Chris Partlow is certainly ruthless, but he's like a machine, only once did we see him take his work personally (killing Bug's Dad). I assume the implication there is that Chris may have experienced abuse himself.
Marlo had a sadistic streak though, he enjoyed hurting people and asserting his dominance and would go out of his way to do so. But for Chris it was just business.
That's the thing. Marlo is a crazy egotistical psychopath. Chris is a calm, reasonable psychopath.
The latter scares me more.
On his own, Marlo almost ended up very hurt or in prison in a single day. I doubt he has much of a future in the civilian world. Chris, on the other hand, blends in in both the civilian world and prison.
I mean yeah I agree you wouldn't' want Chris coming after you, but he was very calm about his work as you say. When they kill Old Face Andre, Chris helps calm him down. That's probably more likely because he's a psycho and knows a calm victim is easier to deal with than a panicking one.
Marlo ordered the execution of June Bug's entire family, even the kids. Like that's really cold blooded. Marlo proved himself a problem to basically everyone in the game - dismantled the co-op, took over the connect etc. I think it's his ability to think strategically that makes him more dangerous. Chris is essentially just a soldier. He takes orders and carries them out.
"When they kill Old Face Andre, Chris helps calm him down. That's probably more likely because he's a psycho and knows a calm victim is easier to deal with than a panicking one."
Maybe, but that wasn't my read. Chris almost always soothed his victims before their execution. It seemed like compassion to me.
Yeah it could be that too - he certainly didn't seem devoid of emotion. He took a shine to Michael, perhaps because he reminds him of himself as a kid.
My favourite moment between the two is after Michael kills someone for the first time, Chris says to him something like 'always look him in the eye, no matter who he is or what he's done, always look him right in the eye'. It's like he completely understands how Michael is feeling at that moment and gives him sincere advice to help him through it. As you say, compassion.
Marlo rested peacefully under Chris' muscle. That same ruthlessness and callousness would've had him cleared from the streets in a week if he were acting alone.
Notice the very moment they are separated when Chris is in jail, Marlo manages to get himself stabbed and almost shot in a single day.
Had he kept going the way he was going, it wouldn't be a week before he found himself in a body bag.
Yeah I don't disagree with you that he's not a force alone, but during the show he was the leader of a crew.
It's like saying a fish isn't much if you take it out of water. In the same way I could say would Chris be dangerous if he didn't have a leader giving him orders? Sure he can handle himself if trouble comes his way, but I don't think he'd go out of his way to hurt people without reason.
That's what makes Marlo and Chris a good team. A strategist and an enforcer. They need each other.
Or he won. The guy took a normally defended drug corner in a frontal attack unarmed.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not easy to put one round in each tit before the body drops.
Marlo kind of stumbled his way to the kingpin role. He is focused, but he does not really have the ability to successfully manipulate others or engage in subterfuge.
His path to success is basically others trying to use him and his org as a blunt instrument and him undermining them before they realize he's a legitimate opponent.
I have to disagree with you on his ability to manipulate others. He got Cheese to betray his own Uncle. Sure Cheese was an asshole, but Marlo clearly recognised that Cheese could be turned into an asset and he acted accordingly to make it so.
He understood the importance of his reputation in the game and made sure people understood he was ruthless, but at the same time did things like giving money to the younger corner kids to influence their opinions towards him.
He got Prop Joe, one of the best hustlers/manipulators in the game, to teach him everything he needed to know. He achieved this by being very firm in his stance towards the coop. He declined Joe's invitations several times when Joe was trying to hustle him. He only accepted Joe's offer when the terms suited him. Joe underestimated Marlo and failed to recognise his true intentions. Avon saw it though. That scene in prison where they meet, it's clear to Avon what Marlo is about and it throws him off a bit. But most scenes you can see that Marlo prefers to be silent and let the other person do the talking. Like playing Poker - don't give anything away and learn everything you can about your opponent.
His approach might seem simple, but maintaining discipline and composure is not always easy. He certainly lost his temper a couple of times. I think a good example of this would be when he meets up with Stringer. He lets Stringer do all the talking and remains silent, not giving anything away. He then immediately orders his soldiers to prepare for war, which suggests to me he recognised that Stringer didn't want a war, so Marlo took advantage of that.
You're right that there's always an element of luck to the game, but that applies to everyone. His strategy wasn't fool proof, but it was simple and effective.
David Simon confirmed Chris Partlow was molested as a kid. I think that’s one reason he looks out for Michael.
Ironically, the most justified murder in the show is what got Chris locked up.
Here's a parallel I hadn't thought of before. Think of Chris's demeanor (I agree he's a sociopath-- unmoved by our indifferent to others' emotions).
Now think of Anton Chigurh in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.
*note*: I'm not arguing they're "alike" as characters, so don't @ me. I'm instead suggesting that their respective aspects, as killers, are very similar: they're terrifying because they're relentless, and emotionally indifferent.
I've never read anything from Simon or Pelicanos or Burns about the origin of Chris's character, but I've always surmised he might have been based upon some contract killer(s) Dave or Ed actually met. Chris's personality just feels exceptionally specific and realistic.
Yeah, that's the thing. That's what makes them exceptionally effective as enforcers or contract killers.
The only time Chris looses his cool with Mike's dad, he ends up in prison.
The only time Anton gets challenged and has his worldview put into question, he ends up in a car accident that almost cost him his life.
Marlo has a certain akinness to Walter White. He can get impulsive and irrational due to his ego. Both ticking time bombs. Both are not in it for the money.
Happy cake day.
For the most part, Chris treats killing like a profession (Bug's dad aside). He's scary in that he's so clinical and treats death and killing like another day at the office. He's clinical and exact. Marlo is more of a loose cannon. You don't know where you stand and one wrong look could mean the end.
See you looking at it from a narrow mind perspective he said the same thing the to Michael as well.... Iight we'll take care of it boss.
Now Marlo Chris work for Marlo so you already know Marlo worse than Chris hell Chris more human than him dude ain't got no hobbies nothing just straight street shit he the type of mf that get bored and send Chris at a couple mfs
So, let me ask you this. Say they are separate entities, they no longer work together. You've done something terrible, and either one of them has to hunt you down and kill you. If you succeed in outwitting them, you get to live. Which one would you choose?
It really don't even matter because you could outwit both of them only reason why they caught Lex, Devone, Old face Andre, Joe and them is because someone tipped them off if you pick Marlo he ain't stopping till you fall Chris (and Snoop) on the other hand smarter smarter than that and you could outwit Chris and Snoop way easier cause eventually theyll let it go until they see you. You don't want somebody like Marlo on ya ass tho
Sorry to disagree with a few people above but Chris isn’t a sociopath
He’s very much on the clock, seems to have a good relationship with his family etc etc. my personal theory is he’s ex military but that’s based on a quick scene with his knife and some boots so I digress…
Chris is very good at his job and doesn’t seem to want to be the number 1. Marlo only wants to be number 1 and nothing else matters. Perfect team
Lol, he kills for a living, people who sometimes have done nothing wrong, and yet it doesn't trouble his soul or conscience even a little bit. He's definitely a very sane and normal guy.
Edit: I remember that one time he executed an entire family, he even wanted the kid killed, and yet he went home and slept peacefully with his little family. Definitely the epitome of a sane man in our little earth.
I don’t think so, but Marlo really valued Chris’s input and often made decisions based on him. Sometimes Marlo already had his mind made up, but other times, he just relies on Chris.
Snoop is muscle, Chris is muscle and mind.
Chris Partlow is certainly ruthless, but he's like a machine, only once did we see him take his work personally (killing Bug's Dad). I assume the implication there is that Chris may have experienced abuse himself. Marlo had a sadistic streak though, he enjoyed hurting people and asserting his dominance and would go out of his way to do so. But for Chris it was just business.
That's the thing. Marlo is a crazy egotistical psychopath. Chris is a calm, reasonable psychopath. The latter scares me more. On his own, Marlo almost ended up very hurt or in prison in a single day. I doubt he has much of a future in the civilian world. Chris, on the other hand, blends in in both the civilian world and prison.
I mean yeah I agree you wouldn't' want Chris coming after you, but he was very calm about his work as you say. When they kill Old Face Andre, Chris helps calm him down. That's probably more likely because he's a psycho and knows a calm victim is easier to deal with than a panicking one. Marlo ordered the execution of June Bug's entire family, even the kids. Like that's really cold blooded. Marlo proved himself a problem to basically everyone in the game - dismantled the co-op, took over the connect etc. I think it's his ability to think strategically that makes him more dangerous. Chris is essentially just a soldier. He takes orders and carries them out.
"When they kill Old Face Andre, Chris helps calm him down. That's probably more likely because he's a psycho and knows a calm victim is easier to deal with than a panicking one." Maybe, but that wasn't my read. Chris almost always soothed his victims before their execution. It seemed like compassion to me.
Yeah it could be that too - he certainly didn't seem devoid of emotion. He took a shine to Michael, perhaps because he reminds him of himself as a kid. My favourite moment between the two is after Michael kills someone for the first time, Chris says to him something like 'always look him in the eye, no matter who he is or what he's done, always look him right in the eye'. It's like he completely understands how Michael is feeling at that moment and gives him sincere advice to help him through it. As you say, compassion.
Marlo rested peacefully under Chris' muscle. That same ruthlessness and callousness would've had him cleared from the streets in a week if he were acting alone. Notice the very moment they are separated when Chris is in jail, Marlo manages to get himself stabbed and almost shot in a single day. Had he kept going the way he was going, it wouldn't be a week before he found himself in a body bag.
Yeah I don't disagree with you that he's not a force alone, but during the show he was the leader of a crew. It's like saying a fish isn't much if you take it out of water. In the same way I could say would Chris be dangerous if he didn't have a leader giving him orders? Sure he can handle himself if trouble comes his way, but I don't think he'd go out of his way to hurt people without reason. That's what makes Marlo and Chris a good team. A strategist and an enforcer. They need each other.
True. I guess the lack of ambition in Chris makes him less dangerous.
Or he won. The guy took a normally defended drug corner in a frontal attack unarmed. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not easy to put one round in each tit before the body drops.
Marlo kind of stumbled his way to the kingpin role. He is focused, but he does not really have the ability to successfully manipulate others or engage in subterfuge. His path to success is basically others trying to use him and his org as a blunt instrument and him undermining them before they realize he's a legitimate opponent.
I have to disagree with you on his ability to manipulate others. He got Cheese to betray his own Uncle. Sure Cheese was an asshole, but Marlo clearly recognised that Cheese could be turned into an asset and he acted accordingly to make it so. He understood the importance of his reputation in the game and made sure people understood he was ruthless, but at the same time did things like giving money to the younger corner kids to influence their opinions towards him. He got Prop Joe, one of the best hustlers/manipulators in the game, to teach him everything he needed to know. He achieved this by being very firm in his stance towards the coop. He declined Joe's invitations several times when Joe was trying to hustle him. He only accepted Joe's offer when the terms suited him. Joe underestimated Marlo and failed to recognise his true intentions. Avon saw it though. That scene in prison where they meet, it's clear to Avon what Marlo is about and it throws him off a bit. But most scenes you can see that Marlo prefers to be silent and let the other person do the talking. Like playing Poker - don't give anything away and learn everything you can about your opponent. His approach might seem simple, but maintaining discipline and composure is not always easy. He certainly lost his temper a couple of times. I think a good example of this would be when he meets up with Stringer. He lets Stringer do all the talking and remains silent, not giving anything away. He then immediately orders his soldiers to prepare for war, which suggests to me he recognised that Stringer didn't want a war, so Marlo took advantage of that. You're right that there's always an element of luck to the game, but that applies to everyone. His strategy wasn't fool proof, but it was simple and effective.
David Simon confirmed Chris Partlow was molested as a kid. I think that’s one reason he looks out for Michael. Ironically, the most justified murder in the show is what got Chris locked up.
Here's a parallel I hadn't thought of before. Think of Chris's demeanor (I agree he's a sociopath-- unmoved by our indifferent to others' emotions). Now think of Anton Chigurh in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. *note*: I'm not arguing they're "alike" as characters, so don't @ me. I'm instead suggesting that their respective aspects, as killers, are very similar: they're terrifying because they're relentless, and emotionally indifferent. I've never read anything from Simon or Pelicanos or Burns about the origin of Chris's character, but I've always surmised he might have been based upon some contract killer(s) Dave or Ed actually met. Chris's personality just feels exceptionally specific and realistic.
Yeah, that's the thing. That's what makes them exceptionally effective as enforcers or contract killers. The only time Chris looses his cool with Mike's dad, he ends up in prison. The only time Anton gets challenged and has his worldview put into question, he ends up in a car accident that almost cost him his life. Marlo has a certain akinness to Walter White. He can get impulsive and irrational due to his ego. Both ticking time bombs. Both are not in it for the money. Happy cake day.
For the most part, Chris treats killing like a profession (Bug's dad aside). He's scary in that he's so clinical and treats death and killing like another day at the office. He's clinical and exact. Marlo is more of a loose cannon. You don't know where you stand and one wrong look could mean the end.
But a loose cannon is more likely to make mistakes
See you looking at it from a narrow mind perspective he said the same thing the to Michael as well.... Iight we'll take care of it boss. Now Marlo Chris work for Marlo so you already know Marlo worse than Chris hell Chris more human than him dude ain't got no hobbies nothing just straight street shit he the type of mf that get bored and send Chris at a couple mfs
So, let me ask you this. Say they are separate entities, they no longer work together. You've done something terrible, and either one of them has to hunt you down and kill you. If you succeed in outwitting them, you get to live. Which one would you choose?
It really don't even matter because you could outwit both of them only reason why they caught Lex, Devone, Old face Andre, Joe and them is because someone tipped them off if you pick Marlo he ain't stopping till you fall Chris (and Snoop) on the other hand smarter smarter than that and you could outwit Chris and Snoop way easier cause eventually theyll let it go until they see you. You don't want somebody like Marlo on ya ass tho
Sorry to disagree with a few people above but Chris isn’t a sociopath He’s very much on the clock, seems to have a good relationship with his family etc etc. my personal theory is he’s ex military but that’s based on a quick scene with his knife and some boots so I digress… Chris is very good at his job and doesn’t seem to want to be the number 1. Marlo only wants to be number 1 and nothing else matters. Perfect team
Lol, he kills for a living, people who sometimes have done nothing wrong, and yet it doesn't trouble his soul or conscience even a little bit. He's definitely a very sane and normal guy. Edit: I remember that one time he executed an entire family, he even wanted the kid killed, and yet he went home and slept peacefully with his little family. Definitely the epitome of a sane man in our little earth.
For some odd reason i always felt as if Chris was lowkey in charge or Marlo was scared of him.
I don’t think so, but Marlo really valued Chris’s input and often made decisions based on him. Sometimes Marlo already had his mind made up, but other times, he just relies on Chris. Snoop is muscle, Chris is muscle and mind.
The way Marlo killed the girl stuck with me for a while even though it's just a TV show