User Reviews

Inherent in any TV show with a large scope is a certain degree of patience and withholding of narrative information. Snowfall is no exception. Its dramatization of "how crack began" is ambitious in how much it wants to tackle. Not content to tell you the story of how a young, educated kid might get caught up in the business of dealing cocaine, Snowfall hopes to add depth to that by drawing others into the story. Franklin's story may be the obvious entry point into the rise of cocaine in the 80s in LA, but there's more at play. This isn't about a kid wanting to control his destiny and learning that it comes with a cost. It's a story about how all sorts of systems and enablers play their part in the expansion of the cocaine trade. This wide-ranging scope has been Snowfall's greatest flaw. What began as an intriguing look at various players in this game has shifted to a dull slog through too much exposition and not enough consequences. For every bit of compelling business involving the personal stakes of Franklin's search for something better for himself, there's a more complacent counterpart. Last episode saw each set of characters stagnating, and Long Time Coming continues this trend, moving each story forward with zero momentum. Snowfall's problem is that there's no sense of these character's being challenged in any way, a way that will force them to confront their motivations and question their stances. For example, Franklin's increasingly perilous jump into the cocaine-dealing business has been met with its fair share of obstacles. He's keeping secrets from his mother, his uncle is advising him not to deal, his supplier is unhinged and prone to wear a Speedo, and he watched his friend shoot a guy after witnessing a brutal rape. Every sign is telling Franklin to get out of this game before he's killed, or before someone he loves pays the price. Yet he forges on, convinced he's going to be the outlier, the one that makes it to the other side without a scratch. Where snowfall, and particularly this episode, fail is in exploring the motivations behind Franklin's persistence. What drives Franklin to keep selling keys despite the increased violence he's dealing with? Here he's nearly killed by the Mexican gang that controls all of the cocaine-dealing in LA, but there's little doubt he'll be back in that situation again soon. What's feeding his stubbornness? Snowfall is failing to answer that question, resulting in a character arc absent of any tension, intrigue, and growth. There are hints sprinkled around - his musings on the lives of his rich white friends, paired with the mention that his father was a Black Panther and the aggressiveness he witnessed from white cops suggest Franklin is working against oppressive forces and a system that wants to keep him down. But the sprawling narrative and large group of characters means there's no focus, stealing impact from Franklin's arc. That's where Snowfall is at this point. Many of the stories are falling flat, and the show is destined to spin its wheels. Teddy is again trying to bring his family together, promising to distance himself from the operation with Alejandro. But it wasn't long ago that he's re-committed to the project after leaving Alejandro stranded with a bevy of American weapons and a number of serial numbers that needed filing down. What's Teddy's motivation here? Snowfall hasn't provided much insight into his relationship with Jules, and the lack of backstory regarding his dealings with the CIA means that his work life lacks any definition. Without clear motivation and clarity regarding narrative direction, we're left with episode after episode of complacent storytelling. There are signs in this episode of things starting to come together. When Gustavo steps in to save Franklin from the Mexicans he himself has just struck a deal with, there's promise that these two will interact more later, creating an interconnectedness that would benefit the show. Likewise, the tight pots that each character finds themselves in shows potential for meaningful conflict soon. If Snowfall pulls all of these pieces together, it will forge a compelling final four episodes. Until then, the show is stuck in neutral.