THE GODFATHERS

Cali Cartel takes center stage in Season 3 of ‘Narcos’

LET’S face it: I know I’m not the only one who had some reservations about “Narcos” returning for a third season.

The series’ first two seasons revolved around the hunt for ’80s-era Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura). With his capture/death in the Season 2 finale, I didn’t think there was much wiggle room to keep the series going. Not only was it turning its focus to the lesser-known Cali Cartel, but the series lost co-star Boyd Holbrook, who played DEA agent Steve Murphy, the “Narcos” narrator (and series protagonist) in Seasons 1 and 2.

But count me in for Season 3, particularly with the return of Pedro Pascal as Javier Pena, Murphy’s partner. Pascal lends the series the continuity it needs, both in tone and context — and it helps, in that “comfortable shoe” kind of way, that Pena has replaced Murphy as our friendly “Narcos” voiceover guide.

The new season (premiering Sept. 1 on Netflix) picks up immediately in the aftermath of Escobar’s death. Javy, back home in Texas on vacation is bored; he tells his father (Edward James Olmos, almost unrecognizable), that he’s itching to return to Colombia and fight the drug wars. Not only has he been promoted after his “heroic” takedown of Escobar, but he’s got unfinished business with the Cali Cartel, who’ve grown even bigger since Escobar’s death — or, as Javy calls them, “F---ing cocaine incorporated.” The men running the Cali cartel are the exact opposite of Escobar; they shun the spotlight and refer to themselves as “The Gentlemen of Cali.” They even dispose the bodies of their many enemies in an understated way that simultaneously makes an emphatic point: Don’t mess with them. Or else.

The four-man cartel has made huge inroads into the US and even has its own man in New York. Its leader, Gilberto Rodriguez (Damian Alcazar), is known as “The Chess Player” for always staying one step ahead of the law (or at least the DEA — he’s got most of the Cali cops in his pocket). In the season opener, he gathers his fellow Cali Cartel leaders for an unprecedented appearance (they’re rarely in the same place) at a glitzy backyard party to make a shocking announcement — setting into motion the plot point(s) that will steer Javy, the DEA and the CIA (yes, they’re back, too) into uncharted waters as the season progresses.

The elements that made “Narcos” so compelling in its first two seasons are all here: the familiar opening credits and music, lush cinematography and plenty of suspense as we get to know some of the new characters. Pascal stays true to form as the laconic Javy, and there’s even an homage of sorts to the reckoning scene from “The Godfather” — apropos in the “Narcos” universe and not for the squeamish.

All signs point to a solid season. I’ll be along for the ride. You should be, too.