As one of the best crime shows of all time,Narcosremains popular among global audiences. It helpedPedro Pascal,Boyd Holbrook, andWagner Mourabecome bigger stars and land some exceptional roles later, but it also made for a stunning crime series about a real-life criminal who continues to fascinate the world—Pablo Escobar. Though Medellín and Colombia seem to be over that era, people still visit to see where the notorious criminal once lived.
Narcosis one of Netflix’s first and biggest original series; it ran for three seasons and later expanded intoNarcos: Mexico, withDiego Lunaas the lead. If you’re interested in rewatching the original series, you’re able to revisit it after reading about the ten bestNarcosepisodes.
A chronicled look at the criminal exploits of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, as well as the many other drug kingpins who plagued the country through the years.
10"Descenso"
Season 1, Episode 1 (2015)
The very first episode of the show is a guide through the history of Pablo Escobar’s reign. “Descenso” opens with the DEA agent Steve Murphy (Holbrook) introducing the viewers to the rise of cocaine in the 1970s, setting the groundwork for Escobar’s empire. The episode details how he went from a small-time smuggler to the most powerful drug lord in the world. We’re also introduced to Javier Peña (Pascal), Murphy’s partner, and we’re shown how the Colombian law enforcement struggles to respond to crimes.
“Descenso” is a masterful take on world-building. From the very first moments, the overall impression of Narcos is that it’s a thought-out show; the blend of real footage, voiceover narration, and some dramatization makes the episode feel like a documentary in part. Moreover,it establishesNarcos' storytelling tone: gritty, grounded, and morally complex, hooking viewers basically instantly. While some may be swayed to enjoy Escobar,played masterfully by Mourahere, the show doesn’t let us forget he was a villainous person after all.
9"Going Back to Cali"
Season 3, Episode 10 (2017)
“Going Back to Cali” is the series finale. It depicts the Cali Cartel finally crumbling and Peña witnessing a bittersweet end of an era. This season features only Peña, without Escobar or Murphy in the story; people expected it to be bad because of that, but it turned out to be an excellent season with a spectacular ending. Pascal stood out as a formidable lead, replacing Holbrook throughout. In a way, Peña was always the realest character in there, because even after a win, he was left to grapple with its costs, both personal and institutional, with corruption at higher levels exposed but ultimately untouched.
“Going Back to Cali” most prominently features the takedown of the Rodríguez brothers and is, overall, a display of the futility of the war on drugs. There’s a bit of dramatization there, withPeña delivering a final monologue over the montage of the Rodriguez arrests and deaths, when the real agent never really had his hands inthe takedown of the Cali Cartel anyway. There’s a certain melancholy in the episode, a tone that lingers long after the credits roll. It’s a great series finale that combines fact with fiction beautifully.
8"Sin Salida"
Season 3, Episode 7 (2017)
Season 3 focuses on the takedown of the Cali Cartel, but we’re introduced to a powerful player in the game, Jorge Salcedo (Matias Varela). Salcedo was Cali Cartel’s head of security, a standout character in Season 3, and in episode 7, he is faced with a deadly turning point. OK, spoilers ahead, but Salcedo worked undercover with the DEA, and in this episode, his covert cooperation was nearly fully exposed. A high-stakes operation nearly cost him his life, or at least his family.
As one of the most suspense-filled episodes in the entire show, Salcedo’s character arc reaches its peak. Watching “Sin Salida” feels like being under pressure, as the pacing is fantastic. It also gives viewers something a lot of people would disagree with—insight into the moral weight and fear that informants bear. No one really wants to be an informant, and they’re generally disrespected, but as it turns out, Salcedo was one of the most popular characters when Season 3 arrived.
7"Explosivos"
Season 1, Episode 6 (2015)
In Season 1, Escobar is alive and thriving, and in “Explosivos,” he unleashes terror tactics across Colombia as a response to his extradition threats. These events culminate with the bombing of Avianca Flight 203. The DEA and Colombian officials also started seeing new levels of threats, as Escobar began targeting civilians. This is the episode where people begin realizing who Pablo Escobar really was, including his readiness to defend himself and his personal interests over anything else.
Escobar’s descent into terrorism and the lengths he went to maintain power were always connected. “Explosivos” marks a turning point in theshow based on this true story;Escobar becomes more than just a criminal—he turns into a national threat. The bombing of Avianca Flight 203 was a real-life tragedy that happened in 1989. Escobar convinced a young man to carry a bomb and board the passenger flight; the presidential candidate and anti-crime spokespersonCésar Gaviriawas meant to be on the flight, and Escobar had hoped to kill him but failed, since Gaviria never boarded.
6"Despegue"
Season 1, Episode 10 (2015)
In the Season 1 finale, “Despegue,” the manhunt for Escobar intensifies and Peña and Murphy close in on him. Escobar’s empire begins to crumble under the pressure, but he manages to escape prison as the episode draws to a close, showing resilience amid chaos. This sets the stage for the even greater chaos that awaits in Season 2, balancing action with some heavier emotional moments and seeingsuperb performances from the Netflix series' cast.
Many people didn’t really like this episode as an ending; Season 1 spans several years, and expectations were high that the hunt for Escobar would soon come to a close. However, he escaped prison in 1992 and was killed in 1993, so Season 2 was only meant to depict the final, 16-month-long manhunt for Escobar. Observing this fact, in retrospect,“Despegue” feels like a pretty great ending after all; it’s jaw-dropping and a cliffhanger in some ways. Seeing him just walk out of jail is wild, and though he wasn’t really free, he was out, and the real war was really just coming.
5"¡Al Fin Cayó!"
Season 2, Episode 10 (2016)
The Season 2 finale, “¡Al Fin Cayó!” depicts the final moments of the search for the escaped Escobar. The nine episodes before it were detailed insights into the manhunt, and then the season culminates with the death of Pablo Escobar on a Medellín rooftop after a long pursuit. The photo that the pursuing party (called Search Bloc) took with Escobar’s dead body on a roof was a real-life photograph that went around the world when the notorious gangster was killed.
“¡Al Fin Cayó!” is a climactic and emotional payoff to the Escobar two-season story arc. The death scene is masterfully shot, echoing real photographs of the crime scene. However, even with this satisfactory turn of events for the Search Bloc, nothing about this moment feels overly triumphant; somehow, it’s sobering, giving closure without celebration. You just sit there and watch it happen.This is the episode viewers found to be one of the best of the entire series, praising everyone’s performance but ultimately focusing on Moura’s exceptional portrayal of Escobar throughout the 20-episode run.
4"Todos Los Hombres del Presidente"
Season 3, Episode 9 (2017)
In the penultimate episode of the third season, “Todos Los Hombres del Presidente” (meaning “All the President’s Men”), we’re shown corruption reaching the highest levels, as Javier Peña discovers that not only are the local forces complicit, but so are the US officials. With the DEA tightening the noose around the Cali Cartel, he comes to a sobering and tragic realization that the game is rigged from the very top.
BroadeningNarcos' political critique,this episode no longer makes theshow only about cartels and gangsters, but about showcasing entire systems. It’s quite cynical, in a way, too, though we all could have (and should have) assumed most of these criminal rings have ties to the political top (that may be too cynical, in some ways). Pascal thrills in delivering a sobering and brilliant performance, as Peña navigates his feelings toward the betrayal of his own government. The episode is a masterclass in tension, representing a sort of crescendo of the story; it allows the next episode to become a wrap-up of events that would honor historical facts. “Todos los Hombres del Presidente” is a brilliant penultimate episode.
3"Checkmate"
Season 3, Episode 4 (2017)
Season 3’s “Checkmate” is tense and quite involving. It shows Peña’s action against Gilberto Rodriguez (Damián Alcázar), the leader of the Cali Cartel. Peña’s plan is to perform a fake raid on an empty house to give off the impression they’ve fallen into a trap; however, the real raid happens right where Don Gilberto is hiding, resulting in his arrest. This exposes the fragility of the Cali Cartel, as the rest of the leadership scrambles to maintain control. Showing that they were too reliant on Don Gilberto, “Checkmate” somehow depicts the beginning of the end despite not being even halfway through the season yet.
The episode is a masterclass in tension. It has a brilliant and thrilling chase scene, some great action sequences, and stunning performances.While it is shocking to see Don Gilberto fall, it’s quite satisfying in a waybecause of how well-planned his arrest was. The name of the episode reflects the fact that it feels like watching a chess match, for sure.
2"Los Pepes"
Season 2, Episode 6 (2016)
The paramilitary group Los Pepes was formed in 1993, and their name is short for Los Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar (translated to “Those Persecuted by Pablo Escobar”). This vigilante group waged a small-scale war against Escobar’s cartel empire, and many claim they comprised paramilitary and other narcos; they were funded by the Cali Cartel and carried out brutal attacks all across Medellín. Season 2’s “Los Pepes” depicts the formation and actions of these individuals, including the DEA’s struggle with the ethical dilemma of being indirectly linked to all the violence.
This episode is also a sort of beginning of Escobar’s end; with Los Pepes now being a thing, Escobar’s empire crumbles, and his influence is no longer as relevant as before; his collaborators, friends, and family feel the wrath of Los Pepes. The episode shows how desperate tactics, even if effective, leave moral carnage as their aftermath. No matter which side you feel more inclined toward, you know both are rooted in some kind of evil or wrongdoing. With this, the episode ofthe Netflix Original showis quite thrilling and shocking, achieving its intended purpose.
Season 2, Episode 4 (2016)
Many have found “The Good, the Bad, and the Dead” to be the best episode ofNarcosoverall. Its masterful cinematography continues to play a huge role in effective storytelling, as does the original soundtrack, which ramps up the tension and anticipation to a ten out of ten. Though Escobar is under siege from all fronts, he still manages to infiltrate his biggest enemy’s hotel room and make him watch as Escobar delivers swift vengeance. “Look at me,” Escobar says, telling the man he’s about to kill: Colonel Carrillo (Maurice Compte).
Here, too, Peña and Murphy ramp up efforts to dismantle the cartel, and Murphy has an emotional reunion with his wife, sobbing in her arms after seeing all the death surrounding him in this terrible street war. The episode reallyhighlights the confrontations from three sides: the law, the cartels, and the turncoats. It’s layered, complex, and delves into deeply human issues. Who would we be if we were to act out of emotional motives? Where would the world be if it were always like this?
