Narcos

Characters are judged almost entirely by their actions as either drug traffickers, police, or politicians, not by immutable characteristics. The primary conflict is based on crime and justice. A mild elevation in score is noted due to the framing by the white American narrator, Steve Murphy, which has drawn some external criticism for perpetuating the 'American savior' trope over the non-white host country's efforts. The villains and heroes are racially diverse, reflecting the authentic setting.

The narrative highlights deep-seated corruption and dysfunction in Colombian institutions and government. However, it equally portrays the DEA agents' loss of faith in their own system and explicitly criticizes American drug demand and foreign policy, particularly the use of highly questionable, even illegal, tactics by US-backed forces (Los Pepes). This even-handed cynicism about all governing bodies prevents a maximal score, but the focus on institutional failure raises it above a minimal score.

Female characters primarily operate in the domestic sphere, focused on family, loyalty, and survival, such as Pablo's wife Tata and mother Hermilda, who are not depicted as perfect. The narrative's focus remains on traditionally masculine arenas of war, crime, and politics, with women mostly serving in complementary or domestic roles. The show has been externally criticized for this highly male-centric perspective, which is contrary to the 'Girl Boss' trope.

The narrative maintains a normative structure, centered on the struggles of the male-female family unit (Escobar's wife and children). Alternative sexualities, gender ideology, or the deconstruction of the traditional family structure are not a focus of the plot or themes.

While the world of the show is saturated with moral ambiguity, which is necessary for a crime drama, there is no explicit hostility toward religion. The devotion of characters, such as Pablo’s mother Hermilda, is presented as an authentic cultural element, sometimes for comfort and sometimes as a source of self-delusion. Faith is neither a root of evil nor a source of strength, but a backdrop to the material and political violence.