Sofía Vergara delivers a convincing performance in her portrayal of the ruthless Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco. If the trailer was not enough to keep you interested, a quote from Pablo Escobar appears on screen at the very start of the show. It reads: “The only man I was ever afraid of was a woman named Griselda Blanco.”
Griselda is a limited series comprising six episodes. It is well-paced and tempting to binge (not just for the sake of ticking another show off your watchlist but because it genuinely is full of outrageous moments that will keep you wondering what’s next). I think that six episodes for this genre and this story works well. The brevity of it might even encourage people who wouldn't usually watch something this intense/violent to tune in.
On Griselda’s journey from Medellín to Miami, viewers will watch Griselda go from someone who is underestimated because of her gender to someone who is feared despite it.
A number of characters are lost along the way, highlighting the brutal nature of the underworld. In terms of Griselda herself, while many biopics tend to cover the lifespan of their subjects the limited series stops just short. Showrunners have suggested that this is because the events which take place at the end of the series were tragic and also symbolised an end.
Aside from the chaos and sinister glamour projected by Griselda's inner circle, there were other characters that were vital to telling the story.
I found the story of June Hawkins, the intelligence analyst, super interesting. She is the first to identify Griselda as the mastermind behind the violence and treachery. She was persistent despite being mocked and overlooked because she’s a woman. Despite the fact that there were only six episodes, I think the writers did a good job when it came to allowing the audience to spend a decent amount of time getting to know various people in the show.
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