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Though Pablo Escobar died in 1993, he continues to haunt Hollywood. Four recent movies about the drug kingpin have either been released or are in development in addition to Netflix’s thrilling drama Narcos and Pablo Escobar, El Patron Del Mal, the Colombian series Narcos was based on. This is without including the countless number of documentaries about Escobar and the cocaine industry in the ‘80s. We can’t get enough.
Part of what makes Escobar’s story such a compelling one is its scope. It isn’t the story of one larger than life figure, though it certainly has that. Escobar’s reign as the leader of the Medellín cartel encouraged countless other terrifying figures to become near-gods, all fueled by coke money. It’s this disturbingly far-reaching scope that makes this dark moment in history fascinating, and no series better captures that depth than Netflix’s latest series, Surviving Escobar — Alias JJ.
If Surviving Escobar is an indication of what the Escobar-free seasons of Narcos will be like, we’re in for some great television. Based on his autobiography, the series follows possibly the most terrifying man in Escobar’s following, John Jairo Velásquez, also known as “Popeye.” Velásquez wasn’t merely a member of the Medellín cartel. He was part of Escobar’s inner circle as well as the head of the criminal organization The Extraditables until he handed himself over to the Colombian justice system in 1992. It’s been estimated that Velásquez assassinated 300 people and ordered thousands more hits before serving 20 years in prison for plotting to kill a Colombian presidential candidate among other crimes.
There’s not a strict Velásquez doppelgänger in Narcos, but his closest foil is likely the conflicted Limón (Leynar Gomez). That’s what makes Surviving Escobar’s fictional version of Velásquez so interesting as a leading protagonist. John, or JJ, (Juan Pablo Urrego) constantly plays with the two extremes that define Escobar’s legacy — intense loyalty and just as intense doubt and mistrust. The majority of Surviving Escobar takes place after Escobar’s death, and through JJ it shows the life of a dark knight without his king. Now that Escobar’s rule has fallen, his right-hand assassin finds himself in prison, surrounded by enemies, and on the wrong side of history. You can feel his panic as he stares wide-eyed at the prisoners around him who are cheering over Escobar’s death. It’s an uncomfortable position for any character to be in, but it’s certainly not an unjustified one for JJ.
Though you can certainly watch the Caracol Televisión and Netflix series on its own, Surviving Escobar really works better as an accompanying watch. Whether its paired with Narcos or one of the countless documentaries or books about Escobar is completely up to the viewer. However, on its own, the series doesn’t fully communicate the moral complexities or the scope of death and destruction that Escobar’s rise to power and eventual fall incited. If anything, Surviving Escobar leans too far the other way at times, often transforming JJ and his wife Alexandra (Nicole Santamaría) into sympathetic characters.
That’s why Amparo Grisales’ character is so very important to the series. Grisales plays Mónica Machado, a journalist whose father was murdered at the hands of JJ and Escobar. Throughout the series, tense moments filled with bloodshed and betrayal are interrupted with Mónica’s interviewed testimony. Looking calmly and directly at the camera, Mónica explains in no uncertain detail how these drug wars transformed Colombia into a hellscape. At one point she’s asked about her reaction to Escobar’s death. After describing how she and her family erupted into celebratory yells, she says they started crying, “Because one death does not negate another. It’s just a continuation of the war.” It’s chilling.
More than anything else, Surviving Escobar watches as a continuation of this disturbingly well-known story. Though it focuses on a figure just left of the central action, it’s a blistering look into this darkly conflicting moment in history. The latest Netflix original may not have the crisp look of Narcos, but it is well acted and has an excellent and innovative soundtrack that will lure you in from the first episode. Surviving Escobar is an excellent watch for anyone in need of a top-notch drug drama fix.
