Griselda executive producer Eric Newman explains why his new show’s Latin crime boss didn’t appear in Narcos, for which he served as showrunner. First hitting Netflix in 2015, Narcos chronicles the story of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar during the late 1970s’ through to the early ’90s, with the show running for 3 seasons before getting a spinoff in the form of Narcos: Mexico. Newman is now once again exploring the world of Latin American cartels in his new series, with Griselda telling the true story of ruthless cartel leader Griselda Blanco.
During a recent interview with Digital Spy, Newman explains why Griselda never appeared in Narcos, despite her rise to power taking place roughly during the same time period. According to the producer, it was all about doing justice to the real-life figure’s very big story. When star Sofia Vergara got in touch about portraying Blanco, Newman recalls that it “seemed like an irresistible opportunity to tell the Griselda story alone as its own thing” in order to “do justice not only to her story but also to Sofia’s spectacular performance as a result.” Check out his full explanation below:
“She is a true anomaly in that there has never been a woman who achieved that level of prominence in any drug cartel. Ever. And obviously, that immediately piqued our interest. But we found with Narcos, the way we tell that story, what that show is about, to try to fit the Griselda story into Narcos just seems like it wouldn’t do it justice.”
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Seasons 1 and 2 of Narcos were heavily focused on Escobar’s rise and fall, with the show charting the drug lord’s growing ruthlessness as he struggled to gain and hold onto his power. The Narcos reviews were positive for all three seasons, and much of the praise is regarding just how fully it charts Escobar’s reign and its aftermath. Attempting to weave Griselda’s story into Narcos’ could potentially have resulted in a less complete portrayal of Escobar’s life.
In addition to pulling focus away from Escobar, as Newman explains, attempting to properly tell Blanco’s story in Narcos may not have been able to do the real-life figure justice. The show, then, may have suffered by not telling a complete story for either of these larger-than-life figures. The Griselda Rotten Tomatoes score of 88% falls just barely shy of Narcos‘ 89%, with the positive reviews suggesting that giving Blanco her own show was indeed the right call.
Vergara leads the Griselda cast in the title role, and critics have praised the actor for her powerful and surprisingly dark performance. The role marks something of a change for Vergara, who is best known for lighter roles in projects like Modern Family and Hot Pursuit. In addition to serving as a fictionalized re-telling of a compelling real-life figure, Griselda getting her own show, separate from Narcos, also gives Vergara the chance to deliver a more nuanced and powerful performance that audiences perhaps have not seen before.
