Five episodes in which plenty happens. Surviving the Cartel is another one to add to the growing pile of series and films centred around cartels. What you can expect from these types of series/films is plenty of violence, drug use, violence, toxic masculinity, action, and other forms of devious behaviour.
The cast is made up of actors and actresses who even though you might know their names their faces will be familiar to you as they have starred in The Mosquito Coast, Crime Diaries, Amores Perros, Narcos Mexico, Scandal, Criminal Minds, Prison Break, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Grey’s Anatomy.
Working as a CEO in Silicon Valley, Alejandro Cardona (Gabriel Aguero – The Dance, Jezabel) makes a career change and it is a big one. He does so because Alejandro will take over from his father as the leader of a very powerful cartel in his native Mexico. This decision brings about a series of events that affect several people – Cardona who becomes known as The Pope, an ex-Mexican Navy man who is now earning his living as a farmer but has some unfinished business in the United States that preoccupies him and a detective working in El Paso while trying to deal with his personal demons.
At its heart this is a series about survival. About how three different men go about getting through or dealing with tough situations. Every element works well together in order to elevate the series above your typical criminal organization fare. Attention is paid to character development, realistic and engaging storylines, well-paced build-up, plenty of suspense, perfect music, beautifully written by Ely Bams (Hope in Darkness), and fine acting. Behind all that, the director has perfectly paced, staged and supported the story.
Despite the fact that it is an independent production this is quality television. Don’t let that stop you. Give it a chance and you will find yourself binging the series in one day.
Season 1 of Surviving the Cartel is available on 1265+ – www.1265plus.com