Episode #14 "Golden Triangle"


Ferrariman

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  • 9 months later...

Golden Triangle 2, is EJO's shining hour. This is the first time we really get to know Castillo- the man! We see an excellent swimmer. Also a man who has an unselfish love for his wife May Ying. A deep sadness when she leaves Miami with her husband & son. Castillo's anger flares when Dale Menton reveals he snitched on Castillo & caused him to be wounded & his men killed. Sonny & Rico had to pull Castillo away from choking Menton. I like John Santucci, by the way, good Mafia type. General Lao Li considered Castillo " a very dangerous adversary." Castillo is always "by the book." He took a leave of absence to find May Ying. "It's what I believe, It's what I am." I enjoyed Stan & Larry's buggy fun, Noogie's rhymes. I just realized he said "Where's my organ donor card when I need it?" in this episode. Cool Lamborghini, 'cept for the horn. Looked like a small jet! The kids found out they had a real nice Grandpa when he wanted them killed. Nice glass wall,( Noogy), & neon lights in Menton's pad! Blooper : Menton's robe is open, then closed up to the neck then open again again then closed & he didn't touch it. My favorite quote : Crockett " Hey Lieut., we know an old bar in the Keys". Castillo : " In the months we've worked together did you ever hear me say, I need a drink?" Uh, Uhhh! Castillo "Good, Take me to a bar!" I loved this episode! I rate it 10 ! :thumbsup:

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i love it as well! i own the CIC vhs tape "mv 4" (golden triangle) since many years. this episode was never one of my favourites. i haven't watched it for several years. but i decided to watch it once more - this time on dvd and in its original language - before writing my review.this episode has less of everything what is "vice like" to me: pastel, long parts with music only, beach-bikini-art-deco-thing, rapid chases with the daytona. hmm. somewhat disappointing. the bigger part of the episode is quite dark. hmmm. crockett and tubbs seem to be less dressy as usual. hmmmm. or is it just "different" because i'm already used to the nice style of vice?there are some nice elements (already mentioned before) like crocketts unusual undercover appearance, candys interacting with crockett (which is very amusing!), sonny getting his "pimp fee", larry and stan as bug busters, elvis' make up ... very funny, but it is "miami vice" - so there HAS to be something more than just gags. therefore i concentrated my attention on characters ...and ... wow!martin castillo is a human being! he laughs, (nearly) cries, loves, gets excited and angry ... and he also loses his temper by attacking dale menton who provokes him insufferable. wow! EJO is a great actor ... he shows a real huge palette of emotions with minimal facial expression! terrific!!indeed: crockett and tubbs lead into the story. but the actual driving force is castillo ... and also the friedship between the detectives and their lieutenant. i love the scene when they all come together for dinner. the image formation (hope that is the right word) reminds me of da vincis "last supper".even gina, trudy, larry and stan have their definite places in the episode, more than the usual underpart. lester kosko has a cameo too. it is a real team working together - not only two detectives on their solo way to justice.when i watched michael manns "heat" for the first time i recognized some "triangle" elements. two enemies which know each other well, who can put themselves in their opponents position, seems to be a typical "mann theme" ... of course: he was coauthor of this ep.finally i'm very glad i watched again the original episode on dvd. why? because i changed my mind about the episode and ...the german version ends like this:castillo gets in the cadillac.crockett: "hey lieutenant, we know this old bar in the keys."then the music gets louder - the car disappears - end ...they really embezzled one of the best castillo dialoges of the whole show: :thumbsdown:crockett: "hey lieutenant, we know this old bar in the keys."castillo: "in the months we've worked together have you ever heard me say 'i need a drink'?"tubbs (negating): "uh-uh."castillo: "good." - pause - "take me to a bar."10 out of 10 because of castillos extraordinary sense of humor! :cool:

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I see this episode as a 'distant early warning' of things to come in later series. As mentioned above there is a darker aspect to this episode and considering its season 1, that is quite remarkable. Reminiscent of season 5 for some reason

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This is the only episode with a Michael Mann writing credit and the results are an extremely well written and satisfying episode. EJO gives an excellent performance in this episode. It's great how we learn about Castillo's past with the DEA in Thailand. The opening shots of Castillo in tight black speedos is frankly too much information. Castillo going for a swim was quite a good opening sequence. I loved the old song 'Catch the Wind' they used to underscore it. Then I very much liked the scene with Crockett and Tubbs at Castillo's house. Very nice location and a good little scene. The scene with the confrontation with Menton is great. Castillo's righteousness and incorruptibility really came through with what Menton was saying to him. Menton was really diminishing Castillo in every way and this made him lash out at him. He had some nerve telling Castillo he is nothing any more. General Lao Li is a great Vice villain excellently played. What a great nemesis he was for Castillo. Their scene in the limo was excellent. Lao Li was really arrogant and gloating at how Castillo was powerless to stop him while at the same time undermining his authority. He was quietly taunting Castillo and he had to just sit still and take it. Lao Li was really rubbing his face in it. Great scene. I liked how they used the Scarface house in Key Biscayne yet again. I really like the scene where Lao Li instructs his family members to remain law abiding. His grandsons have other ideas. The scene where Castillo and May Ying are reunited is very good and very well played by EJO and Joan Chen. Their sense of grief when they see eachother is very convincing. How Castillo married a hottie like May Ying I'll never know. Castillo was determined to nail Lao Li. I liked his whole dialogue about it ("If a Li family member jaywalks I wanna know about it"). I also enjoyed the scene at the table. "I'm a policeman. I enforce the law". That's the incorruptible Castillo ethos laid out. This is a serious episode but there's some comic relief in the form of of Noogie. Not only is he surprisingly durable he's actually quite funny. Especially at the strip club ("Transfuse me. Abuse me. Where is my organ donor card when I need it?") and his Asian impersonation. This was his best appearance on the show, along with a couple of scenes in Made For Eachother. So I found the Noogman funny a couple of times but never once with Izzy.Lao Li's ambitious grandsons have no intention of staying straight in a drug city like Miami and this proves to be his undoing. I was very shrewed of Castillo letting them off without bail. He really set a trap for Lao Li right there. The scene in the warehouse where Lao Li confronts grandsons is great. Wonderful dialogue in that scene that has all the hallmarks of Mann. The tables had really turned on Lao Li when Castillo busted him. Lao Li wasn't so infallible after all. Very good closing scene at the airstrip where Castillo bids farewell to May Ying. The next time he'll see her and her husband in Heart of Night they will both have gotten face transplants. Finally, a great closing line "Take me to a bar". Overall, a great episode and better than the first part. 9/10

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After Ell.a’s and Tommy's complete reviews there’s not much left for me to say…The human side of Castillo is what drives this ep., it’s not one of my favourites, but it’s worth watching because we get to know Castillo’s past. His love for May Ying, how he holds her in his arms, all this was so powerful because it comes from Castillo and we’re simply not used to him showing his emotions in this physical way.The scene when May Ying leaves Miami always make me sad, I clearly see grief in Castillo’s eyes.Lao Li’s grandsons are hateful, I would have killed them myself, but then comes the great scene when Lao Li confronts them in the warehouse.

i love the scene when they all come together for dinner. the image formation (hope that is the right word) reminds me of da vincis "last supper".

Ell.a I can't believe it: I've thought exactly the same thing!!! The arrangement of seats is obviously different but I read the same meaning in it.Ot: have you ever seen the real painting? It's a must see masterpiece! Too bad that now time allowance inside has been reduced to 15 minutes because you would want to stay there forever!
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While a good episode, just not as great as the first part, it's great that we see into Castillo's past but it's still just not exactly as good as the previous episode, I give it an 8 out of 10.

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Damnation, closed the window i was writing in by mistake...grrrr anyway here i go again lol.Agreed with you Ell.A on lack of vice in this episode, which prevents it from being a 9 or 10 in my book. Another critism, not keen on Castillo in the intro at the beach...lol. Besides this, the episode adds a lot of mysteriousnous to Castillo character, like the one before. Some of the best scenes feature menton, especially when C&T pay him a visit which is hilarious and when Castillo nearly kills him, very unexpected powerful scene. So this is a very decent episode, but like with all Castillo episodes, the element of mystery can drag it down slightely as the stories are often a little strange or not Vice like at all, Bushido has a dark russian theme, Savage has a dark...god knows what theme, Rising Sun could've been filmed in Japan, all fairly decent eps dont get me wrong but the lack of MIAMI always drags Castillo's episodes down for me in the ratings. Therefore this gets 8/10

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I like how when Crockett and Tubbs bust in on Menton near the start of the episode, it never occured to them to simply knock. Menton was so startled, the first thing he did was reach for his gun!I love the scene where Castillo and Menton meet again for first time since their Golden Triangle days. The entire scene starts off with the two of them seemingly happy to see each other (Castillo even smiles!), and then gradually descends to the point where Castillo tries to kill him! I love how that whole scene plays out.Another scene I love is the one where Castillo and Lau Li meet up in his car. The symmetry involved in that first scene was very artistic. You see two cars on the screen, one car to the right with two good guys standing in front of it (Crockett and Tubbs), and on the left of the screen, like some evil mirror image, you see another car with two bad guys standing in front of it. Castillo walks from right to left. It was like some Yin and Yang thing. Again once Castillo is in the car, you see Lau Li sat on the right, all in white, and Castillo on the left, dressed in black, just to reinforce the fact that these two people are on opposite sides of the fence. I love the dialogue between Castillo and Lau Li, and how this descends into an almost childish power game."You brought her here to use as a hostage""I brought her here out of benevolence""...so that I wouldn't come for you... out of fear you'd harm her""I intend harm to no-one. It is against the law"."I don't believe you""What you believe and don't believe is your problem, isn't it".And it makes me laugh how Lau Li laughs smugly while he's scoring his little points against Castillo during the above conversation.When Castillo finally meets Mai Ying once again, this is a great performance by EJO. I love it when he walks out of the apartment afterwards and Crockett and Tubbs are studying his body language intensely. Finally he tells them in a cold, matter of fact way that his former wife now has a child and has moved on. If you look at Crockett and Tubbs faces, you can see the empathy on and concern Crockett's face, whereas Tubbs, the more level headed, less emotional of the two just looks confused. You can tell Tubbs is still trying to work Castillo out. You get the impression that Castillo learned to bury his emotions a long time ago. I thought the answer to Castillo's question "Do you love him?" to Mai Ying would have been obvious though. People don't normally get married to people they don't love. I guess he just wanted to see if he was still in with a chance!Favourite scene for me was the dinner table meeting, where Castillo tells the team about his intentions on how to procede with the Lau Li investigation. I love Jan Hammer's score in the background. If you focus on the sound of the background score only, the music sounds like tribal, rythmic, jungle music. It creates the tension evident in the scene. The restaurant where Switek and Zito meet Nuggie hasn't changed much since those days. DanJ took Baron Samedi and myself there a couple of times. Only the colour scheme has changed. The boatyard piled high full of boats that you catch sight of as the bug van rolls in is still there too.Again we get some good interior shots of the grand house on Key Biscayne. As you see Castillo slowly ascend in the lift (the same lift that Michelle pfeiffer descended in, in "Scarface"), what occured to me was, what's in the basement? That's where Castillo seems to appear from!I also like the fact that Castillo didn't mess about when he told Ma Sek why he and Mai Ying were hostages. Ma Sek seems to take it well though.Loved the final scene, the Jan Hammer music as the plane starts taxying across the runway, and the final "Take me to a bar" conversation.I still say the best is yet to come though, so I'll give this one 7 out of 10.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This episode merits an 8 from my vote. It has good stable action sequences throughout and it also touches on Castillo's personal life that once was, giving the ep some sentiment also.

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  • 1 month later...

Interesing side note. In Michael Mann's other tv show "Crime Story", Gen. Lao Li is referenced in episode 18 of the second season, "Byline". He's mentioned as the drug lord of south east asia. In the same episode the guy that played Hackman in Miami Vice appears as a senator.

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  • 3 weeks later...

This is a great episode. This is one of the rare times that you get a glimpse into the personal life of Castillo which is clearly defined by duty and honor. Castillo is always matter of fact in his demeanor. You can clearly see the disappointment in his eyes when he discovers that Mai Ying has a son, but turns around and shows no emotion when he tells Crockett and Tubbs that she has moved on. The story was great and I love how when ever a story is centered around Castillo it is always tied in to his past in the Golden Triangle. I give this episode an 8.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 6 months later...

Marvelous episode !!!:happy::clap::clap:I love it bacause it focuses on various aspects: Castillo´s past, ruthless drug wars in Asia, exotic places in Miami and so on ...:happy::thumbsup:At the first time we can enjoy a furious, in rage Castillo on the one hand, but on the other hand a lovable Lieutenant.It´s liberating for me to see Menton and Lao Li being arrested ´cause at first it seemed that they are cleverer than Castillo.Locations are great, music ist cool (Watermusic II, The Trial and the Search) and actors play very well.10 of 10 points

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  • 5 months later...

This was originally "Golden Triangle" PT. 2...as "The Score" was "Golden Triangle" PT. 1.This, along with PT. 1, is awesome and a very interesting but mysterious delve into Castillo's past! I love the plot idea of May Ying being Castillo's long lost wife and General Lao Li is using her as leverage to keep the cops away.As was Calderone to Crockett and Tubbs...Lao Li was definitely Castillo's biggest nemisis. The sparring between them was awesome and I love how Castillo ends up getting him.This was definitely the first shining or superb moment for Edward James Olmos--later came "Bushido", which he also directed.I gave "Golden Triangle" (PT. 2) an 8! :thumbsup:

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  • 2 months later...

I love this episode, EJO totally owned it.Keye Luke was also excellent as General Lao Li, he had my favorite portion of dialogue from this eppy."You see the world through a narrow, moralistic perspective. That is why you will always be a local policeman. And that is why I can move 28 people, have trust accounts in more countries than you have fingers and toes. And why I am able to come into your city when I want to, under the protection of your Federal agencies and you can't do a thing about it.And If someone should steal my hubcaps, I'll demand that your little Police Department find them and bring them back."R0TFLMA0!That scene is priceless, but Marty does have the last word in the end.

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  • 3 months later...

The opening shots of Castillo in tight black speedos is frankly too much information. Very good closing scene at the airstrip where Castillo bids farewell to May Ying. The next time he'll see her and her husband in Heart of Night they will both have gotten face transplants. Finally, a great closing line "Take me to a bar". Well I enjoyed seeing him in black speedos Tommy V,lol!Didn't care much for Rosalind Chao as May Ying, Chen had better chemistry with EL0. Guess she and the actor that played the husbandweren't available for the return episode. The difference was an eye sore.

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The opening shots of Castillo in tight black speedos is frankly too much information. Very good closing scene at the airstrip where Castillo bids farewell to May Ying. The next time he'll see her and her husband in Heart of Night they will both have gotten face transplants. Finally' date=' a great closing line "Take me to a bar". Well I enjoyed seeing him in black speedos Tommy V,lol! Didn't care much for Rosalind Chao as May Ying, Chen had better chemistry with EL0. Guess she and the actor that played the husband weren't available for the return episode. The difference was an eye sore.[/quote']LOL!! :) Well...Speedos are the type of swimsuit that #1 a guy has to have the body to wear (aka not a "thousand" pound fattie) and #2 feels comfortable wearing out. From about the late 1960's through the early 90's Speedos were in style--especially in tropical places like Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Bahamas, etc...Don Johnson also appeared in black Speedos in first season's "Nobody Lives Forever." So, it was not really that shocking at the time that EJO also appeared in a past memory scene wearing them.Now days they are not really in style and are considered something "gay" or only what Olympic or professional swimmers wear. Personally I like them! And no I'm not gay nor am I an Olympic swimmer. :)I like the support and I also have the body to wear them. I live in the mid-west so no beaches (:cry:). So I usually wear them underneath my swimtrunks (aka boardshorts). But, I've been to Florida, Hawaii, and in Corpus Christi, Texas. I've worn my Speedos out in all those places and no one cared--and I was not the only guy wearing them either. Talk about "too much info"...in Hawaii there was this elderly man (had to be 80-some years old) in hot pink bikini style Speedos standing on the beach. He was with this woman who looked to be about 50. My friends and I "died" laughing!! :DAnyway, I know that two different actresses played May Ying. I liked the first actress who portrayed her in the "Golden Triangles", I think it was Joan Chen?? I don't have the info in front of me at the moment. She truly seemed more realistic in the part and had more chemistry with EJO. Rosalind Chao (who played her later on) is a good actress but just didn't quite have that original May Ying-ness (so to speak) that Chen did.
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  • 3 months later...

Now days they are not really in style and are considered something "gay" or only what Olympic or professional swimmers wear. Personally I like them! And no I'm not gay nor am I an Olympic swimmer. :) I like the support and I also have the body to wear them.

I'd like to see proof! :)(just kidding!)I dont have a problem with the speedos either and I think Castillo looked pretty good in them! Like Castillo in this ep anyways, he has this coolness about him that I like him so much for but in this he also shows emotion which makes him even more likeable.Like this ep a lot! gave it an 8!
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I'd like to see proof! :)(just kidding!)I dont have a problem with the speedos either and I think Castillo looked pretty good in them! Like Castillo in this ep anyways' date=' he has this coolness about him that I like him so much for but in this he also shows emotion which makes him even more likeable.Like this ep a lot! gave it an 8![/quote']LOL!! :) I'd show the proof...but this isn't "Speedo.com". ;) Besides, I'm sure (back then) Castillo and Crockett probably looked even better in them than I would--however, I don't care how they or anyone looked in Speedos...I'd rather see Gina in a bikini. :pAnyway, I too really liked the "Golden Triangle" 2-part episode! It really show-cased Castillo and finally made his character more "real" and human. Everyone (especially EJO or 'Castillo') did a superb job and gave outstanding performances! :thumbsup:
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  • 3 months later...

Again an excellent episode with a thought-provoking plot, full of awesome actors and locations as well as an exotic style.:happy::happy::clap::clap:In contrast to Score, Golden Triangle is right from the start bleak and more serious and we notice that for Castillo it isn't a normal case, but an extremely personal issue.This fact is also noticed by the VICE team and erverybody supports Castillo.:thumbsup:Already the teaser is perfectly filmed when Castillo swims in the sea, thinking of May Ying and Cath the Wind is played.:radio:Then it is revealed that Castillo worked as DEA agent in the Golden Triangle and was at feud with General Lao Li.So the VICE team try to arrest Lao Li and his followers...As noted below, I like the mix between exotic respectively Asian style and typical VICE style with its neon colours and pastel clothes.:glossy:For example Dale Menton's flat is totally terrific!:happy: Black walls with blue and pink neon lamps fit excellently together.:thumbsup:Moreover I love the Asian storylines in VICE because they are always mysterious and threatening.Every time when an Asian-plot is shown we learn more about Castillo and his background.:cool:Concerning actors, John Santucci as fat Dale Menton plays very very convincingly. Keye Luke as Lao Li is also creditable because he represents wonderfully the old leader of the Lao Li - clan.:clap:Jan Hammer and his The Trial and the Search is a brilliant track together with the strong scenes.:radio:10 of 10 points.

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  • 2 months later...

Golden Triangle14. Golden TriangleThis was a great conclusion to the previous episode. Castillo once again steals the show and we get to meet his nemesis from the past. General Lao Li was a good adversary for Castillo. I liked when the whole Vice crew was in the restaurant and Sonny was questioning if Castillo was going to pull some vigilantism. Castillo then informs everyone and wants them to know that he is an honorable cop and goes by the book. This was a great moment because the whole Vice crew I don’t think had a firm grip about Castillo. Tubbs noted in the previous episode that he thought Castillo was strange. It was great to see the whole crew back their lieutenant too. This was one episode where I thought Noogie was absolutely hilarious. When Stan had him in a lock and then he went “Dude’s name is Howie Wong†I cracked up. Felt bad for Castillo when he finds out his wife had remarried. The conclusion to the episode was alright. Would have liked to have scene Lao Li be arrested for something a bit more but that’s alright. Castillo gets the last laugh. The final scene was great too. Castillo telling Crockett and Tubbs to take him to a bar was comical but yet a great finish to the episode. A great episode but for some reason I liked the first part just slightly better. Still, this is great in and by itself. 9/10

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  • 8 months later...

When I first time saw this episode it was a revelation. Here we saw Castillo the man not just tough lieutenant that knows his business and hardly talks. All in all there's maybe too much oriental vibe and CIA stuff to really be a perfect Vice episode, but it's still is a great one. 9/10

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