A scene from season 5 of 'Snowfall' on FX

A scene from season 5 of 'Snowfall' on FX

Why 'Snowfall' Became a Sleeper Hit For FX

The '80s crime drama 'Snowfall' has quietly become one of the most popular shows on FX. As season 5 begins, here's a look at why.

Snowfall isn’t an easy show to Google.

That’s one explanation as to why the most-watched show on FX in 2021 still seems to fly so low under the cultural radar. With the premiere of the show's fifth season (Wed. Feb. 23, at 10pm ET), Snowfall is becoming a lot harder to ignore. A dramatized take on a budding crack cocaine empire in 1980s Los Angeles, it's been hailed as one of the best crime dramas on TV.

Here are three reasons why Snowfall has become a can't-miss show. To watch season 5 on Sling TV, use the link at the bottom of this page.

Getting Franklin

https://www.youtube.com/embed/C45FHE3ekxw

The first time we see Franklin Saint in season 5, he’s flying his plane high above L.A. The metaphor works both within the story, and outside of it; more than ever, Franklin, played by Damson Idris, is the charismatic center of the show. As he and his new girlfriend Veronique (Devyn A. Tyler) try to move further into the realm of legitimate business, the stakes only grow higher in season 5. Idris—a British actor who absolutely nails the specific vocal lilt you hear in some south central natives—does a great job of modulating Franklin’s demeanor as he moves between his various interests and contacts, but his weary, shifting eyes betray someone always looking for an angle.

What’s Right is Writing

https://www.youtube.com/embed/wvR_kDJ1pLw

Snowfall does a great job of balancing character development with a well-paced story that never drags. The first episode of the new season is a great example. It quickly establishes where the characters are now at after the stunning events of the season 4 finale, while telling its own smaller story within the confines of the episode. It also does a great job of using an actual event to illuminate the larger cultural context of the season, which brings us to…

Keeping it Real

https://www.youtube.com/embed/9qPNtQVkJok

Much of what sets Snowfall apart from other crime dramas is the specificity of its setting. The late John Singleton, the show’s co-creator, came up in the same place and time, and laced the show with specific period details that have been well-chronicled in early gangsta rap records by Ice T., N.W.A., and others (as well as Singleton’s own masterpiece Boyz n the Hood).

But the show also uses real events to add layers to its story. This is evident not only in the plot involving the C.I.A. operatives who helped ignite the crack epidemic, but also individual historical events, like the tragic overdose of No. 2 NBA draft pick Len Bias. His death is depicted in the opening scene of season 5, and it’s not only a chilling reminder of the consequences of drug use (a subject the show has never shied away from), but the larger attention soon coming to the trade itself. Come to think of it, the sudden focus on something that’s been popping-off for a minute is good symbolism for Snowfall itself; much like The Wire, it's an overlooked show that seems destined to grow in popularity and acclaim.

New episodes of Snowfall air Wednesdays at 10pm ET on FX. To subscribe to Sling Blue with FX, hit the link below.

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