Stack Can't Fight (Allegedly)

Yeah I said it.

Spoilers for Sinners (2025) ahead.

Congratulations on the Digital Release on June 2nd!

Emphasis on the “allegedly.”

I may be only able to successfully defend the sentiment that Stack can’t fight as well as Smoke due to there not much evidence. But the lack of seeing Stack in action leads me to believe the first statement.

We get more talking than showing of characters or past events. We don’t even have flash backs except at the end when Smoke reminisces over the previous day. We only see Smoke’s fighting actions and decisions versus Stack’s mouth getting him in and out of trouble or what he was asking for. We only see Stack “fight” AFTER he is turned into a vampire. Any abilities or extras he gets as a vampire that is TBD or speculated.

Could Smoke be a violent person or just problem solve with violence? Sure. I may or may not analyze him for a different theory. But of the top three main characters (Sammie, Smoke, and Stack) Smoke’s way of problem solving is more action-oriented than the other two. Sammie and Stack speak, think, or vocally process more.

Stack always involves Smoke when it comes to fighting, plans, or actions. He thinks of them as one unit more often while speaking. Not that Smoke doesn’t think of his brother or need his help. Smoke assumes the protector role between the two of them but also to Annie and the others who are left inside the Juke. Smoke acts independently of Stack in terms of thinking things through or finalizing their schemes. Stack was the recruiter while Smoke managed logistics, supply, and the remainder of the laborers. Smoke stood watch over the Juke while Stack was on the floor or in the gambling suite. Of the two, Smoke was more of the leader with the final say but could be convinced by Stack.

They worked together for their goals. But their goals or way of thinking don’t always align. Stack’s idea was the Juke and most likely their life of crime. Smoke had the final say about letting the white folks in. Smoke wanted only to accept real money instead of the plantation credits. Stack and Annie convinced him that while they agree with him, but they need to get their customers to return. It won’t be a permanent price/exchange rate. The twins communicated again by themselves over the money the Juke earned that night. When it was time to deal with a cheater in the gambling suite, Smoke requested Stack’s assistance but unfortunately, he was turned into a vampire by Mary in moment of trickery with sex a la “One Night Only” by Effie White. 😉 It was instant karma for going against Smoke’s decision and jeopardized safety.

We don’t see Stack get physical much compared to Smoke in this film.

Stack’s Actions & Responses to Conflict

·         While meeting with Hogwood, Stack and Smoke both reached for their weapons. But it was fine, and Stack handed him the bag of money before Smoke told Hogwood about no trespassing for him or the Kool Kids Klub.

·         Stack’s knife killed the snake, but it was Smoke who stabbed it after Stack tossed it to him.

·         He threatened Delta Slim after he threatened Sammie for offering to play his guitar at his train station playing patch.

·         Stack deescalates the situation with Cornbread after he cussed at his wife and offered him a job for good money that would “inspire his wife to enthusiastically sleep with him.”

·         He tries to drag Mary out of the Juke by her arm while calling for Cornbread to get her a car. He threatens to pay any random female patron to drag Mary out.

·         Stack mentioned using their hidden artillery over three people! Instead of what weapons(guns) they already had on their person. (3 handguns and trench knife)

·         We pretty much only see him doing the “scrap and lick” when fighting and attempting to turn the remainder of the Juke’s inhabitants into vampires. He is strong, tall, and a former solider, but he just jumps on top of people and bites them. No strategy, special moves, or weapons. (“No vision.”)  Just his shiny new teeth(fangs) and him. When Remmick got hurt, it stalled all the vampires since they felt his pain too. Stack only chomped to 2-3 people (including Annie) before he took off with Mary when Smoke set Annie free in all of the kerfuffle.

Mary also can’t fight, is not as much as a powerhouse as she thinks and/or is out of practice. She TURNS HER BACK on the suspicious white people who were singing outside the Juke Joint. They didn’t flinch or move to leave after she pulled a gun out on them. She did not walk backwards when attempting to return to the Juke. And that’s why she got bit.

Why they were not more concerned about them wanting to come in, I’ll never know. I’m surprised no one said, “my -insert relative- fought on the side of the Union,” or “I have Black friend(s),” to show they weren’t racist. What would white guilt be like in 1932? How much money could those people have “added to the till” since they were clearly not rich. Greedy.

During Mary & Stack’s touching and honest conversation, Mary brags about her fighting skills. She can “beat up any bitch in here” because Stack taught her how to fight. Stack reminds her that he also told her “To leave before the money is up.” It is great dialogue to peek into their past and put the final piece together of why they aren’t together and haven’t seen each other in a long time. Consequently, both of them were turned into vampires. However, they survived the night and lived happily ever after together. But not due to their fighting skills while human. It seems like their words wrote checks that their bodies couldn’t cash. We should absolutely judge Stack by his “pupil.”

While Stack’s abilities are not shown, maybe it is because Stack has unique traumas like Smoke. What if is not fighting as well as Smoke, not choosing to square up until his words don’t work, or fighting only when there is an obvious and immediate threat? Perhaps he freezes up? What trauma(s) does Stack have that aren’t as obvious as Smoke’s parentification, tremors, grief, murder/wartime, etc.?

Stack was beat worse by their father than Smoke. When they were in the process of being born, Stack was the twin stuck in the birth canal as the youngest. It ended up costing their mother her life. Their father died at Smoke’s hands after they ran away once and had to return to Clarksdale. He had beat Stack up really bad and Smoke most likely decided there was no other choice if the order of events lines up and are correct. Sammie was too young to know what was going on but Mary either being close to the same age or slightly younger knew that her mama took care of the twins during their lives in Clarksdale most likely until they fought in the war.

Stack’s Possible Traumas

1.      Causing their mother’s death & thinking it is his fault [Mary tells Sammie how Stack was stuck in the birth canal and when their mom died, her mother nursed and took care of them]

2.      Being the main target of their father [“Y’all daddy used to beat y’all?” “(He beat) Me mostly. But he didn’t mean it.”]

3.      Losing the love of his life due to racism and societal rules [“Got you a rich white husband and a farm in Little Rock,” “I didn’t ask for none of that,”]

4.      Not being able to protect Mary (as a man) [3&4 “You were never going to be safe here and it wasn’t going to be with me” conversation]

5.      Separation anxiety? From his loved ones?

6.      Not have opportunities for growth or the life he envisioned for himself/ bad reputation

7.      Grief/unpredictability of life stress

8.      Claustrophobia [Stack whining to Smoke to let him out of the store closet, playing on their time together at war.]

Traumas 5,6, and 7 I may be able to give a concrete example with, but it isn’t as strong as the others from the list. For Trauma 5, whenever Stack comes to the front of the Juke with Mary, Remmick, Bo, Bert & Joan, he goes on his speech of “We was never gonna be free” and “not wanting to do this without him (Smoke).” Comments from Annie and Mary lead me to believe that Stack is the mastermind behind their plans and item 6 from the list.

“This one of Stack’s ideas?...Is Chicago through with y’all?” -Annie

“Whatchu asking?” -Smoke

Smoke knew that she knew and even sucked his teeth at her.

“Italian wine? Irish beer? You robbed both sides and made them think it was the other side. What if they put two and two together?” -Mary

“They won’t” -Stack

“They might…let me go see about getting this money. I know y’all need it.”- Mary

Mary also figured out the plan while inside the Juke and admonished Stack into giving her his gun to protect herself while asking the white folk if “they were good people.”

The beginnings of Trauma 7 could sprout after going to Mound Bayou. The twins probably did not have a lot of options and possibly thought they had even less due to their dad’s reputation. We don’t know at what age their father died, how long they were under Mary’s mother’s care, or when they went to war. A good guess would be to assume the father was dead before they went to Mound Bayou as they didn’t have someone caring for them. Or it could be argued the opposite way, the abuse became too much the twins left, weren’t accepted, and had the return to their dad.

We don’t know when the inciting incident of Stack’s final beating took place. We also don’t know how long they were gone from Clarksdale during WWI. Stack spent time in Little Rock with Mary in order for her to have married and stayed there. It is unclear if Smoke was with him. This could be when him and Annie had their baby. A good proper life evaded the twins. Leading up of present day, the twins robbed a bank, betrayed Capone and other mobsters, and more unmentioned/unconfirmed things for money. In the end it led them back home. They tried to do “for us, by us” but were unsuccessful due to white people with more powerful means and tools.

I believe at the very least Stack has separation anxiety for his twin since that is who protected him.

“He don’t watch his own back”- Smoke

He doesn’t want to live as a vampire without him. Stack did drink the Kool-Aid in thinking that Remmick was right and going to have a new freer life than his previous one. He was truly joyful with Mary and did want to lose her again. Whenever Smoke frees Annie, Mary screams and wants to act, but Stack pulls her away outside of the Juke. Knowing Smoke will do what it takes to protect himself and the humans, he knows that Smoke would kill the vampires even if they were loved ones. He even protectively holds on to her or make sures she’s close in the end credit scene. He made peace with being away from Mary because it was more dangerous to be together than wherever she ended up among white people. But he had never been without his brother for too long or if there was an understanding of return, like for a job. If they did separate more than once such as being in different ethnic mobster groups, we don’t know how long they were alone. When living life, he always had a spot for his brother.

Stack’s persona was the jokester, a fool. He was only serious in short bursts and rarely:

1.      When he told Sammie about being beat by his father and his death.

2.      The look on his face when Mary told him her mom died. (shortest)

3.      When Mary & him had their long-time coming heart to heart.

4.      After turning into a vampire and pleading for the rest of the Juke to join them, specifically Smoke. (DEBATABLE, at the last second)

5.      Right before Smoke pins him to the ground and apologizes, about to stake him.

6.      When Sammie reunites with Stack & Mary 60 years later.

The only time he is “aggressive” by himself before being turned is when he playfully punches Sammie at the truck and when he was trying to get Mary to leave. He didn’t want beef with anyone who he respected or was stronger than him. He never tussled with Cornbread or his brother. He rolled his cigarettes whenever he asked without complaint. He doesn’t push back on his brother either.

Smoke’s identity of “being a solider” was brought up but it wasn’t for Stack. Whenever Smoke didn’t use violence, he was questioned since no one else wanted to choose violence first up against the supernatural. If it required being physical, people looked to Smoke for protection/strength. They did not want to get on his bad side. Just like when the little girl was afraid after Smoke revealed himself to be a SmokeStack twin to her. When Sammie told him to “make good on his promise” since he was going to disobey Smoke and continue to play music, Smoke was going to do it since it would fulfill the command.

Stack was looked to for a good time and his schemes. Cornbread was hesitant to go with Stack until his wife was on board with the money. But he was ready to fight him. Despite his luck he was playing the card games in the gambling suite! He cheered Sammie on while he performed. He was the host with the most while he greeted customers and helped serve food and drank. He reminds me of an Aries Spears Paul Mooney bit. “All the niggas who grin win.”

I can say with shaking confidence that Stack can’t hold his own. He can fight with his brother but does not do well by himself. He’s all bark and no bite. ;) At the end of the day, he couldn't defeat his brother even as a vampire!

When the tough gets going, where does Stack go?