Is Snowfall based on a true story? Here’s what you need to know about the FX crime drama

Snowfall is not based on a true story but is indeed backed by research on real events that have shaped the narrative, especially the early 1980s crack epidemic in Los Angeles. The show blends some real historical events and economic reasons behind the crack epidemic and how it affected the communities. Therefore, we can say that the world it builds blends some reality, but the characters are entirely fictional. The storyline is also invented for drama.

The show isn't any confirmed history but has drawn some inspiration from real events for the sake of realism. Franklin Saint is fictional but inspired by the creator John Singleton's experience in Black L.A. neighborhoods, and the real drug dealers from the era. Read on to know more about the world and characters of Snowfall.

Is Snowfall based on a true story? Here’s what we know

Franklin Saint is the main character in the FX show Snowfall. The character is fictional and has no resemblance to history. His family, his rise in the drug world, and many surrounding plotlines are created for the show. Therefore, it would be wrong to see Snowfall as some biography of a real drug kingpin.

The historical backdrop, to an extent, is, as mentioned, inspired by real events that history actually mentions. This includes the early 1980s, the Crack Epidemic. Crack cocaine appeared in major US cities like LA, New York, and Miami around the early 1980s. The price of powdered cocaine dropped by about 80% and that is when crack was created to make more profit out of it. Crack was cheap to make and sell, and was also highly addictive. History suggests that this hit the Black communities hardest because of the economic and racial realities of that time.

L.A. had racial segregation and discriminatory housing policies where Black families were concentrated in lower-income neighborhoods. Therefore, these areas became the first targets of drug dealers. This is why the addiction spread more among Blacks.

With the rise of crack, many local dealers also emerged, the ones who were dealing to survive. This resulted in more gun violence and more arrests, and policing pressure on the community. Therefore, this shows that though the characters are fictional, the socio-economic and political environment Snowfall creates is rooted in real history.

Snowfall depicts the alleged involvement of the CIA in the epidemic, reflecting upon the conspiracy theory that existed

The show also depicts some controversial angles of the epidemic. It questions the involvement of the CIA in the crisis. The San Jose Mercury's news reports in 1996 claim that the CIA allowed Nicaraguan Contra rebels to smuggle and sell cocaine in Los Angeles. The money from that cocaine was allegedly used to fund the Contra war in Nicaragua.

Mercury's report caused a huge national uproar when it came out. However, the newspaper had to later withdraw the report, and the CIA denied its involvement.

In the FX show, the CIA agent McDonald, played by Carter Hudson, is seen funneling drug money to rebels and helping the trade to grow. Therefore, the show has chosen to keep up with the conspiracy theories of the times. This is fiction, but it also reflects a longtime belief about what happened during the epidemic.

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