WATCH MORE - Another iconic Wire character who was about his "business" is Stringer Bell. Here's our TAKE on cold blood personified: ruclips.net/video/jp3KyZdd_Oc/видео.html
Your facts are not completely right in fact, you need to really be a fan and not some culture vulture trying to understand when you really don't SMH btw Snoop was introduced at the rim shop, garage part to be exact and that's where Marlo spoke about how Barksdale is weak and not dealing with the ammunition he possesses, you're just doing this for money you culture vulture SMH
I was quite young when The Wire came out. I recently found out about it and looked into it and I can proudly say, this is one of the greatest shows to air on TV. Ever. Rest in Peace Michael K Williams
This year was also the 10 year anniversary Robert Chew's passing who played Prop Joe. Robert Chew was Baltimore born and bred, and did double duty instructing many of the child actors on how to talk the Baltimore accent. Also Sonja Sohn (Kima Greggs) is in prison for felony possession of cocaine. That happened in 2019 and I imagine she's still in prison today.
Me too. I watched a few episodes and it wasn’t like The Sopranos. Yrs later gave it another shot and was the greatest TV experience next To Breaking Bad for me.
My favorite character in the show. Jaime Hector doesn't get enough praise for his portrayal, he's acting was top rank and brought so much nuance to the character. Marlo Stanfield is one of the best characters in the whole series who deserves a lot more recognition than he gets. His name is his name!!!!
What I love about the character is how little emotion he displays, except when he's giving his "My name is my name!" speech. But Jamie Hector doesn't come off as flat or one dimensional. He perfectly conveys a cold, ruthless, predatory demeanor. I think the only other person who has done this well in such a portrayal is Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men."
I thought Marlo wasn't close to one of the best characters. The actor did well, but he always seemed to have so much plot armor on him and din'tdo a greta job of his passions or motivations. I know they tried to do the ironic poetic justice ending of him being unremembered, but like several threads in seaosn 5 (by far the weakest season, don't get me started on what they did with McNulty or Freeman), it didn't work. It would have worked more for Barksdale to come out of prison to realise no one remembered him on the streets. Avon was the character who most lived for the street.
HECK YES! These videos are what got me to watch The Take in the first place! Marlo was truly one of the best villains I’ve seen portrayed on screen! Incredibly well-written and just a stellar performance as well.
Yeah I think I subbed to this channel after looking for analysis on The Wire after my third re-watch! It's been a long time since we've had any Wire content, and I'm all here for it. Marlo just made the show absolutely insane. We're first introduced to Stringer and Avon who are absolutely ruthless and evil. Then we get the Greeks who throw people away like trash that's on a whole other level. Like the video said, it just gets worse when Marlo finally shows up.
Yeah I originally started watching the Take for their analysis on GoT, Breaking Bad, and the Sopranos. For a few years they seemed to over focus on stuff like Gone Girl, The Royals, and MeToo themes. Appreciate them going back to the classics!
Yeah, the wire had a way of showing the old school style g's against the up and coming yung guns....more vicious, ruthless, no rules apply.....very true, very realistic. But I still say my favorite scene in cinema history....not just the wire....in the history of movies and television...was the scene where Wallace gets killed by Bodie n poot....m jordans acting there is the best I've ever seen. The stark set of the abandoned white bedroom with the rigged light bulb. Bodie's scared shitless....poot being the real hammer......too fucking good.....best scene ever!!!
@@timothyslaughter476I don't think it's a generational thing, I think he's the worst guy at the right time. He came up at a a perfect point of instability, the Barksdales where destabilizing which allowed him to escape Mob Justice, and the police where also reduced in funding which allowed him to escape the rule of law. It's also why his run as king is short lived. The barksdales had a decade, he had a couple years.
Marlo is the product of the system Avon and Stringer built. All these disposal young men and women they sent into the grinder learned nothing but brutal violence and self-advancement
@laprincessa9787 did you not see what avon crew did to Omar's boy toy?that ish was brutal now just imagine all the shit coming up that Marlo seen growing up on the same side.. even shot Gant in the head a every day worker...
@@eeb3994 Of course they are all victims of the larger system, however that doesn't mean individual choices don't have consequences and meaning. For example, Herc's actions have forever changed Randy's life for the worse. That this happened in the larger context of the education and criminal justice system failing Randy at every turn does not excuse Herc's individual responsibility or lessen his personal and specific impact on Randy's life. Stringer and Avon built their empire in a way that specifically made Marlo who he was. The casual violence against women and outsiders, the nepotism and glorification of the past that made it impossible for anyone without connections to climb high in the hierarchy, the 0 tolerance of any mistake or failing of their (lower ranked) members. Marlo is the logical conclusion of a pawn who made to the other side of this board and became a king himself.
Marlo's fate to an extent is worse than death: He's anonymous. His last scene where the kids don't know who he is. I imagine if he had gone down in a blaze of glory, people would remember him.
@@BigA678 True, but remember what he said in jail when he found out that Omar was trash talking him, "My Name is My Name!". And if he carried that attitude before he was in jail, I don't think that is going to change after he gets out of jail.
Marlo represents the new school ways of drug dealing while Avon represents the old school ways of dealing. Marlo didn’t care to negotiate or build relationships with any of his rivals.
@@lugrisa nah stringer way dont work. Its for civilized people. Marlo did a mixture of stringer and avon way. He hid the bodies so there was no bodies to bring police. Which is stringer way. But he still klled like avon.
@@zero1188 yes police goes harder for actual bodies in the streets than missing people. Murders and bodies are what scares the community. Missing folks they just say how sad. If the person is a menace they say good.
Im glad this show still gets the recognition it deserves it had such a deep massage and was so gritty i dont think they’ll ever make a show this good again.
Feels like it’s been years since y’all did a video on the wire (probably during the screen prism days). So glad to see y’all pick up this analysis on this show!
@@AdaptiveApeHybrid I mean everything he did was a calculated move to put him at the top of the drug business. I didn't really see any emotional aspects to it.
@@mikelomez9313 he bottles his emotions up. He’s not even interested in money, it’s almost like he want revenge. He ends up punishing everyone involved in the game and only reducing everyone’s capacity to improve their living conditions. As if to set the city on fire out of spite as if there’s nothing worth saving.
I saw the wire for the first time during lockdown and thought it was amazing. So thanks for doing this take on Marlo and I'll check out the others. Good to see The Take going back to tv and movie breakdowns.
Avon was never "yearning for his name to be known as king on the streets". It's actually quite the opposite, Avon went to great lengths to ensure his name was clean, cops couldnt even properly ID him for quite some time
Not quite. AVon was most yearing for the streets. What he did was very clever in ensuring he was unknown and unconnected to the cops. He was well known on the streets andlived for the street life.
Avon wanted to avoid the mainstream at all cost. But the streets? He wanted his name to be known there by any means necessary, even with the risk attached to it.
Really interesting how similar Bodie talking to McNulty about snitching on Marlo, but not on his boys on the corner, and Frank Sabotka talking to the detail in season 2 about not snitching on any union people. It's s a nice way of showing how important solidarity is to working people. A glimmer (and only a glimmer) of hope in the face of the game's relentless demands that everyone competes and only looks out for themselves, I think
For all the bullshit Marlo pulled throughout the last few seasons I was so happy to see his lukewarm ending. No one respects him, no one remembers him, his name meant nothing but Omar and Avon’s do.
I will never agree with this. Marlo WON! He's free, keeps his money and can live happily ever after should he choose. Avon is broke, hustling money from Marlo of all people and stuck in prison. Fuck that name shit and street shit it DOESN'T MATTER life isn't a video game these people don't respawn...... Except Marlo he respawns and immediately takes a corner and oh yea, he kept his pride and dignity.
@@Laidback718 Oh he did plenty to be remembered by the handful of people that would care before they die or go to prison. He still lives on to do more memorable things. He won in every sense of the word.
I’m so glad you guys are doing The Wire again. I throughly enjoyed your take on Stringer and Omar, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing who you analyze next.
Marlo is my favorite character in The Wire. It used to be Avon but Marlo’s presence and sheer force of darkness is unlike anything I’ve seen in fiction that wasn’t someone in a comic book. He’s a force of nature that can’t be reasoned or understood with normal thought.
I don't understand how that can him a favourite character of yours though. I get why he's such an evil presence on the screen that puts you on the edge of your seat, but if anything it just makes him all the more despicable. We all wanted to see Marlo get his comeuppance at the end.
The most jealous you can ever be is when you find someone who gets to watch The Wire for the first time. The second most jealous you can ever be is when someone gets to watch it for their second time 😭🤣😂 It's amazing how much the show transforms on subsequent re-watches. I hated the second season the first time I watched the show. By my third re-watch, I think season 2 is the best after 1 and 4. Season 5 isn't as good on those re-watches. But The Wire's worst seasons and episodes are still better than anything else that's ever aired and remains the GOAT.
I absolutely love the Wire, it is one of my all time favorite shows and I watch it all the time. Marlo was definitely frightening with his desire to kill over every little perceived slight, but I like to think that he became the next Stringer Bell and eventually met the same fate.
That's the scary part. Marlo is so ruthless and has no personal attachments. He has also killed all traitors. All those apparent weaknesses got Stringer killed. Marlo lacks none of those and already entered the level of society Stringer wanted. Marlo is thus harder to kill on both counts: too isolated, too powerful. If Marlo got back in the game, the only thing that could end him was the police... And they only failed once and can't come with the same viciousness as before anymore. Marlo is proof morality doesn't matter, once you pursue only power and totally disregard it. That's the part that truly scares me.
@@manniking233nah i think Michael no one give him the respect off snoop off so many more and would definitely be one step ahead of marlo and he was after Michael anyway in my eyes michael became like the second omar in the end brandishing the double barrel and all michael would’ve deaded him easy
@@dafyddwilliams2158 That WOULD make sense. Only Michael, who could easily find him. So, yeah. Only one problem, though. Marlo is a killer himself. He could easily kill Michael if it came down to a showdown. It wouldn't be a foregone conclusion.
@@manniking233 nah michael smoked more people and was smarter he would've just popped up and think of it when i came to marlo snoop and chris are the real killers who taught michael so michael would get there first everytime
This show was loaded with incredible performances. I wouldn't even know where to start. But yes, out of all that it was Marlo and Omar that stood out the most to me. Those dudes were just different.
I hated Marlo from the jump. I just hated everything about him. And what he did to Prop Joe was just uncalled for. Prop Joe was so so dope. I wanted Marlo dead so bad. It’s testament to actor Jamie Hector, he killed that role.
Prop Joe killed his role too cause y’all forgot about all the foul stuff he thought he got away with Prop Joe set up Marlo to be robbed by Omar then used that to make Marlo join the Co Op hoping that he could control him Then he sent Omar to rob his shipment of of heroin & sold it back to everyone for a way higher price Marlo was the only dealer in the Co Op smart enough to see Prop Joe for who he really was & done what he had to do
Prop Joe got Marlo robbed of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and his ring. And then got the entire co-op robbed by Omar again. I get that we liked Prop Joe, but how could we all be in so much agreement that Stringer deserved his death and not Prop Joe? He was just as big a snake as String. And maybe when Cheese told Marlo where Prop Joe lived, he also told him about the Omar stuff? Doesn’t that justify Marlo killing him?
People like Marlo are going to learn that there is a good reason to have rules in place. If the game is chaotic then only the meanest, the most cold hearted, and the most ruthless will come out on top. However, by rule there will always be someone who's willing to go the extra mile, be more savage, and cause more destruction to get to the top. If that means coming after you then that's how chaos works. People who don't care for the rules like Marlo fail to see that they're going to get old and comfortable; eventually will get slipping. The Italian mob knew a hundred years ago that no one is going to last long in the game if there isn't no organization. This is why they started a commission to settle disputes between the crime families.
Agreed. In reality "zero rules, zero morality, I Marlo demand absolute loyalty yet give none back" doesn't work in the medium term. Eventually that just leads to street warfare or to someone murdering him. Marlo's not immune to bullets and there's no such thing as the streets being 100% dominated and monopolized by one man.
The Mexican cartels are a good example. No rules or any sense of morality in that game. Mfs are tortured, flayed, dismembered, etc. etc. Only gets worse
I disagree. You're right for the most part but you got one key detail wrong about Marlo. He'll never get old and comfortable because he doesn't care about that. In that scene with Vincent where he's trying to convince him to back off and how he'll end up dead he says he doesn't care as long as he dies on top. That's the scary thing about people like Marlo. He isn't scared of dieing, he's scared of living as a nobody.
Which is why I think the Co-op under Slim Charles is in good hands. The only threat to them is potentially Michael as he matures and hones his craft. If Marlo tries to get back into the game, he's either a dead man or a jailed man.
What makes Marlo “worse” than Avon, exactly? The fact that his organization was responsible for 22 deaths instead of 8? That Marlo thought it was more prudent to kill Prop Joe than to ignore him? I think the hard truth is essentially what Poot argued in S4. The degrees separating Avon from Marlo are mostly negligible, in the last analysis. Stringer felt he *had* to kill Wallace, so he had it done. Marlo, likewise, does what he does because he feels he *has* to do it. But let us not forget that the most brutally cruel and vicious act we see committed in the entire series is a direct result of Avon’s orders. I’m talking, of course, about the torture and death of Omar’s boyfriend, Brandon, in S1. Almost all of Marlo’s kills, by contrast, are clean and painless (Butchie *is* briefly tortured by Chris and Snoop, but it doesn’t come close to what Brandon received at the hands of the Barksdale crew). “The game doesn’t change. Just got fiercer.” I forget who says that in the show, but I think the quote sums up how “the show” wants us to think about Marlo. He doesn’t represent a qualitative shift in the nature of the game. He is just the best at playing it - the best of his generation. He’s the perfect apex predator for his environment. But it’s the same old hunt. Reading that logic into Marlo’s final moments makes sense. It’s just back to square one. Building a power-base, one corner at a time.
Marlo was the most EVIL person on the show but got to live out stringers dreams, and leave the game with millions …sad part that’s how it be in real life
@budwyzer77 I mean doesn't something like that make sense? Honestly I think Michael killing Marlo or Chris would have made the last season waaaaaay better
Just here to reiterate how The Wire is still in the top 3 best tv shows of all time and doesnt get anywhere enough credit for it. Its in fact SO good that anytime i think of rewatching it i give myself pause. Because this show devastated me.. literally drained the life out of me ha. But the proof is in the pudding... i cannot remember a showing having THIS many stand out, nuanced and iconic characters both protagonist and antagonists.
That’s the besttttttt break down of a character I have ever seen. And you touched the right points. I was like I hope she discusses the Omar conflict. Because of you I am going to do a rewatch😂. Keep the videos coming. Let me see if you got one on Omar.
3:21 I still think about that security guard. That was one of the most senseless, unnecessary, disgusting displays of power and heartlessness I’ve witnessed on tv. I guess that was the point.
To me there is also another message. Marlo is so heartless that he's finally not able to keep an organization because he's unpredictable and he can't keep his alliances. However, Avon has still been playing from prison, he's only there for having guns and Will be free when the east side has no Prop Jo and Marlo has already Lost his power, he's got connection to the Greeks and Avon is a person that has got people to trust him and gets to have loyal people to him ("I am what you may consider.. an authority figure"). He's won the game. Remember when he describes Stringer as a man without a country "not hard enough for the streets, and maybe not smart enough for the business men"... But Avon knows his place ("I'm just a gángster I suppose"). He's the one character that's hard enough, strategic but can also cares about his people; he's the only one who's perfectly adapted to the hard reality where he's been raised. So, after all, the King doesnt move so much... but the King stay the king.
I think Avon also downplays his own intelligence, almost like he's read and re-read _The Art of War._ "Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak." He pretends he's "just a gangster and I want my corners," but really he understands the instability of Marlo is bad for business. He's literally off the street while in prison, but he very much is still running the streets because he's got the connect. Stringer vastly underestimates Avon's capabilities because Stringer is the type to spend hours pouring over _Wealth of Nations,_ instead of material relevant to his profession in crime.
@@nekrataali exactly! I once read a comment on the rooftop scene saying that the story that Avon tells about Stringer stealing a badmington Game and getting them trouble while Avon said "but we have no yard!" Was a paralell to their attitude: Stringer wanting to belong to a higher class and Avon knowing exactly where they are. Also there are all the chess metaphores: Bodies shooting diagonally like a pawn when he's killed by Michael, Who makes the Knight move; Stringer running straight and diagonal lines, like the Queen, when he's killed by two pawns shooting to him diagonally; and Avon winning the Game when he's literally put in a place where he can barely move, like the king Honestly i think it's impossible to make any show better than The Wire
Do Avon, or an episode on "the philosophy of Wallace vs bodie" or "the evolution of bodie" or bunnie colvin and daniels the "good" cop or d'angelo or an episode on randy, Michael, dukie and namond or "carver vs herc"
"He even killed his best friend Wallace." That made me chuckle. If anything, Poot and Wallace were best friends. Wallace wasn't calling Bodie from out in the country. He was calling Poot. Bodie didn't sleep under the same roof as Wallace and the kids. Poot did. Wallace wasn't hanging with Bodie when they spotted Brandon. He was hanging with Poot.
You guys once made a video talking about the witch trope, can you guys also make a video about the origins of mermaids and how they tend to be portrayed in media and why? Seems fitting since The Little Mermaid 2023 came out ot long ago
I don’t know if Marlo was “worse” than Avon and Stringer. Avon and stringer are already on the top removed from most of the violence but they are JUST as ruthless as Marlo. They had Boadie and Poot killed their childhood friend, they had a witness killed for just testifying and worst of all Avon has a bunch of prisoners overdose and die. His own nephew was on drugs and if his nephew had used, he could have ODed as well
Avon still had some redeeming qualities: his concern and care for his family, his respect for his associates and underlings, he even helps out Cutty with his gym and asks nothing in return. Marlo is a complete different animal. He has no cares or attachments. He doesnt even seem to be interested in money, the nominal end of the Game. He has no friends, not even interest in women. When he has sex it seems more like some sort of biological need being fulfilled, like pissing. His only aim is to be feared, the highest expression of power, and to that end he is willing to do anything. A truly terrifying villain.
Definitely my favorite tv series of all time. Binged watched in college. My roommate and friends watched every episode of season 3 like a watch party 🎉💯🫡
Chris Hedges put it the best he says about mania for hope will causes us not to see what is the problem in front of us is that we think everything will be solved
Avon had him right before he was raided. Slim Charles, who ends up being on top in the end anyway, coulda killed him easily but waited for the word to come down from Avon. I feel like this should have been mentioned in the video as luck had as much to do with Slim coming out on top as anything else.
You guys said it best!!! Out of everyone. Avon saw Marlo for who he really was and he tried to get everyone to see it as well but they wouldn’t listen to him and acted like he was the one being crazy in the streets. After he gets locked up again Prop Joe and everybody else gets reality literally slapped in their faces as to who Marlo truly is. A Disruptor. If they had just stood with Avon and ended Marlo, the streets would have been better for it. I think that’s why Avon gave the connect to Marlo he wanted to prove to everyone else like Prop Joe and them who Marlo truly is and it worked. Although the popular theory though is that in the end Avon still remained the TRUE KING and will most likely return to his crown as soon as he gets out, only now everyone would actually listen to him regarding Marlo, his ending may have been Ambiguous in the show, but not all that ambiguous actually if you really think about it, his days are numbered, plain and simple.
Marlo never called Avon by his name…just by the brand…Barksdale. Marlo wanted the same branding recognition and was willing to kill any objections to his brand.
WATCH MORE - Another iconic Wire character who was about his "business" is Stringer Bell. Here's our TAKE on cold blood personified: ruclips.net/video/jp3KyZdd_Oc/видео.html
Please don't use dramatic background music. It's cheesy
@The Take I just came away mystified by the pronunciation of Dostoevsky
Your facts are not completely right in fact, you need to really be a fan and not some culture vulture trying to understand when you really don't SMH btw Snoop was introduced at the rim shop, garage part to be exact and that's where Marlo spoke about how Barksdale is weak and not dealing with the ammunition he possesses, you're just doing this for money you culture vulture SMH
Make more videos about the Lawyer Levi, and another on Dee
“You want it to be one way, but it’s the other way.” That line has lived in my head for 20 years. Perfect delivery of a chilling fact
One of the best lines ever without question
Same. It's been there since I first heard it.
but it makes no sense lol. this phrase has no meaning.@@CC3GROUNDZERO
@@rainbowjeremy-t3v you just don't understand it's meaning.
nope. it haves no meaning. if it has meaning explain it
@@MrCobbsalad
Marlo was terrifying. Everytime he was on screen i was on the edge of my seat. Great character.
The fact that videos are still being made 20 years after it ended shows to how great it was
I was quite young when The Wire came out. I recently found out about it and looked into it and I can proudly say, this is one of the greatest shows to air on TV. Ever.
Rest in Peace Michael K Williams
Sadly we also lost Lance Reddick this year.
Michael K. Williams was amazing. Such a talented actor - my favourite character in the series.
This year was also the 10 year anniversary Robert Chew's passing who played Prop Joe. Robert Chew was Baltimore born and bred, and did double duty instructing many of the child actors on how to talk the Baltimore accent.
Also Sonja Sohn (Kima Greggs) is in prison for felony possession of cocaine. That happened in 2019 and I imagine she's still in prison today.
One of???
@@brett444 that is what I wrote, yes.
Me too. I watched a few episodes and it wasn’t like The Sopranos. Yrs later gave it another shot and was the greatest TV experience next To Breaking Bad for me.
My favorite character in the show. Jaime Hector doesn't get enough praise for his portrayal, he's acting was top rank and brought so much nuance to the character. Marlo Stanfield is one of the best characters in the whole series who deserves a lot more recognition than he gets. His name is his name!!!!
What I love about the character is how little emotion he displays, except when he's giving his "My name is my name!" speech. But Jamie Hector doesn't come off as flat or one dimensional. He perfectly conveys a cold, ruthless, predatory demeanor.
I think the only other person who has done this well in such a portrayal is Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men."
Marlo is a great character, but was in the end all about climbing the ladder, playing the game and winning, not about his name or being vain.
I thought Marlo wasn't close to one of the best characters. The actor did well, but he always seemed to have so much plot armor on him and din'tdo a greta job of his passions or motivations. I know they tried to do the ironic poetic justice ending of him being unremembered, but like several threads in seaosn 5 (by far the weakest season, don't get me started on what they did with McNulty or Freeman), it didn't work. It would have worked more for Barksdale to come out of prison to realise no one remembered him on the streets. Avon was the character who most lived for the street.
@@danielebowmanif you say so
It was annoying when he did the 50 cent talking without moving your jaw thing but other than that it was good.
HECK YES! These videos are what got me to watch The Take in the first place!
Marlo was truly one of the best villains I’ve seen portrayed on screen! Incredibly well-written and just a stellar performance as well.
Yeah I think I subbed to this channel after looking for analysis on The Wire after my third re-watch! It's been a long time since we've had any Wire content, and I'm all here for it.
Marlo just made the show absolutely insane. We're first introduced to Stringer and Avon who are absolutely ruthless and evil. Then we get the Greeks who throw people away like trash that's on a whole other level. Like the video said, it just gets worse when Marlo finally shows up.
Yeah I originally started watching the Take for their analysis on GoT, Breaking Bad, and the Sopranos. For a few years they seemed to over focus on stuff like Gone Girl, The Royals, and MeToo themes.
Appreciate them going back to the classics!
I always viewed Marlo as the streets personified in its purest form
that's a whole fact
Wee Bay had the heart, real street dudes are more like him… he is a walking “streets”
Yeah, the wire had a way of showing the old school style g's against the up and coming yung guns....more vicious, ruthless, no rules apply.....very true, very realistic. But I still say my favorite scene in cinema history....not just the wire....in the history of movies and television...was the scene where Wallace gets killed by Bodie n poot....m jordans acting there is the best I've ever seen. The stark set of the abandoned white bedroom with the rigged light bulb. Bodie's scared shitless....poot being the real hammer......too fucking good.....best scene ever!!!
@@timothyslaughter476I don't think it's a generational thing, I think he's the worst guy at the right time. He came up at a a perfect point of instability, the Barksdales where destabilizing which allowed him to escape Mob Justice, and the police where also reduced in funding which allowed him to escape the rule of law.
It's also why his run as king is short lived. The barksdales had a decade, he had a couple years.
@@v.m.m.7729wee bay represents what the streets used to be like.
Marlo represents the mentality of the young niggas
Marlo is the product of the system Avon and Stringer built. All these disposal young men and women they sent into the grinder learned nothing but brutal violence and self-advancement
I don't know about that. He was way off the rails. We see other people around the same environment and he just sticks out like a monster.
@laprincessa9787 did you not see what avon crew did to Omar's boy toy?that ish was brutal now just imagine all the shit coming up that Marlo seen growing up on the same side.. even shot Gant in the head a every day worker...
Avon and stringer didn't build the system, they just were part of it
Stringer and Avon did not build this system🤦🏽♂️ in fact they are all victims of the system
@@eeb3994 Of course they are all victims of the larger system, however that doesn't mean individual choices don't have consequences and meaning. For example, Herc's actions have forever changed Randy's life for the worse. That this happened in the larger context of the education and criminal justice system failing Randy at every turn does not excuse Herc's individual responsibility or lessen his personal and specific impact on Randy's life. Stringer and Avon built their empire in a way that specifically made Marlo who he was. The casual violence against women and outsiders, the nepotism and glorification of the past that made it impossible for anyone without connections to climb high in the hierarchy, the 0 tolerance of any mistake or failing of their (lower ranked) members. Marlo is the logical conclusion of a pawn who made to the other side of this board and became a king himself.
Marlo's fate to an extent is worse than death: He's anonymous. His last scene where the kids don't know who he is. I imagine if he had gone down in a blaze of glory, people would remember him.
“Worse than death: he’s anonymous and living and up $10 million” 😂 what a negative way to view a W
@@BigA678 True, but remember what he said in jail when he found out that Omar was trash talking him, "My Name is My Name!". And if he carried that attitude before he was in jail, I don't think that is going to change after he gets out of jail.
@@BigA678 Marlo doesn't view that as a W , he wanted to be King of the streets not in a suit where most people won't respect him
@@BigA678 hes wants his name to ring out on the corner
@@aarongoldstein8472 I’m just viewing it as a street nigga’s perspective you view it from a tv show fan perspective and thats ok
I'll say it whenever the opportunity arises. Season 4 of The Wire is perfection. Absolute perfection.
Absolutely agree!! The story of DuQwan ( Dookie) broke my heart 😢
@@larae6885 ahh that boy😭. Thanks again for reminding me how life in the wire could get waayy darker than expected
@@wambokodavid7109 dude it CRUSHED me seeing how he ended up
YES!!!!!! season 4 was too excellent, I was expecting so much in season 5. Sadly, I was underwhelmed.
Marlo represents the new school ways of drug dealing while Avon represents the old school ways of dealing. Marlo didn’t care to negotiate or build relationships with any of his rivals.
I would say Prop Joe and The Greeks are old school..Avon was a mix of the old and new.
@@lugrisa nah stringer way dont work. Its for civilized people. Marlo did a mixture of stringer and avon way. He hid the bodies so there was no bodies to bring police. Which is stringer way. But he still klled like avon.
Yup is just murder and take what he wants
@@zero1188 yes police goes harder for actual bodies in the streets than missing people. Murders and bodies are what scares the community. Missing folks they just say how sad. If the person is a menace they say good.
@@jamaalmoses8821 buy for a dollar sell for 2. Later with all that Bs..... - Prop Joe
Im glad this show still gets the recognition it deserves it had such a deep massage and was so gritty i dont think they’ll ever make a show this good again.
Feels like it’s been years since y’all did a video on the wire (probably during the screen prism days). So glad to see y’all pick up this analysis on this show!
Marlo's ending is the same as Anton from No Country for Old Men
They both get away but they both get injured indicating that their luck is running out
Similar characters for sure and a correct take. And it ironic or for telling when he said "even when you win you can still lose"
Michael was going to hunt Marlo down and kill him within a month of his release.
Like Avon said, "The game is always going to have a Marlo"
I always saw Marlo as a mythical villain. A complete product of the drug business. No feelings, only driven by money and power.
How are those drives not dictated by feelings
@@AdaptiveApeHybrid I mean everything he did was a calculated move to put him at the top of the drug business. I didn't really see any emotional aspects to it.
@@mikelomez9313 he bottles his emotions up. He’s not even interested in money, it’s almost like he want revenge. He ends up punishing everyone involved in the game and only reducing everyone’s capacity to improve their living conditions. As if to set the city on fire out of spite as if there’s nothing worth saving.
@@iwanttocomplain interesting perspective
@@mikelomez9313 he’s like the most depressing and joyless character ever created.
I saw the wire for the first time during lockdown and thought it was amazing. So thanks for doing this take on Marlo and I'll check out the others. Good to see The Take going back to tv and movie breakdowns.
Avon was never "yearning for his name to be known as king on the streets". It's actually quite the opposite, Avon went to great lengths to ensure his name was clean, cops couldnt even properly ID him for quite some time
Not quite. AVon was most yearing for the streets. What he did was very clever in ensuring he was unknown and unconnected to the cops. He was well known on the streets andlived for the street life.
Avon wanted to avoid the mainstream at all cost. But the streets? He wanted his name to be known there by any means necessary, even with the risk attached to it.
Really interesting how similar Bodie talking to McNulty about snitching on Marlo, but not on his boys on the corner, and Frank Sabotka talking to the detail in season 2 about not snitching on any union people.
It's s a nice way of showing how important solidarity is to working people. A glimmer (and only a glimmer) of hope in the face of the game's relentless demands that everyone competes and only looks out for themselves, I think
For all the bullshit Marlo pulled throughout the last few seasons I was so happy to see his lukewarm ending. No one respects him, no one remembers him, his name meant nothing but Omar and Avon’s do.
I will never agree with this. Marlo WON! He's free, keeps his money and can live happily ever after should he choose. Avon is broke, hustling money from Marlo of all people and stuck in prison. Fuck that name shit and street shit it DOESN'T MATTER life isn't a video game these people don't respawn...... Except Marlo he respawns and immediately takes a corner and oh yea, he kept his pride and dignity.
@@DblTap317 Marlo is the punk at the end, with nothing, as far as that life is concerned. He went soft. He’s a phony.
@@seangallagher1947 "that life" isn't a real thing bruh. Life is life. It's a marathon not a sprint right
@jamesb6396 he won but still lost because he wanted people to remember his name.
@@Laidback718 Oh he did plenty to be remembered by the handful of people that would care before they die or go to prison. He still lives on to do more memorable things. He won in every sense of the word.
I’m so glad you guys are doing The Wire again. I throughly enjoyed your take on Stringer and Omar, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing who you analyze next.
Marlo is my favorite character in The Wire. It used to be Avon but Marlo’s presence and sheer force of darkness is unlike anything I’ve seen in fiction that wasn’t someone in a comic book. He’s a force of nature that can’t be reasoned or understood with normal thought.
Vincent could reason with him
@BigA678 who is that
I don't understand how that can him a favourite character of yours though. I get why he's such an evil presence on the screen that puts you on the edge of your seat, but if anything it just makes him all the more despicable. We all wanted to see Marlo get his comeuppance at the end.
His end was fitting for his character. It's a fate worse than death.
27 bodies in fucking vacants
sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-it still one of the best shows i've ever watched.
For me it is the best🤝
Literally finished this series two hours ago, and now this is posted. Think it's a sign from the heavens I should begin my first rewatch
The most jealous you can ever be is when you find someone who gets to watch The Wire for the first time. The second most jealous you can ever be is when someone gets to watch it for their second time 😭🤣😂
It's amazing how much the show transforms on subsequent re-watches. I hated the second season the first time I watched the show. By my third re-watch, I think season 2 is the best after 1 and 4. Season 5 isn't as good on those re-watches.
But The Wire's worst seasons and episodes are still better than anything else that's ever aired and remains the GOAT.
@@nekrataalivery good take bro.
I absolutely love the Wire, it is one of my all time favorite shows and I watch it all the time. Marlo was definitely frightening with his desire to kill over every little perceived slight, but I like to think that he became the next Stringer Bell and eventually met the same fate.
That's the scary part. Marlo is so ruthless and has no personal attachments. He has also killed all traitors. All those apparent weaknesses got Stringer killed. Marlo lacks none of those and already entered the level of society Stringer wanted. Marlo is thus harder to kill on both counts: too isolated, too powerful. If Marlo got back in the game, the only thing that could end him was the police... And they only failed once and can't come with the same viciousness as before anymore. Marlo is proof morality doesn't matter, once you pursue only power and totally disregard it. That's the part that truly scares me.
@@manniking233nah i think Michael no one give him the respect off snoop off so many more and would definitely be one step ahead of marlo and he was after Michael anyway in my eyes michael became like the second omar in the end brandishing the double barrel and all michael would’ve deaded him easy
@@dafyddwilliams2158 That WOULD make sense. Only Michael, who could easily find him. So, yeah.
@@dafyddwilliams2158 That WOULD make sense. Only Michael, who could easily find him. So, yeah. Only one problem, though. Marlo is a killer himself. He could easily kill Michael if it came down to a showdown. It wouldn't be a foregone conclusion.
@@manniking233 nah michael smoked more people and was smarter he would've just popped up and think of it when i came to marlo snoop and chris are the real killers who taught michael so michael would get there first everytime
soulless efficiency is always terrifying.
This show was loaded with incredible performances. I wouldn't even know where to start. But yes, out of all that it was Marlo and Omar that stood out the most to me. Those dudes were just different.
I hated Marlo from the jump. I just hated everything about him. And what he did to Prop Joe was just uncalled for. Prop Joe was so so dope. I wanted Marlo dead so bad. It’s testament to actor Jamie Hector, he killed that role.
Prop Joe told Omar to steal the shipment and Joe bought it back. Then Joe sold it to the co-op for double. Tru definition of 🐍
Prop Joe killed his role too cause y’all forgot about all the foul stuff he thought he got away with
Prop Joe set up Marlo to be robbed by Omar then used that to make Marlo join the Co Op hoping that he could control him
Then he sent Omar to rob his shipment of of heroin & sold it back to everyone for a way higher price
Marlo was the only dealer in the Co Op smart enough to see Prop Joe for who he really was & done what he had to do
His conceited drive reminded me of some people from my past and I feel the same lol. Absolutely despicable character and amazing performance
Prop Joe played and used Marlo. Don't forget that.
Prop Joe got Marlo robbed of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and his ring. And then got the entire co-op robbed by Omar again. I get that we liked Prop Joe, but how could we all be in so much agreement that Stringer deserved his death and not Prop Joe? He was just as big a snake as String. And maybe when Cheese told Marlo where Prop Joe lived, he also told him about the Omar stuff? Doesn’t that justify Marlo killing him?
Im so excited for you guys to breakdown the succession finale
People like Marlo are going to learn that there is a good reason to have rules in place. If the game is chaotic then only the meanest, the most cold hearted, and the most ruthless will come out on top. However, by rule there will always be someone who's willing to go the extra mile, be more savage, and cause more destruction to get to the top. If that means coming after you then that's how chaos works. People who don't care for the rules like Marlo fail to see that they're going to get old and comfortable; eventually will get slipping. The Italian mob knew a hundred years ago that no one is going to last long in the game if there isn't no organization. This is why they started a commission to settle disputes between the crime families.
Agreed. In reality "zero rules, zero morality, I Marlo demand absolute loyalty yet give none back" doesn't work in the medium term. Eventually that just leads to street warfare or to someone murdering him. Marlo's not immune to bullets and there's no such thing as the streets being 100% dominated and monopolized by one man.
The Mexican cartels are a good example. No rules or any sense of morality in that game. Mfs are tortured, flayed, dismembered, etc. etc. Only gets worse
I disagree. You're right for the most part but you got one key detail wrong about Marlo. He'll never get old and comfortable because he doesn't care about that. In that scene with Vincent where he's trying to convince him to back off and how he'll end up dead he says he doesn't care as long as he dies on top. That's the scary thing about people like Marlo. He isn't scared of dieing, he's scared of living as a nobody.
Which is why I think the Co-op under Slim Charles is in good hands. The only threat to them is potentially Michael as he matures and hones his craft. If Marlo tries to get back into the game, he's either a dead man or a jailed man.
@hopoff9968 Everyone get old and eventually get comfortable.
Glad to see the Take back on the Wire
This is great analysis, great video. The Wire is one of those works that is just timeless
Marlo in the end realized he wore a paper crown, nobody knew who he was after he was dethroned by the law.
In 2023 we're living in the age of Marlo. The streets are much more sociopathic than before. No one and nothing is off limits.
Marlo will never be respected but his was feared in his time! Avon, Slim Charles , Omar and Brother Mazone were respected !
What makes Marlo “worse” than Avon, exactly? The fact that his organization was responsible for 22 deaths instead of 8? That Marlo thought it was more prudent to kill Prop Joe than to ignore him?
I think the hard truth is essentially what Poot argued in S4. The degrees separating Avon from Marlo are mostly negligible, in the last analysis. Stringer felt he *had* to kill Wallace, so he had it done. Marlo, likewise, does what he does because he feels he *has* to do it. But let us not forget that the most brutally cruel and vicious act we see committed in the entire series is a direct result of Avon’s orders. I’m talking, of course, about the torture and death of Omar’s boyfriend, Brandon, in S1. Almost all of Marlo’s kills, by contrast, are clean and painless (Butchie *is* briefly tortured by Chris and Snoop, but it doesn’t come close to what Brandon received at the hands of the Barksdale crew).
“The game doesn’t change. Just got fiercer.” I forget who says that in the show, but I think the quote sums up how “the show” wants us to think about Marlo. He doesn’t represent a qualitative shift in the nature of the game. He is just the best at playing it - the best of his generation. He’s the perfect apex predator for his environment. But it’s the same old hunt.
Reading that logic into Marlo’s final moments makes sense. It’s just back to square one. Building a power-base, one corner at a time.
Marlo was the most EVIL person on the show but got to live out stringers dreams, and leave the game with millions …sad part that’s how it be in real life
Just luck
@@KingIrvXLWasn't luck. Dude got a vicious lawyer because of how much power he raked up in that short period of time.
You know his ass would die violently in the street if the show continued. He was addicted.
@@AdaptiveApeHybrid Michael was going to kill him ASAP.
@budwyzer77 I mean doesn't something like that make sense?
Honestly I think Michael killing Marlo or Chris would have made the last season waaaaaay better
The Take is doing the Wire?? That's not a combination of words i'd thought would ever run through my mind.
They’ve done more videos about the wire lad all are very good check them out
They did The Wire vids back when they were still Screenprism dawg
Things change and things stay the same. The game is the game. Always!
Just here to reiterate how The Wire is still in the top 3 best tv shows of all time and doesnt get anywhere enough credit for it. Its in fact SO good that anytime i think of rewatching it i give myself pause. Because this show devastated me.. literally drained the life out of me ha.
But the proof is in the pudding... i cannot remember a showing having THIS many stand out, nuanced and iconic characters both protagonist and antagonists.
It’s not just “top three” mate it’s the best show ever made🤷♂️no show is even in the same class.
That’s the besttttttt break down of a character I have ever seen. And you touched the right points. I was like I hope she discusses the Omar conflict. Because of you I am going to do a rewatch😂. Keep the videos coming. Let me see if you got one on Omar.
Finally! I loved your videos on Stringer Bell and Jimmy Mcnulty, but after a while I lost all hope that you'll make new ones.
Another great video essay. Love The Take!
YES! Finally, @thetake with the kind of content that got me to subscribe! Thank you!
The take is back!!!!
"There is always going to be a Marlo, man. No Marlo No Game." -Avon Barksdale
Expected the take on Succession finale...got a piece on a show that's even better, even after 20 years. Not dissapointed at all
I am amazed this came out today, i loved all the other deep dives on the wire and thought no more were coming!
The WORST villians are the politicians and people would live comfortably by villifying these desperate people.
definitely my favorite character in a TV show. Completely ruthless.
3:21 I still think about that security guard. That was one of the most senseless, unnecessary, disgusting displays of power and heartlessness I’ve witnessed on tv. I guess that was the point.
The Take going back to their ScreenPrism vibes ?!…we love to see it! 👏🏾 Hopefully this is the trend and not a blip.
"The game the same, just got more fierce" -Slim Charles
Perfectly describes Marlo.
Great analysis. Marlo was absolutely terrifying, and the actor who played him was excellent in the role. Love The Wire.
Marlo is my favorite character in the whole series
i miss this types of videos
To me there is also another message. Marlo is so heartless that he's finally not able to keep an organization because he's unpredictable and he can't keep his alliances. However, Avon has still been playing from prison, he's only there for having guns and Will be free when the east side has no Prop Jo and Marlo has already Lost his power, he's got connection to the Greeks and Avon is a person that has got people to trust him and gets to have loyal people to him ("I am what you may consider.. an authority figure"). He's won the game. Remember when he describes Stringer as a man without a country "not hard enough for the streets, and maybe not smart enough for the business men"... But Avon knows his place ("I'm just a gángster I suppose"). He's the one character that's hard enough, strategic but can also cares about his people; he's the only one who's perfectly adapted to the hard reality where he's been raised. So, after all, the King doesnt move so much... but the King stay the king.
I think Avon also downplays his own intelligence, almost like he's read and re-read _The Art of War._ "Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak."
He pretends he's "just a gangster and I want my corners," but really he understands the instability of Marlo is bad for business. He's literally off the street while in prison, but he very much is still running the streets because he's got the connect. Stringer vastly underestimates Avon's capabilities because Stringer is the type to spend hours pouring over _Wealth of Nations,_ instead of material relevant to his profession in crime.
@@nekrataali exactly! I once read a comment on the rooftop scene saying that the story that Avon tells about Stringer stealing a badmington Game and getting them trouble while Avon said "but we have no yard!" Was a paralell to their attitude: Stringer wanting to belong to a higher class and Avon knowing exactly where they are.
Also there are all the chess metaphores: Bodies shooting diagonally like a pawn when he's killed by Michael, Who makes the Knight move; Stringer running straight and diagonal lines, like the Queen, when he's killed by two pawns shooting to him diagonally; and Avon winning the Game when he's literally put in a place where he can barely move, like the king
Honestly i think it's impossible to make any show better than The Wire
Do Avon, or an episode on "the philosophy of Wallace vs bodie" or "the evolution of bodie" or bunnie colvin and daniels the "good" cop or d'angelo or an episode on randy, Michael, dukie and namond or "carver vs herc"
With String, Marlo, Avon, Prop Joe the wire has the best antagonists I tv history
Excellent review the wire is one of my favorite shows of all time and marlo is one if TVs all time great villians
Love these Wire Takes 🎉
Can you do a breakdown on D’Angelo Barksdale?
"He even killed his best friend Wallace."
That made me chuckle. If anything, Poot and Wallace were best friends. Wallace wasn't calling Bodie from out in the country. He was calling Poot. Bodie didn't sleep under the same roof as Wallace and the kids. Poot did. Wallace wasn't hanging with Bodie when they spotted Brandon. He was hanging with Poot.
Bodie did throw a 40 at Wallace for being a kid, though. I guess that does make them best friends. Nah, never mind.
Marlo was the living embodiment of organized crime: ruthless, cunning and without remorse.
This was a great one. Please more wire one’s
Wow, The Wire is back
More wire content finally!!!!
Been hanging four years waiting on this one finally!
I will never tire of Wire insights. Nice video.
After snowfall it’s good to remember
That the Wire ended well
Dude, snowfall ending was great
Yay more The Wire content!
Marlo ain't shit without Chris. Chris is the real demon in the game
Wow! Great breakdown of the Marlo character…
My favorite character of the series.
Ive been waiting five years for this
Love your wire takes! any chance you make the Bunny Colvin video essay? :)
I liked the first thumbnail better.
You guys once made a video talking about the witch trope, can you guys also make a video about the origins of mermaids and how they tend to be portrayed in media and why? Seems fitting since The Little Mermaid 2023 came out ot long ago
I don’t know if Marlo was “worse” than Avon and Stringer. Avon and stringer are already on the top removed from most of the violence but they are JUST as ruthless as Marlo. They had Boadie and Poot killed their childhood friend, they had a witness killed for just testifying and worst of all Avon has a bunch of prisoners overdose and die. His own nephew was on drugs and if his nephew had used, he could have ODed as well
Please don't use dramatic background music. It's cheesy
Marlo is Miles Bron with the humor stripped away.
Excellent video on one of the best characters of the best tv show ever
Remember when the take used to talk and analyze movies and tv shows.
I think yall wrong about Avon and Marlo, Avon played Marlo in the jail negotiation.
Avon still had some redeeming qualities: his concern and care for his family, his respect for his associates and underlings, he even helps out Cutty with his gym and asks nothing in return. Marlo is a complete different animal. He has no cares or attachments. He doesnt even seem to be interested in money, the nominal end of the Game. He has no friends, not even interest in women. When he has sex it seems more like some sort of biological need being fulfilled, like pissing. His only aim is to be feared, the highest expression of power, and to that end he is willing to do anything. A truly terrifying villain.
YESSSS more the wire videos please!
I love all the new Wire content
Definitely my favorite tv series of all time. Binged watched in college. My roommate and friends watched every episode of season 3 like a watch party 🎉💯🫡
Marlo- you want it to be one way, but it’s other way
Chris Hedges put it the best he says about mania for hope will causes us not to see what is the problem in front of us is that we think everything will be solved
About time! You guys claimed you were going to do a view of the characters like four years ago and then you left us hanging.
“It ain’t that part of it, it’s that other thing”😮💨still gives me chills
Great analysis!
Great video. I’ll never understand why it was so hard to take Marlo out. There were so many opportunities
He wasn't hard to kill he
He just hid what he was up to and so people where not really paying attention .
Avon had him right before he was raided. Slim Charles, who ends up being on top in the end anyway, coulda killed him easily but waited for the word to come down from Avon. I feel like this should have been mentioned in the video as luck had as much to do with Slim coming out on top as anything else.
Marlo. Proof that the game ALWAYS wins.
You guys said it best!!! Out of everyone. Avon saw Marlo for who he really was and he tried to get everyone to see it as well but they wouldn’t listen to him and acted like he was the one being crazy in the streets. After he gets locked up again Prop Joe and everybody else gets reality literally slapped in their faces as to who Marlo truly is. A Disruptor. If they had just stood with Avon and ended Marlo, the streets would have been better for it. I think that’s why Avon gave the connect to Marlo he wanted to prove to everyone else like Prop Joe and them who Marlo truly is and it worked. Although the popular theory though is that in the end Avon still remained the TRUE KING and will most likely return to his crown as soon as he gets out, only now everyone would actually listen to him regarding Marlo, his ending may have been Ambiguous in the show, but not all that ambiguous actually if you really think about it, his days are numbered, plain and simple.
Its not things CAN get worse its that they WILL get worse.
Marlo never called Avon by his name…just by the brand…Barksdale. Marlo wanted the same branding recognition and was willing to kill any objections to his brand.
this was great.
Thanks