“Trash men didn't get my trash today.
Oh, why?
Because they want more pay.
Buses on strike, want a raise in fare.
So they can help pollute the air.”
These lyrics open the first episode of FX’s primetime hit show Snowfall’s third season. This first verse from “People Make The World Go Round”, the timeless song by The Stylistics, is very pertinent and ties directly into the show itself. The trash men have gone on strike in order to get higher pay, which they most certainly deserve. However, this results in no one getting the trash and the neighborhoods stinking and attracting pests. The bus drivers have also gone on strike, again deservedly so. But while they do an important job, more buses being driven causes higher rates of pollution. These issues that cause an internal moral tug of war also make up the basis of Franklin Saint’s character. Franklin is the main character in Snowfall and over the course of three seasons, we see Franklin grow from being a young student and small-time marijuana seller to raking in millions of dollars selling cocaine and eventually crack. Numerous trials and tribulations face our young protagonist and his loved ones, including a violent but short stint in jail! However, as of the third season, Franklin is back on top. And what does that mean for everyone else? Franklin’s friend and right-hand-man Leon is coming into his own as an adult and innovative businessman. Franklin’s mother is able to pursue her own business ventures. And Franklin’s uncle and his uncle’s girlfriend have the means to fund their own dreams and help Franklin maintain his business.
But Franklin’s continued success also means something else…
It means that more people are becoming addicted to the drugs he sells. It means more parents are not doing their best taking care of their children. More predators able to take advantage of the vulnerable. More opportunities for police brutality in black and brown communities. And higher rates of incarceration instead of rehabilitation. There is a very powerful scene in the second episode where local cop Andre Wright walks up on a suspected drug deal in action, causing the drug dealer to flee in his car. Rather than escape possible arrest, the young woman buying the drugs is so focused on getting her fix that she jumps into the moving car, grabs the drugs she was seeking, and falls out onto the road. Fearing for her safety, Wright immediately runs to her aide only to find she is satiated regardless of any physical injury, as she was able to receive her drugs. Her addiction, pain, and desperation is directly connected to Franklin’s success. So which side do we focus on?
Both.
A habit we have in our society is to separate various issues as though they are not connected, even when it is irresponsible to do so. Very few things exist as absolutes and that includes people and the systems that both create and impact them. It is true that Franklin’s success and that of his friends and family makes the viewers rooting for him happy. I was excited to see someone who was so oppressed and put upon, both in his daily life and systemically as a poor black man, beat the system and rise to a better position. But it is also true that Franklin’s actions further a horrible disease that impacts numerous people and their families right in his own community. We see these same dichotomies in real life as well. Many of us know people who do things that while beneficial to them, brings harm to others. We post “Free them!” when a loved one is incarcerated and it is a genuine and heartfelt sentiment. No one wants to see someone they care about in a tough spot, especially when we know the harsh situations many have gone through that led them to where they are. That being said, we cannot disregard any pain they have caused other people either.
What does this mean? What is this indicative of? I think Snowfall, in addition to being an entertaining show full of talented actors, is a lens into our own lives and asks us to redefine how we view good and bad. Is a person automatically beyond saving if they do something bad? What about repeated bad acts? What if they help people, such as their mom, uncle, and best friend just as much as they harm others? And what makes someone bad anyway: their actions or their character? One of the best parts of entertainment, especially television shows and movies, is being able to look at other stories and their worlds and find commonality in those stories. Snowfall does a great job of telling a relatable story. We all know a Leon: loyal, encouraging, and a defender. We all know a Cissy: a matriarch, caretaker, and protector of their loved ones. And we all know a Franklin: someone who has struggled their entire life and through hard work has managed better for themselves and the ones around them.
But we also all know an addict. Someone looking for a release and escape, taken advantage of by another person just trying to make some extra money. All these aspects of life are true and by examining Snowfall and comparing it to the real-life society that inspired the show, we are forced to confront these truths, however painful they may be, equally and at the same time.
Snowfall, created and executive produced by the late John Singleton, airs every Wednesday at 10 p.m. on FX.
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