Review: Narcos Mexico S02 E05

NARCOS MEXICO

“You want to dismantle an empire? Divide it.” In his desperate attempt to make a fatal blow at Felix Gallardo, Breslin turns towards the counsel of the man who has fought against him before. What’s better about this man is that now, he is on Felix’s payroll, but that is also the worst thing about him. Calderoni had been a close ally of Kiki Camarena. At times, he was more helpful to Kiki than his own government. But, in the end, when it came to making people pay for what was done to Kiki, Calderoni changed sides.

In the finale of season one, he had Felix Gallardo, but he let him go. He took the money that the drug kingpin had offered him, and he also chose to leave behind the tapes that implicated the government officials involved in Camarena’s death. Calderoni could have ended it all that day, but he didn’t. Now that he is working with Breslin, we wonder why we should trust him again.

Narcos: Mexico Season 2 Episode 5 Recap

Moving his load from the warehouse of Tijuana plaza, Palma sends it to the warehouse, now owned by Chapo. His idea of a tunnel sat well with Palma and they are working round the clock to make it work. Breslin is tipped off by Calderoni about the feud between the plazas and after tailing a truck, they wind up at the warehouse where they discover the tunnel. At first, the idea is to call it in, but Calderoni suggests otherwise. Meanwhile, Felix prepares for the meeting with the Cali cartel, but the plan backfires when he discovers that Don Juan has been playing his own game all this time.

Narcos: Mexico Season 2 Episode 5 Review

Not getting his money from the Colombians, Felix turned towards one of the old-timers in Mexico. He convinced Don Juan to enter the cocaine business, and together they would bend the Colombians to their will and enjoy the monopoly over the business. The way Felix explains it to Amado, it will not take more than six months for Felix to take over the business of the Colombians. It would mean the money beyond anyone’s imagination, and he would be the richest, most powerful man in the country. Or not!

Time is not on Felix’s side, neither are the people that he wants to trust. He comes up with one ingenious scheme after another. He comes up with a way to turn around the fate of his cartel. Had this happened before Camarena, he would have already had the future he so longingly dreams of. He could have had it all, but one blemish in his resume threw him out of everyone’s good grace.

It wasn’t just the murder of a DEA agent but also the way he served up his own friends to save himself. The ones who had been with him since the beginning were the first ones to go. His deal with the CIA cuts another tie for him. No wonder he is so paranoid about backstabbing. What goes around comes around.

Apart from karma for Felix, we also see a win for Breslin’s group. They are supposed to pack up and leave, but Breslin isn’t done yet. He came too close to making it work; he won’t walk away without at least shaking the foundation of Felix’s world. Both sides need a desperate win, and by the way things are going, they might have to dig in deeper, get their hands dirtier than they imagined.

Reaching the mid-mark for this season, the fifth episode leaves the characters at a crossroad. Felix has not only made a new enemy, but he has added to his problems. The trouble between the plazas has worsened, and the glue and duct tape approach won’t hold up now. Also, Breslin has to decide whether the path laid out in front of him is the one he wants to tread. Is the destination worth this bloodshed?

Read More: Narcos Mexico Season 2 Episode 4 Review

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