# Snowfall (2017)

> A young man's rise through 1980s Los Angeles crack cocaine trade pulls his family and friends into a violent collision course.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/62575

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 60
- Episode runtime: 48 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Eric Amadio, Dave Andron, John Singleton
- Network: FX
- Cast: Damson Idris, Carter Hudson, Emily Rios, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Isaiah John
- TMDB rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6439752/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: graphic
- Tone: gritty, tense, urgent, bleak, propulsive

## What critics say

Audiences broadly acclaim Snowfall as a gripping, sprawling crime saga whose 1980s Los Angeles setting and character work carry it through uneven stretches.

## Synopsis

Snowfall (2017-2023) is an American crime drama series created by Eric Amadio, Dave Andron and John Singleton for FX. Damson Idris plays Franklin Saint, a young man in South Central Los Angeles who turns to the street drug trade and climbs the ranks of the crack cocaine market, while Carter Hudson plays Teddy McDonald, a CIA operative whose path crosses his. Angela Lewis plays Louanne Jones-Saint, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta plays Gustavo Zapata, a figure who complicates the criminal landscape. Set in 1980s Los Angeles during the infancy of the crack epidemic, the series follows numerous characters whose lives collide as an illicit market takes hold of their neighborhoods. Its engine is the tension between Franklin's ambition and the loyalties he leaves behind, along with the mounting danger of rival crews and federal scrutiny. The six-season run is a serialized, ensemble-driven story with multiple perspectives, told with a gritty, urgent register that balances violence with moments of family warmth. Its tone is heavy and propulsive, rooted in the textures of a city being reshaped by drugs. Fans of The Wire, Narcos and Power will find resonance in its portrait of institutional pressure, street hustle and a community caught in the storm.

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