You’ve probably seen the posters. Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the world’s most famous fugitive, staring back with that trademark mustache and a look that says he’s either about to buy a mountain or blow one up. When the el chapo television series first hit Univision and Netflix back in 2017, it felt like just another entry in the "narco-drama" craze. But honestly? It’s different. It’s gritty, kinda uncomfortable to watch at times, and surprisingly focused on the boring, bureaucratic parts of being a drug lord.
Most people lump it in with Narcos: Mexico. Big mistake. While Narcos feels like a high-budget Hollywood fever dream with beautiful cinematography, this show is a different beast entirely. It’s a messy, violent, and deeply political look at how a guy who started out selling oranges became a billionaire on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
Why the el chapo television series is scarier than Narcos
Let’s talk about Marco de la O. Before this show, basically nobody knew who he was. Then he shows up as Guzmán, and it’s uncanny. He doesn’t play Chapo like a superhero or a cool anti-hero. He plays him as a desperate, ambitious, and often terrified man who is obsessed with never being poor again.
The production team actually had to film the show in Colombia because it was too dangerous to shoot in Mexico at the time. Think about that. The real-life violence was so fresh and the Sinaloa Cartel was so active that they had to hide the production under a fake name, Dolores de Amor (Pains of Love), just so locals wouldn't realize they were filming a show about the boss.
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One thing the el chapo television series gets right—which most shows skip—is the prison time.
He spends a huge chunk of the show behind bars. Usually, TV shows skip the "boring" jail years with a time jump. Not here. You see the psychological toll of solitary confinement and the grueling process of him trying to maintain power from a four-by-four cell. It’s not glamorous. It’s claustrophobic.
The "Don Sol" Factor: Fact or Fiction?
If you've watched the show, you know Conrado Sol. He's the smooth-talking, ambitious politician who basically represents the "shadow" of the Mexican government. He’s the guy making deals in backrooms while the streets are on fire.
A lot of fans ask: Is Don Sol real?
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Sorta. He’s a composite character, but he’s widely believed to be based on Genaro García Luna. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because the real García Luna—who was once Mexico's top security official—was actually arrested in Texas in 2019 and later convicted for taking millions in bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel.
The show was depicting this "fictional" corruption years before the real-life arrests made international headlines. That’s the kind of depth that makes this more than just a soap opera.
A Timeline of the Chaos
The series is broken down into three distinct "eras" of Guzmán's life. It doesn't try to cram everything into one season, which helps it feel more like a historical record than a highlight reel.
- The Rise (Season 1): Covers the 80s and early 90s. This is Chapo as a "nobody" working under the Guadalajara Cartel. He’s trying to impress Pablo Escobar and prove he can move cocaine faster than anyone else by building tunnels. This is where he learns that tunnels are his "superpower."
- The Kingpin (Season 2): This is the peak. He escapes from Puente Grande prison in a laundry cart (though the show explores the theory that he basically just walked out with government help) and starts a massive war against the Avendaño brothers (the Tijuana Cartel).
- The Downfall (Season 3): This is the endgame. The internal betrayals, the Sean Penn interview (depicted through a surrogate character), and the final capture. It’s a slow-motion car crash.
Is it actually accurate?
Look, no TV show is 100% true. They have to change names for legal reasons. The Arellano Félix family becomes the "Avendaños." Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada becomes "Don Ismael." But the events? They’re hauntingly close to the truth.
The show worked with top-tier Mexican journalists like Gerardo Reyes to make sure the political backbone of the story was solid. While Narcos focuses on the DEA’s perspective, the el chapo television series focuses on the Mexican perspective. It shows how the drug trade isn't just about guys with guns; it’s about the banks, the presidents, and the systemic corruption that allows someone like Chapo to exist for thirty years.
One specific detail the show nails is the tragedy of Héctor "El Güero" Palma. The scene involving his family is one of the most brutal things ever put on television, and sadly, it’s based on a very real, very horrific event in cartel history.
What to watch next if you liked it
If you’ve finished all 35 episodes and you’re looking for more, don't just go back to Netflix's main menu.
- Read "The Last Narco" by Malcolm Beith: It’s one of the best books on Guzmán’s early years and his first escape.
- Check out "The Drug War" (Documentary): It provides the actual news footage that the show often sprinkles into the episodes.
- Compare it to "Narcos: Mexico" Season 3: See how two different productions handled the same time period. It’s fascinating to see different actors play the same real-life people.
How to get the most out of the series
To really "get" the show, you have to pay attention to the dates. The series jumps across decades, and the fashion and music change, but the politics stay remarkably the same.
Pro tip: Watch it in the original Spanish with subtitles. Marco de la O’s performance relies heavily on his regional accent and the specific "slang" of the Sinaloa mountains. The English dub just doesn't capture that gritty, rural desperation that makes his portrayal so effective.
Actionable Insight: If you're looking for a deep dive into the geopolitical landscape of North America, start with Season 1, Episode 1, but pay close attention to the character of "Don Sol." He represents the link between the cartels and the "legitimate" world. Understanding his arc is the key to understanding why the war on drugs is so complicated.
Don't expect a happy ending. There aren't any. Just a cycle of power that keeps spinning long after the credits roll.