Controversial new Netflix series Griselda has received mixed initial reviews ahead of its global release on January 25th.
Sofia Vergara, 51, plays Miami's “cocaine godmother” Griselda Blanco in the six-part series – which tells the story of how Blanco's legendary rule paved the way for Colombia's most notorious cartel.
But while Vergara was praised for her portrayal of Blanco, the series was criticized by critics for its “pacing issues,” “bad” scenes and “monotonous” supporting characters.
Hollywood Reporter critic Daniel Fienberg writes, “As dramatically flimsy as Griselda becomes, Vergara makes it worth watching.” The hardest-working member of the Modern Family cast, she has consistently taken Gloria from walking stereotype to complicated Punchline machine raised, but never won an Emmy.
“Vergara, an executive producer here, deserves full credit for unveiling a whole new set of serious tricks.”
Controversial new Netflix series Griselda – starring Sofia Vergara – has received mixed early reviews
“She never makes Griselda quite as frightening as the real woman – an opening quote from Pablo Escobar admitting he's afraid of her makes it particularly odd that Escobar isn't even used as a supporting character – but she pinpoints Griselda's insecurities and her mind,” even beneath the layers of makeup.
“What keeps it from being a truly great performance is the lack of a worthy scene partner, although co-stars Vanessa Ferlito and José Zúñiga have one or two scenes where they come close.”
Further criticism was leveled at “one-note characters” such as Martin Rodriguez's Rivi and Maximiliano Hernández's Papo.
“Loud and Clear” critic Clotilde Chinnici gave the series two and a half stars out of five, focusing on the series' character development and pacing – but praised Vergara's acting as “magnetic.”
The review states: “While there is clearly a lot at stake in Griselda, some of the conflicts sometimes feel a bit contrived and overly dramatized in order to advance the plot.” So is the motivation of the characters and their development, such as Darío and Ever Griselda in the last two episodes, not always clear and often rushed.
“I found the overall problem with Griselda to be a pacing problem. Some storylines are introduced and dropped too quickly for me to really care or have time to understand their implications, particularly in the second half of the season, which ultimately detracts from the sense of danger and menace that Griselda is constantly under seems to be suffering.
“The episode structure doesn't help either, as it always follows the same formula, with a slow start and a stakes-taking cliffhanger, and therefore becomes quite predictable by the end of the show.”
The review praised Vergara, adding, “Thanks to Sofia Vergara's magnetic acting, Griselda always remains the sole focus in every single scene she appears in.” Although Griselda is the main character of the series and the story we see in the series, was re-dramatized, I felt like the series left me wanting more. “Her character development seems rushed at times and her motives are too unclear at the end of the Netflix show.”
Sofia Vergara, 51, stars in the six-part series as Miami's “cocaine godmother” Griselda Blanco – telling the story of how Blanco's legendary rule paved the way for Colombia's most notorious cartel
Star Tribune critic Neal Justin called Vergara's performance “groundbreaking” and predicted she would win an Emmy for the role.
The review states: “Sofía Vergara became famous for playing a Charo clone on Modern Family, making fun of her cartoonish physique and mangling the English language.” Her future as a Colombian cuchi-cuchi star seemed closed. But the first look can be deceiving.
“It's worth noting that Charo is actually a brilliant flamenco guitarist.” And Vergara can do a lot more than just act like she's into Ed O'Neill. The proof is “Griselda,” a powerful new series streaming on Netflix starting Thursday.
It's the story of real-life drug lord Griselda Blanco, who controlled much of Miami's cocaine market in the 1980s. Vergara uses wigs, fake teeth and fake eyebrows to sell her transformation into a dramatic actress.
“But it's her cold-blooded ferocity that really convinces viewers that she's strayed far from the sitcom world.” She's at her best in the second half of the six episodes, as her addiction to coke and power leads to her downfall leads. She thinks she's Michael Corleone, but she's actually Tony Montana.
“There's a compelling B-story about a detective (Juliana Aidén Martinez) who seems to be the only cop in Florida who refuses to underestimate Blanco.” But that's Vergara's showcase. Don’t be surprised if she gives a lot of acceptance speeches come awards season.”
But while Vergara was praised for her portrayal of Blanco, the series was criticized by critics for its “pacing issues,” “bad” scenes and “monotonous” supporting characters
Roger Ebert critic Cristina Escobar also gave the series two and a half stars and branded the series an “empty vessel”: “Anyone who enjoyed Narcos and Sons of Anarchy will find superficial but overall enough entertainment here.” Social commentary or insights in the state of Latinidad, it is an empty vessel.
“Ultimately, Griselda is a high that wears you out a little.”
Variety critic Aramide Tinubu praised the high-octane drama, writing: “The show is fast-paced and well-acted, brutal, fascinating and full of drama.” “It all begins with a brave escape.”
“Martín Rodríguez's performance as Jorge 'Rivi' Ayala-Rivera, a top hitter in Miami, is one of the most compelling portrayals of a criminal mastermind on television in recent memory.”
“Smooth, unpredictable and sensual, he has an unsettling presence that anchors audiences in the era and super-specific world.”
This comes as it emerged that Vergara is being sued by the estate of GBlanco, who want to block the new Netflix series over the alleged “unauthorized use of her family's image and likeness.”
One critic said: “Martín Rodríguez's role as Jorge 'Rivi' Ayala-Rivera, a top hitter in Miami, is one of the most fascinating portrayals of a criminal mastermind to appear on television in recent memory.”
Vergara, who was beaten by the son of “cocaine godmother” Blanco, stars in the series, which tells the story of how Blanco's legendary rule paved the way for Colombia's most notorious cartel.
A lawsuit obtained by TMZ and filed by Blanco's adult children, representing her estate, names Vergara and Netflix as defendants. The estate is suing both parties over what they claim is the unauthorized use of their family's image and likeness in this upcoming series.
The series is scheduled to be released on January 25th – but the family is trying to block publication and has asked a judge for an injunction.
Giselda's son, Michael Corleone Blanco, claims he spent years conducting interviews to put his and his mother's life story on paper in hopes of turning it into a production.
A lawsuit obtained by TMZ and filed by Blanco's adult children, representing her estate, names Vergara and Netflix as defendants. The estate is suing both parties over what they claim is the unauthorized use of their family's image and likeness in this upcoming series (pictured: Michael Corleone Blanco – Griselda's son)
He claims that these interviews dated back to 2009 and continued until 2022.
He claims the unnamed parties wanted to develop the story into a book – and said they told him they would begin shopping for it in Hollywood in 2016
He claims they pitched it to a producer before meeting with Netflix and claims he was then told Netflix was interested but didn't want to use any of the information from the interviews he conducted.
Michael says he has now learned that the new Griselda show contains many of his anecdotes and material – and says he has not been paid.
He and his siblings claim that Netflix stole their family history and incorporated it into the plot of their show – with the children claiming that using their own images and likenesses in the show without their permission violated their rights.
has contacted representatives for Vergara and Netflix for comment.
This comes after Michael spoke exclusively to about his anger and disappointment that Sofia and her team rejected his offer to consult on the project.
He called the rejection a “slap in the face” – and said they “wouldn't have gotten away with it” if his mother were still alive.