Franklin Saint‘s Journey: The Making of a Drug Lord
Snowfall‘s Franklin Saint first appeared as a 19-year-old South Central LA youth in 1983. Now likely nearing 60 years old in the show‘s current timeline, his ascent ranks among television‘s most riveting transformations.
The Early Days: Hungry Hustler (Age 19)
Franklin starts out working at a convenience store while dealing drugs on the side to get by. He has brains and ambition, but lacks connections in the city‘s burgeoning drug trade.
That changes when Franklin forges a partnership with the CIA, opening access to large cocaine shipments he soon takes over. By his early 20s, he commands the South Central streets.
Key Moments:
- 1983 (Age 19): Begins selling crack supplied by dealer Pedro
- 1984 (Age 20): Starts working with CIA agent Teddy to import cocaine
- 1988 (Age 24): Consolidates control over LA drug trade after gang wars
The Kingpin Emerges (Age 30s)
In his 30s, Franklin evolves into a sophisticated player. He leverages street smarts with business acumen to dominate the Los Angeles narcotics scene.
Expanding beyond drugs, Franklin invests in legitimite industries like real estate development. He triumphs through a potent blend of vision, negotiation skill, and ruthlessness against constant threats.
Major Developments:
- Early 1990s (Age late 20s): Main LS supplier despite overseas cartel disruptions
- 1995 (Age 31): Shifts focus to real estate/commercial development
- Early 2000s (Age late 30s): Becomes major trafficker with reach across North America
Franklin‘s Empire Now (Estimated Age late 50s)
By Season 6, set around 2022, Franklin appears to be in his late 50s as he faces a new set of foes. He controls a sprawling operation but continues struggling to reconcile his business, family ties, and personal demons.
His evolution calls to mind iconic antiheroes like Tony Soprano, Walter White, and Stringer Bell. We witness the moral descent of a cunning tactician shaped by historical forces beyond his control. Franklin pays a psychological price for his ambition, rendered wonderfully by actor Damson Idris.
Franklin Saint Age Milestones:
| Year | Franklin‘s Age | Key Occurences |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 19 years old | Starts hustling crack on LA streets |
| 1988 | 24 years old | Consolidates control after gang wars |
| 1995 | 31 years old | Shifts focus to real estate development |
| Early 2000s | Late 30s | Becomes major North America trafficker |
| Estimated 2022 | Estimated Late 50s | Faces new threats in Season 6 |
For Snowfall‘s creators, Franklin represents far more than a drug lord archetype. They expertly situate his trajectory within the broader historical context – crack epidemic, CIA secrets, societal injustice – to humanize his motivations against forces bigger than himself.
Audiences find Franklin as compelling as his fellow prestigious antihero peers. We eagerly track his continued evolution across the show’s potential future seasons in this riveting portrait of power’s costs.
