Move over, Narcos – Colombia has an even more iconic cultural exploit you've never heard of. Also about drugs, coincidentally. Remaking shows entirely is one of the rarer forms of localization, likely due to the expense involved, but it does happen from time to time. See Your Honor, Euphoria, The Office… and Metástasis. Breaking Bad is considered one of the best TV shows ever made, so when its original run ended back in 2013, Sony immediately pivoted to ways they might continue capitalizing on it. Better Call Saul and El Camino are excellent, of course, but avid fans of the Breaking Bad universe often forget the other spinoff: Sony Pictures Latin America's Metástasis.
Probably because it's kind of… bad. The original series is transposed to Colombia, with all the cultural changes that implies. Walter White is now Walter Blanco (yes, really) and Saúl Bueno (yes, really) appears on talk shows in lieu of his iconic commercials, because advertising legal services is illegal in Colombia. More than that, though, all the artistry the original show was crafted with is lost in translation, with the acting, cinematography, and even color grading taking a serious hit (likely thanks to Sony shelling out far less budget) and proving that a good script isn't enough if it's all you have. Just look at the scene comparison below:
While it doubtlessly exposed the show to new audiences, is that really a good thing if it looks like this? Even Jose Rojas getting the beatdown from Hank, one of the most pivotal moments in the original series, looks downright goofy, almost on the level of the viral Breaking Bad 2 trailer. As it is, Metástasis has become little more than a curiosity for hardcore fans of Breaking Bad and enterprising meme makers – although it's still worth watching at least a highlight reel if you ever need a laugh at Walter Blanco's expense.