Episode #101 "Miami Squeeze"

[ViceFanMan]

This was another action-filled and enjoyable episode! The beginning boat chase and song, Working On It, by Chris Rea were awesome!

I liked the plot of Castillo being set up this time, instead of Crockett or Tubbs...it was something different and had not happened before. The acting was pretty good too. Rita Moreno is a good actress and I've liked her in most things I've seen her in. Daniel Villarreal, who played her son Lewis, annoyed the crap out of me!!  Talk about a whiney, cry-baby...complete with a creepy, little-kid voice & a ponytail. 

But, I think that was supposed to be his part and he did a superb job of making you want "Mommy" to let the Brit and Edwina have him.  The action was good and Robert Joy was fantastic, as well as deadly but humorous, as Sebastian Ross! I love how he could just beat people with his cane and talk lovingly towards his dog Edwina all at the same time. I felt bad for Edwina at the end...as she paid the price for her psychotic master. But, I guess that's life.

I also liked Justin Lazard...who returns as Joey Harden, to go undercover and help Crockett out. There was always sort of a father-son thing going on between them and it was cool to watch their role-modeling scene on the fishing dock. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending scene with Crockett and Castillo in the hospital room! The acting and friendship moment between them was heart-felt and felt "real"!

I especially really loved the colors, lighting, and fashion used in this one...the pastels were again abundant and it was like seeing an episode that could have been used in first or second season! Overall the acting, action, fashion, colors, plot, etc...were awesome! I originally gave this one a 9, however, that might be a little high. But, it definitely warrants a 7-8.  

Edited August 27, 2021 by ViceFanMan

[Glades]

7 hours ago, ViceFanMan said:

I liked the plot of Castillo being set up this time, instead of Crockett or Tubbs...it was something different and had not happened before.

I also particularly like this part of the episode. It's the first time Castillo is human, shown as mortal.
He was already badly wounded in Bushido ( abdominal wound) and Duty and Honor ( chest wound), after all. But in Bushide, he was even still standing upright. And in Duty and Honor you only saw the attack briefly and then the already recovering Castillo on the beach with Crockett and Tubbs. But never a weak Castillo in a bed surrounded by his team (or yet at least by Crockett).
For me, this is the true and touching story of Castillo in MV. How Castillo, who can do everything, knows everything, decides everything all alone, becomes a person who is mortal and needs and has friends in his daily life. At least for a moment.

[ViceFanMan]

4 hours ago, Glades said:

I also particularly like this part of the episode. It's the first time Castillo is human, shown as mortal.
He was already badly wounded in Bushido ( abdominal wound) and Duty and Honor ( chest wound), after all. But in Bushide, he was even still standing upright. And in Duty and Honor you only saw the attack briefly and then the already recovering Castillo on the beach with Crockett and Tubbs. But never a weak Castillo in a bed surrounded by his team (or yet at least by Crockett).
For me, this is the true and touching story of Castillo in MV. How Castillo, who can do everything, knows everything, decides everything all alone, becomes a person who is mortal and needs and has friends in his daily life. At least for a moment.

Yeah, in “Bushido” Castillo is stabbed pretty deep & bad in the side and partial abdomen...yet he’s still running around attacking bad guys, hoisting himself up to a ceiling between 2 walls to surprise them, and snapping their necks. It was a little over-the-top & unrealistic. In this episode he’s wounded and needs the help of colleagues & friends. Much more realistic &...he’s human!  

[Jack Gretsky]

The diehard Rita Moreno guest stars - she had a supporting role 70 years ago in Singin' in the Rain and is now, the end of 2021, acting in the remake of West Side Story - the 1961 original film won her an Oscar.  I think "indefatigable" is the word for her.  

I forgot that Joey Hardin is in this one too.  He would have been a cool new regular had there been a season 6.  

I found Conrad Roberts' (as the commissioner) line delivery to be quite odd and deliberate.  Trying to steal scenes, eh, new guy?   I also like how Dan Shaw is immediately established as a preppy type in his first scene by inexplicably wearing a tennis outfit and wielding a racket while advising Moreno on her TV presentation techniques.  

This is a pretty enjoyable episode, but not distinguished.  Faceless music too.  But that MV style is still there, even in these last few episodes.  

[RedDragon86]

On 8/27/2021 at 4:37 PM, ViceFanMan said:

Yeah, in “Bushido” Castillo is stabbed pretty deep & bad in the side and partial abdomen...yet he’s still running around attacking bad guys, hoisting himself up to a ceiling between 2 walls to surprise them, and snapping their necks. It was a little over-the-top & unrealistic. In this episode he’s wounded and needs the help of colleagues & friends. Much more realistic &...he’s human!  

Castillo would have been able to block that pain out, that is the kind of person he is.

EJO decision to do that as he was the director and it his personal favorite episode too.

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by RedDragon86

[ViceFanMan]

Just now, RedDragon86 said:

Castillo would have been able to block that pain out, that is the kind of person he is.

 

To an extent, or for a little bit...but eventually the complications from the wound, as well as pain associated with it, are going to overtake that. He’s not going to continue to be able to run around and be Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee.  He would have eventually passed out from loss of blood & possibly pain as well. It was just too unrealistic & over-the-top. 

Castillo was awesome, and probably the toughest ‘character’ on the show...but, like I said before, he’s also human. In this episode, his wound & how it’s dealt with is more realistic. 

[RedDragon86]

20 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

To an extent, or for a little bit...but eventually the complications from the wound, as well as pain associated with it, are going to overtake that. He’s not going to continue to be able to run around and be Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee.  He would have eventually passed out from loss of blood & possibly pain as well. It was just too unrealistic & over-the-top. 

Castillo was awesome, and probably the toughest ‘character’ on the show...but, like I said before, he’s also human. In this episode, his wound & how it’s dealt with is more realistic. 

We don't really know how bad the stabbing was, maybe it went clean through? he was able to block out the pain for just a few minutes but towards the end he was struggling to carry on, the Russian girl was more or less helping him out.

Never bothered me whether it was realistic or not as this episode is pretty much sound "Bushido" is a fantastic entry to the show. It's what makes Miami Vice special and different imo.

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by RedDragon86

[ViceFanMan]

18 minutes ago, RedDragon86 said:

We don't really know how bad the stabbing was, maybe it went clean through? he was able to block out the pain for just a few minutes but towards the end he was struggling to carry on, the Russian girl was more or less helping him out.

Never bothered me whether it was realistic or not as this episode is pretty much sound "Bushido" is a fantastic entry to the show. It's what makes Miami Vice special and different imo.

 

For a few minutes, possibly...but he went around for quite a long while beating up bad guys, hoisting himself up between a ceiling & doorway to drop down & surprise them, snapping necks, etc... It was a little “much”, and a little too unrealistic.

But, the girl helping Castillo around at the very end was probably the most realistic aspect of the whole thing. I don’t know, there’s just something about “Bushido” that just doesn’t quite come together. It starts out really awesome...and then it just seems to lose steam so-to-speak. I don’t hate it by any means...but there are other, more awesome & better Castillo centered episodes.

As for this one, I found it to be interesting & more realistic for & with different aspects. 

[sdiegolo78]

I want to give this a 9!

Enjoyable episode and really interesting plot. Power and politics at play here. Was Henry Wilford already seen in 'Child play' wearing the uniform as part of the police department meeting with the black community with Castillo?
Another great intro with the boat shots, Chris Rea song and the shootout between C&T and the guys stealing Ross shipment.  He was on of the most cartoonish villains of S5, if not the entire series. He's right up there with "El Gato" Manolo and Escandero. At least Ross was British, a change from the usual Latino or American baddie.
Feel sorry for the poor dog Edwina, at least she's resting in peace!

The best part for me was the ending scene with Crockett and Castillo at the Biscayne hospital, so strong and emotional. I think those who watched this episode the first time during the original airing had the impression Castillo's fate would be similar to Lt.Rodriguez in 'Calderone return'...or at least uncertain.

On 11/24/2021 at 4:07 PM, ViceFanMan said:

.but he went around for quite a long while beating up bad guys, hoisting himself up between a ceiling & doorway to drop down & surprise them, snapping necks, etc... It was a little “much”, and a little too unrealistic.

yeah, that's what doesn't sit well with about Bushido...really over the top.

[Glades]

15 hours ago, sdiegolo78 said:

On 11/24/2021 at 5:07 PM, ViceFanMan said:

.but he went around for quite a long while beating up bad guys, hoisting himself up between a ceiling & doorway to drop down & surprise them, snapping necks, etc... It was a little “much”, and a little too unrealistic.

yeah, that's what doesn't sit well with about Bushido...really over the top.

I find the Castillo injuries thing quite interesting. I would say he, along with Crockett, is the one on the team who has been seriously injured the most. Three times.

What's interesting about that is how the injuries were shown. In "Bushido," Castillo is still doing stunts that would be difficult enough for an uninjured man, despite his injury. In "The Savage" the viewer sees him weak and down for the first time ever. But it's not until "Miami Squeeze" that Castillo is weak and in need of help in front of the other team members, especially Crockett.

I find this become human of Castillo over the course of the show very touching! Castillo, who, probably because of his terrible experiences in Southeast Asia, is inside like petrified, who never seems to be insecure, never seems to need help, knows everything, can do everything, is almost superhuman. And then, it seems to me, maybe also through the accompaniment of Crockett and his difficult course of life, he becomes once again alive inside, vulnerable.

[sdiegolo78]

On 3/9/2022 at 4:25 PM, Glades said:

I find the Castillo injuries thing quite interesting. I would say he, along with Crockett, is the one on the team who has been seriously injured the most. Three times.

What's interesting about that is how the injuries were shown. In "Bushido," Castillo is still doing stunts that would be difficult enough for an uninjured man, despite his injury. In "The Savage" the viewer sees him weak and down for the first time ever. But it's not until "Miami Squeeze" that Castillo is weak and in need of help in front of the other team members, especially Crockett.

I find this become human of Castillo over the course of the show very touching! Castillo, who, probably because of his terrible experiences in Southeast Asia, is inside like petrified, who never seems to be insecure, never seems to need help, knows everything, can do everything, is almost superhuman. And then, it seems to me, maybe also through the accompaniment of Crockett and his difficult course of life, he becomes once again alive inside, vulnerable.

Very good analysis indeed! I second that!