By the time the curtain falls on Netflix’sGriselda, the show scrupulously establishes that the undying affinity to power could lead to greater tragedies than the journey to attaining that power in the first place. Griselda Blanco (Sofia Vergara, ofModern Familyfame) leads a crusade to the top of Miami’s drug business in the fourth episode, “Middle Management,” without blinking an eye at the amount of bloodshed it costs. The series' penultimate episode, “Paradise Lost,” quickly follows with the next phase in the story of the Godmother’s meteoric rise and fall. Despite following an episode that includes beheaded bodies and a ruthless avatar of the drug queen,“Paradise Lost” proves to be the most brutal of the lot without any expected violence and gore. Instead, there are only the beginnings of the chaos that ends up eventually consuming Blanco and her family.
Fleeing from Medellín to Miami, Griselda Blanco creates one of the most ruthless cartels in history.
“Paradise Lost” Sees Griselda Losing Control for the First Time
Providing a close perspective on the consequences of paranoia rooted in the unwillingness to yield power gained after a hard-fought battle, “Paradise Lost” witnesses Griselda relinquishing control. The four episodes preceding Episode 5 set up Vergara’s character on a journey in which she transforms from somebody trying to find her ground in an unwelcoming place to becoming the reigning queen of everything living and breathing in Miami. Up until Episode 4,she appears to be in control of the situation no matter the nature of the challenge in front of her, allowing the character to survive despite the odds.In “Paradise Lost,” however, Griselda starts losing control of her surroundingsand herself for the first time in her journey, as a consequence of her certainty in what she believes to be true — something which has only rewarded her up until this point.
As her ally throughout her ruthless climb,Alberto Guerra’s Dario is the first one to notice that Griselda has started loving the adrenaline rush provided by the pursuit of power. Upon finding out that Griselda is pregnant, Dario tries to warn her of the consequences lest she continue the chase without paying heed to the accompanying cost. Griselda ultimately fails to realize that her lust for power will also end up damaging her in ways she wouldn’t realize.In Episode 5, the beginning of the end is marked for Griseldaby her unwillingness to accept that she cannot control everything no matter how much she tries. As a result, June Hawkins' (Juliana Aidén Martinez) assessment of Griselda’s psyche turns out to be correct right when June realizes that the best way to make Griselda commit a mistake is to place her in the realm of the unknown. After working out the location of one of Griselda’s stash houses, June indirectly leads Griselda to believe that a mole in her organization has leaked the location of the stash house. As a result, even the most trusted ones around the Godmother find themselves in the shadow of Griselda’s suspicion.
Griselda Cements Her Own Downfall in “Paradise Lost”
Those feelings of doubt seeded deep inside Griselda’s mind take complete control of her body and mind, sending the queen of Miami down a path where she starts doubting the ones who helped her achieve her goals. As a result,Griselda’s paranoia takes over in “Paradise Lost,” resulting in an ugly scene at Dario’s birthday party where she ends up humiliating Fabio Ochoa (Christian Gnecco-Quintero) under the influence of a heavy dosage of drugs — of all kinds.
Not only does Griselda end up converting her allies into her enemies just in one night, but her confidants also abandon her inner circle when she questions their good intentions and advice after facing her weakest moment in ages. The most lethal of missteps becomes Griselda’s attempt at killing her old friend Carmen (Vanessa Ferlito), who luckily survives the night. However,Griselda’s mistake leads Carmen to reach out to Juneas a confidential informant when she realizes that it’s time to part ways with her old friend.
“Paradise Lost” Foreshadows ‘Griselda’s Ultimate Climax
The aftermath of the episode also showcases the cascading effect of Griselda’s past actions. Unknowingly,Griselda starts a fire at the foundation of her empire that will soon consume everything she has built. “Paradise Lost,” beautiful and vulgar at the same time, captures the harsh truth of a ceaseless pursuit for power. Quite poetically, it presents how Griselda carved her rise as well as her own fall.
According to series co-creatorEric Newman, the show’s ending skips the real figure’s death because, by the time the curtain falls on the character’s story, Griselda had already reached a point where capturing her death would only dilute the distressing nature of her eventual fate. Despite managing to cheat the Ochoas and winning a limited sentence in the finale, “Adios, Miami,”Griselda ends up losing everything — her power, her money, and most importantly, her family. Just days before Griselda’s release from prison, three of her four sons are killed brutally by her rivals. It turns out that even her beloved children couldn’t escape the fate that was sealed by her actions.
In more ways than one,Griselda’s penultimate becomes the climax of the story when its lead ends up sealing her fate. The events that follow in the actual season finale only serve the purpose of laying out the facts. Although Griselda meets her end much later than the events of “Paradise Lost,“it’s the one fateful night when the gruesometruth of her journeyis revealed. In the episode prior,Christian Tappan’s Arturo, who meets an unfortunate and devastating demise at its conclusion, points out the intoxicating nature of power. Ultimately, an intoxicated Griselda fails to differentiate between the truths and lies intrinsic to the world that surrounds her — possibly because they are the two sides of the same coin that initially landed in her favor to make her the queenof Miami.
