As I indicated in my review of the first season of Narcos Mexico (itself a prequel to the three-season Narcos), I always admired the tunnel-building savvy of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. Not the drug-dealing empire that he inherited and built. But there's something about those tunnels. Maybe because it represents a technology that goes back more than 4000 years (the qanats, that carried water) to defeat the high-tech bravado of government. Hey, when I was a kid, before I even knew that fact about tunnels, I realized that if could build a tunnel from where I lived with my parents in the Bronx, to somewhere in the woods in say, Ellenville, New York, I could pretty much do anything I wanted and then escape with ease to the Catskills. Of course, I had no idea what I would do once I got there but, as I said, I was just a kid.
So I've always had a special interest in El Chapo's tunnel-building - well, since 2015, when he had a tunnel built to escape from prison a second time (first time was in a laundry cart, not nearly as cool) - and I was very happy to see him building a tunnel in Narcos Mexico 2. This one was not to escape prison but smuggle more drugs into the United States. Alas, a rival gang in Mexico destroys the tunnel, and since it says at the beginning of every episode that, although the overall story is based on truth, some facts have been changed for dramatic effect, I can't even say for sure that the young El Chapo actually built such a tunnel. But it was good to see.
Meanwhile, that overall story was indeed top-notch action and drama, detailing the continuing story of the handsome Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (well played by Diego Luna), as he strives to consolidate his hold on and mastery of the drug trade in Mexico. This is no easy thing, to say the least. Gallardo already leveraged his weed empire into in effect becoming a middleman for delivery of Colombian coke to the United States. Now he has to consolidate all the drug gangs in Mexico, and move ever more massive amounts of cocaine from Colombia. His strategy is to eschew partners in Mexico - "I don't have partners, I have employees," he tells anyone who will listen. If you know the drug war history, you know how that works out.
As in Narcos Mexico 1, and all three seasons of Narcos, there's a great group of supportive actors and actresses, playing characters in all facets of the story. It was good to see Pacho again (well played by Alberto Ammann, the one character who, if I recall correctly, has appeared in all five seasons, playing one of the big shots in the Cali cartel in Colombia, who do believe in partners. In Narcos Mexico, he's the sole representative of the Kings of Cali to appear on screen.
This season will keep you glued to the screen, and is highly recommended.
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