Episode #29 "Tale of the Goat"


Ferrariman

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I absolutely agree with the lexikon about Tale of the Goat!!!:happy::clap::thumbsup:The story combines typical VICE elements - for example modern style, clothes and music - with exotic and ancient voodoo tradition.:clap:In principle it's logical that there's an episode about voodoo because Florida surely features this religion.The teaser is with Phantom Living by The Fixx extremely cool, including humorous dialogues between Sonny and Rico and nice scenes of a voodoo-funeral, as well as good action.:thumbsup:This mix of humour and tension continues through the whole episode - very very awesome.I like the structure of Tale of the Goat: at first you think it will be a comedy-episode like Made for Each other etc., but little by little the episode is getting more and more thrilling and dramatically.:hot:Especially when Rico's cover is blown and Legba injects him with a poison.:oThe end is full of strong and well-filmed action sequences - brilliant.:clap:Music (as well as style) is here outstanding: from Phantom Living to Can't Turn Back!:radio::radio:10 of 10 points.

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  • 1 month later...

I love going to New Orleans and looking at the touristy stuff, like Marie LeVeaux. I love the spooky business of voodoo. I love the '70s vibe to voodoo, and I love significant bad guys like P.L. I liked the surveillance (stakeouts and Stan/Larry's gig) and that this episode wasnt all glitzy for a change. I love that The Fixx had a song featured ('Phantom Living'). I like 'Flesh' by Todd Rundgren too. Although I should've liked this ep more overall, it didn't hold my attention so much this time. For that, it's a 6.5 rounded down to a 6. To Papa Legba's review though, I give a 9.5.Lots of great observations in these reviews too - like azvice and the S.2/S.4 comparison, and to whoever called out 'Live and Let Die'.

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  • 2 months later...

I can't understand why this episode isn't more popular. I only started watching Vice 4 months ago and have seen season 1 and season 2 up to Tale of the Goat. It's one of my faves so far. The Voodoo element added a different twist. At no point did they suggest Voodoo was 'real' (oxygen maks in coffins and marine poison explains it all). I still don't understand how Tubbs knew the girl was in the hidden chamber at the end tho!

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  • 4 months later...

Like it's been said: if they would've produced this episode in later season it would've been really messy. But at this point of the series they somehow manage to pull it off pretty well. It's not one of my favourites, but it really has some good moments in it. I like how Tubbs is so arrogant at first and then almost becomes a victim of Legba. After that he sees the world through a different lens for a while. Also overacting is pretty tolerable here unlike in some later episodes.8/10

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Guest MetroVice

Loved "Goat"I'm one of those who thoroughly enjoyed this episode. But it doesn't matter if you liked it or not because in the end it's part of the Miami Vice we all love so much.I think it's fair to say this ep was a little off base from their usual plot of pursuing drug dealers or traffickers but I still felt it was a great episode just the same - at least for me that is. However, it's understandable that some folks may feel it wasn't up to the usual Vice standards. I certainly can't blame them for feeling that way.I recall seeing Clarence Williams III on an episode of Burn Notice recently and it was kinda odd seeing him in a Miami setting once again (perhaps Star Island). Even funnier is how he still sounded like his Papa Legba character! :thumbsup:

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  • 10 months later...

I LOVE this episode!! This is one of my all-time favorites. :clap: I like spooky, ghost, voodoo, scary stuff so this episode, and "Whatever Works" totally fit those genres perfectly! Don't get me wrong, though, I do NOT practice voodoo nor would I want to be around that kind of thing! I'm a Christian, so I believe in evil along with the good--God and Satan. In my opinion, to actually become involved with black magic is "playing with fire"--pun intended. ;) But, I'm not perfect...despite the fact I believe that kind of thing is evil...it also fascinates me! Goofy, I know. :rolleyes: But, it is what it is. In "Tale of the Goat" I love the freaky voodoo-like cemetary with the bizarre funeral for Papa Legba--and with the eerie fog/steam and the goat head ending up in Legba's casket...yikes! :eek: Awesome!! :thumbsup: I also thought PMT (Tubbs) did a superb acting job in this one, and I love how they showed how Legba messed with people's minds. Whoever wrote this episode had to have researched the voodoo aspects very seriously...and I think came up with a somewhat realistic, scary, but yet mezmorizing story! :clap:Clarence Williams III also did a supeb job of acting...and they could not have found a more perfect "Legba" if they'd of tried! ;) This episode just "superbly" delved into the scary and terrifying world of voodoo and zobops--I'm sorry but the name "zobops" cracks me up! :) However, I'm sure in reality there's nothing funny about zobops. :eek: This one was also a nice, captivating change from the regular drug/weapons dealer episodes. :thumbsup:For a much more in-depth and perfect review of this episode--see member Papa Legba's review on the first page. Thanks, Papa Legba for all the awesome info and no one could say it any better! :clap:This is a 10 in my book. Any qualms with this episode, just...."remooove the barriers" and enjoy! :D

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  • 2 years later...

Overall an enjoyable episode. This is easily the best of the weird/supernatural themed episodes. It has some good scary voodoo atmosphere, Legba is a fearsome foe, and Little Coco shined as the small henchman of Legba. He reminded me a bit of Nick Nack from "The Man with The Golden Gun". A mischievous nuisance. 

 

It had a great opening scene too with that song "Phantom Living" by The Fixx. Very dark and brooding synths.

 

"PAPA LEGBA!!!" To set the mood, this episode should best be enjoyed in your living room, in the dark with candles lit around the room to get the proper ambiance. It would make for a good double feature alongside an action movie that has voodoo villains, like Marked for Death, or Predator 2.

Edited by Bryan
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I enjoyed this episode too - ok a bit out there at times - but still pure Vice - great direction by Michael O'Herlihy who had also directed "Junk  Love" previously . This episode was not as stylized as "Junk Love" but still a great watch . !!

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"Missing Hours" is much better than this episode.  I don't care for this one.  The only thing I like is the use of Jan Hammer's "The Search"...

 

"Tale of the Goat" and "Freefall" are the two episodes I pretty much despise and don't think I'll ever watch again.

Edited by AndrewRemington
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  • 2 months later...

Ah, Tale of the Goat. The dividing episode for some fans. Love or hate? I remember the night of first broadcast, and when I first saw my best friend in school there after,we walked up to each other and said "Voodoo!!", ala the guy at the funeral as the casket was opened. I'm shooting from the hip tonight with my Bren 10 and Morgan's finest with a splash of coke, so here we go.

Love the episode overall. Sonny's shirt (long sleeve/short sleeve? 3/4) when the situation is first discussed in detail at HG, I want that and would wear it right now out and about. Really solid enchanting scenes in this episode, the so called voodoo ceremonies, although perhaps inaccurate, are visually stunning, Silver chrome spray painted skulls and bones. Much fire. Count me in. A few observations: Zito's beard rocks. I remember thinking what a misfit he was,yet he might be the coolest looking dude on the show, these days.  The Centipede game seen just before Romulus is wacked? The game was not in "play mode" although the actor was "playing it". High scores are visible, game over, etc. You'd think someone could have dropped a quarter, Pal. 

I forever enjoy what they did with this episode. The smoke/fog at Regba's funeral, very nice. Did not like the song choice during Tubb's hospital scene...often I love MV for the odd trip choice of music, not fitting at first then adding a sensual disturbing element to the scene, but this one just did not work for me. The little pick axe guy, watch him when Sonny shoots him. That must have hurt, head?neck on railing, Ouch. Badass, they should have let that scene roll a bit more, Regba's crew was interesting, great stuff. I could go on, but this is classic Vice. Could it have been better, here or there? Perhaps, but 8/10 for me. He had his back to me the whole time

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  • 2 weeks later...

snipped) I think that this episode probably gets a lot of negative criticism because of the Voodoo subject matter. The fact is though that the storyline isn't as far fetched as you might think, and whoever researched this episode researched it very well. Almost everything that Marie and Dr O'Hara say in this episode is factual. The Tetrodotoxin derived from Caribbean fish is true (actually from the Puffer fish). Also there are Voodoo Witch doctors in Haiti who administer these paralysing drugs to people in an attempt to create what they believe to be "zombies" (such as the case of Clarvius Narcisse who was buried alive in 1962 and who's story was featured in the book "The Serpent and the rainbow"). The rest of the community believes them to be dead, and buries them, only for the Witch doctor and his cronies to turn up late at night and dig them back up again. Then they employ them as slaves. In "Tale of the Goat", it was said that the brain damage was a side effect of the Tetrodotoxin. However in actual fact this arises from the slow asphyxiation caused by reduced breathing and/or being literally buried alive. Additionally, Voodoo priests also use psychoactive drugs in order to confuse and passify their abductees (post exhumation) in order to maintain their submissive state. From the Voodoo priest's perspective and that of the Voodoo believing community, the priest has actually brought someone back from the dead as a Zombie. The reality is of course he's merely drugged someone to the extent that they appear dead for 48 hours, then once they wake up, drugged an already possibly brain damaged victim to the extent that they just act like a "Zombie". Now in Miami, having such a large Haitian community, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that a Voodoo priest might work his way into the city, having used his own stuff, in a mistaken belief that he's gone over to the spirit world and come back again. This possible brain damage is probably one reasons why in the episode Papa Legba limps, walks on crutches, talks slowly, and generally just acts weird. (snipped)  Papa Legba is actually more a title, rather than a name (Like "Caeser" in ancient Rome). In Voodoo, Papa Legba is the one who supposedly acts as the medium between the living and the supposed spirits of the dead. He is in essence a gatekeeper by which the living supposedly communicate with the spirit world. This is why in the episode, Papa Legba keeps referring to walking with the living and the dead, and going from one side to another. In Voodoo art, Legba is usually depicted as having a limp, or walking with crutches, and often smokes a pipe. Both of which Legba does in this episode.Marie was correct when she said that Legba was the high priest of a community of Bokors. Bokors, in contrast to the other more benign Voodoo practioners, are the the equivalent of black witches. Like Marie says, "their voodoo is like black magic". Bokors are the ones who practice the creation of what they perceive as "Zombies".(snipped)

I thought the makeup that they gave Clarence Williams III was apt. If you notice there is often a grey look to his face and hair. You particularly notice this in the scene where he hobbles out of a room to talk to Marie after she's just been visited by Crockett and Tubbs. I believe the production grew wanted to give him this appearance to convey the idea that he was almost Zombie like himself, thus reinforcing the tone of the episode. (snipped)

I loved the words of wisdom from Rick Bravo's dad "Do you believe in the Ocean? Cos no matter if you do or you don't, for sure you gonna wet". Nancy mentioned earlier about the inconsistency of Crockett one minute being heavily cynical about Voodoo, then later taking it much more seriously. However the scene where Crockett asks Pepe the Janitor for his opinion seems to be a turning point in his beliefs and perceptions. Crockett appears to be examining some evidence which appears to be making him think that there might be something more serious in this, and the fact that he asks Pepe for his opinion seems to be his way of trying to work out whether or not all this is real or not. At that point he seems to be 50/50, which is why he's asking for an independant, outside opinion. Pepe's comments urge caution. (snipped)

Papa Legba, your story of how you started to become a fan of MV was great, and I enjoyed reading about your trip to Miami and seeing some of the shooting locations.  But your information about voodoo really proves that in this ep, the writers did do some good research on the topic :)  Like Whatever Works, for me the use of voodoo in this ep made it seem more exotic and "Miami" to me--so different from anywhere I had lived.

 

Pepe's words of wisdom about the ocean...another great moment in Vice.  Just a nice touch that added to our understanding of Sonny's character.

 

(snipped) [Crockett and Tubbs] One time one of them will be passionate, the other logical and more 'cold'. Another time vice-versa. They always made such a great team.And in this ep the most poignant moment for me is when Sonny says to Castillo 'he'll be just fine' when Castillo poses the question about Tubbs on the street again. Sonny knows what to say straight away.How many times have we seen something similar? I don't just think they want to trust in their partner. I think there's something more here every time. It's almost like at these moments one or another of these guys just refuse to contemplate what might also happen to them one day. What they live with the fear of succumbing to every day they go to work. This is where they live.So many moments are similar throughout Vice... think about the way in which Sonny explains at the end of Payback how he understands how the job can lead to corruption. Or how he explains how he promised to himself (in Deliver Us From Evil) that he'd throw the towel in way before he thought he didn't know what the right thing to do was anymore. Or how much dread and almost empathy all the cops have towards the ex-Vice cop in the famous final scene of Out Where the Buses. Or how brotherly C&T look on at Castillo as he reads from Trang's letter at the end of the Savage. The examples are endless, but these moments IMO are as central to the unique magic of MV as pastels, fast cars, and 80's pop music. Anyway, I digress...

 You are so right.  The relationship between Crockett and Tubbs makes the show, and this episode is a good example.

 

One thing no one has mentioned is the way Gina defended herself against Legba's goons.  Great self-defense skills there!  

 

The music was great, very atmospheric.  And the weather seemed overcast, like it might rain any moment during many of the outdoor scenes.  This episode originally aired in November, so probably just a bit late for hurricane season--but the weather seemed to hold some foreboding, which suited the episode well.

 

(snipped) Really solid enchanting scenes in this episode, the so called voodoo ceremonies, although perhaps inaccurate, are visually stunning, Silver chrome spray painted skulls and bones. Much fire. Count me in. A few observations: Zito's beard rocks. I remember thinking what a misfit he was,yet he might be the coolest looking dude on the show, these days.  The Centipede game seen just before Romulus is wacked? The game was not in "play mode" although the actor was "playing it". High scores are visible, game over, etc. You'd think someone could have dropped a quarter, Pal. 

I forever enjoy what they did with this episode. The smoke/fog at Regba's funeral, very nice. Did not like the song choice during Tubb's hospital scene...often I love MV for the odd trip choice of music, not fitting at first then adding a sensual disturbing element to the scene, but this one just did not work for me. 

I agree about the stunning visuals!  And I always enjoy finding out about things others notice that go right over my head, like the Centipede game :).

 

Really enjoyed this episode, much more so than I was expecting to do after all these years.  It held up and had some very interesting scenes as well as the partner relationship between Crockett and Tubbs.

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  • 4 weeks later...

My opinion for this episode hasn't really changed. I still think it's a weak, forgettable episode but there's a few good things about it that prevent it from being a total write off. I hate the voodoo stuff in this episode. I don't find voodoo interesting at all. I don't even like movies about voodoo like Serpent and the Rainbow or Angel Heart. So I couldn't care less for much of this episode then.

 

Some good points about the ep; the closing shootout is good, good use of the song Can't Turn Back, good scene on the St. Vitus.

Overall I thought it episode was mostly boring and I really hated the voodoo aspect so I still don't like this episode. 4/10 

Edited by Tommy Vercetti
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My opinion for this episode hasn't really changed. I still think it's a weak, forgettable episode but there's a few good things about it that prevent it from being a total write off. I hate the voodoo stuff in this episode. I don't find voodoo interesting at all. I don't even like movies about voodoo like Serpent and the Rainbow or Angel Heart. So I couldn't care less for much of this episode then. (snipped) 

 

Hey--if we all liked the same things, it would be a pretty boring world!  Respect your opinion and if everything about voodoo turns you off, this ep definitely wouldn't be a favorite :)  But I'm glad there were a few things that saved it from being a total bomb for you. 

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Well, this is one rare episode that I couldn't grow to like. The voodoo stuff is over the top and the story being based on that must be the one thing that ruins it for me. Other than that, the episode does offer superb acting and some really great style, so these qualities of the series are well preserved here. I'd say 5/10 entirely because of the mediocre and unfitting story.

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I like Papa Legba's write up on page one and I will repeat what I wrote in response: This episode is not as far fetched as some people believe. There is a huge Haitian community in Miami and perception is reality, i.e. if people believe in Voodoo, it's real for them and can affect them mentally and physically. It's now one of my favorite episodes, I guess it's because I watched it so many times when I first got into finding Vice filming locations with DanJ, Jeremy etc. It was a real kick when I was able to contribute in a small way to finding some of the Goat sites. I have to believe Vice is more than just entertainment. Miami has to be the fastest changing City in America. Therefore the unique visual record that the show provides is important from a historical perspective. There are several significant Miami locations in Goat such as the East Bay Fisheries area. Also the acting was good and the music contributed to the drama. The episode grew on me. It was one of the things that got me hooked on Vice web sites. I rate it 10.  

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  • 4 months later...

I`m fond of this episode because it shows the well known great chemistry between Tubbs and Crockett-I like such episodes. When one of them gets into a trouble, the another one begins to play over himself-and that`s wonderfull. The great concern given to a partner is the main thing I enjoy there. 10!

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Yes it had great chemstry and I noticed the Director directed the previous episode "Junk Love" and no more episodes after "Tale of the Goat "

Michael O'Hearlily directed some episodes of the "A-Team" also :wuerg:

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  • 10 months later...

Hi:) I`ve got a full script of this episode!(which is one of my favourite eps) See the file below.

I wonder-how it differs from the real episode we`ve seen! Maybe, it`s a draft. But for me it was really interesting. I only wonder, how Tubbs appeared unconscious on ST Vitus dance? Didn`t understand this moment. As for me-the showed 2 us version is better than this. And what do you think of it? :)

miami vice-tale of the goat (1).pdf

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  • 3 months later...

I absolutely hated this episode when i first saw it. No I love it. Its so damn watchable.

Legba was entertaining, the opening was weird in a great way, awesome music, and I really like PMT in this one. Some of my favorite scenery also.

Im a Bond fanatic, so automatically i thought of Live And Let Die.

ViceFanMan's review pretty much covered my opinion as well. Cheers.

9/10

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  • 11 months later...

Is anybody in contact with the poster "Papa Legba"?  He hasn't been here since 2014.   He would probably love to see the script posted above.

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The is the first Vice script I've ever read.  I watched the ep while reading the script.  An interesting experience, I'd highly recommend this for Vice addicts.  It took about 2 hours because I kept rewinding and stopping to read.

  • This script is incomplete.  It's missing 76A-90.  CGlide shows us a cool Lombard reference in his complete script that was not included in this script nor in the episode.  http://www.miamivicelocations2.org/page14.html
  • Several times the script has Legba "sprinting", which is funny after you've seen the episode.  I think his slow limp and cane were a good effect and it was worth ignoring the script.
  • tons of minor dialogue changes
  • They moved scenes moved around.  In the script, after the OCB meeting with Dr. O'Hara, Legba goes and finds his midget henchman Baron Samedi.  In the episode they first go to Romulus' house and to the Bobby Profile dealership, then the Baron Samedi scene.
  • Dr. O'Hara was supposed to be Japanese
  • When they are surveilling Romulus and the girl walks away, she is supposed to eye Tubbs (as she did in the funeral), but that doesn't happen in the ep.
  • They add two OCB scenes that aren't in the script:  the very cool scene with Pepe the janitor and the meeting where Tubbs decides to go the the voodoo party
  • In the script, Tubbs' body is dropped off at the St. Vitus while Crockett sleeps
  • in the script the final scene was at an airport, not a ship port
  • the script has more detail about the voodoo
Edited by airtommy
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15 hours ago, airtommy said:

The is the first Vice script I've ever seen.  I watched the ep while reading the script.  An interesting experience, I'd highly recommend this for Vice addicts.  It took about 2 hours because I kept rewinding and stopping to read.

  • This script is incomplete.  It's missing 76A-90.  CGlide shows us a cool Lombard reference in his complete script that was not included in this script nor in the episode.  http://www.miamivicelocations2.org/page14.html
  • Several times the script has Legba "sprinting", which is funny after you've seen the episode.  I think his slow limp and cane were a good effect and it was worth ignoring the script.
  • tons of minor dialogue changes
  • They moved scenes moved around.  In the script, after the OCB meeting with Dr. O'Hara, Legba goes and finds his midget henchman Baron Samedi.  In the episode they first go to Romulus' house and to the Bobby Profile dealership, then the Baron Samedi scene.
  • Dr. O'Hara was supposed to be Japanese
  • When they are surveilling Romulus and the girl walks away, she is supposed to eye Tubbs (as she did in the funeral), but that doesn't happen in the ep.
  • They add two OCB scenes that aren't in the script:  the very cool scene with Pepe the janitor and the meeting where Tubbs decides to go the the voodoo party
  • In the script, Tubbs' body is dropped off at the St. Vitus while Crockett sleeps
  • in the script the final scene was at an airport, not a ship port
  • the script has more detail about the voodoo

Interesting stuff indeed:hippie:

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15 hours ago, airtommy said:

The is the first Vice script I've ever seen.  I watched the ep while reading the script.  An interesting experience, I'd highly recommend this for Vice addicts.  It took about 2 hours because I kept rewinding and stopping to read.

  • This script is incomplete.  It's missing 76A-90.  CGlide shows us a cool Lombard reference in his complete script that was not included in this script nor in the episode.  http://www.miamivicelocations2.org/page14.html
  • Several times the script has Legba "sprinting", which is funny after you've seen the episode.  I think his slow limp and cane were a good effect and it was worth ignoring the script.
  • tons of minor dialogue changes
  • They moved scenes moved around.  In the script, after the OCB meeting with Dr. O'Hara, Legba goes and finds his midget henchman Baron Samedi.  In the episode they first go to Romulus' house and to the Bobby Profile dealership, then the Baron Samedi scene.
  • Dr. O'Hara was supposed to be Japanese
  • When they are surveilling Romulus and the girl walks away, she is supposed to eye Tubbs (as she did in the funeral), but that doesn't happen in the ep.
  • They add two OCB scenes that aren't in the script:  the very cool scene with Pepe the janitor and the meeting where Tubbs decides to go the the voodoo party
  • In the script, Tubbs' body is dropped off at the St. Vitus while Crockett sleeps
  • in the script the final scene was at an airport, not a ship port
  • the script has more detail about the voodoo

Yeah, the moment with Tubbs body on St Vitus  after Tubbs had heart failure(in a script) is strange, how could he survive then without any help?

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