By Juan Markos
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 09/23/2026
We all know about Franklin’s fate. It’s been three years since the last episode of Snowfall, where we witnessed Franklin hit rock bottom. In the final episode, he lost his $73 million fortune and found himself living on the streets, resembling his deadbeat father drinking his life away. For those who might not know, I’m referring to FX’s Snowfall, which had a six-season run created by John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron. The show is set in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1986 and explores the chaotic crack cocaine epidemic, its inception and origins, and its disturbing ties to the CIA.
The narrative follows young kingpin Franklin Saint (played by Damson Idris), CIA operative Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson), a luchador enforcer, and a cartel heiress, illustrating how their lives intersect and contribute to the destruction of Black Americans while funding a Nicaraguan war. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend adding it to your watch-list.
For those of us who have watched it and often think about what happened to the characters, The Drop: A Snowfall Saga just premiered on FX on September 8th, and I’m already hooked. However, this spin-off isn’t Franklin’s story; it focuses on those who survived the rise and fall of Franklin Saint’s crack cocaine empire.
Set in 1990s Los Angeles, the spin-off highlights the emergence of West Coast rap, centering around returning characters Leon and Wanda, played by Isaiah John and Gail Bean. Created by Malcolm Spellman, the series stars Gail Bean, Isaiah John, Asante Blackk, Peyton Alex Smith, and Simmie “Buddy” Sims III.
In episode one, we see Wanda Bell carving a new, clean life path in the music industry, banking on a new rapper named “Artillery” and her cousin, producer Lamar. However, she quickly finds herself entangled once again in street culture, gang wars, and the challenges of establishing a record label. I’m instantly hooked and have thought about Wanda over the years. In Snowfall, we witnessed her transformation from a good girl to struggling with addiction, but she ultimately managed to pull herself out and move to Africa to start anew.
I’m truly excited to see her pursuing her dreams and living her life. Be sure to watch The Drop: A Snowfall Saga and Snowfall , both available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+. And new episodes of The Drop: A Snowfall Saga are dropping every Tuesday.
