So to all my Breaking Bad/The Wire fans...

[hex]

The Greek was on the level of the cartels. Gus was making millions but he still had to deal with them for their major cut until he made his revenge. Plus, Avon was based on the real lives of Nathan Barksdales and Melvin Williams who played The Deacon on the show. Those ex-drug lords had close to a net worth of 100 million. Just like with Gus, Avon had SEVERAL fronts too as well as controlling both housing projects on some Nino Brown shyt. Not to mention the political connects which Lester were obsessed with because lord knows how much $$$$$ Avon was channeling.

He had enough to hold his own family and his peoples WHILE in prison for several YEARS until that well finally ended up dry.I can safely assuming during his peak years he and Gus were even. The GREEK was on some OTHER level.

Ok now we got some numbers to work with.

If their net worth was $100 mill then Avon was nowhere near Gus. In season 3, episode 9 Jesse comments that the $3 mill Walt got from the deal with Gus is "bullshyt" because Gus was making $96 mill in 3 months. That's Gus's money, he built the lab specifically to circumvent the cartel, remember?

And I can't really agree that The Greek was on the level of the cartels. The Greek was supplying neighborhood drug lords, the cartel was supplying Gus who had distribution in 6 states (again, season 3, episode 9).

So in terms of power it would go: The cartels > Gus > The Greek > Avon. After the cartels were cut out, Gus would be the lead. Then Walt.

Fred.

 

[hex]

@obarth where you at man this is a good ass thread.

Fred.

 

[Stinky Diver]

Probably my biggest problem with Marlo. A rookie like Marlo knowing that the po-lice in the rooftops are watching him, yet a pro like Stringer never once assumes that cops are watching him and the rest of the organisation from the rooftops.

You're forgetting that Marlo had the smartest muscle in Chris Partlow. He knew everything that brought Barksdale's organization down and also used his military background with gun training. They had lookouts all over because they did their business outside.

 

[gluvnast]

Ok now we got some numbers to work with.

If their net worth was $100 mill then Avon was nowhere near Gus. In season 3, episode 9 Jesse comments that the $3 mill Walt got from the deal with Gus is "bullshyt" because Gus was making $96 mill in 3 months. That's Gus's money, he built the lab specifically to circumvent the cartel, remember?

And I can't really agree that The Greek was on the level of the cartels. The Greek was supplying neighborhood drug lords, the cartel was supplying Gus who had distribution in 6 states (again, season 3, episode 9).

So in terms of power it would go: The cartels > Gus > The Greek > Avon. After the cartels were cut out, Gus would be the lead. Then Walt.

Fred.

I can concede that Gus > Avon... but NO WAY The Greek > The Cartels.... The Greek is on the level of Keyser Soze.

 

[hex]

I can concede that Gus > Avon... but NO WAY The Greek > The Cartels.... The Greek is on the level of Keyser Soze.

This is a fun conversation.

I can't say you're wrong because I don't remember many specifics about The Greek. But we need to take into account a few things.

If we're going by their real life counter parts the cartels are billionaires, breh. Virtually no one in the dope game is on the level of cartels.

Or to put it into perspective The Greek was in Baltimore at meetings with people like Nick Sobotka, Marlo, and later Slim Charles/Fat Face Rick. Street level people. Gus, who was powerful in his own right, had to fly to Mexico, then be blind folded, to even meet Don Eladio and his cartel.

Another way to look at it is this: the local Baltimore PD nearly identified The Greek. The ABQ PD had no idea Don Eladio ever existed.

I'd say The Greek was more on the level of a character like Juan Bolsa from "Breaking Bad".

Fred.

 

[hex]

Another thing to take into account, Saul said Gus had been operating for 20 years (season 2, episode 11). So he had to have been ridiculously caked up, even after the cartel cut.

Fred.

 

[gluvnast]

This is a fun conversation.

I can't say you're wrong because I don't remember many specifics about The Greek. But we need to take into account a few things.

If we're going by their real life counter parts the cartels are billionaires, breh. Virtually no one in the dope game is on the level of cartels.

Or to put it into perspective The Greek was in Baltimore at meetings with people like Nick Sobotka, Marlo, and later Slim Charles/Fat Face Rick. Street level people. Gus, who was powerful in his own right, had to fly to Mexico, then be blind folded, to even meet Don Eladio and his cartel.

Another way to look at it is this: the local Baltimore PD nearly identified The Greek. The ABQ PD had no idea Don Eladio ever existed.

I'd say The Greek was more on the level of a character like Juan Bolsa from "Breaking Bad".

Fred.

One thing you forget thou... The Greek's locale wasn't ONLY B-more. He was global! Dude even had a fake FBI agent in the midst of the agency! Nobody KNOWS who that man really WAS. Like he said, "I'm not even Greek".

 

[Numpsay]

All I can add on here is The Cartels>>>>>>>

Gus and The Greek could have been on the same level and just went about doing business differently. Also I'd say the Greeks were into more than just drugs. Walt and Avon were pretty much same level to me.

As far as Vic and the Strike Team vs Walter White/Heisenburg, IMO there is really no contest here. Vic dealt with much worse shyt, and people before he was forced to fall back. The Strike Team would have extorted the shyt out of Walt and Jesse. Walt didn't have the street sense to contend with Vic.

And lastly McNulty and company would have figured Walt out in a season. In fact Walt likely would have never taken off, Jesse wouldn't have escaped the initial DEA raid had it been handled by the Baltimore PD.

Just to expound.

Chris and Snoop>The twins.
Omar>Tuco

Walt doesn't survive against either of them either.

 

[hex]

One thing you forget thou... The Greek's locale wasn't ONLY B-more. He was global! Dude even had a fake FBI agent in the midst of the agency! Nobody KNOWS who that man really WAS. Like he said, "I'm not even Greek".

Yeah, but I'm asking did they ever go into detail? Like how much power/territory he had. I don't remember.

Because, hell man....Gus was global too. He had distribution anywhere in the world through Madrigal, they just chose the Czech Republic due to it's meth problems.

The reason I said Juan Bolsa is because he was "the man" but still met with a local boss (Gus, over Tuco dying) same as The Greek met with Marlo. But Juan/Gus were equals whereas The Greek was obviously well above anyone he dealt with. So IMO The Greek = Juan Bolsa and Vondas Spiros = the cousins. Somebody like Don Eladio would be on a completely different level, and "The Wire" didn't get into who overseas was pulling the strings.

Fred.

 

[Medulla Oblongata]

Even The Shield is being brought up in this, lol.

 

[hex]

All I can add on here is The Cartels>>>>>>>

Gus and The Greek could have been on the same level and just went about doing business differently. Also I'd say the Greeks were into more than just drugs. Walt and Avon were pretty much same level to me.

As far as Vic and the Strike Team vs Walter White/Heisenburg, IMO there is really no contest here. Vic dealt with much worse shyt, and people before he was forced to fall back. The Strike Team would have extorted the shyt out of Walt and Jesse. Walt didn't have the street sense to contend with Vic.

And lastly McNulty and company would have figured Walt out in a season. In fact Walt likely would have never taken off, Jesse wouldn't have escaped the initial DEA raid had it been handled by the Baltimore PD.

Just to expound.

Chris and Snoop>The twins.
Omar>Tuco

Walt doesn't survive against either of them either.

Breh what makes you think Walt would let himself get extorted? How long do you think he'd let that go on, when his foray into the dope game was to feed his ego? Knowing he would be dead no matter what in under 2 years?

Knowing how ridiculously out of control Walt's ego could get, I'm seriously at the idea. Walt would get extorted, then he'd kill the Strike Team and most likely himself in the process. Because he didn't care about dying. He'd walk up in The Barn with a bomb and blow himself up along with them before he'd let that go on too long.

Fred.

 

[Medulla Oblongata]

As I said before, Walt may be able to get into Shane's head, and once he does that...

 

[hex]

Even The Shield is being brought up in this, lol.

This "Shield" shyt got me as hell. Vic was a bully, and like a bully he bytched up when handed an L. Sang like a canary. All that tough guy, macho shyt went out the window. He probably turned into a model employee at his new job, bringing donuts daily asking the boss "s so so you do like apple fritters, right?"

Walt copped a machine gun and was ready to die over some beef and people are telling me he'd get extorted by this guy:

C'mon son.

Fred.

 

[Numpsay]

Breh what makes you think Walt would let himself get extorted? How long do you think he'd let that go on, when his foray into the dope game was to feed his ego? Knowing he would be dead no matter what in under 2 years?

Knowing how ridiculously out of control Walt's ego could get, I'm seriously at the idea. Walt would get extorted, then he'd kill the Strike Team and most likely himself in the process. Because he didn't care about dying. He'd walk up in The Barn with a bomb and blow himself up along with them before he'd let that go on too long.

Fred.

This is classic brains vs brawns for me. I'd lean Vic's way because while he was more brawn he knew how the streets worked. While Walt was a lot more book smart he didn't have the street sense at all. However you are correct, the extortion would have an expiration date, however both entities would know that and in this situation In The Shield universe, Walt wouldn't stand a chance, the suspension of belief situations that are present in the Breaking Bad series just didn't really exist. In terms of the Breaking Bad universe maybe its 50/50.

And if you want to look at Shane as a weak point of the strike team, imagine what Vic would do to Jesse, especially if Hank was able to sway him.

 

[Medulla Oblongata]

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