If you haven't seen it yet, the first ZeroZeroZero episode is a punch to the gut. Honestly, it’s not just "another crime show." While most series in this genre try to be the next Narcos or Breaking Bad, Stefano Sollima’s adaptation of Roberto Saviano’s book feels like something else entirely. It’s colder. It’s bigger. It’s way more cynical.
You’ve got three continents. One massive shipment of cocaine. A family of shipping brokers in New Orleans, a brutal cartel hitman in Mexico, and an old-school 'Ndrangheta boss hiding in a hole in the ground in Calabria.
It's a lot.
The pilot, titled "The Shipment," does something most shows fail at: it establishes a global scale without losing the messy, human details. You aren't just watching a drug deal; you're watching the literal circulatory system of the global economy. As the show likes to remind us, cocaine is basically the only currency that never loses value.
The Chaos of the First ZeroZeroZero Episode
The premiere is a masterclass in tension. It starts with Don Minu La Piana, a grandfatherly but terrifying mob boss played by Adriano Chiaramida. He’s been living in an underground bunker for years, hiding from his enemies and, more importantly, his own family. He orders 5,000 kilograms of cocaine to reassert his power over the 'Ndrangheta.
Then we jump to New Orleans.
The Lynwoods run a shipping company. Edward Lynwood (Gabriel Byrne) is the patriarch, a man who believes he’s a legitimate businessman despite the fact that his ships are filled with kilos of white powder. His daughter Emma (Andrea Riseborough) is the brains, and his son Chris (Dane DeHaan) is the wildcard—mostly because he has Huntington’s disease and wants nothing to do with the "family business."
Things go south fast. Like, really fast.
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A betrayal in Italy leads to an ambush in Mexico. This is where we meet Manuel Contreras, a Mexican Special Forces soldier who is secretly working for the very cartels he’s supposed to be hunting. Harold Torres plays Manuel with this eerie, quiet intensity that stays with you long after the credits roll. By the end of the ZeroZeroZero episode, the shipment is stalled, people are dead, and the world is starting to tilt on its axis.
Why the Narrative Structure Actually Works
Most people get confused by the timeline in the beginning. Sollima uses a non-linear approach that circles back on itself. You’ll see a scene from one perspective, and then ten minutes later, you’ll see what was happening on the other side of the phone call or across the street.
It’s not just a gimmick.
It shows how interconnected these people are. A decision made in a dusty Italian village affects a soldier in Monterrey and a billionaire in a New Orleans high-rise. The show basically argues that we’re all connected by greed. It's kinda depressing if you think about it too much, but it makes for incredible television.
The music helps, too. Mogwai did the soundtrack, and it’s this haunting, post-rock drone that makes every scene feel like a funeral procession. It doesn't tell you how to feel; it just hums in the background, making you feel increasingly uneasy.
The Realism of Roberto Saviano’s World
You can’t talk about any ZeroZeroZero episode without talking about Roberto Saviano. He’s the guy who wrote Gomorrah. He’s been under police protection for years because the Camorra wants him dead.
Saviano doesn't write "cool" gangsters.
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He writes about the logistics. In his world, the cocaine trade isn't about Scarface-style shootouts (though those happen); it’s about shipping routes, shell companies, and the way legitimate banks launder blood money. The show captures this perfectly. It treats the 5,000 kilos of coke like a character. We track its journey across the Atlantic, and we see how many lives are destroyed just to keep it moving.
The Mexican Subplot: A Descent into Hell
While the Italian and American storylines are great, the Mexican arc is arguably the most terrifying part of the series. Manuel Contreras, aka "Vampiro," represents the total breakdown of the state. He’s a soldier who uses his tactical training to build his own empire.
The violence here is... heavy.
It’s not stylized like a John Wick movie. It’s sudden, ugly, and often directed at people who have nothing to do with the trade. The show doesn't look away, which is why some viewers find it hard to watch. But that’s the point. You can’t have the high-gloss life of the Lynwoods without the carnage in the streets of Monterrey.
Technical Brilliance and Cinematography
If you’re watching the ZeroZeroZero episode on a good 4K screen, you’ll notice the color palettes. Italy is dusty, grey, and ancient. New Orleans is all steel, glass, and deep shadows. Mexico is vibrant but harsh, bathed in a sun that feels like it’s bleaching everything it touches.
Paolo Carnera and the other cinematographers used natural light whenever possible. It gives the show a documentary-like feel, even when the plot gets operatic.
There’s a specific scene in the first episode—the dinner scene with the Lynwoods. It’s shot so intimately that you feel the tension between the father and the son. You see the subtle tremor in Chris's hand. You see the cold calculation in Emma’s eyes. These aren't caricatures; they're people who have justified their sins so many times they’ve started to believe their own lies.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
A lot of critics at the time compared it to The Wire. That’s a mistake.
The Wire was about the failure of institutions in a single American city. ZeroZeroZero is about the total success of an illegal institution on a global scale. It’s not about how things are broken; it’s about how perfectly the drug trade works as a part of modern capitalism.
People also think it’s a show about "bad guys." It’s actually more about the "middlemen." The Lynwoods aren't the ones snorting the coke or selling it on the corner. They’re the ones who make sure the boat shows up on time. They are the logistics experts of the underworld.
That makes them much scarier.
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Comparing Episode 1 to the Rest of the Season
The first ZeroZeroZero episode sets a high bar, but the show doesn't actually peak there. As the season progresses, the shipment moves through Senegal and Morocco. The scale just keeps expanding.
In episode five, there’s a sequence in the desert that is genuinely one of the most intense things ever put on film. You realize that no one is safe. Not the main characters, not the innocent bystanders, nobody. By the time you get to the finale, the "order" established in the first episode has been completely dismantled.
If you stopped after the pilot because it felt too slow or too complex, you’re missing out on the payoff. The show is a slow burn that turns into a wildfire.
Real-World Context: The 'Ndrangheta
To really understand the Italian side of the ZeroZeroZero episode, you have to know a bit about the 'Ndrangheta. They aren't the Sicilian Mafia (Cosa Nostra) you see in The Godfather. They are based in Calabria, and they are currently the most powerful criminal organization in the world.
Why?
Because they are built on blood ties. They rarely have "rats" because you’d have to testify against your own father or brother. In the show, Don Minu’s struggle with his grandson, Stefano, reflects real-world internal conflicts where the younger generation wants to modernize (and get rich) while the old guard wants to keep things traditional and low-profile.
The "bunker" lifestyle shown in the first episode is also very real. Italian police have discovered incredibly sophisticated underground tunnels and hidden rooms used by 'Ndrangheta bosses to run global empires while living like hermits.
Actionable Insights for Viewers
If you’re diving into the series for the first time or planning a rewatch, here’s how to get the most out of it:
- Pay attention to the transitions. The "looping" narrative style requires your full attention. If you’re scrolling on your phone, you will get lost.
- Watch the subtitles. Even if you usually hate them, the nuances in the Italian and Spanish dialogue are vital. The show uses language to show the cultural barriers—and the shared language of money.
- Track the "Vampiro" arc. Manuel’s journey from a corrupt soldier to a cult-like leader is a terrifyingly accurate depiction of how some cartels, like the Zetas, actually formed.
- Research the "Godfathers of the Ocean." The Lynwood family is loosely based on the real-world brokers who facilitate international trade. It’s a side of the drug war that rarely gets news coverage.
The ZeroZeroZero episode one is a gateway into a world that most of us would rather pretend doesn't exist. It’s uncomfortable, it’s violent, and it’s brilliantly made. It doesn't offer any easy answers or "good guys" to root for. It just shows you the machine.
And the machine never stops.
Once you finish the first episode, the best next step is to watch the second immediately. The show is designed as an eight-hour movie, and the momentum from the pilot carries directly into the fallout of the first major betrayal. Don't let the subtitles or the multiple locations intimidate you. By the third episode, the geography becomes secondary to the survival of the characters. Grab a drink, put your phone away, and watch the logistics of a tragedy unfold.