‘Griselda’ Miniseries Review: Sofia Vergara Earns Her Dramatic Cred

Griselda Blanco was a Colombian drug lord throughout the 1970s and up to the late 1990s. Her story was unique, as women did not have that kind of power in the drug trade of the time. Blanco cut her path through manipulation and extreme violence, having to fight harder for respect. The new Netflix miniseries, “Griselda”, tells the story of how one woman forced her way into that dangerous world, making money and enemies and changing the Miami drug business forever.

Created by Eric Newman, Carlo Bernard, Ingrid Escajeda, and Doug Miro, the involving miniseries follows the classic blueprint for this type of crime film, but makes it feel fresh. We witness the hardships that lead to the selling of cocaine. The fast rise to the top and euphoria of the millions coming in make up the middle episodes, until the finale that shows the hard and violent fall. Through dedicated direction from Andrés Baiz (who helms every episode), smart writing, and a career-best turn from Sofia Vergara, everything old is made new again.

Blanco’s tale isn’t as widely known as someone like Pablo Escobar, but there has never been a woman in the drug scene who achieved such power and wealth. A longtime passion project for Sofia Vergara, the actress produces and stars as Griselda, who we meet toward the end of the 1970s. Living in Medellín, Columbia, Griselda flees to Miami with her three young children and a brick of cocaine. A ruthless woman, she begins to manipulate relationships to build what will become her own drug empire. Eventually crowned “La Jefa” (“The Boss”), Blanco would become one of the most feared kingpins in the game.

Sofia Vergara fully inhabits the character in physicality (prosthetics were used to change the appearance of her nose, teeth, and eyebrows) and emotion. Selling every dramatic beat with natural ability, the actress runs the gamut of emotion and is at her best in showing how power can mask the frailty of a corrupt soul. Vergara endears the audience to her plight, even as she betrays many friends and puts the lives of her children in danger. It is here where her portrayal of Blanco can be compared to Tony Soprano, as that character was beloved by viewers even as he was clearly a violent monster. The performance assures audiences will understand how much Griselda loves her family and wants the best for them (safety and money), even as the sins of the mother color their fates. Vergara sidesteps any desire to craft the work with cliched mannerisms or overblown theatrics. Griselda is always nervous and rarely relaxed. Vergara plays her as a chain-smoking embodiment of determination while letting her eyes allow the audience behind the curtain, where stands a scared mother hoping to keep herself and her family alive. This is a complete and excellent work from a talented actress that should open up her up to a deeper dramatic career.

The entire series is well cast. Vanessa Ferlito has a good role as Griselda’s friend “Isabel”, a woman who escaped to Miami and started her own travel business. The two friend’s relationship is tested when Griselda begins to use Isabel for her own gain. Ferlito does fine work as a woman who is appalled that her friend is succumbing to the world they escaped from, but relents when the money hits her palms.

Alberto Guerra is a standout as “Dario”, a hitman who comes to kill Griselda and her family, but cannot stomach his boss (Griselda’s drug dealing ex-brother-in-law). Eventually, Dario becomes Griselda’s bodyguard, confidant, and lover. The actor navigates the complex role quite well, making the character’s arc believably human.

José Zúñiga, Diego Trujillo, Camilio Jimenez Varon, and many more make up a finely tuned cast that brings a reality to the people who inhabited Griselda Blanco’s life. In even the smallest of roles, there isn’t an ounce of phoniness to be found.

“Griselda” sidesteps the familiar by bringing sharp focus to a Latina police officer named June (a great Juliana Aidén Martinez), who forces her bosses into seeing beyond her being a woman. With her superior detective skills, June steps up and is driven to take down Griselda and her ever-budding empire. The character becomes the most interesting in the miniseries, as it is fascinating to watch this young policewoman crush the expectations of the male dominated force and make her bones through determination and skill.

The series captures a great deal of the major events in Griselda Blanco’s life. Perhaps the dramatic punch could have benefited from a few more episodes focusing on her life before she became “La Jeffa”, but Vergara and the writers give us just enough to make it work. We see the violence she must succumb to in order to claw her way to the top. For a time, the real Griselda Blanco was the most feared drug lord in Columbia, with even Pablo Escobar afraid to cross her. The series builds the character thusly. While we see the loving (if not misguided) mother and the occasional fear that she could lose it all, scene by scene (and without cliche), the script puts the pieces in place to set Griselda up as the violently wicked woman she would become until paranoia and bad decisions would bring her down.

The first couple of episodes give us the story in a pretty straightforward manner. It will be episodes 3 through 6 where the drama really begins to hit. In these four segments, the familiarity of the story gives way to many interesting character developments and performances that make for a riveting viewing experience.

Anchored by a proper visual tone for the gritty life of the titular drug queen and Sofia Vergara’s excellent transformation and captivating performance, in cast and crew “Griselda” proves it has the pedigree to set it apart from recent series of its ilk.