Parents' Guide to

Snowfall

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Edgy show about the '80s crack epidemic is complex, mature.

TV FX Drama 2017
Snowfall Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 16+

Based on 4 parent reviews

PrettyChillDude
PrettyChillDude Adult
October 24, 2018
age 18+

Not OK for kids.

As a 25 year old male who really enjoys this series, it is important to note there are some major graphic scenes that can stick with a viewer. Two scenes in this series rank in my "Top 3 most disturbing" memories from cable TV or even any movie. One includes an excessive scene where a male character rapes another male to get information. Another includes a young female being cut apart in a bathtub. Both will haunt me for a while. This series is very good. However it is about how Crack Cocaine entered LA. The series is very real about the dangers of the drug scene and doesn't shy away from it. Just be aware that they are not going to sugar coat things. If you accept that fact, I really do hope you enjoy this awesome series. (I needed to balance out the review saying its a 5 star series for 5+ year olds)

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
Johan O.
Johan O. Parent of 9-year-old
April 26, 2023
age 18+
I checked on my iPad 10 I go on email and I see what FX posted me that was terrifying
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Co-created by Boyz n the Hood's John Singleton, SNOWFALL is a dramatic series about the rise of the crack cocaine epidemic in Southern California. It's 1983, and in South Central Los Angeles, recent high school graduate Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) wants to go from small-time marijuana dealer to major middleman for big-time gangster Avi Drexler (Alon Aboutboul). Meanwhile, dishonored CIA agent Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson) finds himself facing the drug war again when his dead friend is revealed to be part of a CIA-backed cocaine trade designed to fund the war in Nicaragua. While this is happening, Lucia Villanueva (Emily Rios) is trying to take over her family's cartel, and pulls washed-up wrestler and small-time thug Gustavo "El Oso" Zapata (Sergio Peris-Mecheta) into the fray. As each story develops, it tells a part of the complicated tale of crack's rise.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (1):

This edgy, complex series offers viewers a multifaceted look at what led to the devastating crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s. It sets the dark world of the drug trade in bright and sunny Los Angeles, and reveals the often complicated reasons people became involved. The cast lives by their individual codes of behavior that aren't always clear-cut or easy to judge. Nonetheless, most of the characters are indifferent to the negative consequences their actions inflict on others.

It can be harrowing to watch, especially when the young and intelligent Franklin, who John Singleton based on some of his own life experiences, continues his push into the excesses and violent exploits of big-time drug dealing. There are also some slow-moving moments, too. But Snowfall's interpretation of how crack cocaine rose to be one of the decade's biggest problems paints an entertainingly dramatic picture of a phenomenon that is neither simple to understand nor straightforward enough to resolve.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Snowfall portrays the drug trade during the 1980s. Do you think the amount of illegal drugs people buy and use has changed since then? How does the legalization of marijuana in some states influence the way people think about the drug trade today?

  • Lots of TV shows and movies feature people smoking marijuana, or doing harder drugs, without facing any consequences. Is this realistic? How do shows like Snowfall portray drug use?

  • What are the reasons that the people featured in Snowfall are involved in the drug trade? Are those reasons justifiable?

TV Details

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