Those who have consumed enough crime on the small screen will find the beats of the show largely predictable, but ‘Griselda’ still works because Sofia Vergara is in charge
In episode 2 of Griselda, currently streaming on Netflix, the eponymous lead character puts forth an odd peril that comes with being too rich and successful. She suggests, quite impassionedly, that life is rendered dull and bland for those who have had all their dreams come true because one loses the zest or the craving for something new, something unexpected. Everything is in order, but a little too much, she reflects.
At this point, she is addressing a fleet of sex workers from Medellin, Columbia, who are sombrely soaking up the sun on pool chairs outside a cheap motel in Miami. Sofia Vergara, as the ‘pinnocheod’ Griselda Blanco, goes on to underline that this small demographic she just referred to, of the rich and the bored, is essentially the white population of the city. Her plan, which she announces with panache, is to use this untapped market and sell them cocaine to ‘bring back excitement into their boring lives’. And for that, she needs the help of the small crowd seated in front of her, which is currently operating as the mule of that very drug.
A Story of Redemption
It is at this point that Griselda, the six-part miniseries from the minds that also created Narcos, comes to its own. Until then, we see how Blanco, a wounded survivor and a mother of three boys, reaches Miami overnight from Columbia in an attempt to start fresh. We see and sense her tenacity, her will to provide not just a comfortable life but one of luxury for her children and her desire to make a permanent mark in a world ruled entirely by men. For that, she is willing to be disparaged, objectified and even beaten up but she knows very well that when the back’s against the wall, there’s no option but to stand up for oneself. And we see that she has been in this place not once but several times in the past.
In a manner of speaking, Griselda is every bit a redemption story. It is the story of how Griselda Blanco reached the shores of the United States with almost nothing to her name, but grew to become the only person that her countryman Pablo Escobar was ever afraid of. And interestingly, the show begins with Escobar’s fabled quote as it goes about chronicling how Blanco becomes the Godmother of the Miami drug-trade.
Despite the fact that both Narcos and Griselda emerge from the same worlds, the two shows couldn’t be more different from one another. Yes, they both trace the monumental rise and fall of these esteemed people, but the tone or the manner in which the respective stories unfold just isn’t the same. If Pablo Escobar’s story is told almost guerrilla style, with hints of grimness and closer-to-life sensibilities, Griselda Blanco is all about verve and style.
Andrés Baiz, who has directed several episodes of Narcos, imbues the latest series with a lot of dazzle and vibrancy and transports us to a specific time and place in the United States’ history. Even though the underlying emotions here are grit and doggedness, the visual aesthetics are rich and bold with fashion, in particular, representing the crime world of the ’70s and the early ’80s, playing a huge role in bringing the world to life. The said world, needless to say, is all about excess, and Baiz underlines this aspect with a saturated, highly vivid colour palette that is in your face, much like the subject matter itself.
Women Going Against All Odds
Of course, another valid reason for Griselda to become part of the cartel universe is the element of gender. The term woman crops up countless times over six episodes and it doesn’t take much to gather that Doug Miro and co. are keen on booking a special spot for Griselda Blanco in this unique realm. For this to come through effectively, one finds that the writers have flirted with the real-life narrative and opted for ‘creative license’ to drive their message home.
For instance, the show presents its lead as someone who is tentative and revulsed by crime and bloodshed and is often suggested to be a tad ill-equipped to handle moments of violence. The reality, quite apparently, wasn’t as rosy. Real-life Griselda Blanco, a quick Google search would reveal, is said to have first transgressed at the age of 11 (with a kidnapping) and remained embroiled in the world of crime till the very end. Sure, the reel-life iteration of hers isn’t vastly unidentical and the writing does refer to this shady past from time to time. But the Netflix version feels far more airbrushed for easier palatability.
This decision, though, comes as part of a larger goal of highlighting the sexism that Blanco had to deal with. And as a fierce juxtaposition, we see that it isn’t just the world of drug lords that is to be pulled up (a mild crime in comparison, one might say). Just as we see Steve Murphy being the voice of reasoning in Narcos, Griselda makes use of June Hawkins (Juliana Aidén Martinez), a Latina police officer relegated to the background in a male-dominated workplace. It is June, against all odds, who first picks up on a new ‘mystery woman’ in town who is leading the charge in Miami’s drug trade. Fascinatingly, the show then charts a parallel journey of how this seemingly rookie officer matches wits with the deadliest kingpin in the making.
A Sofia Vergara Show, All the Way
But there is no doubt that Griselda works because of the charm and the control that Vergara executes in her role. In the beginning, it might be a little jarring to see the real her caged behind prominent prosthetics, hair and make-up. But it doesn’t take long for us to realize that she transcends these (or any) apprehensions with great ease and effortlessly slips into her role. Be it the slightly bent gait of hers or the restraint in her performance, the Modern Family actress is supremely watchable. More importantly, her performance makes up for the narrative shortcomings, which mostly appear in the latter half of the miniseries.
As a narrative structure, Griselda is largely predictable and the latter half of the show, especially, suffers when it attempts to dig deep into the psyche of its central character. Those who have consumed enough crime on the small screen will find the beats of the show familiar, but it still works because Sofia Vergara is in charge. Among other performances, Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan, Martin Rodriguez, Camilo Jiménez Varón and a slew of talented actors fit the bill perfectly and deliver compelling performances.
