What I’m Watching: Narcos

Narcos: Season 2, Episode 5 “The Enemies of My Enemy” (B+)

There’s an interesting shift that’s happening on this show, which is that Pablo is starting to play less of a role in each hour since it feels like everybody wants to take him out. Javier was understandably furious with Maritza, who is really in a terrible situation since she thought she was doing something good and got completely played by Limon. Turning her into an asset was a smart play by Javier, and what I don’t think Limon, La Quica, and Pablo saw coming was that Javier would come in guns blazing with Judy’s men when he followed up on the intel he got from tailing Limon. As usual, every small gain comes with an influx of violence, and it seems like this latest spat is getting especially bad, as the man hanging by the neck with a sign that Pablo’s next at the end of the episode indicated. Javier and Steve are doing what they can to keep the peace, thought that doesn’t include getting Maritza a visa or even doing anything to keep her alive. Steve telling Carillo’s mother that what she heard about him wasn’t true was kind, and the return of his wife has definitely helped him come back to a good place. Another mother made an interesting comment about her son, and that was Pablo’s mother in response to his wife’s claim that she has always just taken what she wants, which she took as a compliment and then put on Pablo too. The Lion coming back into play is interesting, and he may well be the biggest bargaining chip in the battle for control of the drug business and the nail in Pablo’s coffin.