The REAL Reason Slim Charles Killed Cheese | The Wire Explained 

CR subs: we was good when we had Godfather content 24/7. Then you had to go ahead and put up with Sopranos & Wire videos. CR: See that? See now, that's just the wrong way to look at it. 'Cause Godfather had his time, and Godfather 3 put an end to that. Then Sopranos had his time, short as it was, and the Saints of Newark put an end to that. And now, it's The Wire time. Mines and yours. But instead of just shuttin' up and kickin' in, you gonna stand there cryin' that "back in the day" sh.... CR subs: CineR... CR: There ain't no "back in the day," Ain't no Corleone videos here! There's just Omar videos, and Marlo videos, and Little Kevin videos. CR: When it was Godfather I was with Godfather. When it was Sopranos, I was with Sopranos. But now... HBO: COPYRIGHT STRIKE CR subs: What the f you do that for? Now we dont get no new videos for 3 months. HBO: That was for Fredo.

Prop joe was a businessman who was forced to become a gangster. Marlo was a gangster who was forced to become a businessman. And stringer was forced to be neither but tried to be both. The beauty of the wire never ceases to amaze me.

Slim was a true old school soldier and that’s why Slim survived. He adapted to the changing of the guard, embraced the new way but always stayed true to the old school principles. By doing soon he garnered respect of all the players in the game. That is why Slim survived a game in which players don’t last long.

"What the Fuk you do that four. Now we short the nine. That was for Joe".

*”That was for Joe” said it all*

I always thought that when Cheese offered the $900k, Slim realized that Cheese was responsible for Joe's death and stole the money from Joe after he died.

Honestly, that scene at the end when Slim just blasts Cheese was one of my favorite moments. It's a testament to how good this show was, a dude getting shot mid sentence is a horrifying thing, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Slim was what Bodie called in the first season “a smart ass pawn”… yea Slim was a smart ass pawn, played the game masterfully by knowing when to make certain moves, when to oppose certain opportunities such as declining to b the top man on the West side. He knew not to get too close to Marlo. Slim Charles the smart pawn who made it to the end. Walked away wit the connect

"Boy was always a disappointment" - Prop Joe

Slim was smart. He knew that Cheese was a traitorous dude. He wanted to clip him early on but Prop Joe didn’t want to do that to a relative. After Cheese betrayed Joe, it was clear that he would sell anyone out if the price was right.

I loved it when Omar got the drop on Slim but didn't kill him, one great character showing respect to another great character similar to the Omar & Brother stand off scene.

If the co op kept Cheese around, he would have betrayed or undermined them eventually.

I’d love to see an hour long analysis of Slim, but I think you covered everything perfectly here, and you showed him the respect he deserves. There’s a reason why he’s a fan favorite. Great job!

Lol Joe literally said to Charles: "Cheese watches the shop, you watch Cheese".

Slim is a cool character. His loyalty to Avon and Prop Joe was of the highest level even more so than Chris and Snoop being loyal to Marlo.

Slim has honor, character and a code.

Slim is the pawn who became King. He didn't move recklessly, but played his role perfectly. He was respected by all factions of the drug kingpins within Baltimore, but held no allegiances to any one specific territory. He stacked his money, but was never flashy. He observed the mistakes of those above him, and learned from them when he made his next moves.

Much respect to Method Man. The way I actually felt real feelings of dislike for him as he Cheesed his way through the Wire.

Slim had a code of honor and Cheese had none. Dude was a snake who’d sell anyone out. I’m positive when he’s getting his little monologue at the end, he was gonna say “Now it’s my time” or something to that effect. Slim put him down like the animal he is. All the other dealers were only mad cause they Slim cost them more money and left his ass there.

Cheese made it clear when he put a gun into Ricks face that HE was the leader of the Co-op. Pitching in more than his share too. Slim knew that just couldn’t be and had to take action. When Slim smoked Cheese, HE became the leader.

"if its a lie then we fight on that lie" -slim Slim really literally was a ride or die for Avon.

Great analysis! I never put Joe’s warning about money showing up together with confirming his betrayal. Well done!

He was a true Soldier and he just couldn't take cheese being so smug about how he sold out his real family love Slim "that was for Joe"

Everybody needs a slim charles on Sunday mornings...

“A true tower of integrity in a world full of moral midgets,” may just be the best quote I’ve ever heard and now I’m gonna live my life with it!

"Removes him from the chat." I love this expression for murder.

Killing Cheese was a no brainer,he would have been dead if not for Prop Joe

Hated cheese but loved the way he was played by method man 😂 and he had some of the funniest scenes / lines in the show ........

String murder ain't no thing, but this is some assassination shit

When Prop Joe warned Slim that Cheese might pony up the lions share of the buy-in, it reminded me of that scene in The Godfather when Vito warns Michael that whoever is the first to propose a meeting with Barzini, that person is also the traitor. Beautiful callback!

Cheese's death was one of the most brutal kills on the show, i remember the sudden nature of it and the twitching after the fact really freaked me out

slim is what DeAngelo,I hope I spelled right, was supposed to be. The show has sooo many characters that have twins but they just handle and have things go way opposite, if Dee didn't have his mindset, and caused all the problems, he could have been slim, but he didn't have his smarts, lack of ego and code. Also cheeses last scene is great! He's feeling like he's on top and the new king and slim just bang!!! Keeping it REAL!!

I think it was 2 things. 1. Slim seemed like a dude that was in the life cause it was all he ever had, but he was an otherwise decent cat. He did stuff as a soldier that maybe didn't show it, but there was a human being underneath it all. And he learned from Prop Joe that the way he learned under Avon and who knows who before wasn't all there was and it could just be business. Sometimes business was messy, but it didn't have to be and like McNulty said and D picked up - they could just sell the stuff and let the rest be. It also made law enforcement back off when it wasn't constant violence so it was smart business when ya weren't always on that gangster run and gun stuff, which Avon couldn't let go of and it was his downfall. 2. He knew Cheese wasn't trustworthy, not the kinda partner anybody would want cause he was a snake that would cut everybody's throat at the first opportunity. Even if it meant losing the connect it was better than letting Cheese keep increasing his position and causing who knows how much damage along the way. And maybe it was actually for Joe cause he seemed to actually carry a lotta respect for the man. Cheese was a scumbag, but Method Man did what he always does and really made the character something to love even if he was a POS. Did the same in The Deuce, Oz, and everything else I've seen em in really.

Slim killed cheese on principle point blank

I still stand by that Slim is not in charge of the connect. He’s the face representing Avon because “the King stay the King.”

I knew why slim killed cheese years ago by reading wikipedia, whoever edited the page on Slim Charles worded it beautifully. It was something to the effect of "Slim shot cheese for honor and loyalty to Proposition Joe, in a world where Cheese thought such values didn't exist."

Awesome analysis of Slim always had respect for him the way he treated Cutty..but you’re spot on with the line “That’s for Joe” meaning Joe’s order

You forgot that Omar pulled up on fat face rick and rick asked him if he was involved in joe’s death. When Omar snickers, rick was like, “yeah I didn’t think so”

The thing the Mr CineRanter says about Slim Charles' walk "he walked like he was always walking uphill".......... THAT is such a wonderful line. Really brilliant. In a novel, that quick detail would put so much meaningful flesh onto a character's bones, so much but so succinctly. It describes not just a physical trait (described in an artful way) , something that helps the reader to envision a character, it also contains so much psychology. It is such a damnably damn good line that, god damnit, why couldn't I have come up with it? (hint: I'm not such a good writer. ). I can still PRETEND i wrote it. ....say it in front of family members. Actually, on reflection, that won't really work. They'd spot that it is too good to be something that came from my brain. Damn damn damn. Well, at least I can think of it over and over and enjoy it immensely each time I do so.

The writers may or may not have intended this, but it always occurred to me that he'd already seen Barksdale and Marlo in the position Cheese was aiming for, and he just said no to that

Slim bought that DC flavor to the show. Actual street cred. Front man of Washington DC go-go band Backyard. Highly respected in real life.

A true samurai. A loyal retainer.

Slim is a type of dude that you want on your team and a type of dude that if you was on the lower level of the game you'd want him to be your boss because he's going to do right by you and he's going to tell you the truth but he knew that cheese was up to some nonsense but it should of spanked Marlow as well

Slim is one of the most underrated characters on the show. Always enjoyed his scenes, especially with his distinct voice. Like most of the gangsters on the show he's done terrible things but he had a loyalty and integrity many didn't. He was a good soldier but clearly had his own code and wasn't always self serving and good on his word. It's why Avon trusted him, why Prop Joe hired him after Barksdale was taken down, why Omar believed him when he said he wasn't behind Buchie's killing, and even why Marlo respected him.

The Cheese stood alone and the Cheese fell alone

I love seeing a man from Scotland show love to a DC (I know the Wire is a Baltimore show) brother. And Slim is definitely my favorite Wire character.

Slim Charles = Jay Landsman Fucking brilliant!! ✊

The thing about Slim Charles, he is principled, he knows his role, stays within himself, does his job well, and because of his history and reputation he can "break" the rules by killing Cheese. No one really challenged Slim Charles because he was fierce but had also built up a lot of goodwill with everyone and respect like that goes a long way so when you decide to break the rules some people will let it go because they know you're doing it for a good reason and it's not just all about you. Cheese had no understanding of this, he had a gun, unearned confidence, ambition, but forgot you need to be more than just fierce, you need to actually earn a good reputation to get people to follow you so he had no friends, no cover, and got taken down by a guy he thought he was better than.

Method Man nailed that part so well. It seriously took reflecting to remember that Cheese as a character was so masterfully crafted, that Method Man could transform out of what he is so successfully.

Considering how little screen time Slim Charles got, he became my favourite character in the show. Omar 2nd.

Did you know that Slim is in a jazz band in real life?!?! Crazy to see him playing an instrument

That's the brilliance of the Wire, that these types of analysis come up from various characters and events within the show. Anyone seeking to learn how to world build and establish characters, could watch the Wire. The machinations are Machiavellian, Avon discussing with Brother Mouzone about Stringer, Stringer thinking he could elevate the street to a corporate boardroom (both arenas are the same in that respect, backstabbings, ambitions and money, but they remain in their distinct lines), Marlo with his barely concealed lust for street cred (which falters in the end as the two people Marlo approaches on the street are talking about Omar, and don't know who he is). Slim was that charcater, you know was a badass when he lumbered up across the street and shot Fruit's people, and like you said, covered for Cutty (the boxing gym donation scene proves that both Slim and Avon still highly respected Cutty). The only crime committed, we all know, is that this series did not get one Emmy.

For Prop Joe...the end. 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️🤣🤣🤣

Big G was a DC LEGEND Before the Wire!!! This role solidified him everywhere else! 💯💯💯

Charles knew it was Cutty who hesitated, but still stuck his neck out for him out of his reputation as an elder. Respect is earned and earned respect means something, and Slim knows that more than anyone when he sees how much respect Avon has for Cutty.

My favorite scene is when Slim laments at the shooting of Omar and his grandma on Sunday. Talking about her Church/Sunday Crown

Slim does have loyalty to those he works with like when he took the blame for cutty not killing fruit at the time

Good video. I assumed that Cheese selling out Prop Joe was an open secret at that point. When Slim said he killed Cheese for Joe. Rick knew exactly what he meant and called him sentimental. I could see Slim wanting more confirmation though

I must say. I love. when you explained these show. you do such a beautiful job. you are a master at this. the best so far

Slim is played by Anwan Glover…we call him “Big G” here in DC…he’s the frontman for one of the biggest Go-Go bands ever…he’s also a legit street dude..pretty much the guy you see on TV…not a hard guy to find in the streets to this day..

Cheese gave up his uncle prop Joe that’s the only way he could’ve had $900k. Slim put two and two together

"That was for Joe..."

Love you content mane! 💪🏻💯

He literally said "THAT WAS FOR JOE"

Slim means smart in Dutch. And Charles definitely was. Great character, one of my favorites.

Makes a 13 minute video to answer what slim literally tells us immediately after killing cheese.

Slim Charles was one of my favorite characters in the Wire. I was very happy that he survived the entire series.

I always thought it was funny that Marlo sold the Connect for 10 million. As if the supply all the sudden dried up the Greeks wouldn’t reach out to Slim in like a week. All they had to do was wait

I think another factor for Slim was that by having Cheese in the co-op, Marlo would still have a hand in things. Whether directly or indirectly, by having Cheese pass information to Marlo. With so many factors to consider, killing Cheese was the only option.

Slim was one of those "good enough" people. Everything suits him. He was good enough as a soldier, good enough as a manager, as a right hand man and probably so as a leader. He was a good listener, never much of a talker. Mostly nodded his head yes or no and kept it moving, rather nonchalantly. He never spoke out of turn, no fussing , just short answers/comments but yet always informative. He wasn't particularly violent or particularly nice to people. Just did enough to get by. No-one seemed to hate him, or even really paid attention to him. But he got by, and got to the top spot without making any noise. I saw him as a big tall goofy at 1st, but he really was a genius in his own way.

What was so great about the Wire is after some time, you realize it didnt matter who the character was, how much he was loved, anybody could die at anytime. The setting wouldnt even make you think anything would happen sometimes then all of a sudden it just happens.

Cheese sold out Butchie the whole reason for Joe leaving in the first damn place

4:37 He manuged to get the drip on him.

I played Cheese's "Muscle" in Season 5 when he got caught w the re-up.. My buddy was the driver. He was out there with no muscle because my character was still locked up. They shot a scene where me and Chris Partlow's muscle were running the yard... but it got cut.

He literally said why…”That’s for Joe”.

Slim , the smart pawn 💯💪🏾

Cheese really turned on his blood uncle. “Keep your business and family COMPLETELY separated”

Slim the “Smart Ass Pawn” Bodie Voice

I noticed something the big dude that is sitting next to Slim Charles at the end talking to the Greek is maybe co head of the Co Op because he was the only one other than Slim that stood up to Cheese in regards to Prop Joe. That’s why Cheese put a gun to his head before he was killed. I love that we can still find little details in a great show years after it ended. Great analysis!

Slim already had the connect through Joe and Marlo only got it through Avon so Marlo never got paid

The fact this video isn’t sponsored by Slim Jims is outrageous.

Proposition Joe had already told slim that cheese was not to be trusted, one of the last things he said to slim was cheese is going to watch the shop, and you watch cheese. So slim knew what type of file individual cheese was

Your analyses are always interesting.

SLIM DEFINITELY MADE ALL THE RIGHT MOVES 💯🤞🏿

"Charles killing Cheese" is a very soothing sentence

It’s simple Cheese went against his own blood for points in a package under Marlo. Slim has a code.

Splendid break down my friend here here!

Cheese clipped his own uncle who showed Cheese nothing but love and loyalty. Slim Charles knew Cheese could not be trusted...

I think a character named "Cheese" is predisposed to a negative outcome..lol...The Wire is in my top 5 best series of all time, watched it many times. What makes a show timeless is that the characters play their rolls so well; you don't see an actor u see the character. Seems logical, but it's not always the case. Every actor in The Wire, in my opinion, played their characters perfectly. The theme/ topic almost doesn't seem to matter. In All In The Family, I still see Archie and Michael Stivic....brilliant. Accolades to the casting crew! (And Snoop? brilliant, yamean??)

Great analysis, love your content 👍

I always like slim Charles but this video makes me like him even more, nice work!

"Pandemic! WMD!" Foreshadowing

Slim respected prop Joe's ambition, cheese was just after a bag plain and simple.

You broke it down so well 👌🏾

Slim having the safety off his gun before the meeting started is a clear sign that he was planning to kill Cheese, or at least was considering it. Think it was a mixture of payback for Joe and (as this video spells out) not wanting to have someone like Cheese as a partner. Also, though the show never spells it out, Marlo probably accepted less than $10M for the connect, because he really didn't have any other options. And Slim might've suspected he would.

Say what you will, but if the Barksdale/Stanfield war happened during Avon's prime, the war would've ended quickly. Imagine Wee-Bey, Stinkum and Bird going after Marlo and his crew.

CR -- rewatching these videos after seeing the wire is a joy. It's without flaw man, so good

Slim knew cheese alive would create more problems later on, slim is very smart killing cheese was a business move but was also payback for joe.

If you watched the series you would know that Mr slim Charles was always drop-in jewels but unfortunately NOBODY 👂 listened to him when his advice coukda either saved your life or saved you from doing an all day bid ( life sentence) he warned proposition joe off top about Marlo and because of him not listening sure enuff got joe smoked and he even warned Brodie but the youngbuck was hard headed and ended up getting smoked too!! The list goes on

Slim is NOT a relatively minor character. He's a glue character. He's ambitious. He's noble. He's verbose without words.