Snowfall may have ended, but South Central’s saga is far from finished, and BOSSIP and Cassius are digging into a new decade of drama, gang culture, and West Coast beats by way of a good kid in a m.A.A.d city.
On the latest episode of The Black Watch, the brands’ editorial-led series that examines notable film and television projects through thoughtful discussion and cultural commentary, the panel unpacked The Drop: A Snowfall Saga, the spinoff that expands the universe created by the late John Singleton.
BOSSIP Managing Editor Dani Canada was joined by comedian Richard T. Jones, producer Serita Wesley, and Jeremie Rivers to discuss the premiere, Wanda and Leon’s return, the compelling crop of new characters, and whether The Drop has what it takes to build on Snowfall’s celebrated six-season run.
Set roughly four years after the events of the Snowfall series finale, The Drop reunites viewers with Wanda and Leon as they attempt to reinvent themselves in 1990s Los Angeles. The new series moves beyond the crack-era backdrop of its predecessor to explore a changing South Central shaped by gang culture and the rise of West Coast hip-hop.
For Richard, however, news of a return to the Snowfall universe wasn’t initially cause for celebration.
“When I first saw that they were going to do a Snowfall spinoff, I was actually very upset because I was like, ‘Leave it alone. Leave it alone. Leave it alone,’” he said.
After one episode, however, he reconsidered.
“To paraphrase the old church song, I am glad to be in the Snowfall universe one more time,” Richard joked.
Serita was similarly surprised that Wanda would be at the center of the new story, but the series’ leap into another era quickly piqued her interest.
“I’m so happy that it’s, like, ’90s and everything else,” she said. “That was the part for me that I was like, ‘Okay, all right.’”
Jeremie needed even less convincing.
“Hip-hop, West Coast, ’90s? I’m in,” he said.
The premiere puts Wanda front and center as she adjusts to life back in Los Angeles after returning from Ghana.
According to Richard, the character’s relentless drive makes her an ideal person to follow into the next chapter.
“Wanda’s a hustler. She been a hustler,” he said. “She wakes up hustling.”
He added that seeing her chase new dreams while still carrying the stigma of her past addiction “seems like a natural evolution of the character.”
Serita agreed, but admitted it was difficult watching Wanda repeatedly reminded of who she used to be.
“I felt for Wanda a little bit watching this first episode because I’m like, at what point do you start trusting the former crackhead?” she said. “Addiction is a sickness. When can we let it go?”
Dani agreed.
“It’s clear she’s cleaned herself up. She has a new job now. She’s trying to get into the music business, and they’re just like, ‘There go crackish Wanda! Here comes Cracky!’” Dani joked. “Give my girl some grace.”
That grace also comes, at least in part, from her ex Leon, who continues to see Wanda beyond her past.
But while Dani credited him for still having Wanda’s back, Richard said he’s unimpressed by Leon’s own history.
“I don’t like Leon. Leon’s a goddamn sociopath,” he declared.
One of Richard’s favorite moments in the premiere comes when Wanda and Leon sit on the hood of a car, and she forces him to face his own role in the devastation surrounding them, considering his previous drug dealing with Franklin Saint.
“Wanda breaks it down, and Wanda is like, ‘Look, you are directly responsible for our neighborhood being messed [up] right now. Not society, not the system, you,’” Richard said.
For him, it was an overdue dose of accountability for a character who participated in flooding his community with crack before eventually walking away.
“Leon gets away scot-free,” Richard added. “You have ruined an entire community, and you just get to walk away.”
While Wanda and Leon provide the bridge to Snowfall, The Drop is already assembling its own crew.
The premiere introduces Lamar, played by Asante Blackk; his brother James, portrayed by Peyton Alex Smith; and Artillery, played by Compton rapper Buddy.
Dani said she was intrigued by Lamar, while the rest of the panel weighed in on the cast members.
“Peyton surprised the hell out of me,” Richard said. “When that man sat down at that piano and played the piano, I was not expecting that as part of his character at all.”
For Richard, James’ decision to ride for his younger brother despite the danger surrounding him added another layer.
“At that point, Peyton’s character, the piano plus riding for his little brother, after that I was like, ‘This man could do no wrong.’”
Jeremie was similarly impressed by how quickly the premiere establishes James’ priorities.
“You gotta remember, he’s a Crip. He’s going into Blood territory, but he’s thinking about his brother,” he said. “He’s not thinking about gang culture. This is family.”
“To see the character principles already being established and layered in the first episode, you’re like, ‘Okay, yeah, Peyton, he gonna be all right,’” he added.
Asante’s Lamar also made a strong first impression, particularly during a tense sequence in which he attempts to make it home safely.
“I had massive anxiety watching that scene of Lamar trying to get home,” Serita said, praising Asante as an actor whose characters make viewers instinctively want to root for him.
The pursuit also inspired one of the episode’s less scholarly observations when Serita wondered why the Crips chasing Lamar were running “fast as hell.”
“The athletic Crips,” the panel joked.
“The ACLU, Athletic Crips of Los Angeles,” Dani quipped.
“They need their own Olympics,” Serita added.
But Could Franklin Saint Come Crashing Back?
As promising as the new characters may be, The Drop still exists in a universe indelibly linked to Damson Idris’ captivating portrayal of Franklin Saint.
And Dani couldn’t help wondering whether the former kingpin could eventually come stumbling back into Wanda and Leon’s lives.
“Would you be surprised if Wanda and Leon are out somewhere, walking around, and they stumble into the now kind of crackish Franklin Saint?” Dani asked. “I would love it.”
Richard was immediately ready for Franklin to make a potentially chaotic cameo.
“I would love that too,” he said, joking, “Franklin gonna break into Wanda’s car or something.”
“He would be an idiot to not come back,” Richard added.
Jeremie suggested there’s also room for the character to return in a much different condition than viewers last saw him.
“If Wanda could get clean, Franklin could get clean if it’s been four years,” he said.
