The name of Sofia Vergara has become indisputably associated with the series ‘Modern Family’ for millions of viewers. However, it is normal that the Colombian actress does not want her entire career to be reduced to the role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett and that she wanted to star in a miniseries like ‘Griselda’ It is a good proof of this.
Loosely based on the true story of Griselda Blancoa drug trafficker feared even by himself Pablo Escobar, the new Netflix miniseries came with the additional hook that it had the creators of ‘Narcos’ behind it, one of the biggest hits on the platform at the time. Unfortunately, the result has been a disappointment in which a dedicated Vergara is not enough to compensate for all her problems.
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Intense and too direct
‘Griselda’ consists of just 6 episodes, which is surely seen as good news by those viewers who are tired of series lasting too long. The curious thing is that lasting so little is something that turns against them, since it gives the impression that those responsible want to get so straight to the point that they forget about the need to have those scenes that serve to give a real unity to the product. .
That’s something that rubs off on the series at all levels. The most common thing is that it leads to a lot of superficiality in the secondary characters, both those who are supposed to instill some fear and others who are simply needed due to the needs of the story. In some cases it is so evident – I think, for example, of the brief appearance of Ernesto Alterio– that they are only there to try to offer some light in the portrait of their protagonist, thus presenting ‘Griselda’ as a progressive descent into hell of the character played by Vergara.
And the first episodes of the series choose to focus more on a questionable position as Griselda’s victim. First because of her conflictive relationship with her husband and then because of the multiple obstacles she faces in her attempt to rise within the world of drug trafficking. This leads to a curious feminist reading that leaves aside the way in which she built her empire – there it seems that everything is reduced to brilliant ideas – to focus more on the importance that her children have for her. she.
For this reason, those responsible for ‘Narcos’ They bet everything on the intensity card, whether it’s a betrayal, a death, or a move that doesn’t go as expected. All in the service of the brilliance of a dedicated Vergara who fills the screen with her presence, but who, like the series, perhaps errs a little by wanting to go for the dramatic moment instead of giving enough depth to her character.
All in all, it is one of the main virtues of the series and he manages to get rid of the aura of his character in ‘Modern Family’ from the first moment -Of course that prosthetic nose helps, but in the end it ends up being more of an anecdote than anything else-, but this Griselda’s focus is too limited. In the end her evil comes down to a misunderstood way of wanting to protect her children instead of delving fully into her darker side. There was a much more fascinating miniseries there without the need to want to play with that kind of redeeming element.
Then there is the issue that there comes a point where the series begins to work in fits and starts. I understand the dramatic effectiveness of the action-reaction resource, but everything that may exist in between is lost in favor of being too direct. That even ends up blurring the protagonistwhile the rest, children included, are now completely reduced to the status of sacrificial pawns.
Even the police subplot, which initially seems to be given some importance, is reduced to something that is there more to feed the growing paranoia of its protagonist – which is another matter, there comes a point where he suddenly suspects everyone, forgetting to show the intermediate stage and opting for a sudden change. The curious thing is that if he ends up falling it is because of his persecution mania and his own mistakes, which is why It would have been advisable to focus much more on everything that motivates her. Instead of opting for such an approach in your face.
All this leads to ‘Griselda’ go from more to less, and that what initially seems like a promising miniseries ends up becoming a missed opportunity. It’s not that it’s bad, but the story of its protagonist provided something much more stimulating than a throwaway proposal in the service of its protagonist. And on top of that, it premieres almost at the same time as another excellent miniseries that will surely end up being the best of the year, so comparisons are more odious than ever…
In Espinof: