Pablo Escobar: The Drug Lord (2012)
Pablo is a man with a natural ability for business. Early in his life, Pablo is introduced to the business of cocaine and the power it yields. A young life of crime lands Pablo in and out of jail as he builds his criminal empire. Pablo expands his power through politics but it is not long before his conflicts as a Congressman and a drug lord collide. Pablo has his enemies executed, but not before the United States activates its own war on the Medellin cartel.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 28 May 2012 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 19 November 2012 |
| Genre | Crime, Drama |
| Created by | Carlos Moreno |
| Starring | Andrés Parra, Christian Tappan and Cecilia Navia |
| Seasons | 1 season, 113 episodes |
| Episode length | about 45 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 85 hours |
| Rated | TV-MA |
| Scores | TMDB users 7.7/10 |
Where to watch Pablo Escobar: The Drug Lord
Pablo Escobar: The Drug Lord is streaming on Netflix ($17.99 a month) in the US. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 2 months of Netflix, or $35.98 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 15 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Pablo Escobar: The Drug Lord is a 2012 crime drama that treats the rise of a cocaine empire as a business case study. Created by Carlos Moreno, it spans 1 season and 113 episodes, totaling roughly 85 hours of viewing time. Each 45-minute installment tracks Pablo’s expansion from local crime to political power, highlighting the moment his identity as a Congressman clashes with his role as a drug lord. The series does not shy away from the violence, showing how he executes enemies just as the United States launches its own war on the Medellin cartel. It is a long watch, but the pacing treats the chaos as inevitable rather than dramatic.
What the critics said
There are no review scores to report, which simplifies the verdict. The reception was loud. Caracol TV promoted it heavily, and the premiere drew high ratings. Telemundo’s broadcast later averaged nearly 2.2 million viewers.
Dissent came from outside the studio. A researcher told El Colombiano the series "will not add anything to TV" because it relies on fiction rather than "rigorous academic research." He warned it might "distort knowledge about history." That is a heavy charge for a drama. Critics wondered if audiences would bond with the villain instead of his victims. A valid concern for a story built on one man’s rise.
How it did with audiences
The box office ledger is empty, so we lean on the critics of the internet. TMDB users give it a 7.7 out of 10. That is a solid score. Viewers seem to appreciate the raw ambition, even if the accounting never caught up to the notoriety. It’s a high mark for a story that likely didn’t expect much polite applause.
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Sources
- Pablo Escobar: The Drug Lord on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q172426 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Pablo Escobar, The Drug Lord” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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