Episode #75 "Missing Hours"

[ViceFanMan]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:34 PM, Dadrian said:

In a vailed attempt to redeem this episode, I will humbly share this video. James Brown truly has no peers in his craft:

 

Well, the episode is beyond redemption, LOL  but James Brown was an awesome musician! 

[johnnyfarragut]

On 4/8/2023 at 4:27 PM, johnnyfarragut said:

Director Ate De Jong speaks (!):

Before we move on to your latest film, I am obliged as a fan of Miami Vice to ask you a few questions about it. Not many people know it, but you have directed an episode of this series. How did you get involved with them?

Miami Vice wanted at that time - second half of the eighties - young directors with a personal style. Under the influence of producer Michael Mann they also looked at European filmmakers who lived in Hollywood. My agent gave the producers of Miami Vice a tape of my film In The Shadow Of The Victory. That tape was not rewind by the previous viewer, and stood exactly on the only action scene in the film. The vice-producer who was responsible for finding directors (they had a separate producer for that) looked at it for three minutes and found it classy enough.

In the interview the producer asked what movies I wanted to make. I thought it was easier to say what I did not want to make. No musicals I told him, because we can not make those in Europe. And then I wanted to say, not science fiction either, but he interrupted me and shouted to his secretary "Mary, what is the new episode about?" She shouted back "About aliens". "Aliens, is that something for you?", asked the producer. "Great," I said. Yes, I was an opportunist.

Wasn't it difficult to handle all these stars?

We have no stars in the Netherlands and Belgium. Here, stars drive with a bus back to their hotel. That's something else in the USA. It was not easy to deal with stars. Don Johnson was a disaster and ran every moment away from the set when he didn't like it. But he did that not only with me, even with the American directors.

Afterwards I was asked to direct 2 episodes, but I have not done that. "I'm not masochistic enough", I told the producer. Stupid. It would have been much better for my career. Afterwards, it was very special because in my episode Missing Hours I had James Brown (the Godfather of Soul) and then the totally unknown Chris Rock as guest stars.

http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/interviews/ate-de-jong-director/

I posted this without noticing 'Tom' had already posted it somewhere else: https://miamiviceonline.com/index.php?/topic/15703-missing-hours-interview-with-director-ate-de-jong/#comment-278894

[RedDragon86]

"But he did that not only with me, even with the American directors"

Just as an example, how would he know that Don ran away from the likes of John Nicolella, Jan Eliasberg, David Anspaugh or James Quinn when he didn't like something they were saying. What did he do, get their numbers and asked what he was like to work with?

If find that hard to believe, he obviously did it with him because the episode was junk. Don should have ran away and waited for the next episode, he was lucky he had him for some scenes.

Edited April 13, 2023 by RedDragon86

[Adrian321]

On 3/29/2022 at 3:43 AM, Dadrian said:

So did Will Smith avenge everyone who hates this episode?  

 If someone were to mention that Missing Hours was a 10/10 MV episode

[Dadrian]

1 hour ago, Adrian321 said:

 If someone were to mention that Missing Hours was a 10/10 MV episode

All joking aside (and forgive me if this has been addressed) the topic of “the paranormal” could have been covered in an MV episode and been a 10/10 I think! They had the right idea with resolving it to a government cover up for non-paranormal activity at the end, but the rest was a complete disaster. 

[Adrian321]

16 hours ago, Dadrian said:

All joking aside (and forgive me if this has been addressed) the topic of “the paranormal” could have been covered in an MV episode and been a 10/10 I think! They had the right idea with resolving it to a government cover up for non-paranormal activity at the end, but the rest was a complete disaster. 

MAYBE...... but in my view, it would be too risky in the context of MV. Some people may end up liking it, but most not.

I just feel sorry that so many resources were wasted to create that garbage dump.

[ViceFanMan]

On 5/15/2023 at 4:38 PM, Dadrian said:

All joking aside (and forgive me if this has been addressed) the topic of “the paranormal” could have been covered in an MV episode and been a 10/10 I think! They had the right idea with resolving it to a government cover up for non-paranormal activity at the end, but the rest was a complete disaster. 

I don't think a UFO/alien episode was ever going to be "right" for a show like MV...unless they had somehow made it out as a hoax someway that was eventually uncovered (as most UFO things have been already ). But, MV was not that kind of show...the sci-fi/fantasy things needed to be kept for shows like that (such as the later X-Files). I'm not sure the ending of "Missing" was eluding to a supposed government cover-up...there never really was an explanation or even a followable storyline and/or conclusion. It was all just a bunch of spastic, bizarre garbage thrown together--perhaps the writers were trying to make some kind of "fun" of the whole UFO thing, at the time? But, you are correct...the episode was one giant disaster! 

[Matt5]

1 hour ago, ViceFanMan said:

I don't think a UFO/alien episode was ever going to be "right" for a show like MV...unless they had somehow made it out as a hoax someway that was eventually uncovered (as most UFO things have been already ). But, MV was not that kind of show...the sci-fi/fantasy things needed to be kept for shows like that (such as the later X-Files). I'm not sure the ending of "Missing" was eluding to a supposed government cover-up...there never really was an explanation or even a followable storyline and/or conclusion. It was all just a bunch of spastic, bizarre garbage thrown together--perhaps the writers were trying to make some kind of "fun" of the whole UFO thing, at the time? But, you are correct...the episode was one giant disaster! 

Still so strange they did this .

[johnnyfarragut]

I think they tried to imitate David Lynch's style and it came out awful.

I can watch 'The Big Thaw' no problem, because they made obvious it's all tongue in cheek. But here they take the aliens stuff in all seriousness.

I'd rather go to jail than watching this episode again.

Edited May 18, 2023 by johnnyfarragut

[Noggie]

I didn’t see this episode when it aired. Seems like a friend at school said “Did you see Miami Vice last week?  It had aliens & James Brown. It was weird.”  Somehow I’ve avoided watching it over the years but finally sat through it tonight.   I felt like I had a concussion watching it!    I’ve been going through season 4 and have seen bad episodes before but this was unreal.  Well shot & everything looked nice but what a waste.  I can’t even imagine how this was made. I remember having the TV Guide that came out during this season & the article said something about this would be the wildest season yet. Something like that.  This is what they were going for?  
 

I have to go back & watch “The Big Thaw”. I vaguely remember seeing it.  There have been some good episodes in season 4 but when it’s been bad, it’s been brutal. 
 

 

[ViceFanMan]

1 minute ago, Noggie said:

I didn’t see this episode when it aired. Seems like a friend at school said “Did you see Miami Vice last week?  It had aliens & James Brown. It was weird.”  Somehow I’ve avoided watching it over the years but finally sat through it tonight.   I felt like I had a concussion watching it!    I’ve been going through season 4 and have seen bad episodes before but this was unreal.  Well shot & everything looked nice but what a waste.  I can’t even imagine how this was made. I remember having the TV Guide that came out during this season & the article said something about this would be the wildest season yet. Something like that.  This is what they were going for?  
 

I have to go back & watch “The Big Thaw”. I vaguely remember seeing it.  There have been some good episodes in season 4 but when it’s been bad, it’s been brutal. 
 

 

Agreed, there were still some good episodes in Season 4 (and 5, too)…but when they were bad, ‘brutal’ definitely describes them…& I’ll even add pathetic!

”Missing Hours”, however, goes beyond that…it goes further than the proverbial bottom-of-the-barrel, and gouges down in the ground several more feet under that barrel!  Absolute total garbage and an embarrassment to the series. 

It’s not only the worst episode of the show…but possibly of television history! The “Showbiz” episode, “Viking Bikers”, “Cows of October”, and “Miracle Man” are also a few more examples of terrible plots/episodes…but, “Missing” is definitely the worst of them all.  

[RedDragon86]

16 hours ago, ViceFanMan said:

Agreed, there were still some good episodes in Season 4 (and 5, too)…but when they were bad, ‘brutal’ definitely describes them…& I’ll even add pathetic!

”Missing Hours”, however, goes beyond that…it goes further than the proverbial bottom-of-the-barrel, and gouges down in the ground several more feet under that barrel!  Absolute total garbage and an embarrassment to the series. 

It’s not only the worst episode of the show…but possibly of television history! The “Showbiz” episode, “Viking Bikers”, “Cows of October”, and “Miracle Man” are also a few more examples of terrible plots/episodes…but, “Missing” is definitely the worst of them all.  

Dick Wolf didn't respect the show once he took over, if he did, season 4 would have been very political with a serious tone.

He was lazy and thoughtless.

Edited December 16, 2023 by RedDragon86

[ViceFanMan]

2 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

Dick Wolf didn't respect the show once he took over, if he did, season 4 would have been very political with a serious tone.

He was lazy and thoughtless.

Dick Wolf didn’t seem to respect or care about what had made the show so popular…what made it work. I think he wanted to come in and then do his own “thing” & vision. Of course we all know that didn’t work, and failed miserably!

However, I didn’t want too many “political” type plots (unless it was about a dirty politician being taken down)…the ones they did do were more than enough. 

[Robbie C.]

3 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

Dick Wolf didn't respect the show once he took over, if he did, season 4 would have been very political with a serious tone.

He was lazy and thoughtless.

Dick Wolf doesn't even respect his own shows... All you have to do is look at the dumpster fires he's churned out since then. He does seem to have a knack for reality stuff (the whole NIghtwatch franchise, for example), but Chicago PD is ghastly and the FBI stuff is even worse. Chicago Fire held out ok for years, but it's starting to sink now, too.

[Tom]

vor 12 Stunden schrieb RedDragon86:

Dick Wolf didn't respect the show once he took over, if he did, season 4 would have been very political with a serious tone.

He was lazy and thoughtless.

I don’t think he was involved that much in season 4 compared to season 3. the first scripts (and the co exec producer end credits) written by Wolf appeared in late season 4 (Badge of dishonor), in season 3 he wrote lot of scripts across the board. 

And we should not forget that DJ had received final script approval in season3 due to his strike. He could have vetoed Missing hours and The big thaw if he wanted. The decline was to blame on more than one person.

 

[RedDragon86]

19 hours ago, Tom said:

I don’t think he was involved that much in season 4 compared to season 3. the first scripts (and the co exec producer end credits) written by Wolf appeared in late season 4 (Badge of dishonor), in season 3 he wrote lot of scripts across the board. 

And we should not forget that DJ had received final script approval in season3 due to his strike. He could have vetoed Missing hours and The big thaw if he wanted. The decline was to blame on more than one person.

 

Yeah but surely the responsibility of the executive producer is to he have a vision and pitch ideas, he is responsible for that I think.

Michael Mann didn't write any episodes other than a co episode in season 1 but he supervised episodes and had a creative input.

[Tom]

vor 21 Minuten schrieb RedDragon86:

Yeah but surely the responsibility of the executive producer is to he have a vision and pitch ideas, he is responsible for that I think.

Michael Mann didn't write any episodes other than a co episode in season 1 but he supervised episodes and had a creative input.

MM was exec producer in all 5 seasons. Dick Wolf was only co-exec producer and only in the latter half of season 4 (it was George Geiger at that time). So, following your argumenation that the exec producer is to blame, you are barking up the wrong tree if you complain about Dick Wolf, Missing hours and Big Thaw.

btw. MM co wrote Freefall under pseudonym "Frank Holman". 

[RedDragon86]

8 hours ago, Tom said:

MM was exec producer in all 5 seasons. Dick Wolf was only co-exec producer and only in the latter half of season 4 (it was George Geiger at that time). So, following your argumenation that the exec producer is to blame, you are barking up the wrong tree if you complain about Dick Wolf, Missing hours and Big Thaw.

btw. MM co wrote Freefall under pseudonym "Frank Holman". 

But when season 4 begins Wolf is the main producer as Michael Mann was busy doing Crime Story.

Surely Wolf overseen everything when that season began.

[Tom]

vor 13 Minuten schrieb RedDragon86:

But when season 4 begins Wolf is the main producer as Michael Mann was busy doing Crime Story.

Surely Wolf overseen everything when that season began.

Wolf had no official or any known unofficial credits in season 4, neither (co) exec producer, nor any writer´s in first half of season 4.

Of course, you can assume whatever you like, but just to re-iterate:  he had no official position with the show in early season 4 (like in season 3 where he had no producer credits as well, but at least there he wrote many scripts and took over script direction from MM who did Manhunter at the time).

I know many blame Wolf for everything that happened in season 3 and beyond, but (not being a particular friend of his) my point is that there is no indication that he had any official producer or writer position in early season 4 when the most crappy episodes were made. Thus, for me that season 4 script decline was a collective screw up of the whole team (rather MM and George Geiger who executive produced), not certainly Wolf´s personal one, as he most likely was not involved at all and only stepped in again in late season 4 when he wrote some later episodes in early 1988.

[ViceFanMan]

5 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

But when season 4 begins Wolf is the main producer as Michael Mann was busy doing Crime Story.

Surely Wolf overseen everything when that season began.

Michael Mann stayed executive producer for the entire show…on paper (and/or TV screen). But, he himself was only truly/regularly personally involved with the first 2 to 2 1/2 seasons.

You are correct, that when Mann left to go focus on Crime Story, sometime in Season 3, he pretty much handed over the producing reins to Dick Wolf and at some point George Geiger as well.

Mann himself in recent interviews has admitted he “abandoned” MV way too soon, and it was a mistake…as even he agrees Seasons 4-5 are pretty bad, overall. So regardless of credits on paper or TV screen…Dick Wolf, and later perhaps George Geiger (and their writers), were mostly responsible for the directions the show went from Season 3 on.

[Glades]

4 hours ago, Tom said:

Wolf had no official or any known unofficial credits in season 4, neither (co) exec producer, nor any writer´s in first half of season 4.

Of course, you can assume whatever you like, but just to re-iterate:  he had no official position with the show in early season 4 (like in season 3 where he had no producer credits as well, but at least there he wrote many scripts and took over script direction from MM who did Manhunter at the time).

I didn't realize that Dick Wolf had so little to do with S4!
But it fits very well with the fact that for me the biggest break in the show is between S3 and S4. S1 and S2 have a lot of similarities and so do S4 and S5. That always surprised me, when S3 and S4 were made under Dick Wolf.

[RedDragon86]

8 hours ago, Glades said:

I didn't realize that Dick Wolf had so little to do with S4!
But it fits very well with the fact that for me the biggest break in the show is between S3 and S4. S1 and S2 have a lot of similarities and so do S4 and S5. That always surprised me, when S3 and S4 were made under Dick Wolf.

But how do we know that he wasn't at the very beginning of season 4 though? he could be pitching ideas, picking writers etc.

He even speaks highly of "Missing Hours" in this video.

 

[ViceFanMan]

14 minutes ago, RedDragon86 said:

But how do we know that he wasn't at the very beginning of season 4 though? he could be pitching ideas, picking writers etc.

He even speaks highly of "Missing Hours" in this video.

 

Regardless of what credits are shown on screen (and I’m sure differences in pay ), Dick Wolf was most likely involved with episodes & production in some way from Season 3 on.

Once Mann solely focused on Crime Story, Wolf and others were handed over the production reins for the most part…even though Mann’s name was still associated with the show, and he may still have had some involvement again once CS failed.

But, the fact that Wolf would try to speak “highly” of Missing Hours says it all about him, right there.  

Edited December 17, 2023 by ViceFanMan