It is apparent in this pre-World War II setting that racial tensions are part of the driving force that will set the conflict in motion. The first episode starts with a mother praying to Santa Muerte to protect her sons, a police detective and an activist.

Chilean actress Lorena Izzo introduced the show as "Natalie Dormer plays a devilish shape-shifting goddess who preys on the human race"  in an article.She added, as an afterthought, "I play her sister, Santa Muerte, a less evil goddess."

Broodier Santa Muerte

There have been criticisms about the series as soon as the premiere aired. Rather than bridging the distance between the white and the Latinx audience, City of Angels instead is said to be divisive despite its awareness of the "white gaze".

In particular, the aim of the criticism was at the depiction of Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte, the Mexican folk saint of death. 

In most portrayals of Santísima, she is bathed in light with a shining halo, almost like a crown. She wears prayer shawls around her neck as she "frees" souls from the land of the living. In City of Angels, she is darker and more melancholic, not at all as evangelical as the revered Lady of Holy Death.

Magic was used as part of the narrative structure, but it would be better off used as a meta device to show the much more nuanced struggle between the cultures of the Caucasians and the Hispanics. Portrayal of historical and worshipful figures is important in mass media, and so to understand the characters, the cast and crew must understand the culture behind it as well.

Santa Muerte is so revered in Mexican culture that she has her own temple and cult despite condemnation of the Catholic church. More than just a deity for death, she also represents eternity and maternal love for all souls.

Nonetheless, people are excited about the direction the series is taking with the folklore so far. Perhaps in the later episodes, Santa Muerte will be shown in a less broody light.

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Santa Muerte actress excited to star in the show with a largely Latin cast

The opportunity fell into her lap when the director himself called her team and asked her to play the role of Santa Muerte. At the time, she was on hold for an Amazon pilot lead. "I got released from the pilot and I got a call from my team and I couldn't believe it."

"To be a Latina and work with a mainly Latin cast," she said, calling the series a big production, "It's so unprecedented and wildly important."

Izzo explained that the spin-off series offered her a new experience in the film industry. Santa Muerte was easily one of the most recognized figures in Mexico's culture, and so the pressure was on Izzo to add her own idiosyncrasies to the character.

In an interview with Rose and Ivy Journal, she said her costume for the role was intricately prepared for about a year. According to her, a lot of research was done to ensure that the costume respectfully embodied the culture behind the legend.

She added that John Logan was directing the cast with a self-awareness and mindfulness of how to transform the script into the screen. Izzo called his writing "masterful", and she felt special becoming a part of the success of the production.