Griselda Blanco: The Black Widow

Griselda Blanco: The Black Widow reimagines the rise of one of the most infamous figures in the Colombian drug trade, following a woman's climb from small-time hustler to feared cartel boss. The series traces how ambition, cunning and ruthlessness shape her path, showing the strategies she uses to build power and the violent world she operates in. Rather than summarizing every twist, the show focuses on relationships, betrayals and the cost of holding sway in an empire built on narcotics and fear, keeping major plot twists private while laying out the stakes and tone.

Released in 2014, the series was produced by RTI Producciones and Televisa for Univision in the United States and Caracol Television in Colombia. Yesmer Uribe is credited as creator, and the adaptation draws on José Guarnizo’s book La patrona de Pablo Escobar, which itself is based on historical accounts of Griselda Blanco. The cast includes Juan Manuel Restrepo, Kristina Lilley, and Maria Fernanda Yepes as Venus.

Critics and audiences reacted differently, with fans of narco dramas generally responding positively and mainstream reviewers split over pacing and tone. It holds a user vote average of 7.402 out of 10 from 342 votes, indicating steady viewer interest. The series focuses on themes of power, gender and morality within organized crime, showing how ambition and survival reshape personal bonds and ethical choices.

The show arrived during a wave of Spanish-language crime dramas that rekindled interest in real-life cartel figures. While it didn’t become a global cultural phenomenon, for viewers in Colombia and the US Spanish-speaking market it helped keep Griselda Blanco’s image in public conversation and contributed to comparisons with other media portrayals of narco figures. Its blend of telenovela structure and crime drama elements made it a reference point for similar productions.

The series didn’t sweep major international awards, but it did reach a wide audience through its Univision and Caracol broadcasts, and it remains part of discussions about how television represents women who rise to power in criminal networks.