‘Griselda’ creator explains why ending was cut short
The creators of new Netflix series, Griselda, have explained why the show cuts short the full story of its protagonist.
Griselda, released earlier this month via the streaming service, follows the story of Colombian drug lord, Griselda Blanco, played by Sofia Vergara.
Blanco was particularly prominent in the trade of cocaine, and was prominent from the 1970s through to the 2000s.
The series concludes with Griselda being arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for running her infamous Miami cocaine empire.
However, there were many significant events in Griselda’s life, and key details in the story, which took place after her sentencing, which aren’t included in the series. For example, she was charged with three additional counts of first-degree murder while serving her sentence, she suffered a heart attack in prison, and was ultimately assassinated in Medellín, Colombia in 2012.
The last sequences of the finale show Griselda’s four sons visiting her in prison, as she promises them that they will be a family again when she is released.
However, cutting to seven years later, Griselda is informed that three of the sons have been murdered, and it is revealed that the only surviving son, Michael, lives in Medellín with his grandfather. A heartbroken Griselda retreats to her cell and reminisces on a fond memory with her children before her arrest.
A short epilogue then reveals how Griselda was eventually released from prison, and later assassinated at the age of 69.
Co-creator and executive producer Eric Newman has revealed the reason behind the decision to cut Griselda’s full story short. “We had to show this is someone who cared about her children,” he explained to Variety. “So for us, I think the real loss is not her death many years later. It is the loss of the very thing she was trying to protect. Or that she thought she was trying to protect.”
He continued: “You know, we are all heroes in our own story, and she’s got an explanation –– not necessarily an excuse but an explanation –– for why she did what she did. But that is where the loss really hurts.”
“And we only had six episodes!” Vergara added.
Earlier this month, Blanco’s estate brought a lawsuit against Vergara and Netflix over the series.
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Alex Berry
NME
