Keeping Up With the Kartels

**Keeping Up With the Kartels** is a reality documentary show created by Nathan Network. The show follows Nathan Caldwell, Beanie Guy, John Matthews and Bylabaldo Chedceki, as they try to uncover the truth behind the cartel that's been bothering the locals.

The show has 1 season and 1 episode. The show was cancelled due to budget and time concerns. Many people were disappointed by this, as they wanted to know where the plot went.

## History

### Creation (2020)

A drug cartel was bothering locals for a really long time, they've been destroying lands, getting into trouble, and there were even rumors that they were kidnapping children, that's when farmer John Matthews asked if they could send people to stop the cartels. A group of researchers volunteered, and Nathan Network asked if the group would like to film their experience for the network. The group said yes and the show began production shortly after.

### Launch & reception (2020)

The show launched on April 12th, 2020. The series obtained extremely positive reception from critics. Only 3 days after launch, it became the most watched thing on Nathan Network.

Professional film critic website "Gpop" said "This is a much needed improvement after the channels previous huge failure Cooking with Nathan. I thought "eh, i'll just watch the first few minutes and probably stop watching, but I found myself so enthralled by this story that I just couldn't stop. I watched a whole 20 minutes in what felt like 5 minutes. This is an incredible show."

Though the show was criticized by some for being overdramatic sometimes.

Many critics and viewers were upset following the announcement that the series would be cancelled. "#BringBackKartels" was trending for 2 days on Twitter, though the Nathan Network CEO, Nathan Greenland reaffirmed that the show wouldn't be returning.

## Story

A drug cartel was bothering locals for a really long time, they've been destroying lands, getting into trouble, and there were even rumors that they were kidnapping children, that's when a group of researchers went out to uncover the truth behind this cartel. Nathan Network also filmed the whole experience.

### Meeting John Matthews

Investigators Nathan Caldwell, Beanie Guy, and Bylabaldo Chedceki interviewed a local farmer named John Matthews and he said that the drug cartel has been tearing up his land, they've been getting in to shootouts, walking on his property, and killing multiple of animals. John Matthews also says that he witnessed a drug cartel kidnap a child by tying him up. However he was unable to stop them.

Nathan Caldwell asks where he can find a drug cartel, and John says to just look around as they're usually all over the place. John also nearly kills a cat.

### Meeting Cool Criminal

After leaving John Matthews' farm. Nathan and Beanie Guy continue to walk towards some trees, then they see a masked man walking in the trees. The immediately chase after the person believing that he's a cartel. They eventually pin down the cartel after he falls to the ground. We also learn that he has crippling asthma.

The criminal chooses to keep his name anonymous, so he chooses to go by the name "Cool Criminal". He takes Nathan and Beanie Guy to the drug cartel hideout. Meanwhile, Beanie Guy and Nathan discuss arresting the Cool Criminal, however they decide not to.

### Meeting The Leader / Inside The Cartel Hideout

The group arrive at the entrance to the drug cartel hideout, and Cool Criminal tells them that they can't show where the entrance is located, they must blur out the leaders face, and change the pitch of his voice in order to maintain privacy.

They enter the hideout and they meet the leader. The leader shows them a bag of drugs, and says that they're a different cartel than most, as they like to kill people and steal children. And he also proclaims that if Nathan, Beanie Guy or Bylabaldo leak any private information about the cartel, they will be killed. The leader says in an interview that this was simply done to scare Nathan Network, however Nathan says in an interview that this didn't scare him.

### Kids In Cages / Drug Dealing

The leader and Cool Criminal decides to bring Nathan, Beanie Guy and Bylabaldo to the "cages". The group didn't know what to expect, only to find out that the cages are actually filled with kids. It turns out, they do this so that way the parents will be forced to pay the cartel money to get their children back.

After this, Cool Criminal takes the group to a drug dealing, though they had to watch from a distance so they don't catch the dealing on camera. Though the dealing quickly goes wrong and the person receiving the drugs shoots at Cool Criminal.

Cool Criminal ends up shooting back at the person, though they end up running off. Though Beanie Guy ends up confusing Cool Criminal with the leader and he also begins saying stupid stuff. This ends up annoying the Cool Criminal. Cool Criminal says that him and Beanie Guy have to go out back, and he leaves Nathan there. Nathan ends up hearing a gunshot go off after they leave. Shortly after, Cool Criminal returns. It's unknown, however it's believed that Beanie Guy may have been killed by Cool Criminal as Beanie Guy never appears again.

### Saying Goodbye to the Cartel / Fight Against A Cartel Member

Cool Criminal goes to find the leader with Nathan. The leader then ends up running over to Nathan, and he gets angry that they left him, we also learn that the leader has asthma as well, and it's a circulating thing within the cartel group.

The leader ends up telling Nathan and Bylabaldo to leave. As Nathan and Bylabaldo are leaving, they see John Matthews get in a fight against a cartel member. John ends up killing the cartel member, John says that the cartel was trying to take a child and he walks off.

### The End

Bylabaldo and Nathan end up saying goodbye to John Matthews, and they end they say that they will continue the series in the next episode. Though, as we know, there never was a next episode as the series was cancelled.