Griselda(miniseries)

Griselda
Promotional poster
Genre	Biopic True crime Drama
Created by	Doug Miro Eric Newman Carlo Bernard Ingrid Escajeda
Directed by	Andrés Baiz
Starring	Sofía Vergara
Music by	Carlos Rafael Rivera
Country of origin	United States
Original languages	English Spanish
No.of episodes	6
Production
Producers	Eric Newman Sofía Vergara Andrés Baiz Luis Balaguer Carlo Bernard Ingrid Escajeda Doug Miro
Production companies	Latin World Entertainment Willfully Obtuse Grand Electric
Original release
Network	Netflix
Release	January 25, 2024(2024-01-25)
Related
Narcos

Griseldais an Americanbiographicalcrime dramatelevision miniseries directed byAndrés Baizand produced byEric NewmanandSofía Vergara.It is written byDoug Miroand Ingrid Escajeda. It stars Vergara asGriselda Blanco,a notorious Colombiandrug lord.The miniseries premiered onNetflixon January 25, 2024, and consists of six episodes, each lasting about an hour.

The miniseries received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise going towards Vergara's performance. In the first week after its release, it debuted at number one in 90 countries and topped Netflix's Global Weekly Top 10 TV (English).

Plot

The story follows Griselda Blanco, a prominent crime boss, and her rise in the Miamidrugscene and pursuit of power and wealth. Drug use, paranoia, and betrayal lead to her downfall, with her actions resulting in multiple deaths, including that of a child. To escape retaliation from the cartel, Griselda turns herself in to the police but faces unexpected consequences. Despite serving time in prison, tragedy strikes when most of her children are murdered. The series ends with Griselda imagining a peaceful beach scene with her children. The show serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive pursuit of power. Griselda was assassinated in 2012 inMedellín,Colombia.

Cast and characters

Main

• Sofía VergaraasGriselda Blanco,a prominent Colombian drug lord in the cocaine-based drug trade and underworld ofMiami,Florida, in the 1980s, also known as the "Godmother of Cocaine"
• Alberto Guerraas Darío Sepúlveda, Griselda's third husband.
• Martin Rodriguez asJorge Ayala,Griselda's top hitman.
• Juliana Aidén Martinez as June Hawkins, a Spanish-speaking intelligence agent
• Vanessa Ferlitoas Carmen Gutiérrez, Griselda's friend who provides her a place to stay in Miami.
• Christian Tappanas Arturo Mesa, Griselda's friend

Recurring

• José Zúñigaas Amilcar, a prominent drug lord in Miami.
• José Velázquez as Uber, Griselda's second son.
• Orlando Pineda as Dixon, Griselda's oldest son.
• Martín Fajardo as Ozzy, Griselda's third son.
• Fredy Yate as Chucho Castro, a worker at a diner in Miami, hired by Griselda as her bodyguard.
• Camilo Jiménez Varón as Rafa Salazar
• Diego Trujilloas German Panesso
• Maximiliano Hernándezas Papo Mejía, Griselda's rival Colombian trafficker.
• Michael Reilly Burkeas Captain Sweetwater
• Carolina Giraldoas Carla, aMedellínsex worker,and Griselda's friend and confidante who helps her smuggle product into the U.S.
• Paulina Dávilaas Isabel, Griselda's close friend from Medellín.
• Alejandro Barrios as Horatio, Papo’s bodyguard.
• Gabriel Sloyeras Raúl Díaz, Hawkins’ partner.
• Julieth Restrepoas Marta Ochoa, cousin of the Ochoa brothers (who are both high-ranking members of the Medellín cartel).

Guest

• Alberto Ammannas Alberto Bravo, Griselda's second husband, who introduced her to the cocaine business.
• Ernesto Alterioas Fernando, Alberto's brother.
• Wilmer Calderonas Johnny
• Alberto Mateo as Eddie "The Bird" Rancón
• Kayla Eva as Frida
• Julian Obradors as Eric
• Taylor Handley as Billy Jensen
• Edgardo González as Emilio
• David Piggott asMax Mermelstein
• David Zaldivar as Rigo, a Cuban who helps Griselda and her family
• Christian Gnecco-Quintero asFabio Ochoa
• Oscar Camacho as Miguelito
• Goya Robles as Monkey Morales
• Marlene Forteas Esmeralda, Rigo's mother.
• Carter MacIntyre as Al Singleton
• Jeffrey Vincent Parise asJon Roberts
• Natalie Masini as Sheila
• Michael Andrew Baker as Rodney

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Lady Comes to Town"	Andrés Baiz	Teleplay by : Ingrid Escajeda &Doug Miro Story by : Doug Miro &Eric Newman& Carlo Bernard and Ingrid Escajeda & Doug Miro	January 25, 2024(2024-01-25)
2	"Rich White People"	Andrés Baiz	Brenna Kouf &Cassie Pappasand Doug Miro	January 25, 2024(2024-01-25)
3	"Mutiny"	Andrés Baiz	Teleplay by : Doug Miro Story by : Doug Miro and Turi Meyer & Alfredo Septién	January 25, 2024(2024-01-25)
4	"Middle Management"	Andrés Baiz	Teleplay by : Doug Miro Story by : Doug Miro & Gina Lucita Monreal	January 25, 2024(2024-01-25)
5	"Paradise Lost"	Andrés Baiz	Doug Miro & Ingrid Escajeda & Giovanna Sarquis	January 25, 2024(2024-01-25)
6	"Adios, Miami"	Andrés Baiz	Teleplay by : Doug Miro Story by : Doug Miro & Ingrid Escajeda	January 25, 2024(2024-01-25)

Production

Development

On November 3, 2021, it was reported thatNetflixwas in the process of developing a new crime dramaminiseriesbased on the real life ofColombian drug traffickerGriselda Blanco.The miniseries would be produced byEric Newman,Sofía Vergara,andLuis Balaguer forLatin World Entertainment.A Colombian native, Baiz directed all episodes.Baiz, withDoug Miroand Carlo Bernard, who are part of theNarcoscreative team, would serve asexecutive producers,and Ingrid Escajeda and Miro would serve asshowrunners.On January 19, 2022, Netflix released a first-look photo of Vergara in character as real-life drug queenpin Griselda Blanco, in a sneak peek of the upcoming limited series. The release also revealed 12 newly confirmed cast members, includingVanessa Ferlitoand Juliana Aidén Martinez.The cast also includesAlberto Guerra,Alberto Ammann,Christian Tappan,Diego Trujillo,Paulina Davila,Gabriel Sloyer, Martin Rodriguez,José Zúñiga,Maximiliano Hernández,Julieth RestrepoandCarolina Giraldo(best known as Karol G—a famous singer from Medellín—in her first major acting role).

Filming

Filming for the miniseries began on January 17, 2022, inLos Angeles.

Release

The series was released on Netflix on January 25, 2024.

On January 17, members of Griselda Blanco's family filed a lawsuit for unauthorized use of likenesses and called on a judge to halt the release of the show.

Reception

Audience viewership

During its debut week,Griseldadebuted at number one in 90 countries and topped the Netflix Global Weekly Top 10 TV (English) chart, just three days after its release, with a total of 20.6 million viewers and 113.8 million hours viewed.It maintained the position in the following week, garnering 114.1 million viewing hours.

Critical response

Sofía Vergarareceived widespread critical acclaim for her performance and garnered anEmmynomination forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Griseldawas met with generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Vergara's performance, though some historical inaccuracies received criticism.On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,87% of 52 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Sofía Vergara impressively disappears into the role of Griselda Blanco in this propulsive gangster saga, which plays loose with the facts but achieves genuine grit."Metacritic,which uses aweighted average,assigned the show a score of 64 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

TVLinenamedSofía Vergaratheir performer of the week, for the week of January 27, 2024, specifically for her performance in episode five, "Paradise Lost". The site deemed it a "career-defining" performance, writing that "Vergara's unwavering commitment and out-of-left-field gravitas elevatesGriseldato one of those rare edge-of-your-seat TV experiences ".

Some in Colombia have challenged aspects of the production for "glorif[ying]... a bygone era of rampant violence and drugs" and Griselda as a heroine. Diego Cortes, an assistant professor of media studies at the University of Oregon, "said the series was regurgitating tired stereotypes" but was also highlighting the role of North Americans in "their role in the drug trafficking industry... [as] cocaine customers" whom Griselda identified as a market.

Awards and nominations

Award	Date	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
Gold Derby TV Awards	August 14, 2024	Limited/Movie Actress	Sofía Vergara	Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	September 8, 2024	Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	Armando Salas(for "Middle Management" )	Nominated
		Outstanding Period Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	Safowa Bright Bitzelberger(for "Paradise Lost" )	Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards	September 15, 2024	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	Sofía Vergara	Nominated

Lawsuit

Michael Corleone Blanco, the real life son of Blanco, and his wife, Marie, sued Netflix, Vergara, and others over the series due to alleged unauthorized usage of the family's "image, likeness, and/or identity" without consent or compensation in January 2024. The suit was dismissed with prejudice in February 2024.

External links

• GriseldaatIMDb