cited as a bigger concern for the United States military than cocaine is definitely impeding the ability of the DEA to do its job, but informants playing both sides aren’t making it easy either. Elisa’s role in everything is very interesting, and the layers of good and bad on this show are so complex and fascinating in their frequent intersections.