Episode #72 "The Big Thaw"

[Matt5]

There are good and bad episodes in every TV series. The location guys and gals had fun with the Big Thaw' date=' lots of challenging locations to find. It was mainly comedy and had some funny moments so it worked in a way. I don't think the writers wanted anyone to take it too seriously, just have a laugh. Far from my favorite, I prefer the more serious episodes. But even the worst Vice episode is better than the c . . p they have on TV these days, with all the reality stuff that they want you to think is real etc. The exceptions are some of the programs they have on National Geographic, Military History, and some on the Education Channels. The new Vikings series they have on the History Channel ain't too bad. I'm not your typical TV viewer, I normally only watch shows that relate somehow to my personal interests in life. When I started watching Vice and Burn Notice because they were was filmed in Miami, I got hooked and learned to appreciate them also for their entertainment value.[/quote']Some good and valid points Jim

[ViceFanMan]

I know this episode is goofball , and it's not really "classic" Vice...but I've always liked this one! I typically don't like goofy or humorous episodes of shows that are supposed to be serious...but for whatever reasons I really enjoy this episode! It's hilarious , and a much "lighter" side to "MV"...sort of a refreshing break from the "dark" and depressing. :DThe acting is not really that strong here, as it's not supposed to be, but there were many humorous performances and lines...from Crockett saying to Switek: "Did you stop for a snowcone...where've you been, Waffle-head?" to comments about the capsule as a "popsicle". Castillo even was funny in this, with his ripping his phone out of the wall, handing it to Crockett while walking out of the building, saying "Find that body"--after being informed of multi-million dollar lawsuits after losing Robillard Nevin's frozen corpse. :pIzzy, his assistant Manny, Esther Nevin, the so-called Dr. Frobel, the Alzheimer's-striken Dr. Poe, the other reggae singers, etc...were all humorous and fun to watch. The music, however, was one of my favorite aspects to this episode. What Is Life by Black Uhuru is superb and I LOVE that song!! Wake Up and Live by Bob Marley was also in this episode. Strange as this may sound, my other most favorite aspect to this episode is the filming location for Dr. Frobel and Izzy's so-called "lab"--the abandoned South Beach Elementary School. I have a strange hobby of loving to explore and photograph abandoned schools, houses, churches, buildings, etc... But, for some reason schools are my favorite. So, the first time I saw this episode I knew that the abandoned building used for the lab was an old school. However, for some reason in the episode they made it out to be an abandoned nursing home...does anyone know why that was?? Why didn't they just use the building for what it was...an abandoned school? Why make it an old nursing home?But, anyway, from the architectural design of the building, to old chalkboards & bookshelves still in rooms of the "lab", I knew this was an old school. Turns out it was the abandoned South Beach Elementary. It's since been torn down and another school now stands in its place. I just love the filming location for that and wish I could have been there to explore the entire school and photograph it before it was demolished. Here is a scene-clip of the old school from the episode, as well as some info on it--originally provided by miamijimf:

We found it! In the screen cap as the Caddy leaves the "Lab" it is headed out to Alton Road when it was two lane. The building was South Beach Elementary and the space is now occupied by South Pointe Elementary (address 1050 4th Street' date=' Miami Beach). I spoke to a teacher who has been at South Pointe Elementary for years. She said in the 80s the neighborhood went to hell, crack etc and there were not enough kids to keep the original elementary open. The building was named South Beach Elementary because of its geographic location. In the old days there were three Beach elementaries, North, Central, and South. According to the teacher, "The new elementary sits on the foundation of the old building." That area used to be called South Shore and only the beach itself below the fishing pier was called South Beach. [/quote']The lighting for the old school, as well as other scenes, was superb too...again with a lot of neon green! The ending was hilarious and I love how Crockett and Tubbs just sit there in the boat and watch all the other morons bopping and flopping around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to get to Robillard's body. Love Crockett's line: "If we're lucky maybe they'll all kill themselves." :)Also...Izzy does seem to still have his "junker" limo. I thought they used it for another scene (not necessarily being Izzy's) in "Cuba Libre" when it was blown up by some rocket launcher-like weapon. But, I still think Izz's original limo was that one blown up, as this one seems similar but somewhat different...possibly a different year/model. But, in the show I think it's supposed to be the same old Caddy.All of these strange, bizarre, but humorous aspects all combine to make this one enjoyable and fun to watch. I always like this one every time I go through the series, and I gave it an 8!

[Ingrid Indigo]

Pretty funny episode, but I didn't like the ending. Too ridiculous for me indeed. 

 

 

Crockett and Tubbs just sit there in the boat and watch all the other morons bopping and flopping around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to get to Robillard's body. Love Crockett's line: "If we're lucky maybe they'll all kill themselves." 

[Matt5]

Pretty funny - more comedy - different to see in MV - but Izzy and Manny are priceless   

[Tony D.]

The" Big Thaw " to me is Izzy's episode!  He makes it one of my top 10 episodes. I can't stop laughing with all the craziness happening & the funny wisecracks the MV team make.

 

  I love the song "What is Life" by Black Uruh. I asked a steel drum band to play it at a bar but they didn't know the song although they knew the group.

[Vice Immersion]

It's one of those shows that has an very unusual tone for Miami Vice when the audience is used to heavier and darker episodes.  (Keep in mind this is my first time seeing the series, and I haven't seen "Missing Hours" and "Cows of October" just yet... )

 

This episode definitely highlighted the comedy of Izzy and Switek.  I couldn't stop laughing at Izzy how his character was able to easily talk his way out of the changing situations.  (I noticed in the Izzy scenes with the Japanese business men, that at least of two of the business men were trying to fight the laughter with their smirks.)

 

Personally for me, I enjoy the comedic toned episodes (i.e. "Made For Each Other"), not only because it gives a small break from the typically darker episodes, but it also shows the OCB characters camaraderie in a different perspective.  Most of the time we see this camaraderie under life-threatening circumstances in them willing to sacrifice their lives for each other, in here, their interactions show more of their friendships and closeness under those easier (though few) times.

 

While I enjoyed the wisecracks, sarcasm, and hilarious twists in the plot, what was a little sour for my taste, was showing the OCB displaying levels of incompetence that we normally do not see.  I'm not talking about how the body was mysteriously vanished, but small things such as the group of people who showed up after Nevin's body mysteriously vanished from OCB.  Knowing how stern Castillo is, that type of scene wouldn't have been there in the first place.  Or another example, is having Neville's cryogenic case on top of Crockett's desk or leaning near Trudy's desk as if there's no where else to keep it when I'm sure they have storage rooms in the building.  While I understand the OCB was experiencing air conditioning problems (and having the cryogenic case around the offices of OCB were for comedic effect), it just seemed more cluttered than how their boss, Castillo, would have wanted the place to be when he keeps telling his subordinates to move the body elsewhere.  Although these were small incidents, it showed OCB to be more disorganzied than how I, and maybe some others too, would have wanted after seeing such precision, tactical, and efficienct behavior we normally see from the OCB in conducting their work.

 

Yet overall it okay and pleasantly different, but I wouldn't want it to be the norm so to speak.  (...I'll have to see what waits as I watch the season... lol)

Edited June 7, 2015 by Vice Immersion

[Matt5]

an unusual funny episode - great locations and music however 

[Matt5]

On 8/3/2014 at 1:44 PM, Tony D. said:

The" Big Thaw " to me is Izzy's episode!  He makes it one of my top 10 episodes. I can't stop laughing with all the craziness happening & the funny wisecracks the MV team make.

 

  I love the song "What is Life" by Black Uruh. I asked a steel drum band to play it at a bar but they didn't know the song although they knew the group.

Watched "The Big Thaw" last nite with MV trying to inject some humour at Michael Mann's request .

Edited October 2, 2016 by Matt5

[Matt5]

I noticed previously for the first 7 episodes of Season 4 till "Missing Hours" George G.Geiger was Co- Executive Producer ( Co-Producer for "Death and The Lady") very short stint . He had come from Co-Executive Producer from "Scarecrow and Mrs King" which ended in 1987. 

Dick Wolf as Co-Executive Producer took over from "Like a Hurricane" till the end of Season 4 - even though he was a Showrunner in Season 3 he was'nt in the Production team for the first 7 episodes of Season 4 at all 

Edited October 2, 2016 by Matt5

[Remington]

This is a pretty funny episode. I haven't watched it in forever though. Need to change that.

I know what ya mean ViceFanMan. About being interested in abandoned buildings. I'm personally not into it but it kind of interests me.

The plot is pretty damn ridiculous.

A lot of the dialogue is hilarious. My favorite scene is when Castillo hands Crockett the phone.

Izzy's great as usual.

Like I said I need to watch it again.

7/10

[Matt5]

2 hours ago, APalFromHawaii said:

Funny, Comedy episode.

Just don't take it serious and have fun while Izzy is doing business 

 

Yes best way - a great Izzy episode 

[RedDragon86]

N/R

[Glades]

The Big Thaw. I think the name of the episode stands very much for it´s function. This Episode breaks the rigididity and seriousness of season 3. I am kind of reliefed about this. At the end of season 3 I found the rigidity exhausting...
The episode is a good example for what Michael Mann intended to be Miami Vice in season 4. "Last year was very topical stories; it (the dark colors) made sense," Mann says. "This year, we sort of feel like doing a more outrageous mix of stories, wilder wild stories and heavier heavy stories and more outrageous outrageous stories. Wilder, funnier--that's 'Vice.' "

Here is the full article:
https://miamiviceonline.com/index.php?/topic/14048-when-should-vice-have-stopped/page/2/&tab=comments#comment-236651

[RedDragon86]

5 hours ago, Glades said:

The Big Thaw. I think the name of the episode stands very much for it´s function. This Episode breaks the rigididity and seriousness of season 3. I am kind of reliefed about this. At the end of season 3 I found the rigidity exhausting...
The episode is a good example for what Michael Mann intended to be Miami Vice in season 4. "Last year was very topical stories; it (the dark colors) made sense," Mann says. "This year, we sort of feel like doing a more outrageous mix of stories, wilder wild stories and heavier heavy stories and more outrageous outrageous stories. Wilder, funnier--that's 'Vice.' "

Here is the full article:
https://miamiviceonline.com/index.php?/topic/14048-when-should-vice-have-stopped/page/2/&tab=comments#comment-236651

Didn't mean though that they had to break it with a ridiculous episode, they should have made an episode like "Tale and the Goat" while it was a bit outrageous it still had the balance between comedy and a serious tone, with TBT it was just stupid from start to finish. Even though Mann wanted it that way didn't mean it worked. 

 

 

[Robbie C.]

It just goes to show that Mann has some responsibility for the decline of Vice. it's another of those 'topical' things that falls on its face.

[RedDragon86]

14 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

It just goes to show that Mann has some responsibility for the decline of Vice. it's another of those 'topical' things that falls on its face.

Its a shame he wasn't fully committed to the show from start to finish. 

Edited August 14, 2019 by RedDragon86

[JoeyStockwell]

This gets listed as one of the worst episodes but I didn't find it all that bad. It had some fun comedic moments. Lighthearted and unspectacular. A bad episode is boring, confusing, unfunny, and/or ridiculous. This was certainly ridiculous but there's far too many episodes that fall into 3-4 of those categories to lump this in with them.

[mjcmmv]

5 hours ago, JoeyStockwell said:

This gets listed as one of the worst episodes but I didn't find it all that bad. It had some fun comedic moments. Lighthearted and unspectacular. A bad episode is boring, confusing, unfunny, and/or ridiculous. This was certainly ridiculous but there's far too many episodes that fall into 3-4 of those categories to lump this in with them.

I don't think the "comedy" was enough to save it.  I found it ridiculous and boring but not as bad as Missing hours or Cows of October. Those are at the bottom of the list for me. 

[Matt5]

7 hours ago, JoeyStockwell said:

This gets listed as one of the worst episodes but I didn't find it all that bad. It had some fun comedic moments. Lighthearted and unspectacular. A bad episode is boring, confusing, unfunny, and/or ridiculous. This was certainly ridiculous but there's far too many episodes that fall into 3-4 of those categories to lump this in with them.

I enjoyed it but farcical intentionally I thought by writers.

[Mr. Vigilante]

The icing on this crap cake of an episode is the little twinkle on the cryo-pod floating in the ocean right before the credits.  Reminded me of Looney Tunes!!  Switek's rant and the Scarab's appearance were about the only redeeming qualities.

[IzzyFan99]

Izzy's finest hour. Sonny really has it in for him haha The episode itself is extremely entertaining and lifts my mood whenever I watch it. 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

Of all the Vice episodes that get panned, I like this one the best; although I like 'The Cows of October', it is almost TOO goofy (goofy antagonists, goofy Fed, and Izzy, who's almost always goofy, with the exception of 'Nobody Lives Forever'), while I think this episode has enough menace due to Ester Nevin, who won't let ANYONE stand in her way. Plus, the dialogue: Trudy's "amusement park" line to Switek ( and his "I hate health clubs, I hate health!" line), Crockett's sarcasm and reactions of disbelief to the whole mess, Tubbs keeping a wry smile and adding his own funny comments, even Castillo getting in the act by ripping out his phone (unseen). What is life? Hopefully not floating in a suspended state in the ocean!

[RedDragon86]

On 3/4/2020 at 7:43 PM, IzzyFan99 said:

Izzy's finest hour. Sonny really has it in for him haha The episode itself is extremely entertaining and lifts my mood whenever I watch it. 

Izzy's finest hour imo was in "Phil The Shill" and Sonny having in for Izzy in this was for real because the episode is strong, serious script etc.

Edited March 12, 2020 by RedDragon86

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

Yeah, I'd say 'Nobody Lives Forever', 'Phil the Shill', and 'The Big Thaw' are the signature Izzy episodes (honorable mention to 'The Great McCarthy', where he's introduced and is a pivotal character in the beginning and the end of the episode).

[Orson-Fader]

I fell asleep last night while watching, what a horrible episode