'Narcos: Mexico' Season 2 Episode 10 Review: [Spoiler] is behind bars, but is it the end of the drug war?
Spoiler Alert for 'Narcos: Mexico' Season 2 Episode 10 — 'Free Trade'
Remember that bedtime story: 'The Bundle of Sticks'? None of the man's three sons could break the bundle, but give them a single stick, and it was in two pieces in no time. It's the same with people. There is strength in unity. Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) doesn't realize it in time. And that can have big repercussions in the long run.
Félix is comfortably stationed at his home. He lights up a cigarette and says, "Everything's back to normal." A worried Maria asks, "Normal's good, right?" Not everything seems normal in Félix's mind. He is impatient. He wants more. El Chapo (Alejandro Edda) comes to talk about Héctor Palma's (Gorka Lasaosa) return. He says the plaza bosses approve the idea. Felix doesn't like the sound of it, but on El Azul's (Fermín Martínez) suggestion, he agrees to pardon Palma if he asks for forgiveness.
Félix, Pacho and the unsigned deal
Until one morning in 1989, four tons of cocaine was considered the biggest drug bust. But that particular day, there is news of about 20 tons cocaine being confiscated and the magnitude of it hasn't sunk in. In Breslin's words, it is "a bust that ends careers or makes them."
The Juárez cartel is worried. A call goes to Félix. Félix meets Pacho Herrera (Alberto Ammann), a Colombian drug trafficker, fourth in command in the Cali Cartel. Even after the unfortunate incident, he calls his loss "insignificant" and offers Félix a deal — $4000 a kilo, which means $280 million to the organization. But Felix wants something else: Half the load. Kilo for kilo. Félix's refusal ticks Pacho off. "That's a dangerous path," Pacho warns him and asks what his partners want.
"I don't have partners. I have employees," pat comes Félix's reply. The Mexican drug lord is getting overconfident and self-centered. It's a gamble. A shocked El Azul tells him, "This move should be discussed with everyone." But Félix instead orders him to call a meeting with the plazas. What's more, he has already made a decision on Palma.
The Clavel-Palma rivalry
In the most shocking twist, Enrique Clavel (Andrés Londoño) seduces Palma’s wife Guadalupe and then murders her and her children. He fools her and drives her to the Puente de la Concordia bridge right on the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Once there, he throws her her children's bodies off the bridge. The game is changing, it is getting dirtier and murkier than ever. Of course, it will have a ripple effect.
"Guadalupe Palma and her children, did you do it?" Maria demands to know. She questions Félix and when he confesses his hand in the deaths, Maria orders him to leave the house. After an ugly spat, she even twists a knife into his stomach. Meanwhile, Enedina Arellano Felix (Mayra Hermosillo) warns Benjamín Arellano Félix (Alfonso Dosal) that Félix is trying to scare them.
The big betrayal
Félix holds a meeting with the plaza bosses and tells them about "his" decision. Overproud, over arrogant, overconfident, he is not himself anymore. It is not a discussion but a commandment where he enforces his vision on everyone. One by one, all of them walk out. Tijuana is out, Sinaloa is out. Seeing his loyal mate, El Azul go, he scorns, "Rats will always be rats."
The Gulf is out and finally, Amado Carrillo Fuentes (José María Yazpik) opens his mouth. He wants out too. "The price of being in business with you is too high," he says. Félix laughs. "So now you run the Federation," he asks Amado. "Who, me? No. There is no Federation. It is over. You can run, but it won't matter," Amado tells him. And that turns all of Félix's dreams into a speck of dust.
There is another betrayal. Enedina tries to buy her partner Isabella Bautista (Teresa Ruiz) with a cheque. She now wants to team up with her brothers. "What is this?" Isabella shockingly asks. "Your end." But Isabella says no to the "handout" from the woman who she thought was her partner. Later, Enedina gets Isabella arrested by the cops.
A surprise invitation
A weird call comes from DC. On April 8, 1989, Felix is arrested at his home. In 'Narcos: Mexico', Guillermo González Calderoni (Julio Cesar Cedillo) comes to arrest Félix. He is taken into custody without a single shot being fired. And just like that, the last hurdle for the trade deal to end all trade deals is cleared.
Breslin simply watches it all unfolding before his eyes and is hardly interested in the certificate of honor endowed to him. But Breslin isn't happy.
From plazas to drug cartels
Clavel is in a shoe shop when El Chapo and Palma arrive. With a baseball bat, Palma smashes his bones to smithereens. There is blood splattered all over the floor but Palma doesn't stop. Later, El Azul holds a meeting. Tijuana, Sinaloa, the Gulf, and Juárez are divided into separate cartels. Even without the boss, the system stays the same.
Back in El Paso, Texas, Kuykendall (Matt Letscher) comes to check in on Breslin and he asks his boss for a favor.
The final face-off
Separated by a glass wall, Félix and Walt Breslin come face-to-face. He shows him the photo of Kiki Camarena. Not one bit guilty, Félix jeers at how his body was drilled with holes. He is unperturbed. Breslin has a question: "What happens to the plazas you used to control?" Félix makes a kickass prediction. The plazas will become their own cartels and work separately. He warns Breslin: "Amado Carrillo Fuentes. Learn that name, gringo. He will be the most powerful trafficker world has seen. Unless someone more powerful comes in [Will it be El Chapo?]."
Now its Félix's turn to ask questions. "What the f**k do you want?" he asks. Breslin answers, "Maybe, I just like putting assholes in jail." Félix has a word of caution: "You'll see what happens when the cage opens and all animals run free. You are going to miss me." What a classy exit!
We don't know about Walt Breslin but we will definitely miss Félix. Ever thought a goodbye from a drug lord will dig up a hole in your heart? And just like that, the king is gone but the kingpin remains. The second season of 'Narcos: Mexico' may be over but its haunting tale will seep deep into your skull for days to come.
With so many drug lords, there seems to be no end to the cat-and-mouse chase. Even without a cliffhanger, you can't help but wait for Netflix to give a green light to the next season. As you look out for the new cartel boss, re-binge 'Narcos: Mexico' all over again!