Escobar was the only thing interesting in this series...

Watch Season 3 episode 1 and let me know if you change your mind.

I just finished 3rd season. I loved it. Lots of tense moments throughout.

I haven't started...just one question: can season 3 be like a standalone from season 1 & 2?

@lmao7 said:

I haven't started...just one question: can season 3 be like a standalone from season 1 & 2?

You can definitely watch as a stand alone. they give you a little background on first two seasons to kind of guide you to where they are with season 3. But there are some recurring characters that pop up from first two seasons in season 3 which might cause you to ask...."Who are these guys?"

I just watched episode 1 of season 3, and found it thoroughly uninteresting. I loved the first two seasons, but now I'm considering not even watching the rest of season 3.

@mitsuko_soma said:

I just watched episode 1 of season 3, and found it thoroughly uninteresting. I loved the first two seasons, but now I'm considering not even watching the rest of season 3.

It is a slow start but keep watching it. Season 3 is better than 1 and 2. I thought it wouldn't be as the first 2 were awesome, but I was gripped from ep 5 onwards. It's SOOOOOO good!!!

@terriecoleman said:

Watch Season 3 episode 1 and let me know if you change your mind.

Will watch it and report back...

@terriecoleman said:

Watch Season 3 episode 1 and let me know if you change your mind.

So, i watched it... Didn't find it compelling, I won't continue with the series... I can see what people like about it, the appeal, but I'd rather watch an average crime movie instead

Sorry you didn't like it. I thought it to be pretty compelling myself.

yeah, i think the series/tv format doesnt work for me... would prefer to watch a three hour Escobar movie instead

@Renovatio said:

yeah, i think the series/tv format doesnt work for me... would prefer to watch a three hour Escobar movie instead

At least you gave it a shot. I really liked how intense S3 was especially with the security guy.

@Michelle_Dessler said:

@Renovatio said:

yeah, i think the series/tv format doesnt work for me... would prefer to watch a three hour Escobar movie instead

At least you gave it a shot. I really liked how intense S3 was especially with the security guy.

Right, yeah me too. This show is dramatized history, with some liberties taken of course. The real Jorge Salcedo (not his real name) has spoken a little bit about what happened. He is in witness protection still. I would imagine the surviving Cali cartel members and their associates would love to take revenge on him. He was kind of forced to begin working for the Cali cartel and wasn't able to leave it. As things got more and more crazy and violent he became desperate to get himself and his family to safety. Season 3 does a pretty good job of telling the story of his involvement helping the DEA in capturing the Cali godfathers. Javier Pena was involved as shown in the show. It is amazing that his team could succeed despite both governments signing off on the "surrender" deal. Pretty nice resume to be such a big part of taking down both Escobar and the Cali cartel. If not for Pena and his team, and for Salcedo, the Cali godfathers would have retired rich and powerful. They would likely have continued in criminal activity, just not in cocaine. [I thought it was kind of crazy of them to announce to the other members of their cartel that they had decided for them that they would all retire. They didn't even talk to them beforehand according to the show. I don't believe that could ever have worked.]

I love this show. I got hooked on the first season, the first episode. I recall those times. I remember when Pablo built his own prison in the mountains, and then later escaped from it. I was amazed. I couldn't believe any of it, it was so bizarre. Who would let someone build their own prison, hire their own 'guards', etc. And how could the government allow him to escape again? It was truly a bizarre story that made headlines around the world.

There was one scene in season three, episode 8 that I didn't like. SPOILER ALERT in case you have not watched this by now.
It was when Pena had rescued Christina Jurado, the wife of the money laundering specialist for the Cali cartel, Franklin Jurado, and was taking her to the United States. She hated him, which is understandable. From her perspective, he had destroyed her perfect life of comfort and privilege by arresting her husband. What bothers me is the way the writers had Pena respond to her.

"It's all behind you now Christina".

Christina looks at Javier with contempt, asking him 'You think I should thank you for that?"

Javier "No. No I don't."

Christina "No, you think you're a hero because you, what, you executed a bunch of farmers to get me out so that my husband would testify for you?"

Javier "I did what I had to do and I'm sorry for what happened to you"

Christina "No. No, you're not. And you know it. You're a piece of shit."

Silence. Pena said nothing to her.

I think the real Pena would have pointed out that her husband worked for, supported and enabled, the largest illegal cocaine operation in the world, responsible for a long list of crimes, including multiple murders and for flooding the USA with cocaine. He would have pointed out that the people who held her as a captive in the jungle were not farmers, but well armed, communist, terrorists who specialize in kidnapping wealthy people for ransom, and who kill many people on a regular basis in their war to force people to live under communism. Do the writers of this show have a soft spot for leftist politics? Is that why they portray the communists in a sympathetic light?

I really didn't like the way the writers had Pena respond in that scene. But I love the show overall. It brings a very interesting period of history to life. Many younger people likely knew next to nothing about Escobar, the Cali cartel, or the Mexican cartels which have come to prominence. ( I read that season 4 will look at that aspect of the drug wars). I hope the show continues to dramatize the story of the continuing fight against government corruption and illegal drug operations which our law enforcement officers and agents are engaged in on our behalf, and to do it in such an entertaining fashion.