Netflix made it a trend to tell the story of the great Latin American criminals in a dramatized way. The Serie Narcos, released in 2015, analyzed the complicated relationships between politics and dirty business on the continent. Which turned the premise into an analysis of the culture that sustains a network of corrupt influence, based on the power of weapons. Much more, he created a type of argument that mixed the rhythm of the drama, with a violent and ferocious background.
There is something of both things in Griselda from Netflix, created by Doug Miro, Eric Newman, Carlo Bernard and Ingrid Escajeda. The story tells the rise of Griselda Blanco (played by an unrecognizable Sofía Vergara), as the center of drug trafficking in Medellín (Colombia). But he also reflects on how the social ecosystem of the area allowed what began as a story of revenge to transform into a criminal empire. The script by Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda and Eric Newman analyzes moral evil, corruption and violence through a premise that could be familiar. A woman, who without having the knowledge, much less the contacts or the means, ends up finding her place in the violent criminal world.. That, thanks to his cunning, sense of opportunity and sagacity.
Griselda
Griselda skillfully narrates the story of the so-called drug godmother of Medellín for three decades. With just six chapters, the series manages to delve into the criminal empire of the character and her figure, the center of the city on which she based her criminal empire. That, without falling into the usual clichés of powerful women. Sofía Vergara gives the character intelligence and depth, despite the occasional gaps in the script.
The plot bears a certain resemblance to the one that surrounded the character of Teresa Mendoza (Kate del Castillo) in the series The queen of the south. But, unlike the adaptation of the work of Arturo Pérez-Reverte. Griselda is much more interested in the intricate rise of the titular figure, as a center of organized crime. An element that makes the plot pay much more attention to the strategies and movements of the power pieces, than in any intimate element of Griselda Blanco. The woman played by Vergara has a fierce instinct to use violence to her advantage. Also, a deep knowledge about how to achieve all types of alliances that allow you to sustain yourself easily. Which makes her a born leader of a dark empire built by hand.
A criminal and also an aggressive strategist
If something stands out about Griselda, it is that she moves away from the stereotype of the victimized woman who ends up growing despite her tragedies. On this occasion, she is a criminal aware of the world that moves and the resources that she can use to her advantage. The nuance makes the series a much more interesting scenario than one of falling into hell or of an injured woman who has no choice but to fight. From her first chapter, Vergara’s Griselda is building the idea of becoming unbeatable. Because, in fact, what is important in the story is the greatness that Griselda aspires to obtain.
For which the series spends a good amount of time, building a credible scenario. Griselda Blanco’s Medellín — set in the 1970s — is a colorful, lively city with a dark and dangerous undertone. At the same time, a space in which various mafias and threads of power connect with each other. For the occasion, the plot shows his character when he already has some debts with the law and is in full flight to Miami. The story does a good job of avoiding most of the criminal clichés and focuses on making its setting believable. By the time the story begins, Griselda has already demonstrated her ability and strength. So the first chapter, she shows her using all those abilities to face a possible defeat.
However, although the plot has some bumps in telling how Griselda became the Godmother of criminal Medellín, it is ingenious in showing her tricks. The character is quick to learn, she is not afraid to confront her enemies and Sofía Vergara’s performance gives her a practical quality that makes her believable. The criminal knows what world she lives in and she is determined to control it. She is brilliant as a criminal leader and stealthy to avoid being caught. The combination creates a memorable character who also sustains the series from beginning to end.
Another story of violence for Netflix
The so-called Drug Godmother of Medellín is very much an opulent myth and left an indelible mark on the culture and even the visual section of Medellín. Something that the production makes clear by showing how this woman, who emerges with a fierce ability to defeat her enemies, is also an icon.. Not only in the way of understanding the city in which it focused its operations for decades, but at the same time, the way of building its enormous empire.
The photography in the series shows luxury as part of a waste of money and status symbols that are everywhere. Griselda then emerges as more than just a ruthless criminal. It is also a fashion icon and even dictates the aesthetic pulse of the city. This vision of the character makes him more interesting than if only the theme of the cruelty he is capable of and how he defeated his enemies was focused.
It is evident that the series tries to show Griselda as the main point of corrupt Medellín. At the same time, everything that happened in three decades of criminal brutality. She doesn’t always succeed. The transition chapters between her escape and physical changes are clumsy and uninspired. But overall, the production is interesting and well constructed. Also, with a better rhythm than Narcos and other similar productions. Whether due to ambition, carelessness or because the script is much more than a series of all kinds of details about drug trafficking, Griselda surprises. Not as much as it could be, but enough to be one of the best content on Netflix today.