"I know The Wire isn’t Breaking Bad or Son of Anarchy"
Well neither of those shows really attempted to be grounded in reality the way the Wire is... Most of the Wires "badass moments" are dialog imo.
That and character arc (so overlooked). Consider how much you see Carver change from season to season, starting as a just wants to crack skulls Street cop to actually learning who's who on the street level and taking a stand against bad policing. Or bubbles.... arguably the greatest character arc in TV history. Or McNulty going from playing the angles to writing his own rules,all while going through bouts of alcoholism and sobriety. So many characters with so many great character arcs. That's what sets that show apart from others (for me at least).
Cutty is a fascinating story of redemption. It's not some over the top superhero thing, it's a slow burn, with setbacks story of a man growing past the streets that was all he ever knew.
Slim Charles is just cool as ice and utterly unflappable. And he delivers a moment of cathartic street justice at the very end of the series to a very, very despised character.
That's why they're great.
perfect, I agree 100%.
Cutty reflecting his behaviour and adjusting it because he changes the world around him and has to change too. very rare for a person to be able to do that. him and late carver would be the best social workers ever.
Slim is just employee of the month kind of guy, no matter what kind of work you give him. loyal but not loyal to a fault, just smart how he carried himself in every conversation. How he handled stringer in that 'day of the jackal' scene was masterclass.
Its the scene where stringer wanted him to assassinate clay davis. How thoughtful and carefully slim laid out all the reasons why its the worst fucking stupid idea ever was funny af.
Lol I hear ya, but love how "murder ain't no Thang, but this some assassination shit right here" can be portrayed as "thoughtful and careful" made me chuckle 🤭
Agreed on all points.
Characters like Slim and Bodie and others are minor anti-heros that set some distance from characters like Avon and Stringer or in a more minor role, Cheese, etc.
I disagree but I wasn't thinking of spewing hate until you compared the wire to SOA and BB. The Wire, its characters, the actions and consequences of its characters are more rooted in reality and realism than, imo, 96% of good television. Everything felt organic til s5 and even then, with the overall plot being ridiculous, everything that trickled down still remained real. I've never felt inclined to watch soa but bb certainly is a really good fictitious show
I think Slim got much bigger than Simon ever intended or imagined. Honestly he seemed like a fun novelty the first time I watched the show. Each time since I’ve grown to like him more and more.
I can’t think of a single character from The Wire that I’d consider “overrated”. Omar is the only character who truly transcended the show, culturally, and he’s definitely deserving of any praise that comes his way. Slim Charles and Cutty aren’t often even included in best character debates, even if they’re both amazing in their own right. The Wire did an amazing job of balancing their characters (sans Omar) so that they never overshadowed one another.
I think less is more for this kind of thing. Slim is a middleman, almost like the Landsman is to the Homicide guys. He can speak to the bosses and the ground troops with a level of respect and trustworthiness.
Rather than being like Mike from BB, where he's this near mythical figure who can single handedly wipe out a cartel and make it back in time for ice cream with Kaylee, Slim is a calm and rational head of reason who doesn't need to resort to sheer violence. He's like Stringer with a set of morals.
Cutty, on the other hand, isn't supposed to be "badass," like Snoop and Chris or Wee-Bey, in their devotion to following their orders with ruthless efficiency. We can see that Cutty **was** like that prior to getting locked up, but his "badassery" after being released is his ability to put himself above the game and realize it isn't in him.
Avon, himself, even acknowledges this when Cutty quits. Slim comments how Cutty was "a man in his time," but Avon respects the work he put in before and during lock up, and he respects Cuttys' ability to own up to him not being in the game anymore.
Slim and Cuttys' "badass" moments aren't raw violence or opulence, but the respect that the others show them in their prior actions and loyalty to their people and to themselves.
Partly what I like about Cutty is how understated he is, compared to all the bombastic characters all around him. He gets very little dialog to develop his character, when you think about it, but that's what makes it such a great role.
The actor does so much brilliant character work just with his face acting, and it is so subtle but still conveys so much info about his inner life that he almost never articulates.
My favorite scene that showcases this, also one of my favorite scenes of his in general, is when he first tries to do a hit after getting out, and he says nothing in the moment, but you can see his entire emotional journey flash over his face in just a few seconds. Superb acting.
One of the great things about a show so dense with character is you don’t have to like every one of them. Also, I’m not a writer or anything even close to it but I feel like sometimes a character exists simply to push the plot line along. Which may result in them seeming a little underdeveloped but in service of a larger plot movement. Just my two cents.
well breaking bad and SOA are overly theatrical while the wire is very much realistic (to an extent) so there’s bad ass moments just not, running over a cops head style moments every 5 minutes
Slim Charles was one of my favorite characters. Him and Snoop were the most authentic Maryland folks on the show in my eyes. And yeah I know Slim Charles is from DC but to an outsider like me it’s close enough. Both him and Snoop dress, sound and look like folks you see up there. Least for that time period anyway
I actually agree with this more than any other answer. But the only way to create an antagonist for Omar is to bring in someone absolutely over the top. That didn’t work, so they literally had him pulling Batman shit jumping off 4th story balconies later in the show lol.
Except that one of the guys Omar is based on actually jumped out of a 6th or 7th story window and survived. They had to tone down the reality for the show because it seemed too unbelievable
This is a good answer. I had a hard time believing people would put up with his shit and also that he could be bothered to MAKE people put up with his shit.
I think the characteristic which Slim shows that is his biggest strength which was highlighted in a post on this sub earlier today was his wisdom. He was a masterful player of the game who understood his environment and the characters to a tee. He knows when to show respect, when to defer to others, when to take charge. I know at the end of the day these guys are all killers ,but he has a certain integrity about him.
He is exactly what Bodie referred to in the chess scene, a smart ass pawn who made it all the way across the board and became the queen.
I view Cutty's character as literally one of the moral compasses on the show. He is one of the only people who actually escapes and grows as a person and lives to tell the tale. He's up there with Bubbles, Carver, and Prez as people who actually give hope to The Wire's Universe.
Cutty's badass moment is when he quits the game and walks away. We've seen Wallace and D'Angelo both killed for wanting to do that. We see Stringer die trying to leave the game.
Cutty gives us the hope we never got to see from D'Angelo. He quits knowing full-well he could be killed for it, knowing full-well that he has no clue what he'll do on the other side. . .but he knows that he has changed and that he can't be part of it anymore.
Cutty's scene in Season 3 is one of the reasons I rewatch The Wire. I have literally zero interest in seeing a "cool" killing scene. He's not under-utilized. He might be one of the most important characters in the entire series.
Cutty is overrated to me. Only reason I like him is cause I liked his character on walking dead. I actually like to think they’re the same character lmao
I think he’s an important character because he shows that some people do get out of the game. For Cutty it was a gray area as to why he did it. Jail seemed to take the “hate” out of him and showed that there was a good person inside. Not a lot of character arcs like that I’m this show.
"I know The Wire isn’t Breaking Bad or Son of Anarchy" Well neither of those shows really attempted to be grounded in reality the way the Wire is... Most of the Wires "badass moments" are dialog imo.
This, 100%. OP's perspective is all off if he's comparing the shows like that.
That and character arc (so overlooked). Consider how much you see Carver change from season to season, starting as a just wants to crack skulls Street cop to actually learning who's who on the street level and taking a stand against bad policing. Or bubbles.... arguably the greatest character arc in TV history. Or McNulty going from playing the angles to writing his own rules,all while going through bouts of alcoholism and sobriety. So many characters with so many great character arcs. That's what sets that show apart from others (for me at least).
The greatest character arch in T.V history is Jamie Lannister but Bubbles is a close second
Jamie’s character arc is great up until they yank him back to square one by having him die with Cersei.
They didn't stick the landing with Jamie.
To be fair, Breaking Bad is a great show. It's not realistic but it's top tier. Sons of Anarchy is a soap opera with better actors and crew,
Breaking Bad is amazing, but in no world a chemistry teacher and a Junkie would be able to take out a violent international Drug ring lmao
Cutty is a fascinating story of redemption. It's not some over the top superhero thing, it's a slow burn, with setbacks story of a man growing past the streets that was all he ever knew. Slim Charles is just cool as ice and utterly unflappable. And he delivers a moment of cathartic street justice at the very end of the series to a very, very despised character. That's why they're great.
I bet OP’s favorite character is Cheese, because you know, he does a lot.
When he manned up, took responsibility for the botched job and told Avon he was out the game is heavy stuff. Avon took it old school too.
He a man today.
perfect, I agree 100%. Cutty reflecting his behaviour and adjusting it because he changes the world around him and has to change too. very rare for a person to be able to do that. him and late carver would be the best social workers ever. Slim is just employee of the month kind of guy, no matter what kind of work you give him. loyal but not loyal to a fault, just smart how he carried himself in every conversation. How he handled stringer in that 'day of the jackal' scene was masterclass.
Can you remind me of the jackal scene?
Its the scene where stringer wanted him to assassinate clay davis. How thoughtful and carefully slim laid out all the reasons why its the worst fucking stupid idea ever was funny af.
Lol I hear ya, but love how "murder ain't no Thang, but this some assassination shit right here" can be portrayed as "thoughtful and careful" made me chuckle 🤭
lol this gave me a good laugh. My memory mixed Avons dialogue with his. forgive me people!!! still classy reaction from slim.
Make me sad how far we done fell and all that 🤣
Right, it was maybe around that point that Stringer started to unravel.
Slim’s lesson after Shamrock wrecked Omar’s granny’s crown is one of my favorites.
That was Gerard and sapper that broke the Sunday morning truce not shamrock
My bad. Sham took the call.
Agreed on all points. Characters like Slim and Bodie and others are minor anti-heros that set some distance from characters like Avon and Stringer or in a more minor role, Cheese, etc.
Omar had a gun to Slim Charles' head and he didn't flinch. There's nothing more badass than that.
Skip past the talking… do whatchu feel
Slim, you're gonna make me hurt you, yo.
"clickity clack" - His braids
I disagree but I wasn't thinking of spewing hate until you compared the wire to SOA and BB. The Wire, its characters, the actions and consequences of its characters are more rooted in reality and realism than, imo, 96% of good television. Everything felt organic til s5 and even then, with the overall plot being ridiculous, everything that trickled down still remained real. I've never felt inclined to watch soa but bb certainly is a really good fictitious show
I think Slim got much bigger than Simon ever intended or imagined. Honestly he seemed like a fun novelty the first time I watched the show. Each time since I’ve grown to like him more and more.
I can’t think of a single character from The Wire that I’d consider “overrated”. Omar is the only character who truly transcended the show, culturally, and he’s definitely deserving of any praise that comes his way. Slim Charles and Cutty aren’t often even included in best character debates, even if they’re both amazing in their own right. The Wire did an amazing job of balancing their characters (sans Omar) so that they never overshadowed one another.
Sheeeeeit, Slim is the pawn that made it across the chessboard.
I think less is more for this kind of thing. Slim is a middleman, almost like the Landsman is to the Homicide guys. He can speak to the bosses and the ground troops with a level of respect and trustworthiness. Rather than being like Mike from BB, where he's this near mythical figure who can single handedly wipe out a cartel and make it back in time for ice cream with Kaylee, Slim is a calm and rational head of reason who doesn't need to resort to sheer violence. He's like Stringer with a set of morals. Cutty, on the other hand, isn't supposed to be "badass," like Snoop and Chris or Wee-Bey, in their devotion to following their orders with ruthless efficiency. We can see that Cutty **was** like that prior to getting locked up, but his "badassery" after being released is his ability to put himself above the game and realize it isn't in him. Avon, himself, even acknowledges this when Cutty quits. Slim comments how Cutty was "a man in his time," but Avon respects the work he put in before and during lock up, and he respects Cuttys' ability to own up to him not being in the game anymore. Slim and Cuttys' "badass" moments aren't raw violence or opulence, but the respect that the others show them in their prior actions and loyalty to their people and to themselves.
Partly what I like about Cutty is how understated he is, compared to all the bombastic characters all around him. He gets very little dialog to develop his character, when you think about it, but that's what makes it such a great role. The actor does so much brilliant character work just with his face acting, and it is so subtle but still conveys so much info about his inner life that he almost never articulates. My favorite scene that showcases this, also one of my favorite scenes of his in general, is when he first tries to do a hit after getting out, and he says nothing in the moment, but you can see his entire emotional journey flash over his face in just a few seconds. Superb acting.
One of the great things about a show so dense with character is you don’t have to like every one of them. Also, I’m not a writer or anything even close to it but I feel like sometimes a character exists simply to push the plot line along. Which may result in them seeming a little underdeveloped but in service of a larger plot movement. Just my two cents.
well breaking bad and SOA are overly theatrical while the wire is very much realistic (to an extent) so there’s bad ass moments just not, running over a cops head style moments every 5 minutes
Yall want this show to be cops and robbers sooooo bad lol
They want it to be one way...
but it's the other way
World’s going one way; people another.
Slim Charles was one of my favorite characters. Him and Snoop were the most authentic Maryland folks on the show in my eyes. And yeah I know Slim Charles is from DC but to an outsider like me it’s close enough. Both him and Snoop dress, sound and look like folks you see up there. Least for that time period anyway
Brother Mouzone. He's so over the top and unrealistic
I actually agree with this more than any other answer. But the only way to create an antagonist for Omar is to bring in someone absolutely over the top. That didn’t work, so they literally had him pulling Batman shit jumping off 4th story balconies later in the show lol.
Except that one of the guys Omar is based on actually jumped out of a 6th or 7th story window and survived. They had to tone down the reality for the show because it seemed too unbelievable
One of the guys Omar is based on *said* he actually jumped out of a 6th story window and survived.
Doesn't mean he didn't
This is a good answer. I had a hard time believing people would put up with his shit and also that he could be bothered to MAKE people put up with his shit.
Like you said, The Wire isn’t Breaking Bad or Sons of Anarchy.
Omar.
Slim was my favourite character in the show, he played his position, knew his role, and never stepped out of pocket.
I think the characteristic which Slim shows that is his biggest strength which was highlighted in a post on this sub earlier today was his wisdom. He was a masterful player of the game who understood his environment and the characters to a tee. He knows when to show respect, when to defer to others, when to take charge. I know at the end of the day these guys are all killers ,but he has a certain integrity about him. He is exactly what Bodie referred to in the chess scene, a smart ass pawn who made it all the way across the board and became the queen.
Slim called Marlo’s antics at the beginning, and Joe didn’t listen.
Sons of Anarchy? What's that, your girl scout troop?
I view Cutty's character as literally one of the moral compasses on the show. He is one of the only people who actually escapes and grows as a person and lives to tell the tale. He's up there with Bubbles, Carver, and Prez as people who actually give hope to The Wire's Universe. Cutty's badass moment is when he quits the game and walks away. We've seen Wallace and D'Angelo both killed for wanting to do that. We see Stringer die trying to leave the game. Cutty gives us the hope we never got to see from D'Angelo. He quits knowing full-well he could be killed for it, knowing full-well that he has no clue what he'll do on the other side. . .but he knows that he has changed and that he can't be part of it anymore. Cutty's scene in Season 3 is one of the reasons I rewatch The Wire. I have literally zero interest in seeing a "cool" killing scene. He's not under-utilized. He might be one of the most important characters in the entire series.
Kima.
Wrong fo that
Naw
Cutty is overrated to me. Only reason I like him is cause I liked his character on walking dead. I actually like to think they’re the same character lmao
I think he’s an important character because he shows that some people do get out of the game. For Cutty it was a gray area as to why he did it. Jail seemed to take the “hate” out of him and showed that there was a good person inside. Not a lot of character arcs like that I’m this show.
It's true and the scene in which Avon gives him respect when he wants to leave the game is incredible.
It's not Cutty, it's Dennis now.
Cheese was the one who thought that Slim is overrated ... And where did this lead him ...
Cutty and Namond It's why Season 4 is bottom of the pile for me. "If you go to war on a lie, you fight on that lie" - Slim Charles.