Summary
The bullets are sprayed, decisions are made, ethical lines have been crossed, and those seminal acts throughout the season come with consequences. It’s a standout episode with a terrific performance by Luis Gerardo Mendez.
This recap of Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico season 3, episode 10, “Life in Wartime,” — the finale and ending explained — contains spoilers.
After three years and 29 episodes, it all comes down to this in Narcos: Mexico. Will Walt finally bring down Amado? Can Mayo finally rid Tijuana of the AFO? Will Chapo stay loyal to Guero? Can Andrea publish her story? Finally, will Vincent catch Juarez’s serial killer?
Narcos: Mexico season 3, episode 10 recap – the finale and ending
Amado
Amado arranged a flight to Chili for him and Manny, but they were intercepted by the military. Most of his men are killed, but he and Manny make it to the plane. The problem is the soldiers chase them down in their military-issued jeeps. They put a couple of dozen holes in the wings and have to abandon the plane.
When they get off, a Juarez Cartel SUV with matching bullet holes that practically have smoke coming out of each one of them pulls up behind the plane. Amado and Manny run for the car and as soon as the Lord of the Skies opens up the passenger side door, his trusted assistant collapses. He looks down, and Manny lays motionless with a fresh new bullet hole in his forehead. Amado, frozen for a brief second, then jumps in the car and drives away. Glass falling all over his head as he lay motionless in the back seat.
His last play is to try and meet Marta in Chile. He tells her to meet her there but makes no promises. The last time we see him he is staying at a luxury hospital in Mexico City and wants to have plastic surgery to alter his appearance.
Walt
Walt continues to hang out with Alex while he awaits testifying in front of a grand jury about General Rellodo and his time with the Juniors. He tells Walt not to worry. He will not tell him his role in what happened during his torture in building C at the hands of Rellodo and associates. It wasn’t Walt’s fault, he said. Walt was lied to. The DEA agent is touched by this.
Shortly after Alex asks if he can again see his mother in Mexico. Walt, visibly frustrated, pleads with the teenager to give that up. It is too dangerous and he will be killed in minutes of crossing that border. Walt leaves him with a Domino’s pie and when he returns the next morning, the day he is supposed to testify, Alex is gone. He escaped out the back second-floor window. (That’s some great security the SEA has, huh?). He is found hours later, hanging from an overpass just across the Mexican border. Hanging as an example to anyone who crosses the AFO.
Later, after Walt says goodbye to Jaime, and doesn’t know what the future holds for him. Chicago with Dani? Maybe.
Vincent
Vincent is your Breaking Bad character. He was always thought you be redeemable and cannot be bought. But he crossed the line a couple of episodes back. To find the serial killer of young factory girls, he sold his soul to do dirty work for the Juarez Cartel and work with the DEA. He finally tracks down the blonde American man killing women by pulling a gold Cadillac over that just picked up a woman fresh off the factory bus. Vincent tells him to get out. He complies. He tells him to pull up his shirt. He doesn’t comply. Multiple times. When he finally does he reveals a couple of hundred scratches on his chest. To Vincent, this can only mean on thing — his victims are scratching him as he murders them.
Vincent, appointing himself Judge and Jury since being laid off, gives himself a promotion of executioner. He shoots the man in the head. He wakes up the next day happy. A new man! He even does the dishes. His wife is beaming — the man she married has returned happy and healthy. However, he finds out the door has found a field of multiple females. All dead, one fresh from this morning. This means there is one more killers. This would come to be known as The Femicide Epidemic in Juarez. Thousands of women would die in the 90s and the murders were never solved.
For Victor, the depression, insomnia, and sadness come back. He gets a call from his former partner and bow Juarez associate, they have a job tonight. As they climb out of the car, in the middle of the night, and walk towards a shack with no electricity, Vincent stops and asks him what they are doing here. He turns around and sees he has a pistol drawn on him. He asks, “How long have you been working with the DEA?” Victor slowly replies, “It’s not what you think.”
After a few seconds of silence, Victor says, “If you’re gonna do it, then do it.”
Andrea
Andrea calls the DEA and manages to get Walt on the line. She meets him at a bar on the beach in Tijuana. He tells her the story of torturing an American citizen. She promises not to use his name, but it could blow back on him anyway. He’s fine with that because, as he says, he is not a good man. But a bad one.
Andrea takes the story to Roman and they decide to publish it all. Later that night, Roman is admiring the latest issue of La Voz, when Roman and his security team are gunned down by Barron and his men. Barron takes a bullet ricochet to the eye. He now will wear an eye patch for life. But Roman is in critical condition. As he is being worked on in the hospital, Andrea leaves. She says that he would want us to make sure the latest issue meets the deadline.
El Chapo
Chapo finally makes his move. He not only gets rid of Guero but also has Ernesto transferred out of the prison. He didn’t see that coming, Don Neto said. Later, Mayo visits and gives an update on the business.
What Happened?
Chapo and Mayo plan on taking over Juarez and challenging the AFO for control over Mexico’s drug trade. Setting up for the greater escape we always saw on the news. Amado died during the surgery and it was reported the body mysteriously disappeared a few days later and the surgeons ended up dead (the real-life conspiracy on theories on this scenario is fascinating). Walt was last seen undercover at a diner. It looks cold outside, so maybe he was in Chicago with Dani after all. Roman died and represents over 40 journalists killed in the 90s in Mexico which is still a problem today. I can only assume Andrea has taken over. Oh, Andrea- did I mention how much I love that woman?
Finally, Vincent is gunned down by his partner never giving him a chance to explain why he was working with the DEA. He was a spoke a wheel that tried to stop something he has no control over and is still going on today.
What did you think of Narcos: Mexico season 3, episode 10 — the finale — and the ending? Let us know in the comments below!
