The acclaimed series Snowfall concluded its final season with a gripping episode titled “The Struggle.” Fans who had followed Franklin Saint’s (Damson Idris) journey through six seasons were in for an emotional and chaotic ending. Franklin’s final moments in the series were starkly different from his earlier days, revealing how much he had changed over time. The finale gave viewers a poignant reflection on his tragic transformation and the people closest to him.
Snowfall Ending Explained
Wanda (Gail Bean) made the decision to leave Los Angeles for Ghana in the finale. This choice wasn’t entirely unexpected, considering earlier in the season, Wanda expressed how the city and its environment were detrimental to her sobriety. Furthermore, she had never been comfortable living in the projects. Her exit signaled a fresh start, but it also hinted at an ongoing story. A spinoff series, led by Wanda, was confirmed, and her potential new career as a musician was briefly mentioned when Leon (Isaiah John) updates Franklin. Could Wanda find success in the music industry in the new series?
Leon (Isaiah John), Franklin’s loyal but hot-headed best friend, experienced significant growth throughout the series. From the start of Snowfall, Leon was known for his impulsive, fearless behavior and frequent run-ins with the law. However, by the series finale, Leon had become the voice of reason. He had come to understand the consequences of his actions on the community and was dedicated to making a difference. He even opened a legal clinic to offer free services to those in need. As for his future, it remains unclear if Leon’s new path will be explored further in the spinoff.
Cissy’s Role
Cissy (Michael Hyatt), Franklin’s mother, had a strong presence throughout the series, always striving to protect her son. In the early seasons, she tried to keep Franklin away from the criminal world. When that became impossible, she shifted focus to helping him build a real estate business as a way out of the drug trade. However, her ultimate efforts to save Franklin from Teddy (Carter Hudson) ended in tragedy. In the series finale, Cissy kills Teddy in an attempt to free her son from the dangerous world he had become entangled in, a move that marked the tragic end of her maternal journey.
Gustavo (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), introduced as a struggling wrestler named El Oso, had a subtle yet fitting conclusion in the finale. He was shown coaching a wrestling session, a callback to his earlier days. While fans may have hoped for a reunion with Lucia (Emily Rios), Gustavo’s storyline took a different turn. In the final moments, he received a message from Xiamara (Joey Marie Urbina), telling him that she and their children were safe in North Carolina and inviting him to visit. The smile on Gustavo’s face suggested that he might soon take that journey.
Franklin’s Fate: The End of His Journey
Now, let’s focus on the end of Franklin’s story. While many viewers predicted that Franklin would survive the chaos of season 6, few could have anticipated the devastating way he ended up in the finale. By the end of the series, Franklin had lost everything: his mother, Veronique (Devyn Tyler), his son, his wealth, and his home. However, in his final moments, he declares that he is “free,” which is a poignant callback to his earlier ambitions.
Franklin’s word choice was significant. Back in season 1 of Snowfall, Franklin’s main goal in entering the drug trade was to gain his “freedom.” However, as the series progressed, it became clear that the pursuit of wealth and power had led him into a life of enslavement. The final scenes suggested that his quest for freedom had only made him more trapped in his own choices and the world he had built.
The Fall of Franklin Saint
What makes Franklin’s ending even more tragic is how his character parallels his father, Alton (Kevin Carroll). In the earlier seasons, Franklin was dismissive of his father’s struggles with addiction. He mocked Alton, claiming that he was nothing like him. Yet, in the finale, Franklin’s character takes a similar dark turn. He is now addicted to alcohol, disheveled, and lost in his own mind, much like his father had been in the series’ early days.
It was a heartbreaking moment that highlighted the full circle of Franklin’s character arc. What started as a young, ambitious drug dealer trying to break free from his circumstances ended with a man who had lost his way. Ironically, his pursuit of freedom had only led him deeper into a prison of his own making.
Symbolism in the Final Scenes
In the last moments of the show, viewers witnessed Franklin walking through the neighborhood with Leon, passing a movie set where young boys were playing with a football. This scene was filled with symbolism, referencing the 1991 classic film Boyz n the Hood, which was written and directed by the late John Singleton. The film’s influence on Snowfall was clear, as the neighborhood setting and the boys with the football echoed the iconic film.
For those familiar with Singleton’s legacy, the scene served as a beautiful nod to his impact on the portrayal of urban life and the struggles of young people in South Los Angeles. The young boys on the set were actually filming a scene from Boyz n the Hood, creating a full-circle moment that tied the show’s ending to Singleton’s influential work.
Final Thoughts on Franklin’s End
In the end, Franklin Saint’s story was both tragic and poetic. The ambitious young man who sought freedom through the drug trade ultimately ended up losing everything that mattered to him. His journey was a cautionary tale about the consequences of power and greed. While Franklin’s ending wasn’t happy, it was fitting, offering a stark reminder of the costs of his choices.
For long-time fans of Snowfall, the finale was both a heartbreaking and satisfying conclusion to the complex tale of Franklin Saint and the people who shaped his life. Each character’s arc was wrapped up in a way that honored their journey, leaving viewers with a bittersweet sense of closure. Snowfall may have ended, but its legacy will live on, especially for those who followed Franklin’s rise and fall from the very beginning.
