The most amazing thing about "Leyenda" is that it manages to top the already brilliant penultimate episode in pretty much every way. I expected it to tie up the narrative threads, and it does that, but it is also filled with twists and amazing moments that keep you hooked till the credits run.
Let's start with the obvious. Kiki's death is handled graciously by the show. The way his body is found lying there, beaten and bloody, is brutal to see, but it doesn't feel exploitative because of the very human moments that come after. Mika is in tears, yet she's strong enough to survive this. Kiki's colleagues in the DEA are mournful, but they promise justice. And the reveal of who the season's narrator is couldn't be better. It was a DEA agent, who plans to avenge Kiki's death. It's a wonderful final scene that makes this season feel like a tribute to Kiki Camarena. Narcos couldn't have handled the death and life of this heroic DEA agent better. But this episode is about far more than Kiki. It ties up character arcs well while setting the stage for Season 2.
Don Neto, for example, gets the perfect send-off. I think my favourite scene from this whole season is his last moment of freedom. As the Americans raid the place and chaos ensues, he savours the freedom he has. The waves hitting the shore. The women. The music he's listening to on his headphones. Even as blood splatters over his face, he savours his freedom. Don Neto, like the other drug traffickers, is an evil man, but I can't help but be swept away by the sad humour of this scene. And it's such a fitting end for him, too. No one else would react to inevitable capture the way he does. Ah, it was good while it lasted - a summary of a drug lord's lifestyle.
Gallardo, on the other hand, can't take no for an answer. Against the odds, he has a clever back-up plan that saves his skin. And it's sad to see him allowed to escape by the Mexican who had been doing such a good job up until then. His epic return is an awesome moment, perfectly executed. You can feel the silence of the drug traffickers who thought it was their turn. The scene is well shot, with a one-shot traveling round the table capturing the atmosphere.
Gallardo's scene with Kiki is another powerful one. It's our last chance to see Kiki alive. The words they exchange are wonderful, and it's just enough to give Kiki a good send-off without being too long to get self-absorbed. Particularly the words about Kiki's identity, while brief, give us one last insight into him before he's gone for good.
And of course this finale delivers all the action you could want, with the Americans finally taking action against the drug lords. It's all well shot, with plenty of dark humour such as when a bikini-clad woman is an unfortunate victim of collateral damage.
And that's it for the first season of Narcos: Mexico. As always, it has delivered fantastic performances, intelligent storytelling and a great vibe. What a great finale. 9.5/10
Let's start with the obvious. Kiki's death is handled graciously by the show. The way his body is found lying there, beaten and bloody, is brutal to see, but it doesn't feel exploitative because of the very human moments that come after. Mika is in tears, yet she's strong enough to survive this. Kiki's colleagues in the DEA are mournful, but they promise justice. And the reveal of who the season's narrator is couldn't be better. It was a DEA agent, who plans to avenge Kiki's death. It's a wonderful final scene that makes this season feel like a tribute to Kiki Camarena. Narcos couldn't have handled the death and life of this heroic DEA agent better. But this episode is about far more than Kiki. It ties up character arcs well while setting the stage for Season 2.
Don Neto, for example, gets the perfect send-off. I think my favourite scene from this whole season is his last moment of freedom. As the Americans raid the place and chaos ensues, he savours the freedom he has. The waves hitting the shore. The women. The music he's listening to on his headphones. Even as blood splatters over his face, he savours his freedom. Don Neto, like the other drug traffickers, is an evil man, but I can't help but be swept away by the sad humour of this scene. And it's such a fitting end for him, too. No one else would react to inevitable capture the way he does. Ah, it was good while it lasted - a summary of a drug lord's lifestyle.
Gallardo, on the other hand, can't take no for an answer. Against the odds, he has a clever back-up plan that saves his skin. And it's sad to see him allowed to escape by the Mexican who had been doing such a good job up until then. His epic return is an awesome moment, perfectly executed. You can feel the silence of the drug traffickers who thought it was their turn. The scene is well shot, with a one-shot traveling round the table capturing the atmosphere.
Gallardo's scene with Kiki is another powerful one. It's our last chance to see Kiki alive. The words they exchange are wonderful, and it's just enough to give Kiki a good send-off without being too long to get self-absorbed. Particularly the words about Kiki's identity, while brief, give us one last insight into him before he's gone for good.
And of course this finale delivers all the action you could want, with the Americans finally taking action against the drug lords. It's all well shot, with plenty of dark humour such as when a bikini-clad woman is an unfortunate victim of collateral damage.
And that's it for the first season of Narcos: Mexico. As always, it has delivered fantastic performances, intelligent storytelling and a great vibe. What a great finale. 9.5/10