, and my opinion on this has only solidified with the passage of time. With the debut of the third and final season of Narcos: Mexico, the overall franchise that it’s part of is more than just one of the best Netflix series available to binge right now on the streamer. It will unquestionably go down as one of the all-time best in the history of the platform.
Critics seem to agree. The new season of the series — which succeeded three seasons of the original Narcos show, set in Colombia — currently enjoys a perfect 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. As I noted in my original review of the third season of Narcos: Mexico, there’s an old saying, that every story in the world really boils down to just one of two things. “It’s either: A man goes on a journey. Or a stranger comes to town. For the past six years, however, the Narcos franchise (including the just-released new season of Narcos: Mexico) that Netflix has minted into a consistent ratings powerhouse has also built its gritty, blood-soaked narrative around Lord Acton’s dictum — the one about the corruptibility of power.” Which is my way of saying, you could almost call this one Netflix’s bullet-riddled and blood-soaked version of its own Game of Thrones.
Critics think these are some of Netflix’s best series
Where to even begin here. The villains are larger than life. The story is as grey as it gets — no “good guys,” per se. At least not in the classical sense. Just combatants on either side of the line, in a war without end. Breathtaking, gritty action, fantastic writing, and richly-drawn characters (like this season’s Andrea Nunez, a reporter for the fictional newspaper La Voz) combine to make Narcos: Mexico unmissable.
The series is also in rare company for Netflix: It’s one of just a handful of shows that currently have a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
It might be the final season, but this story is a never-ending one. Take a look back at the history of Narcos and everyone who combined to bring it to life. pic.twitter.com/EMzcYjDoOm
— Narcos (@NarcosNetflix) November 22, 2021
Besides this new season of Narcos: Mexico, the list also includes the just-released Arcane — the animated fantasy series set in the world of League of Legends that debuted on the streamer in November. Another is season two of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.
To be sure, there are tons more critically acclaimed shows on Netflix. And there are more still with critics’ scores just shy of the 100% mark. Hellbound, Netflix’s newly-released Korean horror drama series, is an example of the latter. It actually started out at 100% and only recently slipped, barely (to a 96% critics score).
Two more perfect scores
Regarding Arcane, the praise from Rotten Tomatoes reviews includes this recap from Time magazine. It raves: “What really elevates the show’s solid storytelling is its transcendent animation. Characters’ faces register every flicker of emotion.”
No surprise, fans learned recently that a second season is already green-lit. And that it’s currently in production. Key stars, including Ella Purnell, Hailee Steinfeld, and Katie Leung, are coming back for it — reprising the roles of, respectively, Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn.
About the Tim Robinson comedy show, meanwhile, one Irish reviewer who contributed to the series’ perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes had this to say about it. “Robinson had a relatively brief spell working on Saturday Night Live, but apparently his comedy style never quite fit in. I’m not surprised. He’s far too good for that mediocre show.”
