Summary
“Como La Flor” sets up the key players and engaging storylines that should add up to a promising final season.
This recap of Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico season 3, episode 2, “Como La Flor,” contains spoilers.
Narcos: Mexico season 3, episode 2 recap
Walt
The last we saw Walt, he took a call from his boss, Jamie (The Flash’s Matt Letscher), that the operation was underway! They will bait Amado (Jose Maria Yazpik) to come to El Paso when they keep confiscating his money. An interdisciplinary process that will include several agencies, including the FBI.
So, when they put all three lots under surveillance, they wait. And wait. They wait some more. Why are they not moving in? Because nothing is happening. The lots are quiet.
Soon, they find out why. All three managers of the lots turn up dead. Walt and Mike get the word from the El Paso homicide unit. They start the raid because they know what has happened. Somehow Amado had gotten word of the operation and began to clean things up quicker than a Roomba. No employees, drugs, or money. Just empty shops. It’s like they were never there.
Andrea
The most dangerous job in Mexico, besides being a drug dealer, maybe the press. Suppose you have read anything about the freedom of the press. In that case, the belief can be a death sentence, for example, in the Netflix documentary Private Network: Who Killed Manuel Buendía? where a respected editor was murdered for telling the truth to political and monetary power.
So, when Roman Saldago (Alejandro Furth) listens to Andrea (Luiza Rubini) talk about a wedding she wants to report on, he tells her bluntly not to or he will find someone else to take her place. Andrea senses a dangerous change in the power structure from this union. The sister of a Tijuana drug trafficker is marrying an attorney from the City’s oldest and most respected firm. Not to mention in TJ’s oldest cathedral. It’s a union of the area’s leaders: State + Church + Cartel = Power.
Was Andrea onto something? Yes. Is Roman oblivious? No. He’s trying to protect her even if he runs the most ethical paper in Mexico.
Andrea stakes out the wedding and gets more than she bargained for.
The Wedding Reception
It’s a who’s who of Mexico’s best and brightest cartel employees. Think of it as an NFL owners meeting. The CES convention in Las Vegas. Even those infamous Sopranos weddings where all the families come together. You have the two most powerful cartels: The Tijuana Cartel and the Gulf Coast cartel. But they aren’t BFFs. They hate each other. No one else matters because everyone else is fighting over the scraps.
For example, the Juarez cartel. Amado couldn’t make it. Then there is the Sinaloa cartel, including El Chapo (Alejandro Edda). One of them gets so drunk, he makes an ill-advised joke about fellatio to the bride and gets his head bashed in near what looks like a koi pond in the back. Of course, Andrea tries to follow them as she surveys and notes every guest who walks in and out.
She wasn’t even coy about it.
She later tracks members to a Tijuana club. These guys run in packs, and too many snorts of tequila and cocaine get them angry. She watched Ramon, Romeo, Alfredo, and a few others beat the blood, shit, and piss out of some poor club-hopping teenager for messing up their shows. One happens to be the judge’s son.
Those City Lights
Walt has had enough. He needs a win, and he can’t do that in El Paso. So, Dani has a dream job offer in Chicago. He pulls a Kevin Durant and wants to join Chicago DEA so he can win. Dani is super excited, but we all have a feeling this won’t end well.
As they hold hands to look over those lights just before and across the border, the camera exchanges Amado. He’s looking over that same magnificent vista. Manny arrives to tell him it’s done. All of the shops and workers are closed for good. And most importantly, before Walt and his operation could have crippled the Juarez cartel for good.
What did you think of Narcos: Mexico season 3, episode 2? Let us know in the comments below!
