Snowfall (TV Series) Slow Hand (2017) User Reviews

YOU GET THE FEELING

[douglasjordane · 8/10 · 20 May 2022]

YOU GET THE FEELING THAT THIS IS A GOOD IDEA. THEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG. YOU GET A PLAN TO FIX THE GOOD IDEA TURNED BAD. THEN EVERYTHING FALLS APART. THE BEST LAID PLANS ARE WROUGHT WITH TRAGEDY AND TERMS THAT CAN NOT BE UNDONE. THAT FEELING YOU HAD TURNS OUT TO BE YOUR DEEPEST REGRET IN LIFE.

Much Darker

[mbloyd · 10 August 2017]

At the end of episode two, Franklin received a rude welcome to the cocaine-dealing business. He was taking his first steps into a bigger, badder world. His mistake was thinking he could waltz into the market without any competition. That attitude got him a beatdown by a couple others looking to sell to Claudia. That physical welcome turns out to be just the beginning, as Franklin is introduced to a higher level of horror. The episode opens in the aftermath of the beatdown outside Claudia's. Franklin picks himself up and stumbles back into the club, wanting to know who those guys were and where to find them. Claudia gives him two names: Lenny and Ray Ray. Franklin enlists Leon, who enlists a bad dude named Carvell, to track down Lenny and Ray Ray to get his money back. Before getting to the outcome of Franklin's quest, the show's best material, let's focus on the other stories, which aren't operated at full steam. It's still early, but Teddy's story is frustrating. It's bogged down with familiar tropes, and overly vague. Snowfall doesn't need to spell out every bit of plot, but I would welcome a little clarity, especially regarding how Teddy and Alejandro are helping each other. It'd be hard to keep up without knowledge of US foreign policy in the 80s. Alejandro seems to be a member of the Contras that were funded by Reagan to fight against the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. Reagan used CIA to organize coups throughout Latin America, and that seems to be where Teddy fits in. That's all good, and adds a bit of realism to the exaggerated story, but there's still a lack of an explanation that keeps the story emotionally distant. Likewise, Gustavo's storyline is floundering. His struggle with his own morality is interesting. He's a complex character, set on bettering his life but unsure how far he'll go to do so. However, that's all there is to keep the story moving. The problem is that Snowfall is spread too thin. With Franklin demanding much of the focus, there isn't time to explore the intricacies of Teddy's CIA-funded war, or the interworking of Gustavo's cartel. At least Franklin remains compelling, and Slow Hand pushes him to evaluate his decisions. Last week's finale was his first moment of conflict, but this week's interaction with Lenny is something different. Again, Franklin's selfish nature is exposed. When he seeks Carvell to help him get his money, his only thought is getting the money back. He thinks it'll be easy. The retrieval is anything but. After Leon and Franklin cant find the money, Carvell beats the hell out of Leon with a bat, rapes him behind a closed door, and then leaves with Franklin's cash. Franklin has lost much more than money here. Franklin understands that Lenny's rape is on him. He brought in Carvell, without any understanding of what he'd do to get the money. Franklin has treated drug dealing like a game without consequences, that doesn't involve real people. Now, he's confronted with reality. He's left with a choice: keep slinging, make money, and sacrifice his morals, or walk away. This wont be the last difficult decision he faces.