Narcos: Mexico Season 2 Takes Place When A Major Drug Lord Was Just Getting Started

While fans might already know where this Netflix series with a location-based title takes place, they may still wonder when Narcos: Mexico season 2 takes place. The latest chapter in the Narcos companion series, which is streaming now, is set during the same time as the original Narcos, which focused on Pablo Escobar. Fans might not be as familiar with the names of Narcos: Mexico’s players, but they are closely tied to one major drug lord who has become a household name in recent years.

The original Narcos looked at the reign of Escobar in Columbia, which started in the late ‘70s and ended with his 1993 death. Narcos: Mexico picks up in the early ‘80s with Felix Gallardo (Diego Luna), who was the head of the Guadalajara Cartel. Escobar and Gallardo crossed paths in Narcos: Mexico’s first season, but there’s no real evidence the two met in real life, despite the fact that they were running drugs at the same time.

Season 2 picks up months after the first season’s finale’s end with the corrupt Gallardo fighting to keep his drug empire together. Now in the mid-1980s, Narcos: Mexico shows how Gallardo helped create a Mexican drug lord most of us are familiar with: El Chapo, who makes his debut in season 2 as one of Gallardo’s lowly workers.

From the beginning of this season, Gallardo’s operation seemed doomed to fail, but his loss might just be Narcos: Mexico fans’ gain in season 3. “Season 2 ends in ‘89,” showrunner Eric Newman told Refinery29. “And there's about 31 years of drug war, should we choose to continue.”