FX’s Snowfall Tackles Origins Of The Los Angeles Crack Epidemic

This is how crack began. FX’s “Snowfall” is a serialized drama set about the rise of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles back in the 80’s. It also stresses its impact on culture. It premiered early this week with John Singleton at the helm and as series creator, together with Eric Amadio and Dave Andron. Starring  Damson Idris, Carter Hudson and Emily Rios, “Snowfall” follows various characters on a violent collision course over cocaine.

Snowfall: A Short Review

“Snowfall” is a show with a heavy atmosphere. Set during summer in South Central Los Angeles, impressive golden light filters through the smog and trees. It was a place of paradise until crack came to its soil.

Franklin Saint (Idris), is a smart and kind-hearted teenager but also happens to be a stockboy and weed runner.  Things were going okay until he saw an opportunity to turn around his sales with a brick of cocaine. It starts as an errand but something makes him level up his trade—a packet to a brick, costing around $200 to $12,000. He later finds himself inside the house of an Israeli cocaine dealer. He senses an opportunity with what the dealer had to offer. The deal seemed worth it to him, so he took it and made it work.

The story goes on with scenes becoming more frustrating. At some point, he gets a gun pointed at him a few times, but he pulls it off, with a few thousand extra of profit just for him. He sits with his bag of money and starts to cry. He surely knows what he has to do. But he’s also just a scared kid. Franklin is just another character who grows in enthusiasm with cocaine, staying blind to the consequences.

One thing that “Snowfall” has in its repertoire of scenes are the gorgeous and hazy tracking shots of L.A. while being bathed in warm sunshine. A funk-filled soundtrack completes the nostalgic trip that shows a view if what South Central used to look like in the 80’s. The beautiful setup calls for a potential of more seasons for the show.

However, “Snowfall” could be more than what it is now if they let the audience experience the harsh response to the African American community stricken with crack and it’s comparison to the more sympathetic modern treatment of this epidemic.

But nonetheless, the first episode offers us a glimpse of a crazy tragedy of errors—the baffling mix of circumstance and greed that ultimately led to the rise of a drug with incalculable repercussions.

“Snowfall” airs Wednesdays, 10 PM on FX.