‘Narcos’ Season 3 Review Roundup: Series Reinvents Itself Sans Pablo Escobar Character

Narcos season three has arrived, and critics are excited by the third installment of one of Netflix’s biggest dramas. The show follows the various drug cartels that made drug addiction and cocaine what it is today. For the first two seasons, Pablo Escobar was the focal point and main kingpin in the drug war, but his time on the show ended with season two. Season three, however, appears to be keeping viewers on their toes and keeping the exciting story alive.

Season three refocuses on the members of the Cali Cartel, as they. attempt to finish up their work and get out of the drug business. The DEA, though, is still on their heels. While many critics agree that Wagner Moura‘s Escobar was one of the best parts of the show, Narcos can survive without him – it just takes a while for the show to find it’s footing.

NARCOS SEASON 3 REVIEW ROUNDUP

“Narcos has never been a simple show to process, especially for someone not embedded in this universe — there are many players, many complications, speaking in many languages, operating decades ago. But it is one of the great examples of shows that have improved thanks to the opportunity to grow and evolve, and Season 3 continues that journey with an investment in human storytelling… It is still a series that seeks to offer a unique perspective into an era many may not know about, a series grounded in enough humanity to elevate what might otherwise be easily stereotyped storytelling. The best moments of Narcos are when it shows that the men and women whose lives are entwined with these cartels don’t think of them as businesses. They think of them as families, institutions, governments, impossibly powerful. Which is why they might be loyal to them beyond all else, which brings their actions into such clarity on screen.”
–Liz Shannon Miller, Indie Wire

“The show could do better with its shallow portrayal of its female characters, but fans of mob dramas should otherwise find everything they want. The narrative picks up its pace as the season progresses into a final run of episodes that feature the most suspenseful sequences Narcos has ever had. If only the show’s thrillingly dramatized body count didn’t represent such a real-life human cost.”
–James Hibberd, Entertainment Weekly

“Wagner Moura’s Pablo Escobar wasn’t the only good reason for watching Netflix’s Narcos, but he was surely the best reason… Yes, Escobar was inevitably going to get killed, but Narcos could have dragged it over four or five years in order to keep its acclaimed leading man in the fold. Instead, the series returns to Netflix on Friday for its third season as nearly a new show, featuring only vestiges of what came before. It’s an initially rough transition and after watching an episode-and-a-half, I was prepared to walk away from Narcos for good, but then after watching six of the new season’s 10 episodes, I was reasonably hooked and eager to see the rest of them… I think by the last of the six episodes I watched, I was more engaged than at any point in the first two seasons, despite the lack of Moura. If you’re a Narcos fan, stick with the show through the place-setting opening and know that it finds its footing.”
–Daniel Fienberg, Hollywood Reporter

“The only area which is slightly sacrificed is the historical lesson weaving via real-life footage. While sometimes clumsily handled in the past and arguably distracting, it feels like season three is more willing for the show to veer into pure escapism by largely removing them. It makes the show leaner and tighter, but some may miss the casual drops of history which lent Narcos some brain-box gravitas. Against all odds, Narcos’ third season is a thrilling triumph which reinvigorates the show for a post-Escobar run. It’ll be interesting to see how much mileage Netflix anticipate for the show following the confirmed fourth season, but judging by this minor rebirth, we’ll happily keep coming back for what’s become much more than a one trick kingpin.”
–Adam Starkey, metro.co.uk

“When asked about the show’s future post-Escobar, executive producer Eric Newman said, “We plan on stopping when cocaine stops.” If that seemed like bravado at the time, the third season of Narcos has demonstrated that it’s capable of reloading, recasting and, dramatically speaking, delivering the same high.”
–Brian Lowry, CNN