The fifth season of Narcos is the second season of the Mexico story. The first three seasons focused on Pablo Escobar and the Columbian drug cartels. The latest season, now available on Netflix, continues the story of Guadalajara jefe, Miguel Angel Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna).
A former cop, Gallardo decided to get into the marijuana business in Northern Mexico. Eventually, he rose to the top of the organization using brutal tactics. Quiet and cerebral, Gallardo headed a consortium of states bent on transporting drugs to the U.S. His move into cocaine trafficking raised the stakes considerably.
DEA agents, led by Walt Breslin (Scoot McNairy), are after Gallardo, who's accused of killing Kiki Camarena, an agent who knew too much, in Season 4. Discord among the various families is another major obstacle for Gallardo.
By 1988, fearing he'll lose key government support if the dominant party, the PRI, doesn't hold the presidency, Gallardo hatches a plan to rig the election.
As far as subplots, the Pablo Acosta (Gerardo Taracena) storyline is the most compelling. A former Gallardo deputy who has an American girlfriend (Sosie Bacon), Acosta tells all to the press and pays for it in stunning fashion.
Another subplot is the emergence of Joaquín Guzman, a.k.a. El Chapo (Alejandro Edda), who would later become one of the most sought after cartel leaders. He's currently incarcerated in the U.S.
Like The Godfather, Narcos is about crime families that strive for power, but just can't seem to get along. This leads to much violence and high body counts. Machine-gun fire is a constant when the cameras aren't zooming in on Mexico's lush countryside.
Filmed cinematically and well written and acted, Narcos remains one of the best programs on TV or steaming services today.
