'Snowfall' season 3 premiere: Here's where we left Franklin Saint after last season's finale
Franklin Saint wanted to avoid a gang war in Los Angeles and so he made a tough decision. He shot his best friend, Kevin Hamilton, who lost his life. He sacrificed his best friend for peace in the neighborhood and was punished with an enlightening time in prison. Franklin, who was a confident, young man who knew the ins and outs of his business cowers in fear as he finds himself lined up with other convicts in jail before being patted down by the police.
He sees many like him, many black men. He also sees others, men who are seasoned prisoners and all he can do is keep his eyes open, try not to be intimidated and work out a plan. He begins working towards getting bail but is denied because of the prosecutor's claims of him being a flight risk. With DEA agent as a witness, it looks like his fate is sealed as he is transferred to a prison.
The episode titled 'Education' teaches Franklin a lesson he would probably never forget. To not just stand up for himself, but to make his position as the person in control very clear; even if this means threatening his nemesis and using violence to ensure he has to be feared. The anxiety, fear and uncertainty Franklin feels are portrayed not just through actor Damson Idris' brilliant performance, but also through a visual palette of dark blue, greys and fade out shots in the episode.
Amid getting rebuked by his uncle Jerome and friend Leon for putting up with Ray-Ray's beating in prison, facing his mother's worst fear come true and his estranged father, it begins to dawn on him that action needs to be taken. He begins by claiming the shoes taken from him by another prison mate, then follows this up with walking up to Ray-Ray to tell him that if he or his men were to lay hands on him again, it would not be good for his family outside and finally, he gets Aunt Louie to talk to Reed Thompson (the undercover CIA agent Teddy) to get him out of this increasingly frustrating situation.
After the DEA agent is convinced by Reed to give up on this arrest among other things to bring down the entire drug operation in Los Angeles in the future, Franklin finds himself to be a free man. Not just that, he is ready to begin business again.
He is certain that this is the only reason why Reed even helped him find a way out of the prison and he has also realized Reed is not the man he claims to be. He appreciates the help, but he is not going to twiddle his thumbs while Reed makes grand plans. Franklin is making plans of his own. He did tell his mother Cissy Saint he will give up everything if it means he can stay with her, but he is also certain prison is not for him.
At the end of the episode, Franklin thinks Mr. Reed Thompson likely works for the government, and this leads him to the conclusion that he is working for the government now as well. What Franklin cannot understand is where that leaves his business and him in the grand scheme of things and what he will do in season 3, which is set to premiere tonight at 10 p.m. on FX.
The premiere will give us an idea about what Franklin plans to achieve by collaborating with a man who works for the government. The same government headed by Richard Nixon that is cracking its whip on drug-lords.