El Señor de los Cielos

This is a soap opera strange to the western world: characters going through everyday trauma within the violent milieu of "los narcos." While the titular character is based on a famous Mexican Narco who reportedly died while undergoing plastic surgery in the 90s, the characters themselves are fairly stock, the dialogue acceptable but often predictable, episodes ending in a melodramatic manner. What makes this series different - and realistic - is the viciousness and violence of the characters: Aurelio Casillas, and those he works with, and/or against. Casillas is treacherous; he kills and tortures at will. This is one of the series's strengths: these are not nice people; portraying them otherwise would be dishonest. Casillas does have feelings for his mother (Lisa Owens), his wife and children, but few others. Those trying to bring him to justice, such as super-cops Marco Mejias and Leonor, are sympathetic in battling not only criminals but corrupt politicians. Apart from the viciousness, there are several attractive females in leading roles, along with a small army of leggy strippers and call-girls whom the narcos have at their beck and call. This series could be considered something beyond entertainment: a sociological phenomenon that reveals a fascination with a parallel power structure that most people would really be better off viewing that participating in.

The story of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the drug-lord who even flew 727's full of cocaine to the Sonoran desert and left them abandoned, is one of those things in Mexican folklore that reaches the whole social ladder. In this series, produced by Telemundo and manufactured by Argos, the narrative reveals what most people knew from newspapers and the official TV chain, Televisa.

In Season 1, the story and the characters are believable, true to the lore and truly scary. It's something that Colombians and Mexicans know too well. The characters are easily recognisable and the performances of some of the actors are very good. But, story-wise, it's one of those unforgettable series, along with the Caracol productions of El Cartel de los Sapos and El Señor del Mal, Pablo Escobar.

It's sad to see that, to keep the franchise going on forever, Telemundo decided to go to the lengths of creating something so badly scripted as the rest of the seasons. It's a shame to see how the characters lose their soul, the story is contrived, absurd and predictable to the smallest detail. It becomes a classic telenovela, instead of the powerful and dramatic series Season 1 was.

Definitely, the production values are good, but never on par of those from Caracol's lush environments, period props, enticing characters and the powerful Colombian actors. It may be almost impossible to have a character that instills fear as Andres Parra's interpretation of Pablo Escobar in El Cartel de los Sapos and Pablo Escobar, El Patron del Mal.

I guess you should stop when things are done and never try second parts when they're not needed. Numbers never lie. That's what happened to this fantastic story when they decided to "create" something people would never feel related to. A pity. Watch Season 1, you won't be disappointed,

Ten stars for Ochmann.

Ochmann somehow makes you like a villain/monster. The expressions on Ochmann's face, his cockiness, body language and sarcasm are spectacular. I don't understand all the Mexican-Colombian lingo, but some of the things he says are funny. I find myself laughing every time he laughs. Go figure. He makes it worth watching if you can bare all the Illuminati garbage, signs, colors, references, rituals and hand gestures. The character "tijeras" is also funny.

I found season two barbaric; animal body parts used as lamps and trinkets. By season three, I was nauseated by the constant use of black and white color scheme, all the hexagrams, squares and triangles. Episode 89, Amaya is wearing a black shirt with what appears to be the head of a goat embellished/embroidered in white. So disappointing he partakes in this mentality, and depiction of ranchero attire ruined and disgraced. If you enjoy threesomes and women used as seductresses, this season is full of that.

It's unfortunate viewers don't get to see the beauty, architecture and antiquity of this country or any others used during production.

Excellent work, entertaining, even humorous, and with well-staged action scenes. Leaving aside the multiple flaws that fans see allows us to enjoy the adventures, we cannot stop protesting how annoying the audio censorship is in the eighth season. They do not censor violence, nor nudism, they do not censor drug trafficking, nor alcoholism nor smoking, they do not censor kidnappings, murders or shootings. But they censor the curse language of our Hispanic Latino daily life, as if it were a plague. All the violence does not offend the public, only the audio is offensive. Bad idea. Uncensored audio is the spark that brings us closer to reality, anything else is a half-baked reasonable facsimile copy, that is not exact but is a close delivered. Those of us who pay to watch this program expect to receive a full product, because the monthly payment is complete, not in parts.

The series was popularized by the clash between rivals, one attacks another counterattack, all between drama, violence, comedy, and romances. Season 8 (2023) has censored dialogue, so much effort on the part of the actors to end up being censored. Something undesirable, but normal in Latin America. How far they plan to degrade Rutila, is not enough with lack modesty Tata Guerra. It is already beginning to be shocking to see Rutila (a married woman), who knows that Diana (recently widowed) began a relationship with Fernando (the same day they met), letting herself be carried away by an uncontrollable lust, ending up being unfaithful to Javier. The same thing that she has criticized his father so much. He mocks the fidelity that his sister-in-law Laura keeps to her brother, and incites her to be unfaithful too with the same men ... Really? This unhealthy relationship features the ladies of the Casillas family sharing a relationship with the same man. What is the need?

I knew from the beginning that everything was going to be downhill. The moment Aurelio said that El Cabo, who killed his mother Alba, his brother Amado, his daughter Luzma, his lover Monica, and shoot his friend La Felina, was a person of no interest, I knew that the season was not going anywhere.

So far, in 64 chapters they have not advanced anything. From the starting point, they added La Mecha (a beautiful actress), an angelical adult who does not know what she wants, who does not separate from her best girl friend and suitor (a medicine doctor who also took a shot a La Felina without knowing her) who gets into every conversation. I have decided to save myself all that verbiage, and wait for the season to end to see the last three chapters.

Must say got in to this series because of Narcos. The problem with this series is the writing, last two years sort of corny. Drug kingpins couldn't or aren't as stupid as this series makes them out to be. It's a miracle that Cabo also escapes serious harm... OMG... Season seven ending is about as stupid as they come too. Get real and rethink the writing, we want to see the Castillas win or we wouldn't watch! Bri