The series, which began airing on January 25, follows Griselda as she escapes from Medellín to Miami, where she gradually establishes herself as the queen of cocaine
Beneath the notes “Come and Get It,” twelve women walk through Miami International Airport toward a mini van. These women are former sex workers turned drug traffickers: Each has tiny bags of cocaine carefully sewn into her bra lining. The van belongs to the Colombian Griselda Blanco, played by Sofía Vergara in this Netflix series of the same name.
Vergara starring as Griselda, Colombian superstar Karol G is one of the drug dealers, and Cuban actor Alberto Guerra plays the bodyguard who becomes Griselda’s second husband. For months, Netflix has been building anticipation by promoting Griselda’s “uncut vision” on TikTok.
The Griselda series presents the story of an oppressed woman, underestimated by men, who faces all odds to take back what she believes is rightfully hers.
A thin veil of feminism barely disguises the core of the series, which exploits the image of the exotic “other” Colombia to generate interest. The series constructs a “girlboss” narrative structure to shield the female protagonist from liability – and engage her audience.
The real Griselda, it is reported, had no problem killing without any fear and, according to many, with zeal. There was no remorse or justification shown in Griselda’s character in the series. No one exactly agrees on the details of her murky past, nor on the exact number of deaths she was responsible for – somewhere over 250 people. However, there is consensus that she developed into a cold-blooded killer before her death in 2012.
“On the popular cultural scene, Griselda has been transformed into a ‘popular heroine’, presented as someone who ‘follows the path of protest and rebellion against injustice, rather than one of striking collective terror among her enemies,’ as Aldona writes Pobutsky in the chapter on Blanco in the book “Pablo Escobar and Colombian Narcoculture”. Books, movies, and series involving Griselda often tend to cast her as an anti-hero. Parts of Blanco’s life were previously shared in the 2008 documentary “Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustlin’ with the Godmother,” which, in Pobutsky’s words, labels her a “romantic criminal” from the first moment we meet her.
Griselda is not the only real character
Although Griselda Blanco Restrepo (1943-2012) began and ended her life in Colombia, her rise and fall happened in the US. In the series, Blanco comes to the US in hopes of giving her sons a better life – but her life and theirs are mired in bloodshed and drugs.
June Hawkins is the Miami cop who helped bring down Griselda.
She is played by Juliana Aidén Martinez, a 2020 graduate of the Yale School of Drama and a 2021 graduate of the Lena Waithe Mentoring Program to Advance Marginalized People in the Film Industry.
In a 2017 episode of the Law Enforcement Talk podcast, Hawkins herself shared more details about her career with what is now known as the Miami-Dade Police Department. When asked about male chauvinism during her tenure from 1975 to 2004, she said: “Once the male officers realized I was really straight… then they became my big brothers.”
In the series, Hawkins appears as underrated as the protagonist. Her instincts are dismissed, her reports go unread, and her relationship with her young son is strained.
Carla is the lead role of Karol G
Karol G transformed for the role of Carla. In real life, Karol G (born Carolina Giraldo Navarro) is a reggaeton artist and successful in her own right: she has more than 67 million followers on Instagram and holds five Guinness World Records for her music. She won the most recent in 2023 as the first female singer to reach No. 1 on Billboard with an album in Spanish.
The prosecutor played by Eva La Dare
Although the character is not named in the series, the prosecutor at the time was Catherine Vogel. Eva La Dare plays her role in the series. A scandal surrounding Vogel’s office presents a critical turning point in the final episode and the case. Eventually, a special prosecutor was appointed and a plea was eventually negotiated that led to Blanco’s release and deportation to Colombia where she was killed in 2012.
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
