“Griselda” is a new series from the creators of “Narcos”. We remain in the spirit of drug cartels, but everything else seems to be something completely new.
“Griselda” is a new Netflix series from the creators of “Narcos”. The story focuses on the life of Griselda Blanco, the female boss of the drug empire known as the Mother of Cocaine. It stars Sofía Vergara, who not only plays the main role, which is for something completely new, but also serves as an executive producer. The series offers us a bold, meaty and dramatic story, which is probably a challenge for Vergara after many years of proving her acting skills in “Modern Family”.
Griselda – series similar to Narcos
The first episode takes us to 1978, when Griselda runs away from her drug dealer husband in Medellín, Colombia. She sets off with her three sons to settle down in Miami, Florida with one of her friends. Her previous struggles were also the inspiration and motivation for the title character to decide to take such a step. The story, although with some deviations from real events, quickly attracts the viewer’s attention and, despite some controversy related to the manipulation of facts, we begin to be fascinated by the fate of this character.
Compared to “Narcos,” “Griselda” presents itself as a stylized, pulp drama that veers toward extravagance. Unlike the gloomy and harsh image of Escobar’s ups and downs, the series with Griselda is more sensual and bold, following the path of a kind of exaggeration of most situations and events. The direction maintains a balance on the verge of showiness, which makes the series extremely enjoyable despite the suffering and destruction it describes. The latter are not allowed to resonate sufficiently.
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In the initial episodes there is a promise of something more, real challenges and problems that Griselda must face as she tries to deal drugs in a new city. The strong bond between the women of Medellín is subtly portrayed, and Vergara’s role shows how brutal experiences shape the survival instinct and can transform hidden violent tendencies into something truly murderous.
How is Griselda different from Narcos?
Unfortunately, later episodes miss the opportunity to use potentially promising threads that could distinguish the series from “Narcos”. Instead, “Griselda” focuses too much on the spectacular scenes and depicting the extraordinary atrocities that Griselda, like any cartel boss, unleashes in his pursuit of power and the expansion of his extremely profitable empire. Ultimately, the story of her rapid rise and fall lives up to expectations, but fails to deliver something new and deeper that was promised at the beginning.
Despite these flaws, “Griselda” remains an even enjoyable, well-plotted and visually pretty experience. There are no weak points in the cast, and Vergara perfectly demonstrates her acting skills, probably proving for the first time what she can actually do. I didn’t see her as a woman from “Modern Family” for a moment, because the actress was able to build a completely different persona in front of the camera on the set of the Netflix series. In scenes full of extreme emotions, tenderness or anger, she works surprisingly well and her performance is one of the greatest advantages of the production.
Do you prefer Narcos or Griselda?
Comparing “Griselda” to “Narcos”, it is easy to see that both series have their advantages. Where “Narcos” presented a grim, realistic picture of Escobar’s ups and downs, which appealed to mature audiences, “Griselda” chooses a more stylized, pulp character, which makes the series more entertaining, easier to watch and the show does not engage us in to such a large extent. It’s not what “Narcos” fans were waiting for, but I see a good chance that “Griselda” will quickly conquer the Netflix tops.
