Over the first three seasons of USA’s hit series “Queen of the South,” star Alice Braga was chased by drug lords through Mexico, Texas and Arizona while gradually turning the tables on those at the head of the cartels.
But, as Season 4 rolls into its setting in the Big Easy, the character Braga plays has ascended the throne, gaining control of a smuggling operation that stretches from Sinaloa, Mexico, to Phoenix.
In New Orleans, the reign of “Queen” Teresa Mendoza will be fraught with new antagonists, in the form of a corrupt judge who presides over the city like a draconian dictator (David Andrews), a Cuban drug dealer from Miami who isn’t about to relinquish his power (Pêpê Rapazote) and the Creole godfather of a New Orleans street gang (Alimi Ballard) who owns a hip jazz club in the city where illicit deals go down.
Season 4 kicked off this month. It airs Thursday nights.
Coming to New Orleans was not just a whim. There are real-life reasons for moving the queen and her henchmen to south Louisiana, according to co-showrunner and co-executive producer Ben Lobato.
“Most people believe that drugs come into this country from Mexico and South America through Miami,” said Lobato. “But the truth is Miami is inundated with DEA agents, so drug dealers go elsewhere.
“Louisiana is now the corridor for drugs coming into the States for the entire East Coast of this country. As the Queen moves her cocaine operation up the Eastern Seaboard, New Orleans has become her new base of operation.”
The script’s locations read like a road map of the city: the French Quarter, Warehouse District, Bywater, Garden District, the Marigny and beyond.
Familiar New Orleans landmarks are front and center in Season 4.
“We opened episode one this June with a shot from the interior and exterior of the Roosevelt Hotel, and the queen’s swanky and decadent new residence is actually the penthouse at the new Standard Hotel in the CBD,” said New Orleanian Stephen LeBlanc, the show’s location manager. “We may all deal with a little inconvenience from time to time shooting on location, but TV shows like this really allow us to showcase our city.”
Braga, a native Brazilian, has called the Lower Garden District home since she arrived in February.
“To be able to film here is wonderful because the camera really captures the essence of this place,” Braga said.
“The music and the Mississippi all play into the plot. Personally, I’m into all the great restaurants. What do I love? Off the top of my head, Cochon in the Warehouse District, and the classic Emeril’s Delmonico restaurant. It’s a city where your taste buds go completely wild.”
The queen’s archenemy in Season 4 is a corrupt judge named Cecil Lafayette, played by longtime stage, television and film actor David Andrews.
Born and raised in Baton Rouge and a graduate of LSU, (as well as Stanford University’s law school), he is thrilled to be back in Louisiana.
“I haven’t lived here since the late ‘70s,” said Andrews. “I’m living in the Warehouse District now and on my bike when we’re not filming. I rode it every weekend to Jazz Fest, ripping through the traffic and the potholes, but I loved it. I’ve lived in New York and L.A., and now North Carolina, but this is what I grew up with, and being back reminds me how much I love the people and the culture here.”
Andrews describes his character in the series as being in the infamous tradition of Louisiana politics.
“Judge Cecil Lafayette is a judge who’s as corrupt as they come and runs New Orleans strictly for his own benefit. He may be only slightly worse than some of the roguish characters who have roamed this state, but it’s fun to play such a devilish and colorful guy,” Andrews said.
When the cast and crew aren’t bouncing around filming locations, they use the interior sets that were constructed for them at Starlight Studios in New Orleans East, which often replicate real-life places in the city.
“When ‘Queen of the South’ moved its story line to New Orleans in 2019, it was a chance for us to work with Fox, “ recounted Kevin Murphy, COO of Starlight Studios. “And, it’s been a very good relationship. We’re on the real estate side, so we simply say, ‘Here’s your stage’. Their expertise is production.”
This season just feels and looks different, said co-showrunner and co-executive producer Dailyn Rodriguez.
“It’s visually so beautiful, and we’ve injected music into the equation since it’s such an integral part of New Orleans. We thought it was time to move the show to a new location with a new vibe, and New Orleans certainly fit the bill,” Rodriguez said.
To catch up on the story line, the first three seasons are now running on Netflix. New episodes run through the summer.
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