What I’m Watching: Narcos

Narcos: Season 2, Episode 8 “Exit El Patron” (B+)

The tide has definitely turned against Pablo, and it’s changed the whole feeling of this show. We’re past Los Pepes being vigilantes and wreaking havoc in Colombia, and now everyone feels that Pablo has gone off the deep end. Even the members of his ever-shrinking loyal inner circle seem less inclined to die by his side and for his cause, since it’s so much revenge-driven and no longer about expanding the business empire, which took a considerable hit with the murder of the Lion in this hour. The most substantial development was the apprehension of La Quica, Pablo’s most devoted henchman, who was quick to turn on his boss for the promise of a new life in America only to ask just enough questions to tip him off and ensure that he steered clear of the meeting point to avoid capture and assassination. The notion that Pablo has to be killed rather than captured is an intense idea, and the emphasis placed on a cop being the one to kill him shows just how much law and order needs a win, prompting even de Greiff to consider changing his tune on Colombia’s most wanted man. Enlisting Valeria’s help to smuggle a communications device to his wife was a smart and unexpected ploy, and the new open line between husband and wife was made all the more empathic by the tragic news of the murder of Valeria and her television crew. With just two episodes left this season, I can imagine the intensity is only beginning to build.