when you realize that the most sympathetic character on marlo's team is chris partlow, who is one of the scariest killers in any media, you realize how evil these guys are
Chris was calm. cool, professional in an eerie way. Treating his victims like a dentist would "now relax, I'm going to take good care of you". His relaxed demeanor when committing murder creeped me out every time.
So true about Avon’s generation having the privilege of having grown up in connected and active communities. Avon and his people are shown operating in store fronts, funeral homes, and don’t forget the basketball scene. Marlo is always shown hanging around abandoned buildings and dilapidated areas. That’s where his generation was created: in the wreckage of what Avon’s generation slowly created through their greed.
I been waiting on a Marlo analysis since 2022. A man who valued the weight of his name versus a clean escape from the game. He didn’t even have to be killed off, the loss of his reputation was a big enough bullet for him.
A lot of people mistakenly think that Marlo valuing the weight of his name was him chasing clout. If anything, Marlo's temperament & approach to life shows how little he values clout & being "the center of attention"; I think his valuing of his name is more from a base drive of respect, and likely even more important, effective rulership. One of the primary things tyrants have done throughout history is use their name to instill fear into their subjects, thus guaranteeing a firm & stable rulership over their territories. Anyone who tried to shatter this blanket of fear would be dealt with immediately, as the currency of fear keeps the kingdom flowing & can't be threatened.
The contrast between territory-obsessed, reputation-obsessed Marlo ("My name is my NAME!!"), vs The Greek, doing everything to AVOID having a rep, and willing to vanish into the wind ("They have my name... but my name is not my name...") was done beautifully. It was like the first season "businessman vs gangster" thing between Avon and Stringer, but dialed up to eleven.
@@KevinJohnson-cv2noI agree I really think Marlo couldn't care less about respect, respect is earned! He cared about compliance, you don't have to earn this, you can take this through bloodshed and brute force. Marlo's wheelhouse lol
The last scene of Marlo is a Symbol: Marlo managed to reach the level of acceptance, wealth and (possible) influence that Stringer so dreamed of, but that's the difference between the two characters: Stringer's dream was Marlo's nightmare (who lived and "breathed" the "game" of the streets).
acceptance? no, those wealthy white men just saw a bag of money, they wanted to steal every penny from him, they saw him as the same they saw stringer, a thug from the ghetto
The Sopranos did this..when Chris dreamed of a life as a screenwriter/actor, Tony did everything to kill that dream and then kill Chris..while his son who couldn't care less just "gets a job" and it happened to be in showbiz. Sad.
Marlo’s ending was brilliant. Buddy pulls up to a corner wearing a suit (like String always wanted), starts a fight and claims the corner for himself. He knows nothing else…
I always felt like the reason Marlo doesn't have a backstory is because he isn't real. He's an idea, an expression of the streets, something that takes, only giving enough to entice the vulnerable into it's web. Then chewing them up and spitting them out when it has what it wants. Marlo is a metaphorical representation of evil in it's purest form.
He's literally based off of a real dude named Timmirror Stanfield who ran a crew in South Baltimore Westport in the mid 1980s. Young 25 year old guy, this why the wire will always standout as one of the greatest crime shows cause of how real and raw the depiction of Baltimore is. Recommend watching We Own This City which was made by the same creators of the Wire and based off of real events with the Gun Trace Task Force
@@XanderShiller You're probably the first person in existense to draw parrarels between Marlo and Raskolnikov, but yeah, I guess they have the same idea, that they're special and allowed to do what they want.
@stockton546 but he was too emotionally charged. And he got lucky when it came to beating others because people constantly overestimated him believing him to be more than a violent savage as Prop Joe found. Marlo had no line he wouldn't cross
@@bethanyreynolds7270he got it and more… just because to corner boyz possibly from the east side don’t know him his rep is gone? A man responsible for countless bodies… yeah ok
You did miss one thing. Marlo didn't just kill Junebug, he killed Junebug and his entire family (save the child who escaped when Michael didn't shoot).
@@willstaywinning Good catch. I don't think it was the same kid that ran out the back, seeing as how the one in the closet is what causes Greggs to go back home and read to her and her partner's kid. I might be remembering it wrong but I think one of the women killed was pregnant as well. Either way Marlo wasn't just ruthless, he was deranged. It's no wonder his organization fell apart as fast as it did.
Actually he didnt kill Junebug's whole family. They killed Junebug, Junebug's girl, and I believe 2 of his homeboys that were in the house. The 2 children were spared.
Stephen King said that Snoop is the most terrifying TV villain, but for me it is Marlo. Dude was dead inside. It is so interesting seeing Jamie Hector play a cop on Bosch, because he is so different in that role. Dude is a talented actor.
Marlo always had that look on his face when he watched someone die, like it was the highest form of pleasure. Life didn't mean a thing to him, and that's what makes me remember his character. Also despite his antisocial tendencies, he's still able to function in social settings, like when he went to the card game with those old heads. A true psychopath.
He doesn't open his mouth unless there is something for him. My guess is Marlo was a hopper before he made his way to the top.... The best way of solutions for him is eliminating the threat. He doesn't give warnings.... He just eliminates
When he corners those two boys in his final scene, there is ambiance noise as he makes a little scoff, almost laughing at the situation, while the camera pans out away from him and he sighs. It is such a cool scene because you could interpret so many different things, but this is my take. Marlo is resigning at his new situation with an ironic laugh. Once the dopamine rush of scaring those boys runs out, he realizes that he simply can't live without "the game." He can't have a normal life where he becomes a successful businessman because that isn't his world, but at the same time, he knows that he is going to spend the rest of his life in jail if he steps out of the line or even get killed without his associates covering his back. This dilemma is turning him apart inside because he knows he can't do anything else than a life of crime but he knows that if he tries to do that he could lose everything. It creates this ambiguous situation where the audience asks themselves: what is Marlo going to do next? Resign himself to an unhappy life or risk his own to keep his lifestyle going? Honestly, this is really smart writing. The character doesn't get punished by death or by jail but by the loss of the meaning of his own life.
The Wire had surprisingly few truly psychopathic characters, but Marlo was most definetely one of them. He facilitated the murder of people who he didn't really have to kill, one of whom was Michael, who proved himself too smart to take the fall. He had no definitive proof that Michael had betrayed him, but he still elected to deal with him, on the off chance that he was right about him, and to negate the risk that he would betray him in the future. This series was booming with killers, but I do believe that Marlo was the coldest of them all.
Maurice Levy would be a good one to analyze. We covered the villains with the guns but the villains with the briefcases often do more damage, and never get caught.
It's both comical and kinda tragic that there are groups of people online who praise Marlo's character. Even saying that by having his freedom and around $10 million in cash that he "beat the game" and was the sole winner of the show. The final scene w/ him shows that he suffered the worst punishment of anybody of the show. Here you have Marlo, w/ Levy in a room with billionaires and decision makers. This is a dream that anybody who grew up in rough conditions and who wants an out in that lifestyle dreams of. Marlo, for the 1st time on the show, feels uncomfortable by being in this setting. He's not a businessman, as he suggested while selling the drug connect. He's a criminal to his core. He was bred to be the way, and it's the only life he knows. So if Marlo indeed won, why does he needlessly go on a Street Corner when he had his out at the Gala earlier? Why did he attack 2 Corner Boys because they didn't know who he was? Because it was never about the money for Marlo. If it was he would have stayed at that party and networked his way to a better life. Those 2 things proved that he was an average Joe in both of these Worlds. His whole mission statement was his power and name to ring out. And with getting nearly shot in the head and stabbed on a street Corner, and seeing a Gun and Knife at his feet, he has a dillema: Either try to go back to a life he was forbidden by law to never go back to, or to live the rest of his remains days as an average nobody, which he's not interested in. This series showed there are no true winners in life. So it made no sense having the only person to make it out be a sociopath Drug Dealer. It's tragic. There are folks online who now praise his character. When the characters' existence was a cautionary tale of an inability to escape a life. And how some folks are forced to repeat a cycle that has severe consequences
Freaking nuts to even try to think about. I can’t wrap my mind around a person being that enthralled about being violent. It’s like a fantasy for some people to be like that but it stops there. This guy was apparently legit
Fun Fact: Many of the minor characters are played by real-life police officers, politicians and former criminals. In fact, many of the former criminals who act on the show were previously arrested by the real-life cops who act on the show.
Yeah, "The Reverend", who featured heavily in the "Hamsterdam" storyline was the real-life inspiration for Avon- The biggest dealer in West Baltimore in the 70's. And Butchie's associate "Donny", who armours Omar with magazines, and delivers him a shank, when Omar's in county jail, was the real-life inspiration for Omar- who made a living robbing heroin dealers. The "some Spiderman shlt" jump from a 4th floor balcony was based on a real experience he had. Also Snoop was basically playing herself, as a character- She'd served time for murder, and worked as pimp, before The Wire. And the "Sgt Mello" character ("don't get captured") was the real Jay Landsman, who was a Baltimore cop, when Simon was a crime reporter.
Isn't marlo based off the guy who was a hitman/drug dealer that in the 80s used a van do grab people and kill them in the van. Just made them disappear
@@crazychase98 I think you mean wayne silk perry with the murder van. Alpo Martinez's hitman one of the most ruthless and prolific gangsters operating out of DC Washington with a 100+ bodies on his name. but if so it's usually Omar little people say he's based on. Look up wayne silk perry.
@@crazychase98 of course not operating anymore the guy is serving 5 life sentences in the worst prison in america..he operated just like Omar Little people feared him so much he extorted big time drug dealers in washington dc back in the 80s 90s where Washington DC had the highest murder rate in america he extorded them just like taking candy from a baby exactly like Omar did and wayne Perry was even more feared didn't even had to use a gun in most cases dealers were handing bags of money to him so feared was he. If there any was a television character based on that guy it has to be Omar based on Wayne silk Perry.
Now go watch Bosch where he's a prissy cop more focused on his real estate side hustle than detective work. He's completely different than Marlo in every way. Jamie Hector is incredible.
I really wanted Marlo to get gunned down by anyone towards the end of the series. But I found satisfaction knowing the one thing he cared about (his name) didn’t mean much on the street while Omar’s name was still being talked about after his death. Dude obtained the thing Stringer wanted and I suppose that’s a prison in and of itself.
@@BigA678 Good point. From our point of view, he won. He got $10 million, Levy was introducing him to some white collar upper class people. Possibly to help turn Marlo into an investor and make 20 times what he has. BUT like the video said, in Marlo’s mind, he felt he lost the thing he wanted the most which was the streets, the crown, and his name.
@@BigA678it's supposed to be him metaphorically dieing in the same way McNulty losing his career was also him metaphorically dieing. Same with the hamsterdam cop and Avon mirroring string bells death even though they didn't actually die.
When I watched Marlo in The Wire for the first time, I immediately knew how ruthless he was and that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with. In my opinion he's the epitome of a drug kingpin that shows immense apathy and has no qualms about his ways of handling his adversaries, his reputation, and his business. And you're not wrong about Marlo's lack of empathy, it's grandly paramount and sends a proverbial chill down the spine. Jamie Hector did a superb job in portraying him. And as always, you've made an excellent video. Bravo!
Marlo had something that many of the other kingpins lacked: blind loyalty. Through the reputation of his enforcers (chris and snoop), no one dared step to Marlo. That is why he conquered west Baltimore, and eventually all of Baltimore so easily.
at the end of the day every boss in everything they do needs a person or two they can trust who’s gonna be blindly loyal to them. it’s how the boss makes sure everything is run how it should be
I honestly love these videos because it doesn't just break down the character of choice but breaks down the environment that these characters are a part of. Fantastic breakdown of every character youve done thus far.
This show is SO GOOD! Your episode on Stringer Bell got me to finally watch it and I regret waiting so long lol. Would love to see something on The Shield or Sons of Anarchy next
@@cyclonic8496I’m legitimalty (and respectfully) interested to know why you didn’t like the ending? I honestly think the ending of SOA is literally a perfect hour of tv, even though the last season isn’t great
This is wild. I started watching The Wire a couple of months ago and didn’t imagine I would get one of these for an older show, at least not my current one being watched!
The Wire was very tough on my mental and emotional well-being. Just goes to show how privileged I am to have avoided the harsh realities of urban hopelessness, crime and destitution. Dukie’s story crushed my soul
I was a kid when The Wire was airing but didn’t watch the whole thing until a few weeks ago and I was thinking from my personal experiences , yeah this show is pretty realistic about low income school systems and how ruthless gangs are, thankfully I got away from all that later on
There's some merit in the harsh realities of the street. Most people born in it are posers tbh, but the values of toughing it out through struggle in a hostile environment can be projected unto the entire world.
Sociopaths are shaped by their environment, Marlo I would consider a psychopath given his near total lack of empathy and emotion. They’re wired differently they have diminished capacity in areas like the amygdala that control emotion, fear, etc. Sociopaths adapt to antisocial lifestyles out of necessity (think someone raised in a gang or terrorist cell) but still experience empathy and emotion, they’re able to suppress it enough to do what they do. There’s quite a few sociopaths in this show but Marlo’s the one character I would consider a psychopath
I wish they gave us a back story to how Marlo grew up. The commentator is spot on. His parents had to emotionally, Mentally, and even physically abuse to him. He saw the street life as his way out his environment. He was probably recruited to the drug game by someone older which explains why he respected Mike. I knew a guy I grew up with who was similar to Marlo traits and that was upbringing. He was killed in the streets.
One of the coldest villains from one of the greatest shows ever produced. The way he had that security guard iced was downright evil. So glad he was chosen for this episode as your analysis is of the highest quality, Vile!
Marlo also gambled to show solidarity with his crew and contemporaries, in that world it’s almost seen as a duty for the leader. Tony Soprano gambled in a similar manner.
The vile eye wanted it to be one way…. But it’s the other way. I’ve finally gotten the requested video since the beginning, Marlo is my favorite character in The Wire now. He’s the embodiment of fear and power that could exist in reality.
Marlo reminded everyone in the game that there are no “ rules “ . There is no “ code “ . This is streets . Where anything goes . He was the personification of that . Wasn’t much of talker either . A little of marlos background was that he was being investigated for killing a state witness . The police department couldn’t find anything to stick on him so they gave him an alias , Black .
I dont comment often, just wanted to say this channel has consistently been one of the best channels in my life. Always hitting the mark with consistency and entertainment. Thank you Vile Eye!
The Wire had a big impact on show culture and their characters were very well thought out and well done and VE is showcasing the reason why this show is worth a watch.
I'm not into cop shows at all, but The Wire is my favorite show, knocking down Breaking Bad to my number 2 after watching it. It kind of spoiled me on what I think is "good tv" though. I get the sense if I did like cop shows it would be really hard to going back to Law and Order after something like The Wire.
Loved the slow build up around Marlo. At first he's a third party, just some new young face on the corner acting tough. Then you slowly watch him take over the whole game from the shadows, despite actually staying in a completely visible, outdoor area most of the time. He's what the new generation of gangsters needs to be in this new age to be successful. People talk all series about the young kids coming in having no code and being unhinged, and Marlo is the embodiment of that. Even before he ever appeared onscreen, before his name was ever muttered, we were already waiting on a guy like him to show up.
The show takes pains to show us that Marlo is not “pure evil.” Some are more subtle than others. I’ll cite the obvious one: he employs a disabled kid from the neighborhood to keep his pigeons, and he is very encouraging to this kid, praising the quality of his work. He also shows affection to the pigeons themselves. Showing a character demonstrating kindness to animals is one if the most clichéd ways of telling the audience that a character, at the very least, has *some* kindness in their heart. And like I said, that’s not the only example. I am kind of torn, here. I don’t know if it makes sense to use words like ‘good’ and ‘evil’ to describe characters in a show like this. Have a good weekend, everyone…
WOW!!! That was DEEP: You went into Race, The Police, Government, etc. As A Black Man, your Social Commentary actually stirred something within me… I have to subscribe, after that.👏🏽🙏🏽💯
That ad segway was pretty funny "He wouldn't be so evil if he had a good night sleep." Love it. Analysis Suggestion: The Devil Hulk Persona from both the Marvel Comics and Hulk Ultimate Destruction would be interesting.
Baltimore is rough. I remember in an interview, the famous boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis said the people he grew up with in his boxing gym are dead. He was the only one to make it. Sad man
Yea sounds about right. My best friends little brother said he met a friend after high school and his friend said a lot of their classmates are gone. To be entirely honest I’m not sure how many of my classmates are still alive
I think the best part of Marlo’s character is he has no backstory whatsoever, by the time we’re introduced he’s already taken up most of the territory on the westside of Baltimore, and has a conglomerate of efficient, and ruthless killers under his control. We have no idea why or how he became the way he is, he just is… We can only assume his feats are well respected considering soldiers like Chris, and Snoop follow his lead, yet we see none of them over the course of the show.
Yeah we never do get a true background story on him. For some reason I always thought Marlo never grew up from Baltimore but was from somewhere like Virginia or New York and saw an opportunity in Baltimore to be king and went for it.
I love that scene in the 5th season where Marlo gets arrested and everyone is sitting in that one cell trying to figure it out. It starts will all the noise of the jail in the background but the entire jail goes dead quiet when after 3 seasons Marlo finally shows some emotion and gets really upset. Then all you hear is his voice. Probably the best written show of all time.
I sometimes see marlo as more of an embodiment of the evil of the streets this reckless emotionless heartless ambition and great disregard for anyone. He is pure street evil
Marlo is the kind of dude that you know would have been badass in whatever era he was born in. He just has the aura of a conquerer. A ruthless, brutal, iron-willed conquerer.
i literally screamed out YES as soon as i saw this post. When you did the Stringer analysis, I was patiently waiting for the Marlo one. Thank you Vile Eye!
No lie probably the best villain I’ve ever seen in a TV series and the actor portrayed his sociopathic and narcissistic personality perfectly and I mean even physically his eyes look dead like there is no soul in him
After watching They Cloned Tyrone, this character study fits nicely into the idea that our society breeds clones of the worst of us to maintain the status quo.
@@johnyoyo6141 the show is good, but they are in two different worlds, plus he acts like a comic book villain nothing really scary about him, there are Marlo's everywhere though in the streets
My theory is that Marlo was once like Kenard. Then he crossed the wrong person, and he was given that scar. Then he became the Marlo that we know today.
@@BigA678 they share an agressive attitude and they act on impulse and not on thought.marlo would have been a smart corner boy,working his way up and only being ruthless when it was needed to elevate himself up the ranks until he had his own corner.kenard would be muscle when he got older because he wouldn't be smart enough to lead.marlo had no convictions apart from humble stuff and he was a gang leader.he even got out of previous murders by outsmarting the police and getting to the witnesses first.bird loved killing so much he held onto the gun he used because he got a thrill out if it.classic signs of a psychopath.kenard put gasoline on a cat because he enjoyed it and killed Omar because he wanted too and it would be a thrill.stinkum says 'bird be loving this shit' just before stink got killed which meant bird didn't kill because it was a job but because he loved killing people
It's so funny seeing Marlo in a room of Baltimore's elite, something Stringer would've given anything or anyone to be there, and he literally walked away to go back to the streets. He doesn't know how to be anything else and doesn't want to know.
There is one scene with marlo and a youngster who is intellectually challenged who Marlo pays to look after his pigeons. It is the only scene where he could be said there is a glimmer of empathy support and even pride in the boy who he provided the opportunity and can see how good of a job he is doing.
Despite what is thought of him, I loved this character's ending. I enjoyed his story, even the way he is casually introduced in the third season. We can see he gets "lucky" on a few occasions which is all part of the fun. He is ruthless and without a conscience, I would love to see what becomes of him after his final scene (whatever that would be - personally I would be happy if I retired with millions lol). I also found the scene where he is among civilized people (before he visits his offshore account) with summer gear on quite amusing. He looked most uncomfortable when he was around civilized people which is also telling. A very interesting (and terrifying) character. I'm sure his kind can be found in those impoverished inner city slums. Have a good day reader.
@@cal2127He did do some evil shit in the earlier seasons. Like give heroin to a young mother. You cant tell me thats moral on any level. I feel like in later seasons he become a better guy for story reasons
The way Marlo's described now reminds me of young 50 Cent (and Stringer reminds me of old Queens kingpin Supreme). Only difference is 50 had no problem leaving the streets behind. That said, you should rewiew "Get Rich or Die Tryin" and/or "Raising Kanan".
Great video, especially ending thoughts. I like the idea that main character of the series is the city itself, so this episode could be named Analyzing Evil: Baltimore From The Wire.
its crazy we went from avon, who while ruthless had some semblence of honor, was intelligent and willing to hear you out to someone who was just pure evil and rage. or crazier is that he did not try to move on and start a new life after getting out free. in 1 year's time he would either be right back in power or been killed trying to take back what he built.
@@SimianScience I don’t even think he was a POS because everything we admire about don coreleone Avon had it. Doing dirt for the sake of family. As opposed to stringer that was all about money or Marlo that was all about power.
Stringer basically opened the way for Marlo to rise. Had he been defensive of territory, Marlo would have clashed with the Barksdales far earlier, too early for his own good. While he has extreme violence, Avon, having many hitters from all across the country, would have been able to order for Marlo to be eliminated when he had less resources and real estate. Stringer starting the co-op, ceding territory and feeding independents meant Marlo, an independent, could soak up power and real estate quickly and undetected till he got so big that he couldn't be ignored anymore. The co-op had a lack of sense of territory and a reluctance to defend it, making it too easy for Marlo's violent tactics to work spectacularly well. The era of Stringer and Prop Joe involved weakness disguised as business and Marlo was the best placed to punish that weakness and exploit it to his full benefit.
Just remembered that Marlo power played the security guard in a scene that follows him getting robbed by Omar in the poker game. That security guard may have lived had Marlo not lost his perceived power for that moment when he was robbed
Considering how evil and emotionless Marlo was I always found it crazy that Barksdale got closer to killing Omar than Stanfield did. Even in prison Avon was more of a king than Marlo ever was
Aaron Stampler from primal fear played by Edward Norton would be a good one to analyze. Am hoping for a while for that one or the crooked cop community from the movie Copland would be awesome as well.. Love this channel btw and like how some people in the comment section give additional theories other people might never heard of about one of the evil people analyzed
@@lh7325Norton's first movie appearance indeed and what an appearance he played it masterful with that twist.. Pretty much ahead of its time and weird I never hear people talking about it. A bit of a forgotten gem.
Marlo would have had a much harder time on his way up if he didn't have Chris Partlow with him. I always wonder what Marlo did to earn Chris's respect. Chris himself is interesting too. No flash, no profile, a ruthless killer with clear military training. In my head canon, Chris is former military, thrived in an environment where he was following direct orders from superiors, got his first taste of bloodlust in Afghanistan or Iraq, and came home to the same dirty streets he came from, looking for someone to give him orders and found Marlo who directed him to kill. He has the appearance of a soldier who doesn't have a drill instructor yelling at him to tuck in his shirt and he's not interested in the street fashion of the time. I wonder if his character was intended to be a critique of the streets to military back to streets pipeline that exists in the US.
Such an interesting take on his character. I think Chris' relationship with Marlo runs deeper than him just needing someone to give him orders. The loyalty that Chris and the rest of Marlo's team had for him was something that even Avon or Omar never had. Every single member of his team was in lock step. I would venture to say Chris knew Marlo and was loyal to him long before his military days. Marlo may have even waited for Chris to return from the military before taking over West Baltimore, which would explain why he didn't do it much sooner, like when Avon first went to prison.
I agree 100 percent that Chris was former military. I think also and this is just a blind guess as we don’t know but when Chris was molested as a kid, Marlo took him and was there for him in his most vulnerable and desperate time which tied Chris’s loyalty to Marlo forever. I also think that Marlo had a lot of loyal soldiers that didn’t question him was because 1. Marlo became a heavyweight out of nowhere in the game and went after the biggest gangsters and crew in Baltimore without fear 2. Through all of Marlo’s faults I think Marlo was not greedy. I don’t think he even really cared about money at all. He was only about wearing the crown and his name forever ringing out
A character who confidently blurred the lines between hardcore gangsta and straight up psychopathic tendencies. Perhaps his second in command Chris Partlow fits the bill of serial killer just masquerading as drug dealer enforcer. But Marlo was not far off
I truly think Chris was somewhere along the way taken in by Marlo and his family after we find out or what’s insinuated that Chris was molested as a child like Michael. Which explains his loyalty to Marlo. I also think Chris served in the military which explains his ability to turn off his brain when it comes to murder but yet is seen in a much better light than Marlo evil wise.
Yes love the wire videos! Other suggestions, Marty and Wendy byrde (ozark) raymond reddington (the blacklist) smurf cody (animal kingdom) Logan Roy (succession)
when you realize that the most sympathetic character on marlo's team is chris partlow, who is one of the scariest killers in any media, you realize how evil these guys are
😂😂 yeah monk was cold… had lil Kevin in that suv like a sack of potatoes.
Marlo’s gang was ran more like the military maybe due to Chris. That’s why they seem so cold bc they’re like real soldiers
Chris was calm. cool, professional in an eerie way. Treating his victims like a dentist would "now relax, I'm going to take good care of you".
His relaxed demeanor when committing murder creeped me out every time.
@@ndogg20 The actor that plays Chris is nice in real life. I assumed he was playing himself in the Wire kinda like Snoop. But this was not the case.
Please do a video on Franklin Saint.
So true about Avon’s generation having the privilege of having grown up in connected and active communities. Avon and his people are shown operating in store fronts, funeral homes, and don’t forget the basketball scene. Marlo is always shown hanging around abandoned buildings and dilapidated areas. That’s where his generation was created: in the wreckage of what Avon’s generation slowly created through their greed.
Avon and Stringer Bell were the ultimate Gen X children. Abandoned latch keys kids but still with connections.
🤯
Strong point 💯💯💯
Awesome comment
Yup, great. 💯
I been waiting on a Marlo analysis since 2022. A man who valued the weight of his name versus a clean escape from the game. He didn’t even have to be killed off, the loss of his reputation was a big enough bullet for him.
That last sentence was a mind opener… Omar got the bullet , Avon got the pen , Marlo lost the rep. All 3s biggest nightmares.
A lot of people mistakenly think that Marlo valuing the weight of his name was him chasing clout. If anything, Marlo's temperament & approach to life shows how little he values clout & being "the center of attention"; I think his valuing of his name is more from a base drive of respect, and likely even more important, effective rulership. One of the primary things tyrants have done throughout history is use their name to instill fear into their subjects, thus guaranteeing a firm & stable rulership over their territories. Anyone who tried to shatter this blanket of fear would be dealt with immediately, as the currency of fear keeps the kingdom flowing & can't be threatened.
@@Discipleofthelordandjesus stringer ended up being just a thug in a suit like he kept trying to run from
The contrast between territory-obsessed, reputation-obsessed Marlo ("My name is my NAME!!"), vs The Greek, doing everything to AVOID having a rep, and willing to vanish into the wind ("They have my name... but my name is not my name...") was done beautifully.
It was like the first season "businessman vs gangster" thing between Avon and Stringer, but dialed up to eleven.
@@KevinJohnson-cv2noI agree I really think Marlo couldn't care less about respect, respect is earned! He cared about compliance, you don't have to earn this, you can take this through bloodshed and brute force. Marlo's wheelhouse lol
The last scene of Marlo is a Symbol: Marlo managed to reach the level of acceptance, wealth and (possible) influence that Stringer so dreamed of, but that's the difference between the two characters: Stringer's dream was Marlo's nightmare (who lived and "breathed" the "game" of the streets).
acceptance? no, those wealthy white men just saw a bag of money, they wanted to steal every penny from him, they saw him as the same they saw stringer, a thug from the ghetto
BRO BIG FACTS!! THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST SHOW EVER MADE
Well said.
The Sopranos did this..when Chris dreamed of a life as a screenwriter/actor, Tony did everything to kill that dream and then kill Chris..while his son who couldn't care less just "gets a job" and it happened to be in showbiz. Sad.
Like Avon said, "I bleed red. You bleed green".
Marlo was amazing, every scene he was in, he stole it. Jamie Hector did such a phenomenal job with this character.
He was so cold one wonders if the actor is like that lol
@@cliffbooth4826 that's how good the guy is at his job cause he seems like a pretty chill dude
Yes. Like that one thug from boardwalk Empire. Now do we have an actor playing a thug or a thug playing a thug?
@@cliffbooth4826METHod acting off the roof
@@cliffbooth4826 Check him out in We Own This City, also by David Simon. Completely different character. Great actor.
Marlo’s ending was brilliant. Buddy pulls up to a corner wearing a suit (like String always wanted), starts a fight and claims the corner for himself. He knows nothing else…
Watch that scene again, those Corner Boys was talking about Omar while he was walking up.
And they look right past him saying ‘who are you’
@@ogre7737I liked that detail as well, Marlo whole thing was ensuring his name rings out in Street like Omar or Avon, just for it to wither away.
@@ogre7737you missed his point. Marlo took a corner by himself in a suit with no gun. Thats boss shit
@@BigA678prolly got shot in the head the next day tho
@@stansmith5019he got shot in the Arm in the process 😂
I always felt like the reason Marlo doesn't have a backstory is because he isn't real. He's an idea, an expression of the streets, something that takes, only giving enough to entice the vulnerable into it's web. Then chewing them up and spitting them out when it has what it wants. Marlo is a metaphorical representation of evil in it's purest form.
Marlo was based on a real person in Baltimore named Black.
Hell won’t be a surprise to men like Marlo
He’s the best and worst of the streets. The best player but that means the worst human being.
He's literally based off of a real dude named Timmirror Stanfield who ran a crew in South Baltimore Westport in the mid 1980s. Young 25 year old guy, this why the wire will always standout as one of the greatest crime shows cause of how real and raw the depiction of Baltimore is. Recommend watching We Own This City which was made by the same creators of the Wire and based off of real events with the Gun Trace Task Force
I feel like a man like him exists today IF not then.
That scene where Marlo walks into a foreign bank with full confidence and says..
"Y'all got my money?" Was organic comedy 😂
I can't imagine him buying nice clothes for a trip to some exotic place lol. Have a good day reader.
Girl: *asking for his ID in french*
Marlo: WHAT???
XD
"Yo who the fuck is Lex?"
@@raskolnikov7049 almost like a modern raskolnikov minus the consciousness.
@@XanderShiller You're probably the first person in existense to draw parrarels between Marlo and Raskolnikov, but yeah, I guess they have the same idea, that they're special and allowed to do what they want.
This dude was a true definition of a ruthless villain.
Another good kind of villain
He was niccolo machiavelli the prince from Baltimore… straight evil . As long as he got his point across he felt justified.
@stockton546 but he was too emotionally charged. And he got lucky when it came to beating others because people constantly overestimated him believing him to be more than a violent savage as Prop Joe found. Marlo had no line he wouldn't cross
@@DiscipleofthelordandjesusMachiavelli wouldn't have killed the security guard, like the other comment said, too emotional, too prideful
You gotta do Franklin Saint from Snowfall. That’s a great character.
Love his ending in the show. He’s just another forgotten name. He truly won the game but lost so much
I'll take the 10mil lol
@@cliffbooth4826facts I rather be rich than famous
@@BigA678That's not the point. Marlow wanted the respect and the power from the beginning. In the end he doesn't get that.
@@bethanyreynolds7270he got it and more… just because to corner boyz possibly from the east side don’t know him his rep is gone? A man responsible for countless bodies… yeah ok
@@bethanyreynolds7270we all already understood that lol, we’re just saying either way we’d be satisfied with the outcome bc of the money…. 🤦♂️
You did miss one thing. Marlo didn't just kill Junebug, he killed Junebug and his entire family (save the child who escaped when Michael didn't shoot).
And the other kid that hid in the closet. Or was that the same kid?
@@willstaywinning Good catch. I don't think it was the same kid that ran out the back, seeing as how the one in the closet is what causes Greggs to go back home and read to her and her partner's kid.
I might be remembering it wrong but I think one of the women killed was pregnant as well.
Either way Marlo wasn't just ruthless, he was deranged. It's no wonder his organization fell apart as fast as it did.
@@skyman2204 no, I don’t think so I found no mention of the girlfriend being pregnant
Well he was talking that sheeet
Actually he didnt kill Junebug's whole family. They killed Junebug, Junebug's girl, and I believe 2 of his homeboys that were in the house. The 2 children were spared.
Stephen King said that Snoop is the most terrifying TV villain, but for me it is Marlo. Dude was dead inside. It is so interesting seeing Jamie Hector play a cop on Bosch, because he is so different in that role. Dude is a talented actor.
SK said snoop was the most terrifying female villian on TV
Snoop was worse than marlo.
@afrosamourai400 Snoop was more callous, but Marlo was callous AND calculating. He could have led a damn special forces team with his strategic mind.
@@timothybrown8424 snoop was the only one among marlo and chris who really liked to kill people including innocents or civilians.
Favorite scene is her buying the nail gun
Marlo always had that look on his face when he watched someone die, like it was the highest form of pleasure. Life didn't mean a thing to him, and that's what makes me remember his character. Also despite his antisocial tendencies, he's still able to function in social settings, like when he went to the card game with those old heads. A true psychopath.
He doesn't open his mouth unless there is something for him. My guess is Marlo was a hopper before he made his way to the top.... The best way of solutions for him is eliminating the threat. He doesn't give warnings.... He just eliminates
Contrary to what was said in the video, Marlo is absolutely, 100% a sadist.
When he corners those two boys in his final scene, there is ambiance noise as he makes a little scoff, almost laughing at the situation, while the camera pans out away from him and he sighs. It is such a cool scene because you could interpret so many different things, but this is my take.
Marlo is resigning at his new situation with an ironic laugh. Once the dopamine rush of scaring those boys runs out, he realizes that he simply can't live without "the game." He can't have a normal life where he becomes a successful businessman because that isn't his world, but at the same time, he knows that he is going to spend the rest of his life in jail if he steps out of the line or even get killed without his associates covering his back. This dilemma is turning him apart inside because he knows he can't do anything else than a life of crime but he knows that if he tries to do that he could lose everything. It creates this ambiguous situation where the audience asks themselves: what is Marlo going to do next? Resign himself to an unhappy life or risk his own to keep his lifestyle going?
Honestly, this is really smart writing. The character doesn't get punished by death or by jail but by the loss of the meaning of his own life.
Marlo is an example of a villain that is feared, but not respected.
Exactly
A leader*
@@cristiancervantes3088 fair point
The Wire had surprisingly few truly psychopathic characters, but Marlo was most definetely one of them. He facilitated the murder of people who he didn't really have to kill, one of whom was Michael, who proved himself too smart to take the fall. He had no definitive proof that Michael had betrayed him, but he still elected to deal with him, on the off chance that he was right about him, and to negate the risk that he would betray him in the future. This series was booming with killers, but I do believe that Marlo was the coldest of them all.
The coldest? What about The Greek?
One of the more cold, calculated and ruthless villains ever. He also felt realistic, that what made his precence so chilling.
He felt like a gangstar.... Avon and Stringer bell were so human...
Maurice Levy would be a good one to analyze. We covered the villains with the guns but the villains with the briefcases often do more damage, and never get caught.
If only Marlo knew of Manta Sleep, he'd have become the most noble gentilest soul that Baltimore had ever seen
he woulda joined cutty down the gym lol
Dude...🤣
😊
😅
Bwaahaahaa
It's both comical and kinda tragic that there are groups of people online who praise Marlo's character. Even saying that by having his freedom and around $10 million in cash that he "beat the game" and was the sole winner of the show. The final scene w/ him shows that he suffered the worst punishment of anybody of the show. Here you have Marlo, w/ Levy in a room with billionaires and decision makers. This is a dream that anybody who grew up in rough conditions and who wants an out in that lifestyle dreams of. Marlo, for the 1st time on the show, feels uncomfortable by being in this setting. He's not a businessman, as he suggested while selling the drug connect. He's a criminal to his core. He was bred to be the way, and it's the only life he knows. So if Marlo indeed won, why does he needlessly go on a Street Corner when he had his out at the Gala earlier? Why did he attack 2 Corner Boys because they didn't know who he was? Because it was never about the money for Marlo. If it was he would have stayed at that party and networked his way to a better life. Those 2 things proved that he was an average Joe in both of these Worlds. His whole mission statement was his power and name to ring out. And with getting nearly shot in the head and stabbed on a street Corner, and seeing a Gun and Knife at his feet, he has a dillema: Either try to go back to a life he was forbidden by law to never go back to, or to live the rest of his remains days as an average nobody, which he's not interested in. This series showed there are no true winners in life. So it made no sense having the only person to make it out be a sociopath Drug Dealer. It's tragic. There are folks online who now praise his character. When the characters' existence was a cautionary tale of an inability to escape a life. And how some folks are forced to repeat a cycle that has severe consequences
You nailed it cold right there. When the game is rigged there truly are no winners, some just lose slower than others...
The people praising him would be the ones in those abandoned houses, the soviets termed those kinda people as “useful idiots”
Stringers dream was Marlos nightmare 😂
It's like Patrick Bateman worship or something....anything to aspire to, it's fucking sad man
Freaking nuts to even try to think about. I can’t wrap my mind around a person being that enthralled about being violent. It’s like a fantasy for some people to be like that but it stops there. This guy was apparently legit
Marlo represented a twisted version of the American Dream. Starting his business from nothing and stopping at no costs to achieve his goals.
That IS the American dream.
Right he talking bout twisted
It was not a business... it was crime...
@@kevinkarbonik2928 What "business" that's successful doesn't have crime or corruption in it's ranks & file?
@@maxwelljenkins2904this is such bs. This is how chumps who get their news from twitch streamers think
Fun Fact: Many of the minor characters are played by real-life police officers, politicians and former criminals. In fact, many of the former criminals who act on the show were previously arrested by the real-life cops who act on the show.
Yeah, "The Reverend", who featured heavily in the "Hamsterdam" storyline was the real-life inspiration for Avon- The biggest dealer in West Baltimore in the 70's.
And Butchie's associate "Donny", who armours Omar with magazines, and delivers him a shank, when Omar's in county jail, was the real-life inspiration for Omar- who made a living robbing heroin dealers. The "some Spiderman shlt" jump from a 4th floor balcony was based on a real experience he had.
Also Snoop was basically playing herself, as a character- She'd served time for murder, and worked as pimp, before The Wire.
And the "Sgt Mello" character ("don't get captured") was the real Jay Landsman, who was a Baltimore cop, when Simon was a crime reporter.
Isn't marlo based off the guy who was a hitman/drug dealer that in the 80s used a van do grab people and kill them in the van. Just made them disappear
@@crazychase98 I think you mean wayne silk perry with the murder van. Alpo Martinez's hitman one of the most ruthless and prolific gangsters operating out of DC Washington with a 100+ bodies on his name. but if so it's usually Omar little people say he's based on. Look up wayne silk perry.
@@crazychase98 of course not operating anymore the guy is serving 5 life sentences in the worst prison in america..he operated just like Omar Little people feared him so much he extorted big time drug dealers in washington dc back in the 80s 90s where Washington DC had the highest murder rate in america he extorded them just like taking candy from a baby exactly like Omar did and wayne Perry was even more feared didn't even had to use a gun in most cases dealers were handing bags of money to him so feared was he. If there any was a television character based on that guy it has to be Omar based on Wayne silk Perry.
@@HILAL19564 I knew it was one of the characters and could remember parrys name
This actor has crazy range, just saw him in the show We Own This City. Plays a good cop, total flip you wouldn’t have guessed is the same person!
Marlo proved how the new game would be ruthlessly playing checkers on a chess board
Well said
As much as I’ve thought about the chess analogy in the wire, I’ve never considered the kind of king marlo truly is.
Or playing chess on checker board, meaning the streets is a checker board , with no winners.
@@blksheep176he was the embodiment of Machiavellianism and 48 laws of power
@@BigA678 i thought that at first too, but when you rewatch the show you notice how he gets a lot of lucky breaks as well.
Marlo (the actor playing him is amazing) actually gave me legit chills watching him. Absolutely ruthless and cold.
Jamie Hector
@@heeleyez and he's fantastic as a totally good guy (a cop!) in Bosch.
Now go watch Bosch where he's a prissy cop more focused on his real estate side hustle than detective work. He's completely different than Marlo in every way. Jamie Hector is incredible.
I really wanted Marlo to get gunned down by anyone towards the end of the series. But I found satisfaction knowing the one thing he cared about (his name) didn’t mean much on the street while Omar’s name was still being talked about after his death. Dude obtained the thing Stringer wanted and I suppose that’s a prison in and of itself.
Most g’s die (Omar,Joe)or go to prison (Avon, Chris) so even if the streets don’t know him he’s up 10m and free. Think.. is that really a L?
@@BigA678I never thought about it that way
@@BigA678 Good point. From our point of view, he won. He got $10 million, Levy was introducing him to some white collar upper class people. Possibly to help turn Marlo into an investor and make 20 times what he has. BUT like the video said, in Marlo’s mind, he felt he lost the thing he wanted the most which was the streets, the crown, and his name.
@@BigA678it's supposed to be him metaphorically dieing in the same way McNulty losing his career was also him metaphorically dieing. Same with the hamsterdam cop and Avon mirroring string bells death even though they didn't actually die.
@@BigA678marlos already got all the money he wants before the deal. the only thing that actually matters to him is his name. he's got nothing left
When I watched Marlo in The Wire for the first time, I immediately knew how ruthless he was and that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with. In my opinion he's the epitome of a drug kingpin that shows immense apathy and has no qualms about his ways of handling his adversaries, his reputation, and his business. And you're not wrong about Marlo's lack of empathy, it's grandly paramount and sends a proverbial chill down the spine. Jamie Hector did a superb job in portraying him. And as always, you've made an excellent video. Bravo!
Marlo had something that many of the other kingpins lacked: blind loyalty. Through the reputation of his enforcers (chris and snoop), no one dared step to Marlo. That is why he conquered west Baltimore, and eventually all of Baltimore so easily.
Yup his subordinates never questioned him
Same reason why he lost it
at the end of the day every boss in everything they do needs a person or two they can trust who’s gonna be blindly loyal to them. it’s how the boss makes sure everything is run how it should be
Omar stepped to him.
Your Mantasleep segway was perfection, just completely smooth. A bad night's sleep can make anyone a villain or vile,
I honestly love these videos because it doesn't just break down the character of choice but breaks down the environment that these characters are a part of. Fantastic breakdown of every character youve done thus far.
This show is SO GOOD! Your episode on Stringer Bell got me to finally watch it and I regret waiting so long lol. Would love to see something on The Shield or Sons of Anarchy next
Never seen the shield but SOA was amazing. I just didn’t to much care for the ending.
@@cyclonic8496I’m legitimalty (and respectfully) interested to know why you didn’t like the ending? I honestly think the ending of SOA is literally a perfect hour of tv, even though the last season isn’t great
YO did you finish the wire??
This is wild. I started watching The Wire a couple of months ago and didn’t imagine I would get one of these for an older show, at least not my current one being watched!
Hes done one on Stringer Bell too.
The Wire was very tough on my mental and emotional well-being. Just goes to show how privileged I am to have avoided the harsh realities of urban hopelessness, crime and destitution. Dukie’s story crushed my soul
Same. I was devastated.
I was a kid when The Wire was airing but didn’t watch the whole thing until a few weeks ago and I was thinking from my personal experiences , yeah this show is pretty realistic about low income school systems and how ruthless gangs are, thankfully I got away from all that later on
There's some merit in the harsh realities of the street. Most people born in it are posers tbh, but the values of toughing it out through struggle in a hostile environment can be projected unto the entire world.
i was told this show was a huge hit in the UK because it exposed them to how awful the american ghettos really are.
You sweet as hell lmao
Marlo is a pure sociopath. Even if he wasnt born in the hood he would have problems
Sociopaths are shaped by their environment, Marlo I would consider a psychopath given his near total lack of empathy and emotion. They’re wired differently they have diminished capacity in areas like the amygdala that control emotion, fear, etc. Sociopaths adapt to antisocial lifestyles out of necessity (think someone raised in a gang or terrorist cell) but still experience empathy and emotion, they’re able to suppress it enough to do what they do. There’s quite a few sociopaths in this show but Marlo’s the one character I would consider a psychopath
I wish they gave us a back story to how Marlo grew up. The commentator is spot on. His parents had to emotionally, Mentally, and even physically abuse to him. He saw the street life as his way out his environment. He was probably recruited to the drug game by someone older which explains why he respected Mike. I knew a guy I grew up with who was similar to Marlo traits and that was upbringing. He was killed in the streets.
I definitively doubt it
Psychopath*
@@anonymousperson6119 I fully agree. Who on the show would you personally consider to be sociopaths?
One of the coldest villains from one of the greatest shows ever produced. The way he had that security guard iced was downright evil. So glad he was chosen for this episode as your analysis is of the highest quality, Vile!
Marlo also gambled to show solidarity with his crew and contemporaries, in that world it’s almost seen as a duty for the leader. Tony Soprano gambled in a similar manner.
The vile eye wanted it to be one way…. But it’s the other way. I’ve finally gotten the requested video since the beginning, Marlo is my favorite character in The Wire now. He’s the embodiment of fear and power that could exist in reality.
Marlo reminded everyone in the game that there are no “ rules “ . There is no “ code “ . This is streets . Where anything goes . He was the personification of that . Wasn’t much of talker either . A little of marlos background was that he was being investigated for killing a state witness . The police department couldn’t find anything to stick on him so they gave him an alias , Black .
I dont comment often, just wanted to say this channel has consistently been one of the best channels in my life. Always hitting the mark with consistency and entertainment. Thank you Vile Eye!
The Wire had a big impact on show culture and their characters were very well thought out and well done and VE is showcasing the reason why this show is worth a watch.
I'm not into cop shows at all, but The Wire is my favorite show, knocking down Breaking Bad to my number 2 after watching it. It kind of spoiled me on what I think is "good tv" though. I get the sense if I did like cop shows it would be really hard to going back to Law and Order after something like The Wire.
Marlo was one of the most persuasive talented smooth villains ever 💥
Loved the slow build up around Marlo. At first he's a third party, just some new young face on the corner acting tough. Then you slowly watch him take over the whole game from the shadows, despite actually staying in a completely visible, outdoor area most of the time.
He's what the new generation of gangsters needs to be in this new age to be successful. People talk all series about the young kids coming in having no code and being unhinged, and Marlo is the embodiment of that. Even before he ever appeared onscreen, before his name was ever muttered, we were already waiting on a guy like him to show up.
The show takes pains to show us that Marlo is not “pure evil.” Some are more subtle than others. I’ll cite the obvious one: he employs a disabled kid from the neighborhood to keep his pigeons, and he is very encouraging to this kid, praising the quality of his work. He also shows affection to the pigeons themselves. Showing a character demonstrating kindness to animals is one if the most clichéd ways of telling the audience that a character, at the very least, has *some* kindness in their heart. And like I said, that’s not the only example.
I am kind of torn, here. I don’t know if it makes sense to use words like ‘good’ and ‘evil’ to describe characters in a show like this. Have a good weekend, everyone…
Nah he was a straight psychopath he did show a bit of love for his pigeons but the disabled kid he didn't care he was disabled he overlooks that
They are all oppressed by a racist society who enslaved their ancestors . In a sense they are all victims .
Marlo was the perfect Villan at the perfect time. He and 50 cent had the same persona during that period, which helped propel each others image
You should break down Adebisi and Schillinger from Oz. They're both insane!
Yes you wouldn't have the wire without Oz being created hell half the actors in the wire come from Oz.
Adebisi hell yeah
Damn adebisi was such a monster..
hell yeah
Adebesi vs Chris Partlow
This channel is easily turning into one of my faves. Great work!!
"HE TALKED BACK". Truly chilling.
WOW!!! That was DEEP: You went into Race, The Police, Government, etc. As A Black Man, your Social Commentary actually stirred something within me… I have to subscribe, after that.👏🏽🙏🏽💯
That ad segway was pretty funny "He wouldn't be so evil if he had a good night sleep." Love it.
Analysis Suggestion: The Devil Hulk Persona from both the Marvel Comics and Hulk Ultimate Destruction would be interesting.
Baltimore is rough. I remember in an interview, the famous boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis said the people he grew up with in his boxing gym are dead. He was the only one to make it. Sad man
Yea sounds about right. My best friends little brother said he met a friend after high school and his friend said a lot of their classmates are gone. To be entirely honest I’m not sure how many of my classmates are still alive
9:08 This confirm the word in the streets that Marlo is a Necromancer, and Christ & Snoop are his Zombies Masters.
Jamie Hector described the essence of Marlo in that he didn't care about money but power and prestige, that's why you see him smile in his last scene.
Jamie Hector absolutely killed this role. Fanstastic actor.
I think the best part of Marlo’s character is he has no backstory whatsoever, by the time we’re introduced he’s already taken up most of the territory on the westside of Baltimore, and has a conglomerate of efficient, and ruthless killers under his control. We have no idea why or how he became the way he is, he just is… We can only assume his feats are well respected considering soldiers like Chris, and Snoop follow his lead, yet we see none of them over the course of the show.
Yeah we never do get a true background story on him. For some reason I always thought Marlo never grew up from Baltimore but was from somewhere like Virginia or New York and saw an opportunity in Baltimore to be king and went for it.
@@Stonewall29he had a ny vibe
I love that scene in the 5th season where Marlo gets arrested and everyone is sitting in that one cell trying to figure it out. It starts will all the noise of the jail in the background but the entire jail goes dead quiet when after 3 seasons Marlo finally shows some emotion and gets really upset. Then all you hear is his voice. Probably the best written show of all time.
I sometimes see marlo as more of an embodiment of the evil of the streets this reckless emotionless heartless ambition and great disregard for anyone. He is pure street evil
Was just watching a bunch of marlo videos too, perfect timing. Dude was the human embodiment of the cold hard streets.
Marlo is the kind of dude that you know would have been badass in whatever era he was born in. He just has the aura of a conquerer. A ruthless, brutal, iron-willed conquerer.
i literally screamed out YES as soon as i saw this post. When you did the Stringer analysis, I was patiently waiting for the Marlo one. Thank you Vile Eye!
No lie probably the best villain I’ve ever seen in a TV series and the actor portrayed his sociopathic and narcissistic personality perfectly and I mean even physically his eyes look dead like there is no soul in him
I loved the Wire.. I marlo just took over the game and refused to give it up until he was finally taken down
After watching They Cloned Tyrone, this character study fits nicely into the idea that our society breeds clones of the worst of us to maintain the status quo.
Killing Junebug for calling him a dicksuck wasn’t enough for Marlo…HIS WHOLE FAMILY HAD TO DIE.
One of the most terrifying villains in history
thats not what june said
Plz watch Narcos szn 1 n 2....Escobar makes Marlo look like a boy scout
@@johnyoyo6141 Pablo was so over the top in that show he had more power but, wasn't terrifying to watch check out, el patron de mal
@@johnyoyo6141 the show is good, but they are in two different worlds, plus he acts like a comic book villain nothing really scary about him, there are Marlo's everywhere though in the streets
@@StringerBell-r1zEscobar existed irl and acted like that
“Yall wanted it one way,,, But its the otha way.”
Mannn, Keep up the great work Evil Eye!
Thanks for keeping this show alive
My theory is that Marlo was once like Kenard. Then he crossed the wrong person, and he was given that scar. Then he became the Marlo that we know today.
Kenard is alot more like bird imo
@@user-sk4wf3ve6zbird didn’t even say two sentences in this show please elaborate. I see Kenard as Marlo
@@BigA678 they share an agressive attitude and they act on impulse and not on thought.marlo would have been a smart corner boy,working his way up and only being ruthless when it was needed to elevate himself up the ranks until he had his own corner.kenard would be muscle when he got older because he wouldn't be smart enough to lead.marlo had no convictions apart from humble stuff and he was a gang leader.he even got out of previous murders by outsmarting the police and getting to the witnesses first.bird loved killing so much he held onto the gun he used because he got a thrill out if it.classic signs of a psychopath.kenard put gasoline on a cat because he enjoyed it and killed Omar because he wanted too and it would be a thrill.stinkum says 'bird be loving this shit' just before stink got killed which meant bird didn't kill because it was a job but because he loved killing people
@@BigA678Kenard isn't like Marlo at all cut the bullshit
a video on Franklin Saint from Snowfall would probably be one of the best videos ever made on this channel.
This is really cool for you to analyze Marlo in The Wire 🙏
Thank you I have requested for so many videos ❤
The Vile Eye has official gotten in to my top 10 favorite TH-cam channels!🔥🔥🔥
It's so funny seeing Marlo in a room of Baltimore's elite, something Stringer would've given anything or anyone to be there, and he literally walked away to go back to the streets. He doesn't know how to be anything else and doesn't want to know.
There is one scene with marlo and a youngster who is intellectually challenged who Marlo pays to look after his pigeons. It is the only scene where he could be said there is a glimmer of empathy support and even pride in the boy who he provided the opportunity and can see how good of a job he is doing.
Yeah. Exactly. It is the only scene where he gives praise. Quite jarring. I think it catches Chris off guard too in that scene.
Despite what is thought of him, I loved this character's ending. I enjoyed his story, even the way he is casually introduced in the third season. We can see he gets "lucky" on a few occasions which is all part of the fun. He is ruthless and without a conscience, I would love to see what becomes of him after his final scene (whatever that would be - personally I would be happy if I retired with millions lol). I also found the scene where he is among civilized people (before he visits his offshore account) with summer gear on quite amusing. He looked most uncomfortable when he was around civilized people which is also telling. A very interesting (and terrifying) character. I'm sure his kind can be found in those impoverished inner city slums. Have a good day reader.
Thanks so much for doing this.. Marlo is one of my favourite TV villains ever.
Please cover Omar Little and do a video on whether Omar is evil or not.
omar had a code. mans got to have a code.
@@cal2127He did do some evil shit in the earlier seasons. Like give heroin to a young mother. You cant tell me thats moral on any level. I feel like in later seasons he become a better guy for story reasons
omar is definitely not evil. evil is to kill without reason. omar never did that
I'm not entirely sure but didn't he do Omar or I'm being mixed up with another channel
@@HILAL19564 no he did Stringer on thia channel.
The way Marlo's described now reminds me of young 50 Cent (and Stringer reminds me of old Queens kingpin Supreme). Only difference is 50 had no problem leaving the streets behind. That said, you should rewiew "Get Rich or Die Tryin" and/or "Raising Kanan".
"The Point is they Wore it,
Now it's my Turn"-Marlo
Great video, especially ending thoughts. I like the idea that main character of the series is the city itself, so this episode could be named Analyzing Evil: Baltimore From The Wire.
Always been one of my favorite characters from what I consider the best show to ever air on HBO
It's the best ever, not just on hbo.
Man, I've been waiting a while for this one. Thanks :)
A episode covering Ivar the Boneless from Vikings would be interesting. Especially considering the growth his character goes through.
This thumbnail just inspired me for another painting, one of my favorite villains, thanks.
its crazy we went from avon, who while ruthless had some semblence of honor, was intelligent and willing to hear you out to someone who was just pure evil and rage.
or crazier is that he did not try to move on and start a new life after getting out free. in 1 year's time he would either be right back in power or been killed trying to take back what he built.
I admire avons values not his actions or what he does. Marlo lol…evil
@@mogreen1232 yea he still a pos but he was almost human
@@mogreen1232 yeah avon was a monster too but marlo was pure evil..
@@SimianScience I don’t even think he was a POS because everything we admire about don coreleone Avon had it. Doing dirt for the sake of family. As opposed to stringer that was all about money or Marlo that was all about power.
@@mogreen1232 i always been facisnated by the godftather movies. portraying mobsters as heroes. its so weird but oh so well made.
Tbh, one of the reasons I started watching The Wire was to watch the videos on Stringer Bell And Marlo Stanfield, and they did not disappoint!!!
The final image of him in the finale is that of a man who lost his street cred getting beaten by thieves who had no idea what his name was. 😂
Who got beaten by thieves? Marlo easily destroyed both of those armed dealers while barehanded. 😂 Stop coping about the situation
@@SimonLee-ds3ku I know it hurts…
"You want things to be one way... but they're the other way."
That one line from the security guard scene has stuck with me like no other line of
Could we please get an analysis of Franklin Saint from “Snowfall”
Omg I am so glad that you decided to do a segment of Marlo I am a fan forever now thank you great content
Stringer basically opened the way for Marlo to rise. Had he been defensive of territory, Marlo would have clashed with the Barksdales far earlier, too early for his own good. While he has extreme violence, Avon, having many hitters from all across the country, would have been able to order for Marlo to be eliminated when he had less resources and real estate. Stringer starting the co-op, ceding territory and feeding independents meant Marlo, an independent, could soak up power and real estate quickly and undetected till he got so big that he couldn't be ignored anymore. The co-op had a lack of sense of territory and a reluctance to defend it, making it too easy for Marlo's violent tactics to work spectacularly well. The era of Stringer and Prop Joe involved weakness disguised as business and Marlo was the best placed to punish that weakness and exploit it to his full benefit.
Marlo had zero redeeming quailities. Completely ruthless and heartless.
Just remembered that Marlo power played the security guard in a scene that follows him getting robbed by Omar in the poker game. That security guard may have lived had Marlo not lost his perceived power for that moment when he was robbed
Considering how evil and emotionless Marlo was I always found it crazy that Barksdale got closer to killing Omar than Stanfield did. Even in prison Avon was more of a king than Marlo ever was
Don’t tell that to Marlo.
@@mondoseguendo6113 exactly 🤣 ima look on my ring camera and Chris & Snoop gonna chilling on my porch waiting for me to come home 😭
Aaron Stampler from primal fear played by Edward Norton would be a good one to analyze. Am hoping for a while for that one or the crooked cop community from the movie Copland would be awesome as well.. Love this channel btw and like how some people in the comment section give additional theories other people might never heard of about one of the evil people analyzed
Good suggestion. I watched that a few months back and was surprised that was Edward Norton's first film.
@@lh7325Norton's first movie appearance indeed and what an appearance he played it masterful with that twist.. Pretty much ahead of its time and weird I never hear people talking about it. A bit of a forgotten gem.
Thank for this! Been waiting over a year for his profile on the channel!
Marlo would have had a much harder time on his way up if he didn't have Chris Partlow with him. I always wonder what Marlo did to earn Chris's respect. Chris himself is interesting too. No flash, no profile, a ruthless killer with clear military training.
In my head canon, Chris is former military, thrived in an environment where he was following direct orders from superiors, got his first taste of bloodlust in Afghanistan or Iraq, and came home to the same dirty streets he came from, looking for someone to give him orders and found Marlo who directed him to kill. He has the appearance of a soldier who doesn't have a drill instructor yelling at him to tuck in his shirt and he's not interested in the street fashion of the time. I wonder if his character was intended to be a critique of the streets to military back to streets pipeline that exists in the US.
Such an interesting take on his character. I think Chris' relationship with Marlo runs deeper than him just needing someone to give him orders. The loyalty that Chris and the rest of Marlo's team had for him was something that even Avon or Omar never had. Every single member of his team was in lock step. I would venture to say Chris knew Marlo and was loyal to him long before his military days. Marlo may have even waited for Chris to return from the military before taking over West Baltimore, which would explain why he didn't do it much sooner, like when Avon first went to prison.
I think Marlo when on his first body with Chris that’s probably why
I agree 100 percent that Chris was former military. I think also and this is just a blind guess as we don’t know but when Chris was molested as a kid, Marlo took him and was there for him in his most vulnerable and desperate time which tied Chris’s loyalty to Marlo forever.
I also think that Marlo had a lot of loyal soldiers that didn’t question him was because
1. Marlo became a heavyweight out of nowhere in the game and went after the biggest gangsters and crew in Baltimore without fear
2. Through all of Marlo’s faults I think Marlo was not greedy. I don’t think he even really cared about money at all. He was only about wearing the crown and his name forever ringing out
That was the best analysis of Marlo that I’ve seen. Thank you very much.
A character who confidently blurred the lines between hardcore gangsta and straight up psychopathic tendencies. Perhaps his second in command Chris Partlow fits the bill of serial killer just masquerading as drug dealer enforcer. But Marlo was not far off
I truly think Chris was somewhere along the way taken in by Marlo and his family after we find out or what’s insinuated that Chris was molested as a child like Michael. Which explains his loyalty to Marlo. I also think Chris served in the military which explains his ability to turn off his brain when it comes to murder but yet is seen in a much better light than Marlo evil wise.
I was so sad when Proposition Joe died, he wasn’t a saint but he always looked out for people and tried doing things the right way
Yes love the wire videos! Other suggestions, Marty and Wendy byrde (ozark) raymond reddington (the blacklist) smurf cody (animal kingdom) Logan Roy (succession)
Excellent choices. Vic Mackey from The Shield too.
I promise you i searched your channel for this last week and boom here it is thanks man looking forward to this one
can't wait for an analysis of Saruman the White from lord of the Rings or Sauron the Necromancer.
I am so glad to see marlos character and writing get more recognition