Yankee Season 1 Review: Another Netflix Drug Lord Series… Oh S***, Here We Go Again.
Daniel Hart 0
Netflix, TV, TV Reviews
Mexican Netflix series Yankee season 1 offers nothing new or refreshing but adds to a busy catalogue of drug lord stories in the streaming platform's thumbnails.
After giving Yankee season 1 a viewing, I'm confident that one of the executives at Netflix is an ex-narcotics cop. How many series on the streaming platform follow the drug cartel/lord storyline? And if it isn't about crossing the Mexican border, or becoming a drug lord, they release a fictional story about how to sell drugs online or a documentary about the growing industry of weed. Someone in that Netflix boardroom has a vested interest in this topic; I refuse to believe otherwise.
But in terms of Mexican series Yankee, we've seen it all before. It's becoming routinely predictable. As I pressed play, I sighed at the version of the story unfolding; a young entrepreneur from Arizona with undesirable allegiances ends up fleeing to Mexico after an altercation with a police offer. He's the character we've become accustomed to; a young man with potential, drive and a beautiful partner who can see the best in him, getting drawn into a more extensive drug operation that seduces him.
I don't mind these stories, but Yankee season 1 is a tried, tested and successful exercise becoming tiresome in the Netflix thumbnails. The reason why the lead character Malcolm (Pablo Lyle) is called Yankee is that's what the Mexicans nickname him once he crosses the border. He's their American associate. Thin off the ground, less dramatic circumstances bear the story surrounding his quick sprint to Mexico. The writers needed to find a way to place Malcolm in a situation where he panics and needed to flee. The imagination surrounding this is wafer-thin and barely builds a base to excite the audience for the rest of the Netflix series.
The Mexican series is also a whopping 25-episodes, with Netflix expecting an absurd commitment from their audience. I'm not sure why the streaming platform believes there's an appeal for a long series in a world that has adjusted to the demand for a more focused story with fewer chapters. Yankee is a significant binge, and one that I am sure is not worth the time.
But on the bright side, if you like guns, violence, gangs and drugs all embraced in one series, then Netflix series Yankee season 1 will undoubtedly entertain. There's no cynicism from me that this type of story is enjoyed.
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