By:  Anita Handy

Get ready for a wild ride, as we venture into the era of tape decks, Jerri Curls, and an unstoppable crack epidemic. Welcome to the summer of 1984, and the highly anticipated Season 3 premier of Snowfall. This season promises not to disappoint as we continue to follow the life of Franklin Saint (Damson Idris), a young street entrepreneur beginning to experience the perils of success.

Snowfall, the brainchild of John Singleton, Eric Amadio and Dave Andron, follows the unforgiving reality of the birth of crack cocaine, as it cuts through South Central Los Angeles, forever changing culture and leaving a path of destruction in its wake. In the shadows of the crack cocaine epidemic, Franklin is an aspiring kingpin working to capitalize on its ever-expanding popularity. While Sergeant Andre Wright, played by Marcus Henderson, has his sights set on bringing down Franklin and his people. Working in contrast to each other are local law enforcement and the CIA, as the police are working to suppress the flow of drugs, Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson) and the CIA are working hard to make sure the flow of cocaine into LA continues unscathed.

With the conclusion of Season 2, we were left on the edge of our seats as we saw the losses continue to mount. The characters are just beginning to understand the destructive force they have set in motion, while being forced to understand their motivations and the cost of continuing forward from here.

Looking ahead to Season 3, Damson explains that we find a Franklin that is more empowered and “hoping to run his business in a corporate manner” while trying to balance his relationship with family and law enforcement. We also find Leon, played by Isaiah John, manning up and coming into his own. Isaiah states that this season his character is “bossing up and maturing and becoming his own man” while still being Franklin’s right hand man.

We cannot talk about the upcoming season of Snowfall without mentioning the passing of Executive Producer John Singleton. “He was like a big brother” says Isaiah, as he recounts working under the legendary producer. Walter Mosley, the show’s Writer and Consultant, recounts that John [Singleton] was committed to “showing black people how they lived, where they lived and what they lived by”. What makes Snowfall unique is that is shows the real LA, the side of LA that no one sees.