Forced to work for a cartel, Teresa relies on her street smarts to do whatever it takes to survive the Mexican drug trade even if that means working her way to the top and globetrotting to run it.
With a soundtrack reminiscent of Scarface and Miami Vice, with Vangelis vibes, it's enough to lift the episodes to new heights. This coupled with some great performances from core leads Alice Braga, Peter Gadiot and Hemky Mader to name a few backed up by a fantastic supporting cast throughout gives it momentum. Molly Burnett is great when the script calls her to be serious. With presence alone, Joaquim de Almeida steals every scene he's in. Yancey Arias is first-rate. Both Joseph T. Campos and imposing Pêpê Rapazote are memorable.
An entertaining and fulfilling series, while the earlier season echoed the seriousness of Narcos, at times (especially in the later seasons) it at times played a little soap-like the La Reina del Sur series on which it was based. Incidentally, both are adapted from the novel of the same name by author Arturo Pérez-Reverte. That said, the production values are high and the episodes well staged and directed. Some of the shot on location scenes are spectacular.
You may find yourself asking how many times can there be a double-cross, a murder, a shootout, or a kidnapping. You may find yourself asking how many parts of the world can they set up business in? You may find yourself asking where do they get their large automobiles and beautiful houses, and how so many ugly people have beautiful wives? And you may ask yourself 'how did Teresa Mendoza get there?' That's the beauty of Queen of the South, from the early flashback scene you know where it'll roughly end. But it's the journey that makes it so watchable, even many of the unsavoury characters are likeable. There are a few great twists and shock moments littered throughout.
Overall, if a binge watch is on the cards, and you want something slightly lighter than Narcos, you can't go wrong with Queen of the South.
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