I'm just gonna cut to the chase here, many people have already said dozens of things about this series. El Chapo is ambitious, but it's imperfections become obvious very soon. Whether you'll like this one will depend of course on your expectations, and this series has things to offer and also a few things that are lacking.
What El Chapo offers is a compelling - and ongoing - story about one of the most wealthy drug lords in the world. The story is told with eye to detail, and sheds a light on all facets of the enormous drug problem that cripples Mexican society. Its tone is grim, a bit flat, which is somewhat fitting to this particular story.
But what El Chapo is missing so profoundly is a heart. Nowhere in the series are there any true compelling and sympathetic characters. Whilst watching Narcos, I had that odd feeling of rooting for Escobar, even though I knew what he was. But never ever did I really root for El Chapo. I am in the middle of season 3 now and honestly, I just want to see him get killed. To me he's just uneducated, uncharismatic, callous and empty. But the 'good guys' aren't really nice either. Even the DEA is portrayed as an organisation that's after their cut of the business more than they are about fighting crime. And I know this is probably very close to the truth - but a series or movie simply needs at least one relatable character.
In a country where good and bad are often indistinguishable from each other, it seems only fair to paint the picture as such. Yet while El Chapo shouldn't try to be another Narcos, it should have taken more notes.
If you just like to be amused by a good, watchable story about true crime, I'd say give it a try. But if you expect a new Breaking Bad, a new Narcos or The Wire, you will be sorely disappointed.
What El Chapo offers is a compelling - and ongoing - story about one of the most wealthy drug lords in the world. The story is told with eye to detail, and sheds a light on all facets of the enormous drug problem that cripples Mexican society. Its tone is grim, a bit flat, which is somewhat fitting to this particular story.
But what El Chapo is missing so profoundly is a heart. Nowhere in the series are there any true compelling and sympathetic characters. Whilst watching Narcos, I had that odd feeling of rooting for Escobar, even though I knew what he was. But never ever did I really root for El Chapo. I am in the middle of season 3 now and honestly, I just want to see him get killed. To me he's just uneducated, uncharismatic, callous and empty. But the 'good guys' aren't really nice either. Even the DEA is portrayed as an organisation that's after their cut of the business more than they are about fighting crime. And I know this is probably very close to the truth - but a series or movie simply needs at least one relatable character.
In a country where good and bad are often indistinguishable from each other, it seems only fair to paint the picture as such. Yet while El Chapo shouldn't try to be another Narcos, it should have taken more notes.
If you just like to be amused by a good, watchable story about true crime, I'd say give it a try. But if you expect a new Breaking Bad, a new Narcos or The Wire, you will be sorely disappointed.