The Narcos spinoff dubbed Narcos: Mexico didn't disappoint when it was released in late 2018. It followed Mexican drug kingpin Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, who was popularly known as "El Padrino" (The Godfather). Félix (as he is constantly referred to in the show) started out as a police officer and rose to be the biggest trafficker in the country.
As the head of the Guadalajara cartel, he managed to convince other cartel leaders to work under him on what came to be known as the "Plaza System." Plazas referred to different territories in Mexico. Netflix announced that the second season of this fascinating story will be available on February 13th. Here are things we are excited about and those we are nervous about.
Excited: The DEA's Revenge For Kiki's Death
In the first season, ambitious DEA agent Kiki Camarena was killed for coming in too hard on the cartels. This was obviously a big mistake on the part of the drug traffickers. In real life, this event caused the US to hit back hard in what came to be known as "Operation Leyenda". Consequently, drug traffickers have always shied away from killing DEA agents.
We expect the same to play out in the second season of Narcos: Mexico. In the season finale, we saw a group of new DEA agents checking out a shipment of guns and getting ready to cause avenge their colleague's death. The war that will ensue will definitely make for entertaining TV.
Nervous: Don Neto's Fate
At the end of the first season, authorities attacked a resort where some of the drug traffickers were partying and killed almost everyone. It was one of the most violent scenes in the history of Netflix shows. The scene where blood splashes across Don Neto's face and he just relaxes while listening to music on his headphones is quite iconic.
Luckily, he only gets arrested and doesn't end up dead. Neto was a trusted lieutenant to Felix for a while. He started out as annoying because he didn't believe that Felix had the ability to become the Narco-In-Chief in all of Mexico. Soon, he became likable. But by the end of the season, it appeared that Neto had been betrayed by Felix, leading to his arrest.
Excited: The Aftermath of Felix's Checkmate Move
In the Season One finale, Félix gets arrested but he manages to broker his freedom by threatening to expose the dirty people higher up. The shock on the faces of the other cartel leaders when he crashes a meeting where the agenda was to discuss how to move the business forward without him makes for a hilarious moment.
And he doesn't just crash the meeting alone. He comes with an army of Mexican soldiers, meaning he has gotten his power back. It will be interesting to see the kind of moves Félix will make and how he will treat the leaders who were planning to replace him so quickly.
Nervous: Felix's Relationship With Escobar And The Cali Cartel
Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) appeared in Episode 5 of the first season where he forcefully struck a deal with Félix for the transportation of cocaine. This might have been a confusing moment for some since Escobar died in Narcos season 2. However, Narcos: Mexico is a spinoff and not a continuation of the original Narcos.
In real life, Felix was at the height of his powers at the same time when Escobar was terrorizing Colombia. The two struck a deal that saw Félix—who had better distribution channels to the US—move product for Escobar. Initially, Félix only wanted to do business with the Cali Cartel but Escobar kidnapped him in Medellin and forced him to make a deal. Escobar made it clear that he doesn't want anything to interfere with the movement of his product. So what happens now that the DEA is coming for Félix?
Excited: The Rise Of El Chapo And Amado Carillo Fuentes
In the first season of Narcos: Mexico, El Chapo, and Amado Carillo Fuentes are only junior traffickers. In real life, the two would go on to be cartel leaders. Fuentes would be known as "The Lord Of The Skies" due to his prowess in smuggling cocaine using planes. Meanwhile, Chapo would go on to become the richest drug trafficker in the world.
Season Two will still be Félix's show but there's a high possibility that Chapo and Fuentes will rise to be key lieutenants in preparation for their own solo stories in future seasons of Narcos: Mexico. Interesting times definitely lie ahead.
Nervous: Felix's Relationship With His Wife Maria
Maria Elvira de Félix—the wife of Félix —played a major role in the first season. At first, she was supportive of her husband when he was only growing and selling marijuana. Soon, she became disgruntled after Felix made a deal with the Colombians and got into the cocaine businesses.
He began neglecting her and devoting all his time to his work. He also had mistresses and provided them with gifts. Eventually, she got fed up and moved out. It would be interesting to see whether the two will reconcile or whether they will have a bitter divorce.
Excited: A New Top DEA Agent
The beauty of Narcos is that it isn't just a show that glorifies drug lords. There are good guys too who are usually the DEA agents. In the Colombia story, Javier Pena—played by Pedro Pascal from The Mandalorian—was the key DEA agent and in the first season of Narcos: Mexico Kiki Camarena (Michael Pena) was the ultimate tough guy before he got killed.
The final scene of Season One introduced us to Walt, a DEA agent who has been pretending to be a tourist. He brings in a truckload of weapons to officially kickstart the war with the cartels. Walt was also the mysterious narrator of Season One. How ruthless will he be?
Nervous: Calkderoni's Conscience And New Role
Just like Colonel Carillo who made Esacobar's life a living hell in Narcos, there was Commander Guillermo Calderoni in Narcos: Mexico. He was incorruptible and obsessed with bringing down the Guadalajara cartel. In one of the best quotes in the first season, the DEA guys ask him if he has obtained a warrant so that they can raid a Narco hideout together. He cheekily responds with, "What's a warrant?"
Calderoni manages to track down Félix's partner Rafa in Costa Rica and arrests him. He also ambushes and arrests Félix but is forced to let him go after the smart drug lord threatens to release a series of audiotapes that implicate Calderoni's bosses. How will this play out on Calderoni's conscience? Will he continue hunting down Félix?
Excited: New Characters
It was already revealed that Scott McNair will be playing DEA Agent Walt Breslin. This is mainly to fill the void left by Kiki Camarena's death. The drug trade has many players so we expect fresh characters to be introduced as well. Since Don Neto and Rafa are behind bars, Felix will probably have new lieutenants.
There might be new incorruptible members of Mexican law enforcement too. And the conspiracy will probably continue. Since Félix had threatened to expose more people in government, new faces that were in the shadows might be revealed.
Nervous: The End Of The Road For Félix
At the moment, things look good for Félix. He has reclaimed his position as the boss of the bosses. He also has the backing of the government, so he's basically untouchable. In real life though, Félix was eventually arrested in 1989 and charged with the murder of Kiki Camarena. He is currently serving his sentence of 47 years.
His fate has to play out in the series eventually. Since he has been portrayed as such an intelligent character all along, seeing him go down won't be easy. His downfall will most likely happen in Season 2 since there are more major traffickers in Mexico whose stories have to be explored.