The Saints

The Saints is a televison drama that airs on FX Monday nights at 10:00. It tells the story of two cousins who take two different paths. Michael "Duke" Edwards and Derrick "Glasses" Edwards. Duke is the leader of the Saints, one of the most powerful gangs in Chicago. Derrick is a mild-mannered college student who is bored with his life, and seeks the excitement that being a gangster provides.

Background
The series details Derrick's transformation from a shy and awkward college student, into a cold-blooded killer. His cousin Duke does not think he has any place in the gang, wants him to stay in school, and get an education. Derrick tries, and often fails, to prove himself to his cousin and the rest of the gang. He becomes a hitman in the gang, where he proves his worth; though his cousin does not allow him to rise any further.

Characters
Derrick "Glasses" Edwards: The younger cousin of Duke and main protagonist. Derrick is a college student who hates school, and seeks to become a gangster like his cousin; whom he sees as an older brother. His cousin reluctantly allows him into the Saints, and he is placed under the tutelage of one of the Saints' top soldier, Gordy; who gives him the nickname "Glasses" because of his thick glasses. Initially he is afraid of killing, which confirms his cousin's belief that he should stay in school. After beating a man to death with a baseball bat, he becomes a cold-blooded killer. However the more murders he commits, the more nightmares and anxiety attacks he has; which places him on a downward spiral. Following the death of Manny, Duke passes Derrick over for promotion, and instead makes Mark second-in-command; even though he was the one who uncovered Manny's plot. This causes Derrick to resent both his cousin and Mark. Eventually he meets a woman named Gina, who convinces him to turn his life around and leave the Saints and Chicago. When Duke is murdered and betrayed by Mark, he is forced to return to Chicago and enact revenge.

Michael "Duke" Edwards: The older cousin of Derrick, leader of the Saints, and secondary protagonist. He is a charismatic leader to his gang, and a ruthless and Machiavelliean gangster to his rivals. Under his leadership, the Saints go from a common street gang, to a powerful criminal organization that operates much like the Mafia. He does not want his cousin to be a gangster like him, and instead wants him to stay in school and make something out of himself. He reluctantly allows his cousin into the gang, although does not take him seriously and keeps him in a low-level position. He truely loves his cousin and does not want him to waste his potential. In the final season he is murdered by Mark, who takes control of the gang and allies with the Hooligans; a Latino gang that are the rivals of the Saints.

Manny: Duke's second-in-command in the earlier seasons. Although he pretends to be loyal to Duke, he is extremely treacherous and very few people in the gang, outside of Duke, trust him. He is finally killed when Duke and the rest of the gang find out that he was having an affair with Duke's wife, Whitney, and had formed an alliance with Whitney and Gordy to kill Duke and take over the gang.

Gordy: The show's comic relief, and Duke's top hitman. He has a sarcastic and wise-cracking personality, insulting everyone; both friend and foe. When Duke places Derrick under his wing, Gordy is one of the few people in the gang to show Derrick any form of respect. In fact, Derrick considers Gordy more of an older brother than Duke. After a while, Gordy becomes addicted to drugs; leading many in the gang to distance themselves from him. Frustrated with the gang's treatment of him, he forms an alliance with Whitney and Manny to kill Duke. When the plot is discovered he flees Chicago, takes refuge in public housing building, and begins selling drugs to support himself. Duke sends a hit squad led by Derrick to find and kill him, and he is eventually found and killed by Derrick himself.

Marco "Mark" Gonzaga: The gang's sole Latino member. He is laidback and easy-going, although he does not mind using violence. After Manny is killed, Duke makes him second-in-command, much to Derrick's chagrin. Eventually he forms an alliance with rival gang the Hooligans, kills Duke, and unites the Saints with the Hooligans. This causes Derrick to return and murder every member of his gang.

Whitney Rice-Edwards: A famous model who begins dating and eventually marries Duke. She is a treacherous gold digger who does not care about Duke and simply wants his money, although Duke is madly in love with her and takes her on shopping sprees. From the outset, her and Derrick despise each other; causing a power struggle between the two of them. She begins having an affair with Manny, and the two of them form an alliance to kill Duke and seize control of the Saints. When Derrick uncovers this plot, she is taken to a field and killed along with Manny. She is shot in the head and buried in the field.