‘Snowfall’: Damson Idris Previews Franklin’s Season 5 Storyline
It’s down to the final days until the return of Snowfall, the FX series chronicling the rise of the crack cocaine trade in 1980s Los Angeles. Damson Idris leads the TV show as Franklin Saint, a college dropout who starts as a weed dealer and rises to become a major player in the industry. Five seasons in, he’s more powerful and wealthier than he’s ever been. But, as Idris notes, all good things must come to an end. Here’s what to expect in Snowfall Season 5 from the actor himself.
‘Snowfall’ Season 5 is a new time for Franklin
Set to premiere on Wednesday, Feb. 23, the fifth season of Snowfall finds Franklin enjoying a lot of wins but also facing various obstacles. Co-creator Dave Andron told Gold Derby it jumps forward a bit “into the meat of 1986 when the violence was really ramping up, when you really started to feel the full militarization of the LAPD, when the War on Drugs was on its way to reaching its apex.”
“And then this kind of pop culture explosion that was brimming in South Central — the rise of gangster rap and you had ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and those things getting ready to drop and blow up. It’s a huge sea change moment for the neighborhood,” he continued.
“And so without getting into too much character stuff, I will just say from the standpoint of history and kind of where we are in the arc of this thing, it’s a really exciting time for us to plop our characters into and see what happens,” Andron added.
Idris on what happens to Franklin in ‘Snowfall’ Season 5
Idris spoke more about the upcoming season in an interview with BlackTreeTV. He noted that, after dealing with so many different challenges and roadblocks over the years, viewers will finally get to see Franklin on the other side.
“He’s been through it all,” he said of the character. “He’s been beat up, shot, robbed, been to jail. We wanted to get to a place where he was finally going to start enjoying what he worked so hard for, and this season, we explore that.”
“We jump 15 months ahead since he put the cane down and so he has a baby on the way, he’s living in a penthouse, he’s enjoying the fruits of his labor,” Idris continued. “He has almost $100 million, which is crazy in 1986. So I think we’re going to see a joyful side to Franklin this year, but you know, all great things and happy things must come to an end.”
The fifth season to introduce new characters into the mix
In addition to Idris, the cast of Snowfall Season 5 features the usual Angela Lewis (Aunt Louie), Amin Joseph (Jerome Saint), Isaiah John (Leon Simmons), Michael Hyatt (Cissy Saint), Carter Hudson (Teddy McDonald),
Sergio Peris-Mencheta (Gustavo “El Oso” Zapata), DeRay Davis (Peaches), and Gail Bean (Wanda Bell), among others.
There are also several new characters in Snowfall Season 5, including Franklin’s latest love interest. As one of our favorite Internet crushes, Idris expects some side-eye toward his new relationship. But, he said: “Hopefully, you guys don’t hate the relationship too much.”
Check out Snowfall Season 5 on FX starting on Feb. 23 at 10 p.m. ET.
