With three major franchises now under his belt, no one can argue that Pedro Pascal is one of the most celebrated actors working today, but some of his best roles have since gone unnoticed. One of the most important to his career was Narcos as Javier Pena, the real-life DEA agent who played a big part in the hunt for Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) in the late 80s and early 90s. Although he initially takes a backseat to his partner Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) as the main protagonist, he still makes one hell of an impression and is shown to be a vital but imperfect asset for the Americans. His elevation to the leading role in the third and final season gave us a glimpse of the star he would eventually become, and his performance helped end the series on a bittersweet but still satisfying note.
As Javier Pena, Pedro Pascal Goes Full Federal Agent Mode in ‘Narcos’
When watching Narcos for the very first time, one small thing you’ll be surprised to see is just how different Javier Pena appears through the eyes of others, but it feels fitting the series would do this. In the first two seasons, the narrator of the show is not Pena, but rather Steve Murphy. While Murphy is a fish out of water in Colombia, Pena is right at home, and our brief first introduction shows why. As a bilingual agent, he fits perfectly into the affluent social scene of Bogotá, and his charisma enables him to seduce women almost instinctively. Pascal has always been charismatic in his many performances, but the series also turns this into a mark against Pena as an agent. His colleagues view him with frustration for that very reason, as if Pena is just going along for the ride, but his indiscretions also serve as the perfect way to cultivate informants and secure information.
It’s worth remembering that Narcos is based on a true story, and this is a real agent who Pascal is playing, so he has an extra responsibility to get him right. Of course, as a crime series about very secretive people, the show sometimes adds new things to the story and the work of many agents is combined into these two. As a whole, though, Pascal does an incredible job at bringing Pena to life, and the real agent had nothing but generous words about his portrayal in the series, where he and Murphy served as consultants. Yes, things are sometimes exaggerated or simplified, but the danger and stress they display is all too real.
In ‘Narcos,’ Javier Pena Is Flawed But Invaluable as an Agent
As Pena knows and Murphy gradually learns, the drug world is a place where conventional morals rarely apply, and the same is true of the agents fighting against it, who can be very flawed as individuals. Much like another iconic character whom Pascal once played, Pena is both reckless and charming, which serves him well in the criminal underworld but also makes him such a big threat. Due to his clear comfort in Colombia, Pena is the perfect man on the ground to fight the drug war and, in contrast to his partner, he knows very well what it could cost him. Although he has fewer connections for the cartels to exploit, it’s still an extremely dangerous job for him, and his survival is often down to good fortune as much as his own skills. At the same time, Pena and Murphy also have to deal with tensions among their own allies, since the Colombian government remains resentful of the constant interference by American authorities. The US is also divided between its priorities during the height of the Cold War, meaning Pena has to deal with situations beyond his control.
As time goes on, it becomes more and more clear how much this drug war has cost Pena, for whom the lines between crime and government have become increasingly blurred. Even as he starts to take center stage, he begins to raise valid questions about the war he is still fighting, especially as things begin to get worse. Not only is the Cali Cartel an entirely different playing field, but Pena himself is forced to deal with something far deeper when the sheer extent of the corruption is clear. It all leads to a very bittersweet finale, one which serves as a damning indictment of not only the cartels but the entire drug war itself.
Related
Diego Luna and Michael Peña Made This Netflix Spinoff Must-Watch TV
This series improved upon its predecessor thanks to its two stars.
For Pedro Pascal, ‘Narcos’ Proved To Be His Breakout Role
As big of a star as he is today, Pedro Pascal was relatively unknown when Narcos first started, having a couple of impactful but small roles to his name. The series has already made stars out of its cast, but few of them were faced with the kind of challenge Pascal had. After season 2, when Escobar is killed and Murphy returns home in peace, Pena becomes the star and narrator of season 3. For Pascal himself, it was his first time as a lead and the biggest test of his abilities to date.
One of the best aspects of Narcos was the chemistry between its two leads, so losing Steve Murphy and ending the Escobar story places all the pressure on Pascal. Fortunately, he proves more than capable of leading the series alone, and it shows he could be more than a supporting player. Ironically, the series itself was an obstacle for his career in the short term, but the industry never forgets a star. Now, everyone knows who Pedro Pascal is, but we should never forget the role that brought him to that stardom in the first place.
Narcos
- Release Date
-
2015 – 2016
- Showrunner
-
Chris Brancato
- Directors
-
Chris Brancato
