Pablo's extreme methods put the narcos on the brink of war with Carillo and the government. Peña tries to protect his witness, Elisa.
The tension between the Colombian government and Pablo Escobar is escalating. Pablo has fled the country in order to seek refuge in Panama - whose president can easily be bought by whichever side has the most money. But Colombia is and always will be home for the Escobar family. It's dangerous to return. He has more money than he could have ever possibly imagined. And yet, he still wants to keep his enterprise going strong in the country that started it all. He is loyal to Colombia in a time where the government and people are starting to turn against him.It wasn't long ago that Pablo was elected to the Congress of Colombia. And now, he's in hiding following his attack on the Palace of Justice. Pablo still holds so much influence in Colombia even when he's no longer in the country. He desperately wants to return and live comfortably with his family and his wealth. Certain individuals are keeping him from that though. He's not happy about that and will do anything to change it. He and the rest of his business associates could escape to anywhere in the world and have a phenomenal life. That's not what Pablo wants though. They all return to their home country. They all place their trust in Pablo. They all believe that he will do his best to protect their lives from the officials who want them dead or captured. But returning to Colombia is dangerous and not everyone believes it's a risk worth taking.
Pablo puts wheels into motion that could drastically escalate the tension throughout Colombia. He arranges the assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán. It's a violent moment that pushes the entire country into action. The people of Colombia took to the streets to voice their opinions over the unjust nature of his death and the fact that the people responsible continue to have so much power in the country. Pablo is no longer the man of the people. There is now a distance between him and them. Sure, they still don't know just how dangerous he truly is. But he hasn't been the person he was when he was first running for office. Even when he returns to Colombia, he is carefully hiding out in one of his elegant houses. He is eluding capture from the government.
But Pablo is allowed some time of peace in his home country. Galán's death creates chaos as the country is flailing around trying to figure out what's next for the future. Galán's campaign manager, César Gavaria, is thrusted into the political race by Galán's family in the hopes the policies of the deceased are still capable of making a difference. Galán was a very brave man for standing opposed to the narcos. But he was reckless and careless as well. That's what led to his assassination. César knew it wasn't wise to make so many appearances solely about the extradition deal. Not even a bulletproof vest could save him in the end. César didn't sign up for this mission. He is not the same man Galán was. But he does have an important choice to make: continue to stand against the narcos and risk death or comply with the narcos' demands and live comfortably with his family.
César is living a life of paranoia at the moment. The narcos are seemingly capable of eliminating anyone who stands in their way for control of Colombia. Why should he be any different? He is afraid for his life. But that's also what is fueling his actions. He knows he needs to be careful. He knows how real this threat can be. Pablo can get to him whenever he wants. That fear is always constant. But the least he can do is try to stand up for the sake of his country in a time where its people desperately need it. He's creating a very powerful enemy in Pablo Escobar. But he is willing to take that chance if it means a change can happen for Colombia.
Elsewhere, Horacio Carrillo is faced with a similar decision regarding his future and the hunt for Pablo Escobar. He's a man who was reluctantly put in this position leading the investigation for the Colombian government. Peña forced him to stay on the case. But now, he is growing more passionate about the cause. He is slightly becoming obsessed but that's completely do to a passion to eliminate the reason behind all of Colombia's problems at the moment. The government hasn't made much of a difference when it comes to hindering Pablo's business. The DEA agents have had success. But the Colombian officials continue to do nothing but take bribes and allow Pablo to continue to operate. It's frustrating for someone like Carrillo who wants to put a stop to this problem.
Carrillo has to demand from his superiors that a unit of incorruptible cops needs to be assembled. They are nervous for their lives given what Pablo is capable of. But someone needs to stand up for what is morally right in this country. Carrillo is taking ahold of that mantel. His unit is swiftly put together. Both sides are gearing up for war. Pablo is growing more furious and dangerous in the wake of César voicing his support for extradition. War is coming to Colombia. Both sides know it and are preparing for such devastation. It could be a very bad idea for Carrillo to personally call Pablo and tell him that he's coming for him. That could only make Pablo angrier and more volatile. But Carrillo also wants to be seen as an important and serious opponent to Pablo's power. One who has just as much influence and resources as Pablo does. The outcome of this war may be uncertain at the moment, but it's very engaging to watch as the two sides prepare for battle.
Some more thoughts:
- "There Will Be a Future" was written by Dana Ledoux Miller and directed by Andi Baiz.
- This isn't a big episode for either Murphy or Peña. They are doing their best to protect Elisa. Both her identity from the other agents they are working with and her safety from the narcos. It's just not all that interesting.
- Also, the CIA seems to be doing nothing but creating problems. They waterboard the communist priest who gives up the fact that Connie helped Elisa escape from the hospital which is probably only going to create more headaches for the narrative.
- Connie and Elisa do have a brief scene debating the values of communism which just isn't handled all that well. It was more distracting than anything else.
- Murphy and Peña do catch a solid break though because they have a previously unknown informant, Navegante, who has gotten close to Gacha as well as Pablo's operation. In fact, they are on their way to capture Gacha.
- Gacha, Fernando and Valeria are still loyal to Pablo, but the Ochoa brothers and Gustavo are starting to have doubts and making separate plans for their futures.
As noted in previous reviews from this series, every episodic review was written without having seen any succeeding episodes. Similarly, it would be much appreciated if in the comments section, the conversation would only revolve around the show up to this point in its run.
