When they say don’t judge a book by its cover, they mean exactly that. Claws is a drama series with an Orange Is The New Blacktype of humour. It involves five fierce women who work at a nail salon in the hood. However, their boss decides to cut deals with a local mafia to launder their drug money in exchange for protection and a cut. What then follows is an interesting story with unexpected twists.
The series starts off with the women walking in the parking lot. Apparently, they’re rehearsing how they’ll walk into their new uptown shop. This scene sets the mood for how the series will be – a lot of dancing, gossip and bonding that captivates the audience.
-
Claws cast image from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6648752/
Desna, the owner of the nail salon, has ambitious plans to move the salon to an upscale neighbourhood. She also promises to buy her special needs brother a bigger house. When the errand boy of the Dixie Mafia who is now her boy toy tells her of a possible bonus, she thinks this is the big break she’d always wanted. However, she’s about to realize nobody really leaves the mafia intact.
Virginia, played by Karrueche Tran, is another character that brings the series to life. From the minute she walked into the salon you knew she was going to be the troublemaker of the group. If it wasn’t obvious from her scanty choice of dressing, then wait until she opens her mouth. Throughout the season, she goes through a series of events that snap her out of her bubble life.
-
Virginia (Karruech Tran) in Claws image from https://www.bustle.com/p/what-happened-to-virginia-on-claws-her-story-could-make-things-worse-for-desna-63622
I was pleasantly surprised by how the series turned out. It carries a lot of suspense with carefully developed characters and a rich backstory. For instance, a pansexual man called Uncle Daddy leads the Dixie Mafia with his male boy toy always by his side.
The show has a diverse representation with the lead Desna, played by Nicey Nash, one of black entertainment titans. Her fellow cast mates include Judy Reyes, who plays Quiet Ann a silent but deadly girl from a wealthy Latino family. Polly (Carrie Preston) is the definition of from riches to rags complete with jail time. And of course, Karrueche Tran plays a young, mixed race girl with a know-it-all attitude.
Though Claws is rated PG, I wouldn’t be quick to watch the show with children around. Besides the obvious violence, it contains strong language and graphic sex scenes. It may come off as trashy to some people. However, Claws is set in Florida which is America’s drug, sex and violence hub.
You may or may not enjoy watching Claws depending on your taste. I thoroughly enjoyed this season which left the viewers in suspense. It doesn’t disappoint in its aesthetics either with beautiful Florida beaches, palm trees and the curvy women which might be the best part of the series.
Title: Claws
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Cast: Niecy Nash, Carrie Preston, Judy Reyes, Karrueche Tran
Runtime: 45 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Looking for shows to binge-watch? Check out Series Review: This Is Us- All The Feels
