Episode #103 "The Cell Within"


Ferrariman

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4 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

It was a freaky episode—an maniacal but intelligent madman plays his twisted ‘games’ with people...sort of ‘Hannibal Lecter’ meets Ricardo Tubbs (although no one ate anyone :p)! “Dark” plot, and decent performances. However, Shadow In the Dark seemed creepier & scarier to me; more realistic...and it was actually based on a true story/case! :o It’s one of my favorites! :thumbsup: But, both episodes are definitely on the bizarre side! :eek:

While I wouldn't want a steady diet of freaky Vice episodes or, say, humorous Switek stories, it's good to have offbeat Vice shows like those every now and then. 

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21 minutes ago, Jack Gretsky said:

While I wouldn't want a steady diet of freaky Vice episodes or, say, humorous Switek stories, it's good to have offbeat Vice shows like those every now and then. 

Agreed...wouldn’t want it all the time, but once in a while a totally different and/or shocking avenue is fun to go down! ;)

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  • 6 months later...

Well, well, I'm one of the knuckleheads who likes this episode :p. I watched it again last night after years. This time I have been watching episodes in no particular order (unless they are part of the same narrative arc) from different seasons just to see immediately how the show, characters and fashion evolved over the years. One night I could be watching a S1 episode and the next some from S4 or S5...i know I'm crazy :)
Not a MV classic but i really enjoyed watching it. And it kept me interested. This is what lets me forget about all the goofs and inconsistencies in an episode.

It has quite a few good things going for it. For one we see Tubbs shine again, especially when trying to get his way out Manning mansion/prison, as well as trying to free everybody else. What bothers me is how an experienced and street wise detective like Rico could accept a dinner invitation from someone he had busted years before for multiple murder (despite Castillo serious warnings and Crockett's reservations)...you may argue that had he declined the invitation we wouldn't have had this episode. That's ok...perhaps was Tubbs trying to see for himself whether Manning really changed or not? Or was he testing the correctional effectiveness that time spent in prison had on such a criminal? Nonetheless the writers raise important questions on the justice system/prisons and vigilantism in general.

Anyhow, one can tell right from the start Jake Manning is some number one creep. I had the same impression when watching this for the very first time.

I really liked the dark atmosphere in this episode which has a 1989 - early 90s noir vibe to it. And Tim Truman's musical cues are spot on.

Trivial fact: "The cell within" book can be seen in the opening scene from 'Cape Fear'...Did Scorsese watch this MV episode? :)

For me one of the best S5 episodes! My verdict: 7.5

 

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1 hour ago, sdiegolo78 said:

(snipped) What bothers me is how an experienced and street wise detective like Rico could accept a dinner invitation from someone he had busted years before for multiple murder (despite Castillo serious warnings and Crockett's reservations)...you may argue that had he declined the invitation we wouldn't have had this episode. That's ok...perhaps was Tubbs trying to see for himself whether Manning really changed or not? Or was he testing the correctional effectiveness that time spent in prison had on such a criminal? (snipped)

I think in this case, Tubbs was possibly a bit overconfident that he could handle the situation because of his experience and street smarts.  We've seen that with some of the other characters (particularly Gina), who want to prove they can handle a situation and ignore what seem like some basic precautions.  Probably not realistic, but I can understand the desire to prove he can handle it.  He did this in Tale of the Goat also, although of course not quite the same circumstances.

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19 minutes ago, vicegirl85 said:

I think in this case, Tubbs was possibly a bit overconfident that he could handle the situation because of his experience and street smarts.  We've seen that with some of the other characters (particularly Gina), who want to prove they can handle a situation and ignore what seem like some basic precautions.  Probably not realistic, but I can understand the desire to prove he can handle it.  He did this in Tale of the Goat also, although of course not quite the same circumstances.

That's true. And Tubbs thought he knew Manning well enough having arrested him before. Another thing that bugs me: he arrested him 7 years prior to the events of the episode in question. And that was in 1982 when Rico was in NY before moving down to Miami. And Manning happened to be in Miami in '89 for his new book signing at the store. Did he know Tubbs was in Miami working for the Dade County PD and meticulously planned his revenge? If so how could he have known since Tubbs worked for OCB, which is an undercover unit? Was Manning touring the country's book stores and Rico happened to show up knowing about the book signing to seize on his past adversary? Or Manning just decided to 'retire' in Miami once released from prison?

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vor 13 Minuten schrieb sdiegolo78:

That's true. And Tubbs thought he knew Manning well enough having arrested him before. Another thing that bugs me: he arrested him 7 years prior to the events of the episode in question. And that was in 1982 when Rico was in NY before moving down to Miami. And Manning happened to be in Miami in '89 for his new book signing at the store. Did he know Tubbs was in Miami working for the Dade County PD and meticulously planned his revenge? If so how could he have known since Tubbs worked for OCB, which is an undercover unit? Was Manning touring the country's book stores and Rico happened to show up knowing about the book signing to seize on his past adversary? Or Manning just decided to 'retire' in Miami once released from prison?

You´re right. That history background is simply impossible.

Most likely, Tubbs was in NYC back then and Manning somewhere else. If Manning was really in NYC back then it would be very unlikely that he coincidentally signs in a Miami bookstore and Tubbs reads about it in the newspaper just to go there. At one point in the episode it is insinuated that Tubbs got an invite by Manning to come to the the book store. Manning could not have known about Tubbs living in Miami and working OCB. This is just another annoying illogical background continuity glitch by the writers. 

Edited by Tom
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  • 1 month later...

Just watched this one for the first (and last) time. Opinions obviously  differ but I  found it over-dramatic and tedious. Nobody in Tubbs' position would  dream of getting on social terms with a psychopath like this one. Did nobody  ever tell him back in "the Academy" that psychopaths don't change, in fact they can't. Who'd be naive enough  to go alone to this man's house, especially given Tubbs' experience? There's a difference between an unusual plot and an incredible one. My heart sank when Crockett disappeared out of the door within the first two minutes.  I thought at least he'd make another  appearance if only during the rescue but no. Obviously away from filming doing more useful things for his career, I suppose. A 2/10 from me.

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22 minutes ago, wolfie1996 said:

Just watched this one for the first (and last) time. Opinions obviously  differ but I  found it over-dramatic and tedious. Nobody in Tubbs' position would  dream of getting on social terms with a psychopath like this one. Did nobody  ever tell him back in "the Academy" that psychopaths don't change, in fact they can't. Who'd be naive enough  to go alone to this man's house, especially given Tubbs' experience? There's a difference between an unusual plot and an incredible one. My heart sank when Crockett disappeared out of the door within the first two minutes.  I thought at least he'd make another  appearance if only during the rescue but no. Obviously away from filming doing more useful things for his career, I suppose. A 2/10 from me.

Don was across town filming “Jack of all Trades” while Tubbs and crew filmed this one. It was a way to get around the limited shooting schedule they had for Season 5. 
 

I get you’re point about Tubbs’s experience, he would likely know better to go to a social event with a man he once put away. 

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38 minutes ago, wolfie1996 said:

Just watched this one for the first (and last) time. Opinions obviously  differ but I  found it over-dramatic and tedious. Nobody in Tubbs' position would  dream of getting on social terms with a psychopath like this one. Did nobody  ever tell him back in "the Academy" that psychopaths don't change, in fact they can't. Who'd be naive enough  to go alone to this man's house, especially given Tubbs' experience? There's a difference between an unusual plot and an incredible one. My heart sank when Crockett disappeared out of the door within the first two minutes.  I thought at least he'd make another  appearance if only during the rescue but no. Obviously away from filming doing more useful things for his career, I suppose. A 2/10 from me.

You are absolutely correct in saying psychopaths don't change. John Douglas the retired FBI profiler once said "If anything they simply learn better ways to manipulate people"

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Yeah, not a good episode. Still, Tim Truman's score is excellent throughout. I especially like the piece when Tubbs wakes up to discover the girl had been killed.

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7 hours ago, Cassagrande.M said:

Don was across town filming “Jack of all Trades” while Tubbs and crew filmed this one. It was a way to get around the limited shooting schedule they had for Season 5

Thanks Cassagrande, I hadn't known that.

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  • 4 months later...

This is mostly my original review on this one...not much has changed:

I know a lot here hate this episode, and go on about how horrible and bad it is. I agree it's not a famous or memorable one...but I don't think it's as bad as some claim. That kind of ‘butchering’ only belongs with "Missing Hours", “Cows of October", or “Miracle Man”. ;)

However, I agree though that this one is pretty weird. It's creepy, and eerie, and I think it's supposed to be psychologically suspenseful...but it ends up being more bizarre, and kind of "sick" than anything else. :eek: 

But, it has its moments...despite the bizarre-ness and being somewhat whacked out, the acting was pretty awesome! Philip Michael Thomas does a superb job, and John P. Ryan was outstanding as the psychopath, mentally deranged Jake Manning! :clap: I also liked the action/chase scene where Gina, Trudy, and Stan are after the goofy movie director Phelps! :thumbsup:

This is not really one of my favorites, but it's not one of my worst ones either. I originally gave it a 5...still do.

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/13/2020 at 12:28 AM, Jack Gretsky said:

A terrific sojourn into Creepy Vice; this is more unnerving than even Shadow in the Dark! The whole concept of a madman with rooms and cells in his mansion housing people he's kidnapped is truly freaky. It partly reminds me of The Avengers episode, "The House That Jack Built" in which Emma Peel is also trapped in a crazy house. 

This was my Season 5 favorite the last time I watched this set; I'll have to see where it stands when I assess this rewatch. 

As I said last year, this is probably the most demented MV episode.  That house with all of its hidden cells (within!) is a creepy and disturbing set-up.  If not my #1 of Season 5 anymore, it's still in my top 5. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I recently watched this episode after a long time and for a change, I figured I’d share my initial post viewing thoughts with you guys. Overall a creepy and bleak episode which departs from the usual MV format. Credit has to be given to the actor playing Jake Manning. He gave a solid and believable performance. Only at the end did the performance come apart for me.

There should of been of emphasis on the capture of Manning. I would of loved a big gun slinging showdown inside and outside the house but we didn’t get it. I can only assume the producers were limited in what they could shoot at the house and basically steered away from any real action set piece.  

Random fact but this was the last time we see Castillo appear at the end of an episode. He subsequently gets the Michael Mann freeze frame aswell for one last time in the series. All the episodes that followed didn’t feature Castillo in the endings. 

If I’m honest, I think I like this episode more now due to it being fresher in my mind. I have watched this series so much and yet, kinda stayed away from this episode until only last year. I can say I’ve watched nearly all the episodes individually at least 8-9 times on average, where as “The Cell Within” I’ve only watched 4 times total now. 

I just realised I could probably write way more about this episode and go in-depth in regards to its themes but ill save that for another time. I’ll wrap this up by saying this is an episode with a dark sinister vibe which for me, doesn’t have much rewatchability as other episodes in this season. 

It’s definitely a unique episode within the series and can stand alone as an “offshoot” episode, similar to season 3’s “The Afternoon Plane”.

Edited by Miami Beau
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  • 2 weeks later...


This was a tough episode for me.  It's not one of the "obviously thumbs down" episodes we habitually choke on from Seasons 4-5.  For me it's not a well-executed episode.  But it's got an operable story that could fit into the Miami Vice series.  

To me the house they used was a poor selection.  It's too claustrophobic with plain-walls.  I know this is a weird criticism to make, since we'd expect that this ex-con rich guy who wants to use his house like a dungeon and courtroom, WOULD probably select a very claustrophobic house to purchase for his plot.  But since Tubbs' whole ordeal has to play out inside this one home and grounds, there are plenty of cloistered rich homes in Florida they could have picked, that could have showcased more Miami designer detail and yet be filmed with just as spiders-liar as the story needed.  All the rooms in this guy's house felt like an episode of Law and Order SVU!  Ewww.  

The three prisoners he showcased didn't seem freaked out enough about being held in some spooky electronic rooms against their will.  Their script lines were SO un-panicked that I thought at first that they were assistants of Jack Manning, just "acting" like prisoners to cleverly deceive Tubbs.  They showed so little sign of natural fear or attempt to get away, that when each was killed it almost didn't matter to me that they got executed.  And that's bad.:eek:

Like Miracle Man, this episode had enough ripe ammunition sitting in it for them to have built a MUCH more satisfying episode.  :checkbox:Maybe if the director pushed more urgency or emotional panic out of the performers playing the prisoners...  :checkbox:Maybe let the psychiatrist remain the "unemotional" prisoner cuz it's okay for a professional shrink to portray that "I don't get excited" attitude in the face of death.  I don't know,... but the script writer is supposed to know about this stuff.  :evil:Hey, maybe if she stays so calm all the time, we may start to wonder if SHE's working with Manning as his twisted partner in a doubly twisty scheme---that might be a good distrust-feeling to inject into the audience via Tubbs.  

Why just kill Manning off (the routine fate we come to expect for this kind of bad guy in this kind of episode)?  Could it have been a more thought-provoking ending for the audience if Tubbs and Castillo watch him escorted back down the prison corridor, sad and all confused in hos own mind  about where his messed up justice notions have led him?  Recently released, gradual author with fame, only to be returned to a prison cell again?  Would have been definitely a more ironic ending.  And in our Miami Vice world, definitely "ironic"...equals definitely "cool".  

I would have been interested to see how Jan Hammer might have scored this kind of episode too, because it's like Too Much Too Late, or Asian Cut,... darker more introverted subject than what Hammer's "always Miami" music typically supports.  I bet Jan would have tried something surprising with his music here.  Truman's music is too "just okay".  

 

Edited by Augusta
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45 minutes ago, Augusta said:


This was a tough episode for me.  It's not one of the "obviously thumbs down" episodes we habitually choke on from Seasons 4-5.  For me it's not a well-executed episode.  But it's got an operable story that could fit into the Miami Vice series.  

To me the house they used was a poor selection.  It's too claustrophobic with plain-walls.  I know this is a weird criticism to make, since we'd expect that this ex-con rich guy who wants to use his house like a dungeon and courtroom, WOULD probably select a very claustrophobic house to purchase for his plot.  But since Tubbs' whole ordeal has to play out inside this one home and grounds, there are plenty of cloistered rich homes in Florida they could have picked, that could have showcased more Miami designer detail and yet be filmed with just as spiders-liar as the story needed.  All the rooms in this guy's house felt like an episode of Law and Order SVU!  Ewww.  

The three prisoners he showcased didn't seem freaked out enough about being held in some spooky electronic rooms against their will.  Their script lines were SO un-panicked that I thought at first that they were assistants of Jack Manning, just "acting" like prisoners to cleverly deceive Tubbs.  They showed so little sign of natural fear or attempt to get away, that when each was killed it almost didn't matter to me that they got executed.  And that's bad.:eek:

Like Miracle Man, this episode had enough ripe ammunition sitting in it for them to have built a MUCH more satisfying episode.  :checkbox:Maybe if the director pushed more urgency or emotional panic out of the performers playing the prisoners...  :checkbox:Maybe let the psychiatrist remain the "unemotional" prisoner cuz it's okay for a professional shrink to portray that "I don't get excited" attitude in the face of death.  I don't know,... but the script writer is supposed to know about this stuff.  :evil:Hey, maybe if she stays so calm all the time, we may start to wonder if SHE's working with Manning as his twisted partner in a doubly twisty scheme---that might be a good distrust-feeling to inject into the audience via Tubbs.  

Why just kill Manning off (the routine fate we come to expect for this kind of bad guy in this kind of episode)?  Could it have been a more thought-provoking ending for the audience if Tubbs and Castillo watch him escorted back down the prison corridor, sad and all confused in hos own mind  about where his messed up justice notions have led him?  Recently released, gradual author with fame, only to be returned to a prison cell again?  Would have been definitely a more ironic ending.  And in our Miami Vice world, definitely "ironic"...equals definitely "cool".  

I would have been interested to see how Jan Hammer might have scored this kind of episode too, because it's like Too Much Too Late, or Asian Cut,... darker more introverted subject than what Hammer's "always Miami" music typically supports.  I bet Jan would have tried something surprising with his music here.  Truman's music is too "just okay".  

 

These are some good insights and ideas for improvement for this episode, Augusta. 

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10 hours ago, fakespyder said:

@Augusta

I don't think Jan could've saved this episode. At least in my eyes. But Jan made episodes like "the afternoon plane" a lot more watchable (listenable?):p

Crockett driving the Testarossa with Jan in the passenger seat playing his keytar couldn’t have saved this one for me. :) 

Maybe if Callie was on the hood…

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