Queen of the South is a crime drama series developed by M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller. The show revolves around a poor Mexican woman and her rise to the top of the largest drug empire in the Western hemisphere.
It is an adaptation of the telenovela La Reina del Sur, which was based on the novel of the same name by Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
What Is Queen of the South About?
Born and raised in Mexico, Teresa Mendoza learned to manage on her own from an early age. Intelligent, perceptive and observant, she is always after the best for her life, based on her moral conduct.
She falls in love with a drug cartel member and tries to overcome the impoverished condition of her life. When she finds out that her boyfriend has been murdered, she is forced to run away.
She then leaves as a refugee to the US but remains determined to win in her way and schemes to become the leader of a drug cartel and avenge her boyfriend's death.
She soon finds herself teaming up with narco leader Camila Varga, Varga's estranged wife, to take him down. Teresa has a different view of the drug distribution business.
Due to her charisma, she forms new alliances, attracts associates, and eventually takes over as head of her own drug distribution organisation.
As she becomes more successful, other problems arise, and Teresa has to deal with the success of crime, enduring sacrifices and attracting the attention of secret government forces.
This dark, well-written series offers a bold portrait of the Mexican drug trade's internal workings and power struggles from a woman's point of view.
Teresa Mendoza is compellingly calculating, which makes it easy to look past the fact that she is deftly navigating an unapologetic, greedy and ruthlessly violent world for her own personal gains and survival.
It's a compelling and dramatic story and a captivating series for fans of the genre.
Shows Like Queen of the South
You've reached the right place if you enjoyed the show and are looking for a new drama to keep you hooked to the screen.
We have compiled for you a list of ten alternative shows like Queen of the South, which you won't want to miss.
In award-winning Ozark, Follow a financial consultant who moves with his family to the mountains of Missouri in order to launder five hundred million dollars and calm down a violent drug dealer.
Meet a chemistry professor who works hard to support his wife and son. His entire life changed when he faced a disturbing diagnosis of lung cancer with no possible cure. With only a few years to live and nothing left to lose, he uses his chemistry knowledge to make and sell methamphetamine with one of his former students in Breaking Bad.
Or journey to Texas in the 80s, where an unsmart hunter finds a drug dealer in the desert and takes a suitcase full of money even though he knows someone will soon come looking for him because of it. Soon, a psychotic killer with no sense of humour or mercy is sent on his way in No Country for Old Men.
Check out our list of shows like Queen of the South below and lose yourself in hours of pure entertainment. And don't forget to leave us more suggestions in the comments below.
OUR LIST OF SHOWS LIKE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH
Narcos
Get yourself ready for a cocaine-fuelled story that is seriously addictive to watch. Narcos follows the rise and fall of the Columbian cartels, the incredible wealth generated and the horrific lengths that they will go to keep it.
Drug Lords
You may have been watching the new release on Netflix of El Chapo season three or you could be waiting for the new season of Narcos predicted for release in September 2018. But why not check out their real-life stories in this fantastic Documentary S...[Read More]
Black Bird
Jimmy Keene is in prison but given an opportunity for release. All he has to do is get a serial killer to confess. Based on a true story, Black Bird stars Taron Edgerton and Ray Liotta.
Giri / Haji
A crime drama that moves between London and Tokyo, Giri / Haji follows the after-effects of what happens when the nephew of a Japan Yakuza boss is murdered in London. Really great story and characters with plenty of drama and action.
Peaky Blinders
Meet the Shelby Family in this hard-hitting British gangster drama set in the period just after the Great War. Think of a Victorian Sopranos that is based in Industrial Birmingham then mix it up with some historical truth and you have Peaky Blinders,...[Read More]
Bad Blood
How difficult is it to obtain and keep power? Bad Blood is based on the real Mafia boss, Vito Rizzuto and his ruthless hold on all crime throughout the city as well as southern Quebec and Ontario. A superbly acted crime show that is more Sopranos tha...[Read More]
Gomorrah
Gomorrah was originally commissioned for Sky Atlantic, so everything about this production is high quality. It's similar to 'The Sopranos' but it has more grit and is faster moving. Gomorra is not a run-of-the-mill gangster story - it's totally origi...[Read More]
Mayor of Kingstown
Mayor of Kingstown follows the McLusky family, power brokers between the gangs and law enforcement in a town where incarceration is the only thriving industry.
Good Girls
Three women upend their suburban lives and turn to robbery when they’re all faced with financial hardship but the fallout is much worse than they could have ever anticipated. It's quirky, well acted but falls down when the show turns them into idiots...[Read More]
Big Sky
Big Sky follows private detectives Cassie Dewell and Cody Hoyt who stumble onto a case when two girls go missing on the way to the town in rural Montana but soon discover the case is much bigger than anybody anticipated.
How Many Seasons Does Queen of the South Have?
Queen of the South premiered in June 2016 with one season of thirteen episodes. The series quickly became renowned and won several awards as Best Primetime Television Series – Drama at the Imagen Awards.
The second season was released a year later, and so on until 2019. That year, the show was renewed for a fifth season, but production was suspended indefinitely due to COVID-19.
In 2020 filming resumed, and the fifth and final season premiered in April 2021. Queen of the South ended with five seasons with 62 episodes.
What Happened To James In Queen of the South?
If for some reason you don't already know what happened to James, this may be a spoiler alert for you…
James (played by Peter Gadiot), the love interest of Teresa Mendoza in Queen of the South, was a man full of secrets with a hidden past.
He and Teresa had a tumultuous relationship that eventually came to an end after Teresa figured out the truth about his involvement in international drug trafficking.
In the end, James paid for his crimes with his life, sacrificing himself to save Teresa's life.
