Warning: Spoilers for Griselda!

Summary

• Griselda is a new Netflix crime drama based on the life of Griselda Blanco, one of the most infamous drug lords in history.
• The series takes a more cinematic and character-driven approach compared to Narcos, showcasing Sofia Vergara's strong portrayal of Griselda.
• Despite her involvement in horrific activities, the show humanizes Griselda through her role as a fiercely protective mother.

Griselda is a new Netflix crime drama that examines the life of the titular cartel leader, who was instrumental in the 1980s Miami cocaine trade. The miniseries follows Griselda Blanco's rise to power and eventual downfall as one of the most infamous drug lords in history. Griselda was created by Eric Newman, known for his extensive work on the Narcos series, and stars Modern Family's Sofia Vergara in the lead role.

Much like Narcos, Griselda is based on the real-life story of Blanco, but that's largely where the similarities between the two end. This series features a much more cinematic approach and is largely a character study of the protagonist instead of an examination of the history of the drug trade. The show's six-episode season has been critically praised since release, with many particularly highlighting Vergara's strong, dynamic portrayal of the ruthless Griselda.

Screen Rant recently interviewed Griselda creator and executive producer Eric Newman to discuss collaborating with Sofia Vergara, differentiating the series from Narcos, and telling a character-driven story.

Eric Newman Talks Griselda & Sofia Vergara

Screen Rant: First, I would just love to hear a little bit about what made you and Sofia want to collaborate together and why Griselda was the right woman to unpack for that collaboration.

Eric Newman: I had come across Griselda a number of times in my research for Narcos over the years; she was affiliated with the Medellín Cartel. I knew of her viciousness. I also knew that any woman who's able to rise to that level - and no other woman in any drug cartels, certainly Latin American drug cartels, has ever reached that level of respect, fear, power, success - I knew it had to be an incredibly dynamic story. There's no other way it could have happened.

I couldn't find a way to bring it into the Narcos universe, and I'm really glad that I didn't because it paved the way for a phone call from Sofia asking me if I would help her become Griselda Blanco. And what was interesting, I think, about it for her was the same thing that was interesting about it for me: here is a mother, a woman succeeding in the most male-dominated culture and business maybe on earth. I think law enforcement is probably the other one, or at least was at the time.

And it was such a compelling story that I felt it had to be its own thing. It was not something that belonged in the Narcos' universe. It needed to be her story and much more intimate telling. And it's a tragedy, and like all great tragedies, you're invested and you're rooting for this not to be a tragedy. You're hoping that she figures it out and gets out at the right time and is able to provide for her children. So when she can't and she loses everything, you really feel it.

You mentioned her being a mother. Regardless of all of the horrific things that she's a part of, she does really at her core in the show come off as a mother who really loves her children. What was it like balancing those tender moments with the overall harshness of the subject matter?

Eric Newman: It was almost necessary, not just for the audience, but for us. When you're telling the story of someone who's done horrible things, you have to humanize them. In fact, you probably have to go a little further than you would with someone who doesn't do horrible things. And so that authentic relationship she has with her children, which I think the deeper she goes into darkness, the more important those relationships become to her as a character, because it's the reason you tell yourself you're doing it.

And so there was a real psychology behind it for us that she was a fiercely protective mother to the point where it actually cost her the lives of her children. There's something sort of ironic about that.

This is totally separate from Narcos, and while comparisons will inevitably arise. What were the biggest distinctions you wanted to make with this new project, creatively speaking?

Eric Newman: Narcos has been, since its inception for me, a representative of a point of view, a geopolitical point of view about the drug war and the futility of the drug war. And while not a polemic, it does have a thesis statement.

This was a much more intimate, character-driven drama that was telling the story of this one trafficker, her reasons for doing what she did and the reasons why she couldn't stop. So I think just in terms of the size of the lens, this is a much more focused story; and it's why we're able to do it in six episodes instead of our average of 30 episodes per chapter in Columbia and then later Mexico.

About Griselda Season 1

GRISELDA is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as “the Godmother."

Check out our other Griselda interviews here:

• Juliana Aidén Martinez & Andres Baiz
• Alberto Guerra, Martin Rodriguez, and Christian Tappan

All of Griselda is available to stream now on Netflix.

Source: Screen Rant Plus