Narcos: Mexico season 2, episode 5 recap – “AFO”

This recap of Netflix Series Narcos: Mexico season 2, episode 5, “AFO” contains significant spoilers.

• Read the Season 2 review.
• Read the recap of Episode 6.
• Read the recap of the previous episode (4).
• Access the archive of all the episode recaps.

Narcos: Mexico Season 2, Episode 5, “AFO” had that Sicario feel to it where the tension was at a knife-edge. Nothing is simple for Félix as he appears to be battling a world that is very much against his ideas.

Episode 5 opens up with Calderoni giving Breslin’s team the lowdown about the tensions between the plazas. Breslin’s crew is not convinced by Calderoni, believing he may be setting them up. But Breslin clearly has a chip on his shoulder and wants to do the “trust but verify” approach.

As for Isabella and Enedina, they plan out their new arrangement. They have a smart strategy; to use the women from a recruitment company to move the coke.

Now back to Félix who appears more confident in Episode 5, “AFO”. He visits Acosta’s site for a progress update. He tells Amado that they are going on a trip to Panama; he has a meeting with the Colombians in neutral territory. Félix tells Amado his plans for more runways and managing more territories and wants Acosta to head the operations. He tells Acosta that the Colombians will be theirs.

The only problem is, when Félix arrives in Panama, his new partner Guerra, his leverage, has not turned up. It’s just Félix, Amado and Pacho’s team. As they all sit down, Adamo whispers to Félix that they need to get out of here. In what feels like a lifetime of discussions due to the nature of Félix’s situation, we learn that Pacho has made a deal with Guerra. While under pressure, Félix agrees with Pacho to take on a higher volume of product. Pacho tells Félix he will have to handle the transport. Pacho also asks about Mattas, who he feels is a cool person.

On the way out, Acosta asks Félix how does he plan to move that much coke. But Félix had no choice but to agree to all terms, he was set up. Félix rings Guerra and tells him he has made a big mistake. Guerra tells Félix the reason he betrayed him is that his partners have a short, tragic history. Félix fumes at him, he’s absolutely furious that Guerra has played him.

I believe Episode 5, “AFO”, shows how out of his depth Félix can be in these type of situations — he was played by an “old-timer”, and easily as well.

And now we segway to Chapo who is still building his tunnels but they are running out of cool air and it is becoming very uncomfortable. They turn the power on and the air is distributed in the tunnels. Meanwhile, Breslin’s team are out monitoring a truck moving locations and one of Breslin’s partners notices the fans randomly turning on in one of the empty warehouses. Breslin infiltrates one of the warehouses and they randomly hear music from underground. They notice a man come from underneath the warehouse floor and Breslin learns that Sinaloans are digging a tunnel.

When Breslin briefs back to the team, Calderoni recommends that they divide the empire by purposefully telling the other cartel about the tunnels. A member of Breslin’s team is fully against this idea, but Breslin is tired of losing. He wants to win in any way possible.

Benjamin calls for Ramon and asks him to get some men together after learning about the tunnels getting built by the Sinaloans. They head to the tunnels and begin pulling some men out. Benjamin causes an explosion in the tunnel to make it collapse and then proceed to shoot the men that were removed from the tunnel. Chapo manages to escape to the other side before the collapse. Breslin looks on with his men from a distance, seeing Benjamin shoot the men one by one — there is some regret on his face.

Narcos: Mexico Season 2, Episode 5, “AFO” ends with Félix speaking to El Azul who makes him aware of the budget secretary. He is now the new guy who is prepped to be the next President of Mexico. Guerra has the new president in his pocket and has clearly played Félix. Félix also learns of the tunnel building. While heading out, someone shoots at Félix’s car and they crash — Clavel is hurt.

That’s what you call a s*** day at work.

Cartel Diaries

• Enedina keeps her new arrangement away from Benjamin.
• Enedina’s plan to move the coke with the recruitment agency works. Isabella wants to introduce Enedina to her partner in Colombia.