Pilot is the first episode of the the first season of Snowfall. It is the first episode overall and the series premier.
Outline
South Central street entrepreneur Franklin Saint takes a leap into the cocaine game. Disgruntled CIA officer Teddy McDonald allies with a Contra soldier. Luchador wrestler Gustavo Zapata makes inroads with a Mexican cartel family.
Summary[]
Franklin[]
The show begins on June 14, 1983 in Compton, a neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles, where some kids run up to the ice cream truck and while the driver is distracted serving the children, a couple of kids snatch some candy and start running while being tailed by the driver. The kids are stopped by Franklin Saint as he recovers the stolen candy and returns the merchandise to the ice cream truck driver. His friends Leon Simmons and Kevin Hamilton witness him recover the merchandise give him a bit of a hard time about it, reminding him of how they used to steal candy as kids. Franklin states to them the kids have to learn, and that ain't how America work.
Gustavo[]
Franklin and his friends attend a wrestling match where they watch his favorite wrestler and aspiring luchador Gustavo "El Oso" Zapata face his opponent in a single match. Also attending the match is Pedro Nava and his cousin, Lucia Villanueva, who catches Gustavo's Eye. El Oso winds up losing the match by way of pinfall. After the match, Gustavo meets Pedro and Lucia outside. Pedro brags about the beating Gustavo received even though Lucia knew it was just a scripted show he was putting on, regardless of some of the bruises he was given. Franklin discovers him talking to Pedro and Lucia and requests his autograph. Lucia provides Gustavo a pencil and he obliges as he signs the flier Franklin hands him. Shortly after Franklin leaves satisfied, Pedro and Lucia begin to talk business with Gustavo, and sweetens the deal with a full time position in the Cartel.
Alejandro[]
At the mansion, Alejandro Usteves holds a small party with CIA agent Logan Miller and three ladies. We see Alejandro with a young woman named Kristen Grelli whom he began making out with, along with scenes of her snorting lines of coke, and some swimming pool action, while Logan is with Jess and Andrea during an explicit scene. While Alejandro and Kristen are relaxing in the living room, Logan is getting a straw of cocaine blown into his ass. Logan yells out to Alejandro about how he needs to 'Try this shit!' Kristen heads to the other room, and as Alejandro snorts a line, there is a scream from the other room. He discovers Logan in the ground with massive nasal bleeding and foam spewing from his mouth. Kristin and the other girls become frightened of seeing Logan as he's OD'd. Kristen begs for Alejandro to call and ambulance. He does nothing. Kristen demands him on the spot to call an ambulance once more. Instead, he just stands there, causing her frustration as she runs to the other room. He then looks back into the direction she ran to.
Teddy[]
We see Teddy as he wakes up in his apartment, takes a shower, chows on leftover Chinese takeout, and leaves for work at a place called Aero Services Aviation. Teddy is in his cubicle attempting to call someone when Alejandro approaches him. Alejandro tells Teddy he is a friend of Logan's. Teddy notices a spot of blood on his shirt collar while Alejandro suggests coming to Teddy whenever there was a problem upon Logan's recommendation. Teddy slowing opens his desk drawer with his service weapon inside while speaking to Alejandro. Alejandro then requests Teddy to take a ride with him. Teddy continues to creep his hand toward the weapon. Alejandro then suggested he could bring the gun with him if it made him comfortable. Teddy obliges by taking his sidearm and follows Alejandro out.
Franklin[]
Franklin arrives at his Uncle Jeromes home where he and his friends are outside lifting weights. Jerome suggests Franklin to beef up knowing how scrawny he was. They enter the home where Franklin's Aunt Louie is in the living room watching her stories. Both Jerome and Franklin give her a little nonsense about watching a soap opera while beginning their business of weighing and bagging the reefer. A woman named Debra approaches the front door demanding Jerome's attention and refuses to leave. Jerome continues to ignore her while Louie is losing her mind not being able to listen to her stories. Debra continues to berate Jerome as he demands she leave his property. Jerome then calls for Louie to get rid of her. As her stories roll into a commercial, Louie gets up and exits the house where she attacks Debra and throws her around outside. Franklin and Jerome watches as Louie beats on Debra, turning Jerome on.
Teddy[]
Teddy arrives at the mansion with Alejandro and discovers Logan dead from overdose. Still lacking any trust, Teddy draws his sidearm on Alejandro and orders him to place his hands upon his head. Alejandro then tells Teddy they were celebrating, but Teddy demands to know why he didn't call an ambulance. Alejandro leads Teddy outside where he flips a switch to open the hot tub and reveals a massive cocaine stash inside. Alejandro tells Teddy it's why he didn't call 911. At the diner, Alejandro explains why Logan suggested bringing Teddy on, reminding him he's a patriot and despises communism. Teddy still refused to believe that Logan would be involved in the cocaine game. Alejandro then brings up how the U.S. government came to his country, and trained them for war. He then told Teddy how there are soldiers in the jungles waiting on food and medicine, and they will die should he fail. Alejandro once again pleads for Teddy's aid, because he needed the support of the CIA.
Franklin[]
Franklin is at home bagging up grams of reefer until his mother arrives home from work. He hides all his equipment inside a sound system. Cissy is in the kitchen seeing macaroni and cheese made and Franklin greets her. Franklin discovers her blouse ripped and asked how that happened. Cissy tells Franklin not to worry about it but he refuses to leave it. Cissy then speaks to Franklin about his work at Cho's. She then gets a call from her boss about a tenant they were evicting. Franklin, hearing the conversation, wasn't too impressed with the way she was talking with him. Franklin then heads off, but hugs his mother before departing. Cissy then enters her bedroom where she removes a revolver and cash from her work case and places them in her dresser. The next day, Franklin steps outside with a bowl of cereal and discovers his neighbor Melody Wright on her front porch while Leon passed up her home with a stereo playing One Way's Cutie Pie. Her father Andre Wright exits his home and chastises Leon over the music, as Leon approaches Franklin. Both Franklin and Leon take a bus to the Valley while Leon continues to blast his stereo, and when a passenger asked Leon to turn down the music, he does the opposite and turns it up. The boys arrive at a mansion in the hills where they are greeted by Rob Volpe, an old high school classmate of Franklins. Rob is introduced to Leon, and gives the boys a tour of the house where his father is casting and filming for some porn shoots, giving Leon something to think about. They are even greeted by Rob's mother, who Leon starts checking out. Rob buys a bag from Franklin and tells Leon about how he was prom king at his high school while smoking the weed in a bong and suggests stopping by since his parents will be out of town.
Teddy[]
Teddy McDonald is at Alejandro and Logan's mansion where he begins cleaning up the scene where Logan died. He thoroughly removes anything that has blood spatters and covers any trace of Logan's death. He also discovers blood in various places, away from where Logan OD'd.
Gustavo[]
At the bar, Pedro asks Lucia if Gustavo was given the key, the alarm code, and the job location. They then explain that all he has to do is walk in, grab the money, and walk out. Pedro and Lucia then leaves the bar.
Franklin[]
Franklin is working the night shift at Cho's and reading a book while the store is empty. Melody enters the store and suggests to Franklin to come to a high school party. Franklin then informs her he needs to lock up the store. Melody grabs a bottle of Boone's as Franklin prepares to close the store. After shutting down, Franklin talks about his time of going to high school in the Valley. Melody then even brings up college, but Franklin speaks about not leaving his mother alone, while suggesting he is being paid to learn how to run a business. They hear a bang on the outside door, Franklin and Melody hear a familiar voice yelling out claiming to be Cho, but Franklin wasn't fooled. He walked out to see it was Leon and Kevin imitating his boss. Franklin opens the door and allows them in, then they throw a party inside.
Teddy[]
Teddy is at the office discussing with his boss James Ballard on taking over Logan's operation. Teddy suggests he would take a huge fall if the plan went sideways, and James knows it wouldn't end well for Teddy, however, Ted is adamant about carrying out the contra operation Alejandro told him about.
Franklin[]
Franklin is at Rob's place. He is chilling in the pool while Rob is with his girlfriend Bridgette snorting coke. Rob asks Franklin for a favor in picking up some cocaine since he used up his parents stash. Franklin obliges and later rides with him to the address of his parents dealer while warning about him being a little insane. Before entering the estate, he hears a gunshot, but carries on. A guard named Muir takes him to the backyard where another guard named Yuda is on the ground removing a kevlar vest and discovers a massive bruise on his torso. Franklin then meets Avi Drexler, also known as the Jew, an Israeli gangster and drug lord. He mouths off a bit for Rob not having any courage coming to see him, referring to him as a pussy, and sending Frank instead. As Franklin attempted to purchase the drugs, Avi informed Franklin he doesn't sell baggies, he sells kilos and tells Franklin to leave. Franklin then suggests to Avi to front him a kilo and he'll turn it around. Though Avi is uncertain, Franklin suggests he can bring a new client base for Avi. To convince Avi he wasn't 'Full of shit', he puts on a kevlar vest and steps in the pool area. Avi tests Franklin to see if he'll flinch and instead shoots a bottle of champagne, while Franklin holds his ground. Avi agrees to front him a kilo as long as he can bring him $12,000 in one day. He then hands a baggy of coke to Franklin to hand to Rob Volpe and informs Frank one of his men will take him home, just so he knows where Franklin lives.
Teddy[]
At the mansion, Teddy is seen feeding the fish, he then strips down to his boxers and take a dip in the pool. He then takes a glance from the poolside overlooking Los Angeles from the Hills. He calls his wife Julia and talks with her while he is measuring kilos of cocaine but the call ends with his infant son crying over the phone.
Franklin[]
Franklin is now at his Aunt and Uncles house where Frank presents Jerome with a kilo of cocaine. However, Jerome reminds Franklin that he deals in weed. Franklin then assured his uncle that he got a connect. He then asks Jerome if there was anyone he knew that could buy the brick for the price it's worth. Jerome does not like the idea of selling coke nor does he want the trouble that comes with the kilo. Jerome then tells Franklin to leave, unaware that Louie heard everything. Franklin returns back to his house, he passes up his mother and enters his bedroom. As he contemplates how to sell the kilo, there's a knock at his window, it's his Aunt Louie. She asks Franklin if it's real. Franklin looks over at the kilo.
Gustavo[]
El Oso is at the target house. He enters the home, pulls on a balaclava, and shuts off the alarm system. He then heads upstairs to find the money hidden in a secret compartment in a nightstand and comes across a family photo. As soon as he bags up the money and closes everything up, someone enters the house. Gustavo enter an adjacent room while the guard checks the room Gustavo was in. Gustavo then exits through another door only to be attacked by the same guard. A struggle breaks out and the fight ends with the guard goes over the stair rail where he breaks his neck on a railing base and lands dead on the mid section of the stairway which now complicates the home invasion.
Teddy[]
Teddy and Alejandro are reading through some of Logan's journals and files on other drug dealers, including files on Avi Drexler and the Villanuevas. Alejandro then suggested to Teddy that Logan wanted to deal with Lucia just simply because he 'Wanted to sleep with her, But she wouldn't let him'. Teddy makes a decision to meet with everyone just so he knows who he can trust and replace those he cannot. Alejandro then warns Teddy not to get nervous with them, especially Avi. Alejandro then requests Teddy's assurance that they're covered should something go wrong. Teddy answers him and says they're covered. Teddy later asked about how the blood got everywhere in the living room, but Alejandro lied about Logan moving around bleeding everywhere, even though Teddy didn't buy the story.
Franklin[]
Franklin follows Louie to a place in the neighborhood. They enter a storefront, and are greeted by a security guard named Santos. When Louie shows him the brick inside Franklin's bag, Santos frisks Franklin, while Louie pulls out her gun and turns it over to him. Santos then leads them to a secret nightclub and brings them to the owner, Claudia Crane. Apparently, they meet her and there is a history between Claudia and Louise. Claudia then brings them to her office, and gives Louie a pistol whip to the head, while demanding Franklin's reason for being in her club. She then orders Santos to taste the brick which he confirms it's good. Claudia demanded Franklin where he got the brick, but refused to answer despite being threatened at gunpoint along with his Aunt Louie. Franklin then tells her an Israeli gangster provided him the brick and offers her a deal to sell her a brick everyday at $16,000, 4 grand more than what Avi requested. Claudia cools her head and considers his proposal. She reluctantly agrees as Louie and Franklin are driving away with the cash. Louie then suggested introducing Claudia to Avi and getting out, however, Franklin noted he would get nothing if that happened. Louie then hands Franklin her gun, but Franklin declines. Louie insists he would need it, especially in the line of work he is getting involved in. As they are riding home, they come across a homeless encampment and Franklin sees his estranged father among them. Louie asks Franklin if he wants to talk to him, but he refuses and says 'Just drive the fucking car'. They drive off.
Epilogue[]
Gustavo is in his truck outside a storefront with the cash from a home invasion gone bad. He is staring at the family photo he pilfered during the break in, consisting of Pedro, with his father, Ramiro, and Lucia, with her father, Mauricio. He then suspects who he possibly stole from. Still wandering how there was blood everywhere, especially away from where Logan died, Teddy continued investigating outside and discovered a spat of blood and hair on a marble bench and discovered an earring underneath. He knew Alejandro was hiding something else. Franklin and Louie continue their ride back home after a successful transaction.
Cast[]
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Episode Deaths[]
- Logan Miller - Overdosed
- Kristen Grelli - Murdered by Alejandro
- Jess Avon - Murdered by Alejandro
- Andrea Davis - Murdered by Alejandro
- Max - Killed by El Oso
Music[]
- West Coast Poplock by Ronnie Hudson and the Street People
- Monkey Man by The Rolling Stones
- Dance Floor by Zapp
- The Ghetto by Donny Hathaway
- Cutie Pie by One Way
- Cars by Gary Newman
- Jam On it by Newcleus
- Maneater by Hall & Oates
- More Bounce to the Ounce by Zapp & Roger
- Get Next to You by Everyday People
- Don't Let Me be Misunderstood by Nina Simone