Griselda - Miniseries

In the world of drugs, it is mainly men who predominate. However, there is also a less well-known lady who has a knack for this. Meet the rise and fall of Griselda Blanco. Series about drug bosses and drug cartels are no longer original. Nevertheless, in my opinion, many successful series have been made in this genre. I have many favorites such as Breaking Bad, Narcos, Ozark and Queen of the South. So I enjoyed seeing when information came out about Griselda. Personally, I had never heard of her, but I'm always up for a nice addition to this genre. The fact that it is based on true events is a nice bonus. However, the result is mixed.

The story follows Griselda Blanco (Sofía Vergara, Modern Family). She is the wife of cocaine smuggler Alberto Bravo. After an incident with her husband, she flees to Miami to set up her own drug empire. Miami already has an established order of drug lords. As a result, Griselda must do everything she can to make her dreams come true. Unfortunately, this does not happen without a hitch.



The series is mainly set in Miami and Colombia. The makers know how to portray the seventies and eighties in a beautiful way. The entire atmosphere that is created invites people to be presented with grisly things. After all, it is about drugs and retaliation is a daily occurrence. Griselda must survive in a world where men predominate. She has to assert herself and this sets in motion a series of retaliations.

Griselda is a miniseries. This takes you as a viewer quickly through the interesting history of Griselda. I think this is a shame, because there is plenty to say about this striking lady. In the series she starts by selling a kilo of cocaine and the next episode she is already smuggling kilos of cocaine into the country. The story is fascinating, but the fast pace gives the characters little opportunity to show character growth. The moment that Griselda is at the top is therefore short-lived in the series. The police are on a manhunt for her. Due to excessive drug use, she becomes paranoid herself and begins to distrust everyone in her own ranks. The period of her rise and fall deserved more extensive attention. I think this would have allowed you to create a balanced whole.

What doesn't help is the much-discussed nose they fitted her with.

I expected Sofía Vergara to be able to handle a role like this. I'm still convinced of that, but I must admit that I found her portrayal of Griselda disappointing. If you look up the history of Griselda, you expect a decisive and confident woman. In addition, you get the impression that you are dealing with a brutal crime boss. Sofía manages to convey all these qualities questionably. This is mainly evident during her speeches to members of her cartel. She uses strong language, but it doesn't seem believable to me. What doesn't help is the much-discussed nose they fitted her with. You only have to look at the poster of this series to understand what I mean. It continues to strike me throughout the series and that could never have been the intention.

I think it's a good thing that Netflix chose to make Griselda into a miniseries. In this way, the series has insufficient resources to embark on a long-term trajectory. I thought of it as a delicious snack and it is nothing more than that. For fans of drug-related series, it is not a wasted effort and the small number of episodes contributes to this.