In Short:
Slow at first, picks up during last 4 episodes. More focus on law enforcement activities. Terribly missed Pablo and Murphy.
One of the most awaited series of the year Narcos Season 3 was finally debuted on Netflix. This season continues from where the predecessor ended. Now after Pablo's death, we have the story of 4 god fathers who control the Cali cartel. New voiceover along with new characters this series has started to gain the momentum.
If we divide the total 10 episodes into 2 parts, the first 5 episodes were terribly slow and lacking in the depth which we find in Pablo Escobar's Character. Pedro Pascal as Javier Peña was promoted to higher rank in season 3. But he missed the laid back attitude of Boyd Holbrook's Steve Murphy. But one character which hooked me to the series is Jorge Salcedo (played by a brilliant Matias Varela). The variation and struggle showcased by this character overshadow the 4 main characters.
One of the biggest flaws in this season is the leaders of the Cali cartel and their importance in the story. Till season 2 we have our focus on one antagonist and having 4 antagonists diluted their importance in the narrative as the scenes pander from one brother to another. Technically, the production values were better than season 1 & 2. The music and bgm flow in the linear format with cinematography as they support each other very well. I really appreciate Netflix's gut to shuffle off Steve Murphy and Pablo Escobar offscreen in the third season. Eric Newman is decent as showrunner.
Thumbs up :
1. Production values, 2. Last 5 episodes, 3. Jorge Salcedo's Character arc, 4. BGM 5. Camera 6. The ending for the Cali cartel characters.
Thumbs down :
1. No character matched the awesomeness of Previous main characters played by Wagner Moura and Boyd Holbrook, 2. Too many villains reduced the interest, 3. Writing is dead slow in first 3 episodes.
Verdict :
I really enjoyed the last 3 episodes as they were have tensed moments. These episodes make up for first 3. Can't wait for season 4 of Narcos.
My rating for Narcos season 3 is 3.75/5