TV Obsessive
El Chapo: Chartering the Raw Realistion of One Man’s Deadly Dream
Vincent: In a world where the Netflix original Narcos and its follow-up series Narcos: Mexico dominate the dramatized true crime world on the drug trafficking side of things, there is another show that I believe deserves not only the same level of attention but also the same level of respect. The show I speak of is El Chapo, which also comes from Netflix, this time in partnership with the production company Univision. The show charts the life and criminal empire of the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, starting in Season 1 at its bloody beginnings, and following it through the seasons as both he and his cartel’s influence grows throughout Mexico.
Just like the aforementioned juggernauts Narcos and its successor, El Chapo shares the same raw aesthetics, focusing on the underhanded dealings of both the criminal world and the systematic corruption that is caused by it. The creators of El Chapo go out of their way to make us all aware that this is a brutal dark underworld filled with crime, crooked politicians, and viciously personal violence. As the criminal enterprises become more and more fractured, the violence and chaos are both ramped up, with so many different cartels vying for control the streets run red with the blood of both gangsters and innocent bystanders alike.
As the violence spills out onto the streets, the broken system looks to gain some form of control over the splintered criminal organizations by pitting one against the other in a bid to centralize the cartels under one leader. This move by the Mexican government, which is backed by American overreach, causes even more strife and agony for the people of the Latin American country. The politicking mixed with the barbaric methods of the cartels leads to much bloodshed, each of the interested parties using one another to further their own goals. It is this quid pro quo that sees the breakdown in morality in every aspect of the social structure in Mexico.
The creators of El Chapo are meticulous in how they peel back the layers of this world. They take great care in showing the audience that this culture is not only interwoven into the Mexican system but also how it is enforced upon the beleaguered powers that be by their superpower neighbors to the North, whose interventionism into Latin America is well documented. They also show us the futility and the cyclical nature of the massive historical blunder otherwise known as the American led war on drugs.
El Chapo, just like Narcos, puts on display the perpetual nature of this so-called war, that the ones who we think are opposing it are often the ones who are controlling its trajectory. At the core of all of this is the titular El Chapo, who is portrayed by Marco de la O with a chillingly captivating performance. The lead de la O carries El Chapo from minute one, and the way he fills the role of the drug lord is every bit as fascinating as Wagner Moura’s turn as Pablo Escobar. He evolves from his earlier state of bloodthirsty impulsiveness, becoming more patient and introspective as the story and the years go by.
It is this evolution of the character that also allows the show itself to evolve. El Chapo is not just its name but he is also its nature, the show oftentimes mirrors his state of consciousness, when he is frantic so is the show, but when he is incarcerated the show slows, allowing you a chance to see the ebb and flow of the criminal world that this brutal crime boss is trying to wrangle control of. It is these different styles of storytelling that enables both El Chapo and its lead de la O to excel, constantly morphing from one form to another but never failing to impress the audience.
