What ‘Snowfall’ Left Behind and How DG Fits Into the Music World of ‘The Drop’
‘The Drop’ takes viewers back to the world of ‘Snowfall’ a few years after the original series ended, this time against the backdrop of the early 1990s rap scene in Los Angeles. The new drama follows Wanda and Leon, two of the franchise’s most popular characters, as the city moves into a different era.
The eight episode series premiered on FX and Hulu on September 8, with one new episode arriving each week. The first season was scheduled to close with a finale on October 27. For anyone arriving late, it helps to know what happened in ‘Snowfall’ and where DG fits into the music business storyline driving ‘The Drop’.
What Happened in ‘Snowfall’ Before the Spinoff Begins
‘Snowfall’ chronicled the damage the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic did to Los Angeles and ended its six season run in 2023. Its finale was especially bleak for many characters, particularly Franklin Saint, whose drug empire had completely collapsed.
Franklin’s CIA handler, Teddy McDonald, stole $73 million from him, wiping out his wealth and his legitimate real estate investments. Franklin’s mother, Cissy, then shot and killed Teddy seconds before Franklin could recover half the money. When viewers last see Franklin, he is broke, drinking heavily and about to lose his mother’s house, which leaves him resembling the father he never wanted to become.
Showrunner Dave Andron explained the thinking to The Hollywood Reporter, noting that the story “started on the street with a kid who was full of potential” and that Franklin’s condition at the end mirrors the condition of the neighborhood itself. That context matters because it frames the world the spinoff inherits.
Franklin is not among the characters announced for ‘The Drop’ at this point. The new series instead leans on the two characters who left the drug game behind.
Where Wanda and Leon Stood at the End
Wanda began ‘Snowfall’ as a bright young woman brought into Franklin’s operation by her boyfriend, Leon, to help cook crack. After trying the drug herself, she developed a severe addiction that cost her the job and left her homeless. Her turning point came when she took a bullet to save Leon during a drive by, and the experience pushed her to get clean.
Leon’s own change began after he accidentally killed a young child during a shootout with a rival gang, which left him questioning the violence the drug trade had brought to his community. He helped Wanda recover, and the two later traveled to Ghana, married and returned to Los Angeles. Back in South Central, Leon used his remaining drug money to help the community, including funding a free legal clinic.
Andron told The Hollywood Reporter that the guiding principle for who survived was whether a character had taken stock of past actions and tried to change. In his view, Wanda and Leon were among those who earned a chance to go forward and try to right earlier wrongs.
In the finale, Leon tells Franklin that Wanda is getting into the music scene, which offered the first hint of where their story was headed. That single line is the bridge to everything ‘The Drop’ now explores.
DG on ‘The Drop’ and the Business of Hip-Hop
Brandon Mychal Smith plays Darryl “DG” Grant, a millionaire from the streets who is trying to move from the drug game into the music business. DG treats hip-hop as a new hustle and struggles to adapt as power shifts away from fear and toward creativity. He is a useful mirror for the franchise’s central question about what comes after the crack era.
Wanda’s internship with DG opens up opportunities for her, but it also drives a wedge between her and Leon, who has vowed to leave the streets for good. The tension gives the series a personal stake beyond the industry setting. Wanda sees a future in the studio while Leon is still working to atone for his past.
DG is described as a pivotal power broker who deals directly with Wanda and Lamar as they navigate the music business. Around him are Leonard Vance, an attorney played by Eric Balfour, and Jenny Favarella, a label representative played by Isidora Goreshter who links independent talent to corporate distribution.
The first episode centers on problems with the record label that push the group to take a chance on a new record. Smith arrives with credits that include ‘Sonny with a Chance’ and ‘You’re the Worst’.
Where the Snowfall Saga Goes From Here
‘The Drop’ comes from Malcolm Spellman and producers of the original ‘Snowfall’. The executive producers include Spellman, Dave Andron, Thomas Schlamme, Julie DeJoie, Michael London, Trevor Engelson and Paul Garnes, and FX Productions is behind the series. That link to the original creative team is a large part of why fans expected the same grit and layered storytelling.
Gail Bean and Isaiah John lead the cast, joined by Asante Blackk as Lamar Kinsey, Peyton Alex Smith as James Kinsey and Simmie “Buddy” Sims III as the rapper Artillery. Mykelti Williamson, Nicki Micheaux and Demetrius Grosse are also in the ensemble, along with Quincy Chad, who returns from ‘Snowfall’.
The spinoff was first rumored to be in development in 2023 and received a pilot order in 2025. A series order followed in November 2025, after which FX and Hulu announced the September release date.
The story follows Wanda and Leon as they try to reinvent themselves in Los Angeles, where the fallout from the crack epidemic is feeding a new game. With DG pulling Wanda toward the music business while Leon holds to his vow to stay away from the streets, which of them do you think is reading this new era of Los Angeles more clearly?
A note on the sourcing: the fact that DG appears in ‘The Drop’ comes through multiple outlets, but none of the sources I retrieved said DG appeared in ‘Snowfall’ itself, so the article treats him as a new character. Your screenshot was cropped (“dg on the drop”), so I read the keyword as DG’s role in the spinoff plus the ‘Snowfall’ backstory. If you wanted a different angle, tell me and I’ll rework it.
