Snowfall - General Discussion

[Msample]

Is it me or are they setting Franklin up to get hooked on painkillers?

 

[Sarah 103]

On 2/26/2021 at 8:59 PM, Msample said:

Is it me or are they setting Franklin up to get hooked on painkillers?

No, because I do not remember seeing him taking pain medication in the first two episodes of this season, unless I missed something.

I am curious to see where the story with the journalist goes. 

[Raja]

2 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

No, because I do not remember seeing him taking pain medication in the first two episodes of this season, unless I missed something.

I am curious to see where the story with the journalist goes. 

I would guess she is a composite of the early reporters who made the Contra cocaine connection. That the first newsmaker colateral damage victim of the coming gang wars was also Japanese American might also play into her role 

[tennisgurl]

I watched this whole show really quickly, so a lot of the events and characters blurred together a bit by the end so I am still trying to play a bit of catch up, but I am happy to see what happens next. Its interesting seeing how much things are changing on the streets and how bad things are getting. People are trying to control it, most obviously Franklin and the CIA but really there is a lot of that, but its basically a wild fire spreading all over the neighborhood with the drugs and the gang violence following it. The theme of the first episodes of the season seem to be "oh man, is shit about to get real?" 

I like the reporter, I am glad that the show is adding another important female character after losing a few in the last couple seasons, but I think she is underestimating how dangerous this can get. I think she will be fine, but I see this going poorly for the younger reporter she has doing all the grunt work. 

Edited March 1, 2021 by tennisgurl

[Joimiaroxeu]

I've only watched the first episode so far.

At first I wondered why Franklin and them didn't keep the stacks of cash in a rented storage room but then I realized they probably wanted it close by so they could protect it. Franklin doesn't have the same kind of invisibility Walter White had.

The guy playing Avi seemed a lot thinner to me and he wasn't a big guy before. Hope he's okay.

Nice to see Franklin's parents still together and doing well.

So Melody got religion. In a big way. Not a better weave though.

Glad this show is back. It's amazingly intriguing.

[GodsBeloved]

On 8/9/2019 at 8:40 AM, Raja said:

I think this is one of those all bad people shows and Franklin walks away in the end. 

I hope you are wrong. I am binging the show (started 2 days ago) and I'm half way through season 3. From the very first episode I hated Leon and now I hate Franklin as much if not more. I need them to Stringer Bell his behind.

One of the things that really ignited my full on hate for Franklin was when he was telling Andre that they had a noose around his neck and he's just a monkey to them (or however he phrased it) in regards to Andre being a cop. The gall of Franklin to say in so many words that Andre, who is trying to protect his community, the black folks, is basically an "Uncle Tom" when he said his own community, the black folks, is his target for selling crack to. Miss me with looking down on a black cop when you doing the "white man's" bidding by ushering in the destruction of your own community.  

Oh and when dad told Franklin he couldn't kill cops because of the retribution that would be rained down on black people my goodness! What a wasted argument on Franklin.

Geez I can't stand Franklin! LOL

ETA: I am caught up and watching the latest episode. What is the deal with Scully and the ear drops? What is that?

Edited March 3, 2021 by GodsBeloved

[Joimiaroxeu]

Now up to the 2nd episode of season four.

Skully showing up high AF was a mistake, plus Manboy's guy being too wired. What a clusterfcuk that shootout was.

At this point Franklin's going to have to take some of his piles of cash and move to a gated community because he's a sitting duck where he is. Cissy owns a lot of real estate. Seems like they could move to one of those places for a while until the heat dies down.

Why would Manboy lie about having killed Skully? He knew they were all still at risk if Skully was still alive. What an idiot.

$100,000 a week? Dang, seems like Teddy could just put a hit out on that Tijuana sheriff for $100k and be done with the problem.

Oh, guess the sheriff wasn't playing and he's behind the slaughter of Gustavo's family. Yikes.

Quote

ETA: I am caught up and watching the latest episode. What is the deal with Scully and the ear drops? What is that?

On reddit they said it was PCP.

Quote

Is it me or are they setting Franklin up to get hooked on painkillers?

I think so. There's a fan theory out in the wild that the painkillers are why he's making such poor strategic decisions lately. His mind is clouded.

[Sarah 103]

Normally the logo/titlecard relates to a theme of the season or something happening in the episode. For this season, I cannot yet tell what the logo/titlecard is supposed to represent. Does anyone have any ideas?

I am curious to see where the storyline with the reporter goes. It will be interesting to see which peices she finds, in what order does she find them, and will she be able to put them together correctly?

It seems like one of the major themes this season is the impact of drug money on politics and businesses. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Teddy is in the wrong outfit.  He needs to be in Special Ops, like Delta Force.  

Is Singleton going after the sainted (pun intended) Mayor Bradley?  Mad props if he is.  I reeeeeeally like the Davis character.  He's almost a Bondian villain.  I have zero problem believing a pol like him would not hesitate to deal with dealers.  

Interesting choice to show us Wanda losing her tooth to the drugs.  She could certainly have finally reacted to what is happening to her and the blood flowing was a nice touch to portray the horror.  Is that gonna be her bottom?

Is the police Captain a part of the wide LAPD corruption later exposed, or is he actually a solid cop?  My money is on him being dirty.

The bookstore couple correctly identified Saint.  Would they tear up the check, or accept the proceeds?  Heckuva dilemma.  

So Michael Corleone, er, Franklin is trying to go legit.  Well, Cissy and Alton are trying to get him to, anyway.  Franklin is no Michael, so we know this is not gonna end well.  

Fuentes' death was not as painful and gruesome as I imagined El Oso would have made it.  

Whither, Avi?

Interesting ep.  Among the best of the series.  

[Raja]

7 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Teddy is in the wrong outfit.  He needs to be in Special Ops, like Delta Force.  

Is Singleton going after the sainted (pun intended) Mayor Bradley?  Mad props if he is.  I reeeeeeally like the Davis character.  He's almost a Bondian villain.  I have zero problem believing a pol like him would not hesitate to deal with dealers.  

Interesting choice to show us Wanda losing her tooth to the drugs.  She could certainly have finally reacted to what is happening to her and the blood flowing was a nice touch to portray the horror.  Is that gonna be her bottom?

Is the police Captain a part of the wide LAPD corruption later exposed, or is he actually a solid cop?  My money is on him being dirty.

The bookstore couple correctly identified Saint.  Would they tear up the check, or accept the proceeds?  Heckuva dilemma.  

So Michael Corleone, er, Franklin is trying to go legit.  Well, Cissy and Alton are trying to get him to, anyway.  Franklin is no Michael, so we know this is not gonna end well.  

Fuentes' death was not as painful and gruesome as I imagined El Oso would have made it.  

Whither, Avi?

Interesting ep.  Among the best of the series.  

Of course all TV spies, even when not in tactical units stared out in special operations forces, in Teddy's case probably in Vietnam.

Wanda probably continues to be something to gnaw at Leon's conscious as his gang continues their retail drug store. 

I would think it came from above the Captain, some Commander of Deputy Chief, get out of my division is one thing. You will work in boring assignment, the Lester Freeman punishment in The Wire, is another. You would think that any other police department in the immediate area, like say Inglewood where Skully is would take Officer Nixon in a second.

I don't think Franklin is trying to go legit but that he is more looking for more ways to launder  the drug money.

Oso was being portrayed as going for rightful retribution, if extralegal justice.  To have him torture Chief Fuentes  would cut into that picture

Edited March 5, 2021 by Raja

[Lonesome Rhodes]

17 minutes ago, Raja said:

Of course all TV spies, even when not in tactical units stared out in special operations forces, in Teddy's case probably in Vietnam.

Wanda probably continues to be something to gnaw at Leon's conscious as his gang continues their retail drug store. 

I would think it came from above the Captain, some Commander of Deputy Chief, get out of my division is one thing. You will work in boring assignment, the Lester Freeman punishment in The Wire, is another. You would think that any other police department in the immediate area, like say Inglewood where Skully is would take Officer Nixon in a second.

I don't think Franklin is trying to go legit but that he is more looking for more ways to launder  the drug money.

Oso was being portrayed as going for rightful retribution, if extralegal justice.  To have him torture Chief Fuentes  would cut into that picture

Teddy went all Lee Harvey Oswald, firing off phenomenal shots, super quickly.  Jason Hayes (SEAL Team show) would recognize!

Leon has a conscience?

The order came from waaaay up.  I'm just ruminating as to if the Captain is cutting his losses, or if he was legitimately offended and pissed that Nix wears the uniform.

Oso did Carlos pretty bad.  But yeah, righteously avenging dudes have to abide by codes of honor. 

[Sarah 103]

10 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

So Michael Corleone, er, Franklin is trying to go legit.  Well, Cissy and Alton are trying to get him to, anyway.  Franklin is no Michael, so we know this is not gonna end well.  

Franklin thinks he's Al Pacino in The Godfather-a ruthless indivudal, a criminal mastermind who is in charge of this massive organization. Franklin is actually Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon-He has, at best, a half decent plan. He is constantly one or two steps away from a complete disaster and everything crashing down around him. 

[Raja]

2 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Teddy went all Lee Harvey Oswald, firing off phenomenal shots, super quickly.  Jason Hayes (SEAL Team show) would recognize!

Leon has a conscience?

The order came from waaaay up.  I'm just ruminating as to if the Captain is cutting his losses, or if he was legitimately offended and pissed that Nix wears the uniform.

Oso did Carlos pretty bad.  But yeah, righteously avenging dudes have to abide by codes of honor. 

Compared to the two sociopaths driving the story Franklin and Teddy at least  Leon shows some care for at least some of the victims, past friends and lovers of what he is doing

[tennisgurl]

It definitely looked like Leon was feeling pretty bad after seeing Wanda, the human personification of the quickly worsening crack epidemic, I don't know if this will lead anywhere but it was a really interesting bit of characterization. 

Franklin's downfall is going to be his ego, he thinks that he is way smarter than he actually is. He is a smart guy and all, but he thinks of himself as some kind of criminal mastermind on his way to being a major kingpin, but its really that he has a decently clever system going and has gotten lucky. He has had a pretty limited sphere of influence so it will be interesting to see what happens now that he is trying to branch out, he might be biting off more than he can chew but is too prideful to admit it. Hubris rarely ends well. 

[Raja]

On 3/4/2021 at 9:05 AM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Now up to the 2nd episode of season four.

Skully showing up high AF was a mistake, plus Manboy's guy being too wired. What a clusterfcuk that shootout was.

At this point Franklin's going to have to take some of his piles of cash and move to a gated community because he's a sitting duck where he is. Cissy owns a lot of real estate. Seems like they could move to one of those places for a while until the heat dies down.

Why would Manboy lie about having killed Skully? He knew they were all still at risk if Skully was still alive. What an idiot.

 

People getting high to face the fears of combat is as old as combat itself. Manboy probably wasn't so much lying as the fog of combat. After all he saw Skully get hit by the wonder weapons. Just as Skully brought a sniper rifle into a close combat like it would be magic.

At this point while Cissy has some money they don't have the type of clean money to not get caught like Al Capone did. What we saw an episode later when she drove her old car up to meet Davis.  For all the damage Franklin has taken in jail, the police on his extended family and getting shot about the only thing that shows paying off all the risk are the suits on an 18/19 year old.

[Joimiaroxeu]

I'm surprised the mayor was willing to take a campaign donation from a drug dealer, even if there was a layer or two of separation. Guess it worked out for him since he stayed in office for so long.

Cissy is no one to play with when it comes to business. She came with her facts and figures all lined up.

Pssht, I don't think that White cop actually gave two sh!ts about Andre because at the end of the day Andre was still Black. That was just his excuse to let Franklin know he could mess with Franklin's family whenever he wanted. Or so he thought.

And Gustavo did exactly what Teddy and the Mexican DFS told him not to. But there's probably no stopping someone who feels they must take vengeance.

Guess Franklin played his mayor card to shut that cop down. I half expected him to have the guy killed. So what's to stop the cop from going rogue though? Except maybe fear of ending up like Andre.

Those poor people with that bookstore. They should've run Franklin's deal by a lawyer first, or at least another pair of eyes. It was indeed too good to be true and they lost the shop anyway. Franklin was a POS to do them like that but he's long ago proven he doesn't care about his victims as long as he gets what he wants.

Wow, Teddy and Gustavo took out all those guys on their own? Whew.

"The truth beats a bullet any day of week." Not if the bullet goes through your head, Irene. I'm not really feeling this intrepid girl reporter stuff.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Joimiaroxeu

[Bannon]

So I started watching this show about 6 weeks ago, and have now caught up. Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing. Credibly shows the appeal of selling drugs, and how LAPD's godawful performance made things so much worse. Also credibly shows how the reasonable hatred of communism may have incrementally led to contributing to this disaster. Although, t.b.h.,the historical record is cloudy, and even absent the desire to arm the contras, there was so much money to be made that the CIA's involvement in the crack industry was not a critical input (and the writers do a decent job of showing this). I see no terribly written characters, except possibly perhaps that of some of the major drug lords, who really don't get a ton of lines. Mel is more of a trope than a character, but then again, not a huge number of scenes. Jerome may be the closest thing we have to a sympathetic major character; he's quite interesting to me. Really dislikes killing people, capable of deeply felt love and vulnerability, but also capable of monstrous behavior.

Teddy has gotten a little too good at violence, without adequate explanation. I think it was explained that, unlike his bro, he was too young for Vietnam. Yet his sniper skills are every bit as good, maybe better, as Mike's, in the Breaking Bad universe.

All in all, I think this show is better written than that other 1980s (and crtically lauded) period piece, "The Americans".

Edited March 9, 2021 by Bannon

[GodsBeloved]

Brianna Barksdale your son is a drug dealer and murderer. He needs to be dragged off in the back of a police car!

I laughed when I realized The Wire's Monk is Franklin's bodyguard.

I mean war overseas is one thing. But our people killing each other in our streets. Hey you gotta draw a line somewhere.

Thank you Lurp! I'm glad someone said it out loud.

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by GodsBeloved

[tennisgurl]

Oh yeah, just take this show on the road, be like the Johnny Appleseed of crack. Franklin's mom just needs to really get that Franklin is a drug dealer and that's what he wants to be. He had chances to go legit and he didn't, and even when he talks about trying to move into non criminal enterprises, he seems fully committed to being a crime lord. She has mostly just decided to roll with it, but there still seems to be a part of her thinks that he is going to change one day. 

I think they might be heading towards Leon having second thoughts about all of this, between his guilt over seeing Wanda's sorry state and him accidently shooting a little kid. 

[Sarah 103]

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Franklin's mom just needs to really get that Franklin is a drug dealer and that's what he wants to be. He had chances to go legit and he didn't, and even when he talks about trying to move into non criminal enterprises, he seems fully committed to being a crime lord. She has mostly just decided to roll with it, but there still seems to be a part of her thinks that he is going to change one day. 

People make references/comparisons to The Godfather every now and then, so here's another one. Franklin's Mom is like Kay in Godfather II. She knows what he's involved with/how he makes his money. She also believes he will go legitimate. The only question is how long it takes Franklin's mother to realize that is not going to happen.

The scene at the country club with the waiter was interesting. I thought it was telling they made a point of indicating the waiter was in college. To me, it represented the road not taken for Franklin. Had things turned out differently, that waiter could have very easily been him. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

It's too much for me to believe Leon could ever have a genuine Come to Jesus moment.  But, whatevs.  

Why are the Central American suppliers still dealing with Teddy when he can't move arms anymore?  

I like the Auntie/Tia who let Oso have it with both barrels as to the children and being involved with anything to do with him.  

What is Marino's motivation?  Did he have a particular animus for anyone at the Company when he separated?  

Davis is a great character.  I hope there is more about Bradley going forward.  Chances that Clifton the waiter uses some of the tip money to try crack/rock?  

I wonder if we'll have a special guest appearance by Ollie North (as character, not actual)?  

I just noticed that Franklin's crib is right next to an active rail spur.  For alllll his power and riches, he's still near and on the wrong side of the tracks.  That final scene as he looked back at Lurp was hugely significant, imo.  Well done, show.

[Raja]

22 hours ago, GodsBeloved said:

Brianna Barksdale your son is a drug dealer and murderer. He needs to be dragged off in the back of a police car!

I laughed when I realized The Wire's Monk is Franklin's bodyguard.

I mean war overseas is one thing. But our people killing each other in our streets. Hey you gotta draw a line somewhere.

Thank you Lurp! I'm glad someone said it out loud.

 

Where the Lurp got himself out of the war that the Black Magnum PI knowing he was setting up a hit along with Mr Davis but keeping their plausible deniability to quote Lt Col North

 

9 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

It's too much for me to believe Leon could ever have a genuine Come to Jesus moment.  But, whatevs.  

 I don't think that will be Leon's story but he is a prewar gang leader when everything escalated around him.

[Sarah 103]

13 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said: Chances that Clifton the waiter uses some of the tip money to try crack/rock?  

Chances that Clifton the waiter uses some of the tip money to try crack/rock?  

I will be totally surprised if we ever see Clifton again. He doesn't seem like someone important to the story at all. At most, he's there as a reminder of what Franklin's life could have looked like if he didn't become a drug dealer. We've already seen how destructive crack is and how it can ruin a promising future (Melody and Wanda). 

[Dowel Jones]

On 3/11/2021 at 8:32 PM, Lonesome Rhodes said:

I wonder if we'll have a special guest appearance by Ollie North (as character, not actual)?  

Only if Fawn Hall tags along...

[Joimiaroxeu]

A convertible would not seem like the best vehicle to do a drive-by shootout in.

Maybe being full of crack protected Wanda in some way because otherwise I don't know how she survived getting shot up like that.

A Black Magnum PI. What about Shaft? Too old a reference?

Like trying to baptize a cat. Never heard that one before. Guess this was before herding cats was a meme.

Sitting outside in broad daylight in front of a popular taqueria would not seem like the best thing to do when at least two crews might be trying to kill you.

Whoa, is Franklin's eff buddy an undercover agent?

Did I understand correctly that DEA agent Marino said Bush was more powerful than Reagan when he was running the CIA?

Oh Leon. But Skully and them shouldn't have started shooting with that kid in the backseat. Did they think Leon and the others wouldn't shoot back? What a waste of life.

[Sarah 103]

3 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

A Black Magnum PI. What about Shaft? Too old a reference?

For those characters it would have been too old a reference. They probably would have been too young to see Shaft in the theatre when it first came out a decade earlier. Unless it was shown on television, I'm not sure they would have seen it. Magnum PI was something that was on television every week and a show Franklin's friends/contemporaries might be watching.

[Raja]

12 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

A convertible would not seem like the best vehicle to do a drive-by shootout in.

Maybe being full of crack protected Wanda in some way because otherwise I don't know how she survived getting shot up like that.

A Black Magnum PI. What about Shaft? Too old a reference?

Like trying to baptize a cat. Never heard that one before. Guess this was before herding cats was a meme.

Sitting outside in broad daylight in front of a popular taqueria would not seem like the best thing to do when at least two crews might be trying to kill you.

Whoa, is Franklin's eff buddy an undercover agent?

Did I understand correctly that DEA agent Marino said Bush was more powerful than Reagan when he was running the CIA?

Oh Leon. But Skully and them shouldn't have started shooting with that kid in the backseat. Did they think Leon and the others wouldn't shoot back? What a waste of life.

Consider, except for Lurp everyone is new to war and have not had the   sergeant's passing down centuries of combat tactics to them. By the zenith of the drug wars roving patrols and look outs would have been around the hangouts and neither a PI or Leon would be able to just park  and wait. A convertible, pre armored SUV's  would seem like the best drive by vehicle to me. No worry about airburst fragments to shield against and with the roof down the gunners have freedom of movement and less noise when you do fire.

And being at war when Skully's people encountered  Leon in an unexpected meeting engagement to gain fire superiority is the infantry school  solution , for that very reason  frontline troops rarely survive to surrender or discuss cease fire terms in those types of situations

8 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

For those characters it would have been too old a reference. They probably would have been too young to see Shaft in the theatre when it first came out a decade earlier. Unless it was shown on television, I'm not sure they would have seen it. Magnum PI was something that was on television every week and a show Franklin's friends/contemporaries might be watching.

I concur. I figure that I am a couple of years older than Franklin, Leon and ManBoy and I was too young to see those Blaxploitation era movies and VHS renting was just about to start. Shaft as I remember wasn't known for the mundane find someone private investigator work. Where as Magnum in his PI monologues would before the case of the week  went funky

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Consider, except for Lurp everyone is new to war and have not had the   sergeant's passing down centuries of combat tactics to them. By the zenith of the drug wars roving patrols and look outs would have been around the hangouts and neither a PI or Leon would be able to just park  and wait. A convertible, pre armored SUV's  would seem like the best drive by vehicle to me. No worry about airburst fragments to shield against and with the roof down the gunners have freedom of movement and less noise when you do fire.

Again, seems to me all the advantages of cruising around in one of those 1970s Fisher Body gas guzzling virtual tanks was lost due to having at least half of their bodies exposed to the open air for bullets to fly freely into. I'm sure the ghost of JFK would attest to this. (Except in his case I think it was a Ford/Lincoln vehicle.)

Edited March 15, 2021 by Joimiaroxeu
but maybe Skully and Leon were too young to know who JFK was?

[Raja]

35 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Again, seems to me all the advantages of cruising around in one of those 1970s Fisher Body gas guzzling virtual tanks was lost due to having at least half of their bodies exposed to the open air for bullets to fly freely into. I'm sure the ghost of JFK would attest to this. (Except in his case I think it was a Ford/Lincoln vehicle.)

Yes I am serious, drive by shooters rarely had to deal with snipers firing down from a high angled vantage points. Bullets tear thru car doors with ease, especially in the days of full metal jacketed rounds before modern expansion (dum dum) bullets became standard combat pistol loads. I know they bounce of with a spark on TV but that's the fake picture.

There is a Burn Notice episode where Michael goes through his Macgyvering improvised armor out of phone books for a car.

[Raja]

Manboy and Skully are brothers in law, did I miss that before? It was medieval with Queen Khadijah almost like a hostage exchanged between to warring kingdoms. The geography of a Compton gang going to war with an Inglewood gang still makes no sense at all to me, they are just too far apart to make an impact on the other's business.  Maybe because they had the crack recipe first?

I can't figure Saint's long game, suddenly he is loyal to family and Leon is family now. But with the State of California, Compton and Inglewood gangs after him with no protection from his L.A housing projects gang I guess they are just holding a gruesome death for a future episode.

[Bannon]

44 minutes ago, Raja said:

Manboy and Skully are brothers in law, did I miss that before? It was medieval with Queen Khadijah almost like a hostage exchanged between to warring kingdoms. The geography of a Compton gang going to war with an Inglewood gang still makes no sense at all to me, they are just too far apart to make an impact on the other's business.  Maybe because they had the crack recipe first?

I can't figure Saint's long game, suddenly he is loyal to family and Leon is family now. But with the State of California, Compton and Inglewood gangs after him with no protection from his L.A housing projects gang I guess they are just holding a gruesome death for a future episode.

This show, if written well, is all about how it arrives at unhappy endings.

[tennisgurl]

Yeah, nobody has a good day when a kid gets shot. That's a lot even for gangsters and drug dealers. I swear I need a chart to keep up with who all is working with who, who killed who and why, who is an informant and who they are informing to, its a lot to remember. 

The story with the reporters is getting very interesting. I am curious to see what all they find. Also nice to see the perspective of people that really aren't involved in crime or law enforcement to all of this. 

 

[Joimiaroxeu]

That was a roomy apartment Franklin stashed Leon in. Wonder what an apartment that size rented for back then, even in the sketchy neighborhood.

Franklin's all smug about having the plug but his plug is about to get flushed. It's just mind-boggling that the CIA did this, and in the US when they're not even supposed to be operating domestically.

And on a shallow note, I think a lot of women would kill for hair like Leon's.

[chick binewski]

On 3/19/2021 at 7:00 PM, tennisgurl said:

Yeah, nobody has a good day when a kid gets shot. That's a lot even for gangsters and drug dealers. I swear I need a chart to keep up with who all is working with who, who killed who and why, who is an informant and who they are informing to, its a lot to remember. 

The story with the reporters is getting very interesting. I am curious to see what all they find. Also nice to see the perspective of people that really aren't involved in crime or law enforcement to all of this. 

 

I was feeling a bit disoriented after the season premiere so I started a re-watch about 2 weeks ago and I'm glad I did because my old brain completely forgot about the Colombian cartel members sitting in jail.

I hate that the season is already half over. But I do like the reporter angle. And Isaiah John nailed that crying jag last week.

[Msample]

Renewed for fifth season:

 

https://deadline.com/2021/03/snowfall-renew-season-5-fx-1234720016/

[Raja]

So I guess Saint survives this war. What caught me in the announcement was a 41% jump in viewers. I  have noticed people at work starting to talk about the show like they did around the third season of The Wire 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The recent expansion plans will sure help keep things fresh with new peeps and locations.  I am disappointed that Saint does not get his this season, which I believed was originally envisioned to be the end by Singleton.   The reporter's arc is also certain to be expanded and played out.

[chick binewski]

RIP Matt. I disliked how they disposed of the character last season as much as I hated how they explained Lucia's exit. But I guess they have to keep throwing things at Teddy to facilitate his descent.

I'm guessing Franklin finds out about the reporter through Wanda first and that makes me nervous for Alton.

[Raja]

I wonder how close Saint is to getting an independent connection between Teddy saying he is replaceable,  Uncle Jerome talking about it and Irene Abe coming forward I think Teddy falls on his sword. I don't think Irene is prepared for what she is wading into and only survives if Teddy is traded to her.

I am surprised that Skully already has enough money for Khadijah's Bond plan. For all the money running through them nobody in the drug trade lives like Davis. With Fatback dead I guess the media pressure is off but you would expect some homicide detectives  would not be so willing to just move on and are still working on a cooling case.

[buttercupia]

about the only people I'm invested in are wanda and oso. I want wanda to make it and stay clean, and I want oso to survive because he's ridiculously sexy and also because he's a real sweetheart. I wish we knew what actually happened to lucia.

[Sarah 103]

 

5 hours ago, Raja said:

With Fatback dead I guess the media pressure is off but you would expect some homicide detectives  would not be so willing to just move on and are still working on a cooling case.

I'm not sure. The person who confessed to shooting the baby was later found dead. My guess is that the homocide detectives will chalk it up to gangs/drugs and let that be the end of it. 

[Raja]

57 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

 

I'm not sure. The person who confessed to shooting the baby was later found dead. My guess is that the homocide detectives will chalk it up to gangs/drugs and let that be the end of it. 

He didn't confess to being the shooter, just to being among those in the car and hiding the murder weapons. That is why they planned on Farback getting out one day for his bonus instead of pleading to life

[chick binewski]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

He didn't confess to being the shooter, just to being among those in the car and hiding the murder weapons. That is why they planned on Farback getting out one day for his bonus instead of pleading to life

Fatback had to confess to the murder charge to appease Franklin and get a future half million payout.

4 hours ago, buttercupia said:

about the only people I'm invested in are wanda and oso. I want wanda to make it and stay clean, and I want oso to survive because he's ridiculously sexy and also because he's a real sweetheart. I wish we knew what actually happened to lucia.

I've been rooting for Wanda's character to turn into something more than a plot device or some kind of tool of convenience but the way they just threw her in the shelter scene just as Irene walked in doesn't make me hopeful.

Although Oso is a killer the character always seems to lead with his humanity - like his reaction to Matt's death. I think it's all gonna end badly for everyone but I hope it's not too gruesome for Oso. 

I'm still not certain what the writers had in mind when they ended season 2 - did Jonathan Tucker not want another season so they brought Oso back (who looked pretty much done)? Emily Rios recently posted something on IG about a year of living sober - idk if the actress took stock and decided to make some career changes as well.

8 hours ago, Raja said:

I wonder how close Saint is to getting an independent connection between Teddy saying he is replaceable,  Uncle Jerome talking about it and Irene Abe coming forward I think Teddy falls on his sword. I don't think Irene is prepared for what she is wading into and only survives if Teddy is traded to her.

Maybe? But I'm currently leaning towards Teddy being a part of most of next season. And I think Franklin's gonna need some help bc that girlfriend is bad news.

[Raja]

2 hours ago, chick binewski said:

Fatback had to confess to the murder charge to appease Franklin and get a future half million payout.

I've been rooting for Wanda's character to turn into something more than a plot device or some kind of tool of convenience but the way they just threw her in the shelter scene just as Irene walked in doesn't make me hopeful.

 

 

No he didn't he confessed to being there, an accessory, not shooting, which the plan was to put on the other guy who died at the scene. Yhat is why he was able to get bail.

Surely Wanda makes herself useful to Leon again.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

This is the best ep of the series so far, imo.  Real people making rational decisions and paying real prices that we got to see, and even care about.

The odds are overwhelming that Wanda would have been exposed to NA, or some similar organization while she was rehabbing in the hospital.  She would not have been down to only Leon for help.  But, TPTB needed her to be at Alston's to overhear the reporter.  

I loved the sequence in Little Rock.  Again, real folks being real.  The callback to the excitement of raking in the dough was very much like it was for Franklin and the dudes when it all started.  Powerful and profound stuff.  Well done.

The absolute savagery displayed by Fatback's killer was as vicious a thing as I have ever seen portrayed.  When I was decompressing from it, I wondered if she was "allowed" to do that by whomever actually bailed Fatback out.  He was very useful to them alive.

I like the choice made that Avi was actually straight about the hiccups in the various deals that fell through.  I'm hoping and guessing he will be prominent when Reed goes down there.  He is by far my favorite character.

Mr. Thompson is almost pure evil.  Whoa.  It helps explain why Reed is how he is.  

I've been tough on TPTB because the show had such potential and they weren't offering much credibility and went for big violence at the expense of powerful intimacy.  With this ep, they really paid off on what they did build.  I have little hope they will be able to keep it up.  How could they???  But, kudos to them for getting us to this place.

[tennisgurl]

A lot of stuff going on, it feels like we are really moving. The scenes in Little Rock were especially interesting, as messed up as it is seeing them spreading crack around even further. Even as Louie says how this wont be like it is in LA we all know that its going to end up bad. Even if her friend and her family make tons of money they are going to have to get way into the game, and I wonder if the kid living with them (their son?) will end up smoking the product? As tough as it is to watch this spread, I do like that the scope is widening and we are really moving forward exploring the fall out from the explosion of crack. 

Teddy is heading for a downward spiral, although I'm guessing he can claw his way back again. I think Franklin will need his help, his business might be expanding but he has a lot of factions gunning for him. With the reporters looking at him he will probably need the backup, unless Teddy and his bosses decide to throw him under the bus if this all gets out. 

I am glad that Wanda got clean, she looks so beautiful without reeking of crack. I wonder if she will get pulled into the reporter story, and I actually wonder if it will end with Leon deciding to talk to the reporter through Wanda. He seems increasingly over the violence that has increased since they started selling crack and Franklins apparent indifference to it. 

Smart idea Fatback, go off with a random women to a creepy abandoned warehouse when multiple groups of people are looking for you and want you dead. Don't fuck with mom. 

[Joimiaroxeu]

"Across 110th Street" never gets old. Bobby Womack will forever remain a classic. (Kind of weird though to hear that song in a show about LA crime when it is literally about Harlem.)

So was that bit with the crying baby telling us Wanda was born addicted?

Overdressed like a muthafukka.

Sigh, it's not like Fatback really had a choice, did he? Franklin was going to set him up regardless to save Leon.

Poor Wanda went through that hellish detox and then left the hospital with nothing and no one waiting for her. Odds are she'll end up back on the crack because she doesn't see anything else for her to do.

I'm with Jerome. Aunt Louie didn't do her friends down south any favors by getting them in the crack-dealing game. Trouble will come looking for them, probably more than they can handle. Selling little rocks in Little Rock.

Wow, $100,000 to exact revenge. How could smart guy Franklin not have seen that coming? Smart guy Franklin who is clearly being honeytrapped by his "girlfriend." She's shady AF. (Out on the interwebs they seem to think she's working for Manboy. If so, that's extra bad for Franklin.)

Girl bye. Alton could tell Franklin about that reporter's threats and she'd be dead ASAP. Meanwhile, looks like Wanda overheard some tidbits she wasn't supposed to. Wonder if she'll work out who Alton is and then try to blackmail Franklin?

My favorite comment from YouTube:

Quote

That reporter is going to get [REDACTED] from life.

Re the previews, I wonder who ends up getting waterboarded by Teddy? I didn't realize the CIA was doing that prior to 9/11.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Joimiaroxeu

[Lonesome Rhodes]

5 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

"Across 110th Street" never gets old. Bobby Womack will forever remain a classic. (Kind of weird though to hear that song in a show about LA crime when it is literally about Harlem.)

So was that bit with the crying baby telling us Wanda was born addicted?

I had wondered if they were gonna use this song in a montage at some point.  It was famously prominent in Jackie Brown, which was based not so far from where Snowfall is, and just a very few years before.  part of that movie was filmed in Compton.  If you have not seen it and you like Snowfall, you are in for a wonderful treat if you choose to find it and see it.  Pam Grier was...sigh...magnificent, as was Robert Forster.

Anyway, TPTB did a fab job on their montage in this ep.  Outstanding choice of music and of video content.  What a story it told.  They undoubtedly had been planning this use for some time.  Boy, did it ever deliver.

I think the symmetry of the baby detoxing was a harrowing representation of the evils of rock on the world at large.  It would certainly not be surprising to learn Wanda was born as a narcotic addict.  This bit of video really got to me.  

Edited March 26, 2021 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Avi rules.

I really liked how the chaos and randomness that must have existed was finally seen up close and personal with Fatback's cuz and with the girl who put the gun to Leon's head.  Up to this point, Franklin has never really been shown to have issues within the community.  Now, weaker than he's been since the very beginning, he has nowhere to hide, nowhere to go.  His tears were earned.  Good stuff.

Reed turning into a mean James Bond is fun to see.  Good luck to him if Lucia is really alive and he has been keeping her from Oso.

Alton getting back in Franklin's life sure turned out well, eh?  Cissy made a ginormous mistake welcoming him back.  Now, she is every bit the monster Franklin is.  Really good storytelling, imo.  

The reporter Abe and Reed's life choices pretty much guaranteed a turrible isolation and the accompanying holes in their being.  Neither, imo, chose righteously.  They are paying bigtime now.  Next level TV, that is.  

Will saving Wanda's life end up being a big mistake?  What a horrible question.  Yet, I'll be darned if I have a good answer tonight.  Great job, show. 

[Sarah 103]

When Avi is the responsible one and the voice of reason, I think there's a problem. Also, I think a spin-off/prequel series about Avi's earlier adventures would be fantastic. 

When both Franklin and Alton were hurt, Cissy went to Alton, which is telling.