Season 3 might be better than Pablo Escobar years
Narcos has proven that it's not a one-trick pony.
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![Postcard series poster [Instagram / hamishadaryaniahuja]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Postcard series poster [Instagram / hamishadaryaniahuja]")
Which is why when he was inevitably killed off at the end of the show's second season, not many could imagine any meaningful chances of the show's progress until a new season was announced.
The end of its major selling point was supposed to also mean the pronouncement of the show's obituary, but that might just have to wait on evidence of what the third season puts on the plate.
With the power vacuum that Escobar's death was bound to create, a new big bad villain had to take his place.
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Four showed up instead.
The Gentlemen of the Cali cartel have been fringe characters in the previous seasons, operating mostly in the dark while Escobar stole the show.
With Escobar gone, the third season focuses centrally on the next head in the hydra that is the drug war.
Since it's a whole new band of crooks in a whole new city, season three ushers in a lot of new characters who show up with some exceptional range of commendable performances.
Pedro Pascal returns as broody DEA agent, Javier Pena, thirsty as ever to win the war on drugs in spite of the gnawing feeling at the back of his head that he might be harbouring a pipe dream.
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With the elimination of Escobar, Pena goes after the next biggest drug kingpins in Columbia.
Things get a little complicated when he discovers that the organization has been negotiating a surrender agreement to get very lenient sentences and turn to legitimate business.
Without hiding his discontent for the insanity of the deal, Pena starts going after the cartel the way he knows best, making uncomfortable deals and roaming in very dark corners of the underworld.
The four heads of the Cali cartel; Gilberto Rodriguez, Miguel Rodriguez, Pacho Herrera, and Chepe are not exactly Pablo Escobar 2.0; they're varying degrees of their own psycho.
They're all characters who are self-motivated in their own ways and evolve as their plan starts to unravel with complications they never dared to give any thought, thanks to a persistent Pena.
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Pacho is especially a formidable presence for his stylish, yet terrifying, ruthlessness, while Chepe's menacing appearance sends its own chilly vibes every time he shows up on the screen.
The dynamic between the Rodriguez brothers is shaped by whatever situation they're in from moment to moment, as real colours show in moments of adversity.
With Boyd Holbrook's Steve Murphy not returning to the show as Pena's partner, the DEA's legwork on the dangerous streets of Cali is done by newcomers Chris Feistl (Michael Stahl-David) and Van Ness (Matt Whelan) who don't spark quite like Pena-Murphy but pull their weight to have a significant impact on the season's story.
The tragedy of Escobar's story was that for a long time, he masked his greed and thirst for bloodshed as his path to the fulfillment of a greater good that somehow justifies the means.
It was what made him such a tragic anti-hero in the preceding seasons and why it was sad to see his delusions fester as his capacity for bloodshed remained unabated.
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While the Cali godfathers hardly harbour any such delusions about what they are really doing, their greed is ultimately what turns out to be their downfall as a fatal mistake by an underling is what fully turns Pena's obsessive attention towards them despite their deal with the government.
The show's most intriguing character that inherits Escobar's delusion complex is the cartel's head of security, Jorge Salcedo (Matias Varela).
Salcedo's character is where the season invests its narrative stock as we see him struggle with what his role really is with the organization and if he's equally just as bad as them even if he only protects their lives.
It's intriguing to see him fall in deeper and deeper into the recesses of the drug world as he's forced to accept his role in the empire's evil clout.
Salcedo is a well-fleshed-out character who's trying his best to escape his situation in a dignified manner mostly for the sake of his family and his own peace of mind.
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The bloodier and uglier his quest gets, the more desperate he becomes so much that he's ready to dabble in atrocities that drastically affect other people's lives.
Salcedo grows being from a fringe player in the opening episodes of the season to turning into this behemoth that redirects the fortune of everyone involved.
Another scene-stealer is Miguel's ambitious and obsessed son, David, who is Salcedo's greatest adversary and is at every turn to wreck his exit plan.
As irksome as his obsession with being a terrible presence for everyone is, his arc provides a lot of tension to keep the heart racing.
Two particular scenes in the earlier part of the season set the tone for its mean streak over the remaining episodes; one, a killing that was slow, nerve-wracking and brutal in execution, and another, a muted sad accident that eventually led to the cartel's downfall.
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The rest of the season's gruesome scenes of violence are decidedly revolting and could intricately seep into focus or take you by surprise.
With the strong showing of its third season without its biggest draw, Narcos has proven that it's not a one-trick pony.
There's great hope for yet another one.
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