Narcos turned out to be a lot more complex than I had initially thought it would be. It shied away from assigning characters into a one-dimensional “good guy” “bad guy” roles. Instead, Narcos went out of its way to suggest the opposition is not so clear. According to Propp, every story has characters personified by a specific role. What Narcos did was show that a character who plays a Hero is capable of behaving in Villainous ways for the sake of justice. How far will a Hero go in order to reach his goal? Every decision the Hero takes against his morals, he is driven further away from the Hero’s path. Eventually, those decisions cast a dark light on the Hero’s reputation; as seen in the show with Javier. His dabbling with the dark side in the name of justice has detrimental consequences to his reputation as Hero. Pablo is seen as a villain yet he is known in his country for his acts of heroism. These actions have positive consequences. His country loves him and is willing to protect him. Each act of heroism changes his reputation. Pablo knows if he wins the hearts of the masses they will help him stay hidden away from DEA. The narrative structure in the show is multi-layered. There are references to the past, present, and the knowing tone of the narrator.
A Hero will act in a villainous way but only for the sake of the overall good. The inverse would be true if a villain is willing to be heroic when it benefits his plan. Intentions clear up as a guide throughout the story. If those intentions are lost within power struggles the Hero deviates from his initial goal for good. When this happens, what is considered “good” and “bad” become warped in other ways. Therefore, what motivates a character determines his role. There is a fine line between good and evil, and both use one another to different extents in pursuit of a goal. The values a character holds are important in establishing the role a character will play. The motives that drive a villain will tend to seek personal benefit as the priority. Whereas, a Hero’s values will revolve around the greater good or ideal. Both sides are capable of good and evil, what differentiates the two are their ends, not their means.