Ep 6. Episode 6

On episode 6 of Dark Tourist, viewers are taken to the beautiful city of Medellin, Colombia. However, this episode is not your typical travel guide. The city has a dark history, with drug cartels, violence, and crime rampant in the 80s and 90s. The show's host, David Farrier, is no stranger to dark tourism, as he has explored other macabre destinations such as Fukushima, Japan, and a haunted forest in Japan.

In this episode, Farrier delves into the world of Pablo Escobar, one of the most notorious drug lords in history, who used to rule the city with an iron fist. Farrier goes on a tour of Escobar's lavish mansion, Hacienda Nápoles, which was seized by the government after Escobar's death in 1993. The estate, which is now a tourist attraction, has turned into a theme park of sorts, with bars, restaurants, and even an exotic animal park. For Farrier, the attraction seems to miss the mark--he finds it hard to believe that people are enjoying themselves in a place that was once associated with so much pain and suffering. Nevertheless, Farrier takes the tour, talking to tourists and guides along the way.

Farrier also visits the Comuna 13 neighborhood, which was once known as one of the most dangerous parts of Medellin. However, the neighborhood has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years, with escalators now connecting it to the rest of the city. Farrier talks to people who have witnessed the transformation, including local artists and musicians. He even tries his hand at graffiti, painting a colorful mural on one of the neighborhood's walls.

Despite the improvements in Comuna 13, there are still reminders of the city's violent past around every corner. Farrier visits a replica of a prison cell where Escobar was held captive, complete with dripping water and a narrow, uncomfortable bed. He also attends a re-enactment of a gun battle between the police and drug traffickers, which takes place in a park that was once a hotspot for murders and kidnappings. Farrier talks to the actors and the director of the re-enactment, trying to get a sense of why they would choose to recreate such a violent event.

Throughout the episode, Farrier struggles with the ethics of dark tourism. He admits that it can be difficult to strike a balance between acknowledging the pain and suffering of a place, and exploiting that suffering for entertainment purposes. He grapples with the idea of enjoying himself in a place that was once associated with so much violence and danger, and wonders if tourists who flock to places like Hacienda Nápoles are truly paying their respects to the victims of the drug wars.

As with every episode of Dark Tourist, this one is visually stunning. Medellin is captured in all its colorful, chaotic glory, with breathtaking shots of mountains, buildings, and people. The sounds of the city--music, voices, traffic--are just as important as the visuals, and the show's sound design is superb. From the eerie silence of the replica prison cell, to the roar of the re-enactment gunfire, the sound of the show is just as immersive as the visuals.

Overall, episode 6 of Dark Tourist is a thought-provoking exploration of a city with a troubled past. Farrier doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of Medellin's history, but he also finds moments of hope and beauty in the people and places he encounters. The episode forces viewers to ask difficult questions about the ethics of dark tourism, and whether it's possible to appreciate a place's history without glorifying its darkest moments.