Joe went out like a boss. Didn't beg, didn't plead, offered an alternative, and accepted his fate when his proposition was rejected. Great character, RIP Robert Chew
@@donsly375 I think you misread what bguze said. He didn't beg, did not plead, OFFERED an alternative etc. (unless you were replying to someone else and that dude deleted his comment or something)
@@thesinaclwonman idk about that. I see what you’re saying, and I can definitely see an argument for your stance. But given Marlos absolute dedication to his name and reputation, i feel he would go out and handle business himself He didn’t get to where he is for no reason. Snoop and Chris both stood with him and never shirked from their loyalty to him. That tells me that Marlo is someone who 100 percent put in work. And I mean, no one dude can run anything. If Avon and stringer didn’t have muscle, they wouldn’t be anything as well. Every leader needs his followers, ya know?
@@thesinaclwonhe’s a killer just the same, before he was boss he killed a witness, got his hands dirty killing avons Thor trap, watched Joe get his head blown off without flinching. Dude was a menace
Fucked up thing is at first I thought he was trying to say “don’t do it” but he said it in a way that didn’t imply weakness. Then I got to know his character and realized he meant what he said, “do it or don’t” it really didn’t matter to him. He’s truly a stone cold killer.
@@gustavoespinosa7970 And when you analyse his character it's a symbolic line. What I got from it was he was focused on getting to the top and anything that didn't align with that vision was irrelevant and insignificant or didn't matter like you said. That's his attitude throughout the whole series, anything that got in his way was just something to get removed & had no meaning whatsoever, that's why while Avon & Stringer had so much emotion in the beef between the two it was because of pride & ego of a young cat showing them up, with Marlo it was simply something that had to be taken care of to get to the next stage of taking over no emotions.
That’s totally incorrect. They push Marlo to step away and it looks like he will but his last scene shows that he’s unable to leave the game just like Avon. He’ll be killed or jailed at some point.
I love how Marlo is sitting in jail with life and business on line, calm as can be. But he hears 1 guy badmouthed him in the streets - and that's! the real concern. David Simon's intimate knowledge of his own characters is so sublime.
In this scene the writers told Jamie Hector(Marlo) that they want him to react the same way a company ceo would react if he finds out his companies reputation is on the line. The game is the game.
Marlo smiled at Michael after calling him out because he recognized himself in their stare down. One of the most intense 5 seconds on the screen. Great acting.
The killing of Joe was one of the coldest things I’ve ever seen in tv or movies...the Marlo character is so low key, never gets worked up, what an actor
@@carlitosur7949 the wire & The corner & the This is England TV series is how tv should be done 💯 kept short with not many series and episode's with a brilliant cast and a brilliant end product The film This is England is how film should done anything shane meadows does is Gold cos he's a genius .
Telling Prop Joe that he too is incapable of changing, then walking up in his suit, running the two slingers away, then enjoying the pure satisfaction of taking that corner. Summed up Marlo perfectly.
I feel bad for people who never give The Wire a chance. They have no idea what they're missing. It's sooo much more than just an old, non HD, show. Every few years I watch the entire series from beginning to end.
Marlo not getting killed made me appreciate the series more. We are always looking for the "bad guy" to take a fall, but in The Wire, most of the characters we saw as "good" or would root for, lost. Omar was the one people wanted to see survive. Instead we see him killed by Kennard which was great writing in my opinion. Snoop is killed by Michael who is now the new Omar I guess. Chris is the enforcer rotting in jail like Weebay. Duquan aka Dukie is now lost and smoking dookie. Randy is most likely going to be stuck in the system and forgotten, Poot is trying to get on track but will he ever live down the heartless killing of Wallace? Prezbo is learning that his new job is as hopeless as his last. Namond at least has a shot at something great but his life is what we wanted for Michael. But even Marlo lost at the end where he finds himself back where he started and not happy with his new found status. if you did a poll of the most intriguing and beloved character, I'm sure it would be Omar. Who knew that everyone would root for a gay stick up man? Fantastic show.
Marko killed people to massage his ego. Avon was much more of an embodiment of the game. That's encapsulated by the scene where Avon is upset with Stringer for breaking the Sunday morning peace rule.
@@garymac5571 "The first time Marlo makes an impact is when his underlings are about to punish Bubbles and Johnny for leaning on their car, threatening them with a handgun. Marlo takes in the situation and says simply 'Do it or don't. I've got places to be." He instantly puts himself above trivial concerns; he shows neither anger nor compassion. He has merely sized the situation up, judged there is no threat or benefit to him therein, and leaves it as not worth his time. His decision-making is calibrated to winning "the game". Sounds very egotistical to me.
@@nonchalant1984 Contrast that though to the entirely unnecessary murder of a security guard. Marlo had just lost a shit ton of money in a poker game. He clearly felt frustrated and powerless in that situation. To boost his fragile ego, he challenges the authority of a convenience store security guard, knowing he would always have the upper hand in this scenario. Not content with belittling the security guard, he then has Chris kill the security guard for daring to challenge him. That wasn't the game. That was entirely against the ethics of the game. That was Marlo's fragility manifesting itself in cold blooded murder of a civilian. Even in season one, when the Barksdale crew were killing civilians, it was because they were witnesses. It made sense from a business perspective. Marlo's murder of the security guard was purely egotistical.
That’s the game! It’s unpredictable, you never know what’s around the corner. His introduction is significant, the frame is of him in between one of his soldiers in the midst of deciding whether or not to kill Bubbles. When Marlo tells him “do it or don’t either way I got somewhere to be.” That shows you how ruthless the unknown can be. No preparation for it 🔥🔥🔥
4 me a white guy live in east of France..it was really like this in BMore ??? Dammnnn u ppl who lives in ghetto in US its so scary !!! But god bless u wish the best 4 u
@@henrye.5512 As a person born and raised in Baltimore. Its still ruthless, but no different than any city in the USA. Not as big as NY, Chicago or LA, but all cities have less resources for the lower class, which makes it hard for minorities and poor whites. Its a circumstance created by the government and those with money. No different than a third world country.
The scene with Omar robbing the card game feels like the best depiction of Marlo's realness. He shows no obvious emotion, he was completely calm even with two guns in his face and him getting robbed. It just felt like a perfect illustration of what a boss is, even in the worst situation Marlo still carried himself like he was in total control.
The only time he was ever uncomfortable was when he wasn't in full power and in control. When Stringer got too close in season 3 he flinched. When Avon surprised in jail, he was unseated because he didn't know Avon still wielded that much power and saw through him where Joe and String and others failed to.
Thought the same thing. They kind of alluded to him being no joke when his character is first introduced. Not only did Marlo have Chris's respect, he had his undivided loyalty as well, to the very end, even when Chris doubted him at times, or when Chris was facing life in prison. Two bloodthirsty, ruthless, driven kats who truly understood and accepted each other in a way that most people could never understand.
I heard a rumor of them.possibly being African or Nigerian immigrants. Who came over together n grew up w each other. They do look the part. Too bad we nener get to see much about marlo,snoop or chirs' family. Woulda been cool to see chriss' or marlos ppl. If he has any here.. I dunno jus a thought
Absolutely loathed Marlo but god damn what an amazing actor. The funniest thing is I thought he was just a punk when I first saw him but he turned out to be Baltimore's biggest nightmare.
delhigod you are a got damn clown the look over prop joe dead body after he had chris put one in the back of his head is single Handley the best sadistic facial expression I've seen in television.
The actor played him with a reptilian quality. He's cold-blooded, his deliveries typically monotone even when infused with emotion. You'd think he was a machine -- the fucking Terminator. It's easy to see that as one-dimensional. It's not late-era Pacino, all shouts and spittle. It's a reserved performance and the correct choice. Other actors would have tried to turn it into Scarface or Nino Brown. Jamie Hector just made your skin crawl. Brilliant.
Michael looked Marlo right in the eyes before he was even a killer. After his first body is when Chris told him now you can look him in the eyes, no matter who is or what he’s done you look him right in the eyes. Amazing writing in this show
There was something captivating about Marlo's character and I chalk a lot of it up to Jamie Hector's performance. He was so cold, reptilian and alien. We'd seen tough and memorable street characters like Avon, Omar, Bey and Bodie but Marlo was nothing like them. He was more like a force of nature than an actual human being: just scooping up as much power and control as he could with no regard for sentiment, compassion, respect or honor. The only thing that could rile him up was when people challenged his reputation (Michael; Omar calling him out; the corner punks).
Textbook psychopath. Highly intelligent, cold and calculating, not a hint of empathy. Exudes confidence, charm when needed, manipulative, completely ruthless. Homeboy didn't even have one damn ruth. Prime example...his expression and demeanor as he ended Joe. He didn't bat an eye as Joe's skull exploded right in front of him as he watched. I felt bad for Joe. Betrayed multiple ways. His nephew, the Greeks, and Marlo...a young man he treated as a son apparently.
Marlo was the realest character in the entire series. He's is my favorite for sure. Why? Marlo operated outside the hypocrisy of the game. Loyalty, honesty, respect, and honor are just trigger words to legitimize the grimy aspect of the game. When you are selling dope and committing murders for cash, there are no rules or codes. Marlo understood this fully and that's how he came up so quickly. Why is it that Marlo survived? He played the game the way it was meant to be played, ruthless.
Thing is, Marlo's reputation wasn't nearly as good as Avon's reputation. Avon was the one who had the reputation to hire a day of the jackal type nigga like Brother Mouzone. Hell, even Sergei followed Avon's advice on how to deal with certain situations. In the end, Marlo had want Stringer wanted but couldn't achieve, but Avon had what Marlo wanted and couldn't achieve, and Avon was the kind of guy who knew his place.
The Super Star that's the thing though, respect was Marlo's priority and not reputation. Marlo ran Avon's people off the block. People didn't like Marlo because they couldn't play him. Dude played the game in true fashion. Marlo was loyal to himself. You can't have moral values in an immoral game.
Brandon Smith I really doubt that if Marlo was in prison, people would call timeout on a baseball game for him to walk through. Also, Avon never lost to Marlo. Avon only lost to the cops. Marlo and his muscles weren't the ones who took Avon out. In the end, Avon had respect while Marlo didn't, which is my response to those who say that Marlo beat Avon because Avon was the one in prison.
I just realised when Omar robs the card game and says to Marlo "I can find your people a whole lot easier then they can find me." is so true. When Omar got killed he had a list with names of Marlo, Chris, Monk, Cheese, Snoop and locations. Marlo and his crew couldn't even find Omar after the set-up in Monks house, while Omar was hiding in the same building!!
@@Bluesrock1815 don't you remember the scene where Marlo walks alway from the party when he had sold the connect, when he took over a corner on his own? Dudes one the corner were talking like if a SWAT team took him down (exaggerated iknow lol). Even when Michael told Spider it was Kenard, he wouldn't believe him.
Nah, Marlo showed some attachment when he killed that bitch Yvonne. Chris said to him "it had to be done", Marlo seemed like he didn't wanna believe it or do it, so you can't say he's completely cold/ruthless. Also, if he had no emotional attachment, then why did he try to hook up with that bitch again another day after he had already fucked her? I dunno why that girl didn't just have a gun and shoot Marlo if she was hired to entrap him so he can be killed by someone else.. But yeah. That whole situation shows that Marlo is just human, and his weakness is women just like every other hard gangster cunt out there.. women are always the end of them. Marlo got lucky in this one
He wanted to hook up again as he was immediately suspicious about her haste and guessed it could be a trap. So he used the situation to feel out whether Avon and his crew were coming for him and set up his own ambush. You're kind of right though. She might have had the chance to do Marlo herself, but that's why Chris is always close by as his security.
he murdered her himself. and they also say it wasn't the first time he'd killed a woman like that. I don't think you call that a weakness. I think it's heartless
Neverfalsecomments I thought he meant to say something to the effect of "You're a nobody. I'm a somebody. And you wish nobodys can confront somebodys. But they can't."
GT G i think its a combo.... the scene, the season, the series, life... think Stringer, Major Colvin, think life in general.....we want it to be one way.... we want to believe all is good, everybody honest....there's good in everyone...but like he said...its the other.....thats my take on it
intsoccersuperstar1 I think it's simpler than you guys are making it out to be. He wants it to be one way, the way where he doesn't get killed because he made it clear he wasn't stepping to Marlo. But it's the other way, Marlo's way, where having the audacity to challenge him in any way is the same thing as stepping to him.
Ms.Peaches215 I FW Bodie but i feel like his Karma was for Killing wallace.. Just like Stringer didnt give Wallace the benefit of a doubt when it came to being a snitch, Marlo didnt give Bodie a chance..
Marlo has a lot of really admirable traits. Stoic, ambitious, intuitive, successful at anything he puts his mind to. He also has an extremely impressive knowledge of persuasion. I wish I had his glare.
Jamie Hector played that villain role too well. Cold blooded, heartless brotha didn't even blink when Prop Joe caught that dome shot. Phenomenal performance in those final three seasons.
Greatest character right here, and his crew were freaks like him, smart outcasts that lost any empathy they may ever had for humans. Watching them was so entertaining, they didn't have fun like barksdales crew, they were serious and strategic beyond belief. Anybody that posed a threat was wiped out off their path. Their whole life was this, it was all they thought about. The only time they smiled was when they had succeeded in the game
+fartmagizewarth I kinda love him because he was damn good in what he was doing and thats one point the series was about for me, everyone just wanna do best but everyone has a different opinion on whats best and also on whats the game about.
+fartmagizewarth Yeah I agree, his game was basically about gaining a reputation and he did everything he thought was the best to do so, but he failed. One good example you missed I guess is the scene where where he steals a lolly in front of the security guard, which is later be killed for not showing him respect. But I guess to remember one reason why he failed to do so is the fact that Chris didnt tell him what Omar is talking about him for weeks (or days, but Chris definitely hold this information back as long as possible) Oh yeah and what I was trying to say in previous comment: Like you said other drug lords had a degree of logic but Marlo had in his decisions probably more logic and LESS EMOTIONS involved as any other drug lord, only what he wanted to achieve with his abilities is beyond our comprehension. P.S. Strike that, I would say Prop Joe was even more logical but didnt help him either. ;)
+Sunshinewhenitsgone as far as I m concerned Marlo retiered a winner. So what if the pawns don't know your name, who cares... This man left the game a FREE...well repected multimillionaire, and he didn't snitch or get snitched on I mean damn!!!! Everybody else left dead or in jail. Now he`s going to be a cold calculating man in a corporate setting, its a reason why the writers did that. Second, as a side note if he was WHITE you wouldn'tbe saying that.
I personally loved Marlo's character. It showed just how cold, unforgiving and fucked up the drug game can be. Marlo had no morals, compassion or empathy and this is why he was able to take over. Everyone else had boundaries. Marlo did not. He saw every drug bosses weakness and exploited it. He was honestly the most ruthless gangster on the show. Stringer Bell being a close second.
Marlo had a thirst for power more than a thirst for money which was his weakness. He’ll drop bodies over words he wouldn’t survive in todays surveillance heavy world
@@asher6657 because his character is fantasize to fit the movie aspect of the show , he is a real person . he's still alive and most important the guy they interviewed for the inside specifics of the things that went on at that time.......little Melvin who they got the story from after they read the infamous new paper clip called " Westside story " held back secrets because real players who names was never mentioned , are still alive to this day and in control . I am from Baltimore city , and I still live here in the hood , where things really gets real at ?!
@@rickiehawkes5665 You make a compelling argument. I heard about Little Melvin, from a documentary, and my knowledge of the streets of Baltimore is what i gleaned from ''The Corner'', and "The Wire'' .... and my own 'experiences' in the 'crack epidemic' in NYC. Yah willing, i will be 30 years Clean, October 14!
6:16 explains why Marlo really lost, even though we wanted to see him get smoked or go to jail the worst thing that could happen to him was losing his crown and having his name lose weight. Perfection I swear.
strafer there’s some truth to that but I always saw Marlo as someone who was addicted to the game. He couldn’t stop being in the game as much as he could stop breathing
The way I'd sum up Marlo is: "he took and gave nothing back". When he talked, he paid close attention to those he was talking with, learning from and learning about them, while saying nothing that might reveal his thoughts, plans or character, not even that or what he was learning. So nobody could tell what he was about, while he knew what they were about. It made others underestimate him, too, because he didn't show what he was capable of. He took info, but gave no info. He took territory, and gave no territory. He took power, shared no power. Always walking forward, not a step back. That's about as hard as a person can get. You can't rule the world with just hard, though. Maybe that's why he walked out at the end, he realized he couldn't control the new environment he was in. So he went back to the streets, where his power meant something. In a way though, that too was a compromise, as he admitted his powerlessness before the world of big business. Now that's some good and subtle character development. Or maybe I'm just plain wrong about all this.
That's what I like the most about Marlo's character he didn't talk much. But when he did it was always something with some sort of plan behind it. He never wasted words. Every little thing about the game seemed important to him.
All the way down to, he took info but gave no info. when i read all of that it pretty much sums up exactly how i am, sometimes i wonder why other people is'nt like that
If you look at the cinematography in that scene he swings the golf club right into the other dude’s head via forced perspective: “best step off before I go for a birdie”
One thing forsure,Bodie had heart and never really feared Marlo but he knew he was no match for his crew by himself.Marlo starts too pretend he doesnt know his name and Bodie replys with "YOU KNOW MY NAME"..
MegaRunningback1 And then in the scene where Marlo asks Michael if he's ready to put in work, he tells Michael that Bodie's old spot is his. Even after he died, Marlo still remembered Bodie's name.
12:00 that look that Michael gave Marlo let him know that he wasn’t no punk. Marlo actually cracks a smile and looks back at Chris in disbelief. He may have been disappointed he couldn’t turn Michael into a soldier but he respected the fact that he wasn’t a punk and looked Marlo dead in his eyes. And interesting interaction to say the least. Marlo respects Michael for having strong morals. “It ain’t no thing shorty, we cool”
"Boy, you got me confused with a man that repeats himself..." - Omar Little Lowkey one of the best characters/actors on the show. Trench coat, sawed-off shotty, whistling 'The Farmer in the Dell' "Omar Coming!!!" 😩😥 😮 🤐
@0:39 "I'm being a gentleman about it for the moment." This line went over a lot of people's heads. Golf is often referred to as a gentleman's game and, in this scene, Marlo is shown wielding a golf club. What's even more interesting is that he's holding a type of golf club called an iron. Therefore, his statement implies that were he holding another type of "iron" (i.e. a handgun), he wouldn't be acting so gentlemanly towards Bodie.
kyle cole this is the first i ever sae of the wire jus that convo blew my mind and drew me in.the way he didnt really acknowledge bodie and just kept practicing his swing was very menacing
Marlo is the kind of dude that killed someone one day went home laid down and slept like a new born baby ..once a person learns that they can take a life and wake up the next day and not feel jack shit about it ...its what ever goes after that..
@wildhorse891 And that is why he is my favorite character. He did what he had to do to survive everything was calculated. He ended up being the one that made it out as well.
@@bestbean9836 how can you read something explicitly detailing the differences in sociopathy and psychopathy and then just say "yeah well he's still a pyschopath" .... Do you not take in new information?
I really want to see Marlo's story before this show. I want to know why someone as ruthless as Chris follows Marlo. Marlo must have done something to earn Chris' respect and fear.
Vladzycjrcgc Yukmnjervjicus Carmine Galatea was most definitely murdered he was ambushed and died with an eye blown out and his cigar still in his mouth on a restaurant patio it's a very famous /infamous picture
Here’s what I really love about this. On the one hand, Avon and Stringer needed each other. Stringer was the brain, the cunning, the pure capitalist (Adam Smith on his bookshelf and all) while Avon was the heart, the fraternal aspect of the hood, the familial ties. Stringer fell because he commanded no loyalty without Avon, while Avon fell because he lacked Stringer’s chessmasterly imagination. Marlo, in a purely practical sense, is the best of both worlds; whether through fear or respect, he commands loyalty as Avon does, while also sharing Stringer’s grander ambitions. Even with Chris in jail and Snoop dead, he continues to thrive in large part because he’s wired so perfectly for survival in his environment. By the end Marlo has managed to parlay everything he had gained in the street into the legitimate businessman position, the connections, the security. But while he does well, he clearly feels aimless, so he leaves the party and, for no apparent reason, inserts himself into some street shit; fundamentally, that’s what he’s wired for. That’s what I think is really genius - not only does the clearest villain in a story with no perfect heroes come out on top at the end, but in true Greek tragedy fashion, Marlo has gained everything Stringer wanted so badly, and yet, because he’s from Avon’s cloth as well, he’s ultimately unsatisfied with it.
The scene that shows Marlo’s cold-bloodedness, for me, is the Omar poker game scene. He’s not a happy camper by any means. But the fact that he doesn’t really talk shit is wild. He understands the game, realizes he’s beat on this play, and writes it off like nothing. I just don’t see anyone else with the ego needed to get to the top maintaining that level of cool in the same situation.
Kweku Duncan the niggas on the corner also didn’t kill him like some shorty did omar..niggas was scared but everybody ain’t scared remember that🤔and it took a kid to take Omar out who knew what he was bout and ain’t gaf
‘3.28: You won’t be able to change up any more than me’ That’s the quote that explains the final episode in The Wire. Marlo walks out of the meeting with the property guys and takes a corner unarmed. This quote and that action hints that Marlo got right back in the game after the rest of his crew got killed or sentenced. People agree with my analysis?