# The Cartel (2008)

> Ten friends inside a Colombian drug cartel chase power and money on a path that can only end with them destroying one another.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/6940

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 107
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Andrés López López
- Network: Caracol TV
- Cast: Paulina Gálvez, Carlos Augusto Maldonado, Manolo Cardona, Juliana Galvis, Robinson Díaz, Diego Cadavid, Juan Pablo Raba, Sandra Reyes
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1260520/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: brutal
- Tone: melodramatic, tense, bleak, propulsive

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, with strong reception for its second season and its portrayal of cartel friendships turning lethal.

## Synopsis

The Cartel (2008-2010) is a Colombian national-television crime drama series created by Andrés López López for Caracol TV, built in the telenovela tradition. The story follows ten friends who are members of a dangerous drug cartel, and the engine is their growing ambition for power and money, which pushes them toward betraying one another. Paulina Gálvez plays Katherine and Carlos Augusto Maldonado plays Miguel, while Manolo Cardona appears as Martín González 'El Fresita' and Diego Cadavid as Pepe Cadenas, all tied into a shared criminal circle. Each episode advances rivalries, alliances and reversals within the organization, so the season arcs read as one continuing serialized story rather than standalone cases. The series runs across two seasons and 107 episodes, and its audience rating of 7.9 out of 10 reflects a strong reception among viewers. The atmosphere is melodramatic and tense, with dread that grows as loyalty erodes and violence becomes routine. Fans of Narcos, Breaking Bad and Betty la Fea will find resonance in its drug trade setting, fractured partnerships and soap opera emotional intensity.

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