This Week In Miami Vice History

[mvnyc]

October 14^th - October 20^th"

"Calderones Return, Part 1", the 4^th episode of the 1^st Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, October 19^th, 1984 at 1-PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):

* This episode was called "The Hit List" when it originally aired, but the name was changed to "Calderone's Return (Part I)" when it went into syndication, presumably to better link it with the following episode, which continues the story.

* This marks the final appearance of Gregory Sierra as Lt. Lou Rodriguez. Sierra had requested to be written out of the show because he didn't like living in Miami.

* This episode was pre-empted one week due to NBC airing Game 3 of the 1984 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres.

* Jim Zubiena, who played hit man Ludivicio Armstrong, was a shooting expert in his own right. Zubiena uses several expert shooting techniques in this episode, including the "Mozambique Drill" (shooting a victim twice in the chest and once in the head, in order to absolutely guarantee a kill).

* During the shootout in Crockett's home, the blank adaptor fitted on the AC556 assault rifle used by Zubiena came loose and was propelled form the barrel at considerable speed directly towards the camera crew shooting the action. Fortunately, they were protected by a thick, perspex screen. Zubiena, however, was not so lucky, as the adapter ricocheted off of the screen and struck him in the shoulder with enough force to spin him around and knock him to the floor. As a result, he suffered minor injuries.

* Another accident during the same scene almost injured Don Johnson. One of the electronically-triggered squibs that simulate bullets impacts was fired too early (originally, the squib in question was supposed to go off after Johnson had backed away from where it was attached to the wall) and the explosive detonated in Johnson's face. While he was uninjured, the squib blew the face out of an expensive watch he was wearing.

* Many characters in this episode wear "Members Only" jackets (which were very popular at the time), such as Carlos Mendez, Ludivicio Armstrong and a few members in the club.

* The hotel identified as the "Desiree Hotel" (where Armstrong and Mendez were located after the Castronova hit) is actually the Nassau Hotel, which was renovated and upgraded to what is now called the "Nassau Suite Hotel."

* Tubbs drives Crockett's Daytona in this episode, the only time in the series he would drive one of Crockett's Ferraris.

* We see Crockett in a tie for the first time at his divorce hearing in this episode, one of the few times he would wear one in the series.

* When Ludovici Armstrong shoots Nicky (the chauffeur), the wiring from the body rig is clearly seen from the bottom of his pants leg.

* At the end of the episode, when Tubbs says, "Calderone's in the Bahamas," the movement of his lips doesn't seem to match the dialogue, as it was likely changed and dubbed in later.

"Out Where The Busses Dont Run", the 3^rd episode of the 2^nd Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, October 18^th, 1985 at 10PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):

* Castillo gives his classic staredown" to Weldon before he reluctantly shakes his hand.

* This episode is loosely based on a true story that occurred in Miami in the 1970's.

* This episode was pre-empted one week due to NBC's coverage of Game 3 of the 1985 American League Championship Series between the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays.

* We see Castillo sleeping at OCB for the first time here, he does this periodically throughout the series, especially on really tough cases.

* Weldon's computer is named Lorraine, after his wife who left him, per his character's backstory for this episode. Lorraine was also the name of the Amiga prototype that appeared at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, held on January 4th, 1984. Interestingly, the Amiga prototype was named after its motherboard, which was called Lorraine, after the company president's wife. When introduced to Weldon's computer, Tubbs claims that the Vice Department has computers "just like this...", to which Weldon replies, "Really? Like Lorraine? I don't think so!". Even taken as a tongue-in-cheek joke directed at the real-world Lorraine computer, this would've been correct, as the Amiga prototype would've been far and above anything Metro-Dade could obtain at the time.

* During the "I Fought the Law" scene, Tubbs is clearly not driving the Cadillac. At one point they make a lane change, yet he hardly touches the wheel.

* While lying in wait at the Stiltsville boathouse, Tubbs puts a magazine into his M16 twice.

* After Crockett and Tubbs arrive at 114 South Waters, where Arcaro is entombed, they are seen walking from Crockett's Daytona toward the building. On the ground just behind Tubbs, the camera man's shadow is visible.

"Walk-Alone", the 4^th episode of the 3^rd Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, October 17^th, 1986 at 9PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):

* A. J. Duhe (Hammer) and Jim Kiick (inmate) both played for the Miami Dolphins. Duhe played in Super Bowl XVII and Kiick played in Super Bowls VI, VII (the undefeated season) and VIII.

* The final five minutes of this episode (where Castillo rescues Tubbs to the music of "In Dulce Decorum") are considered by many, the best ending of the third season.

* Tubbs had somewhat better luck with the ladies than Crockett, yet his girlfriend Laura was sadly killed in this episode.

* The underpass where Tubbs is pulled over by the cops for running a toll booth in his Aston Martin V8 Volante is seen several times in later seasons of Miami Vice; most notably it is the spot where Borbon is taken from Crockett and Tubbs in "Freefall."

* Tubbs is apparently Catholic, as he crosses himself upon seeing that Laura is dead.

* This isn't the first time Tubbs has underestimated a situation and overestimated his own ability to deal with it ("Tale of The Goat is a previous occurrence).

* This is also the second Tubbs-centric episode in which, at the climax, Tubbs has to confront the bad guys unarmed and must rely on backup (this time Castillo) when the shooting starts.

* Notably, this is one of the few episodes in which Crockett is prominently featured, yet plays almost no part in the climactic confrontation (instead, he remains in the surveillance van while Castillo saves Tubbs).

* Tubbs' refusal to kiss Trudy, who is posing as his girlfriend on a conjugal visit, is referenced in the episode "Streetwise", when he tells her, "Give me a kiss just for show," to which she replies, "Ha ha! You had your chance!"

* When the corrections officer approaches Tubbs on the bus to the prison, the African American seated in front of Tubbs isn't handcuffed like the other prisoners. Immediately in the next shot, the cuffs suddenly appear.

* During the final scene where Tubbs is led to the yard, he looks normal in some shots and then looks badly beaten and bloodied in others. Also, Samson can briefly be seen standing behind him, despite being killed earlier in the episode.

* In reality, Castillo would almost certainly have been hit by Keller's shotgun blast when Tubbs jumps on him. As in the previous scene, it shows him standing exactly where the gunfire is aimed.

* During the final scenes in the prison, Castillo fires a total of seven shots from his six-shot revolver (without any apparent reloading). He fires one round into the door when Keller ditches him; one round into the propane tank to get into the yard; two rounds into the 1st tower guard and finally three rounds into the second tower guard.

* Keller is still aiming his shotgun in Castillo's direction when Tubbs jumps on him and he lets off a round, yet Castillo is somehow not hit.

* When Switek breaks up the mob beating Fox to death, he somehow fires three shots in rapid succession from a pump-action shotgun.

"Death And The Lady", the 3^rd episode of the 4^th Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, October 16^th, 1987 at 9PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):

* This episode was pre-empted one week due to NBC airing Game 3 of the 1987 National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants.

* Gina had a cat in the episode "Bought And Paid For", which was lost between then and now. When Castillo asks about the kitten and Crockett replies, "evidence," Castillo looks over at the cat and smiles for one of the rare times in the series. The cat is seen in his office (apparently roaming around behind his desk) later in the episode.

* This is one of a handful of episodes where Crockett snaps and gets violent with a suspect, culminating in "Deliver Us From Evil, when he is driven to cold-blooded murder.

* This is also one of a very few episodes where no one gets shot or even fires a gun.

* We find out in this episode that Crockett has quit smoking, which had been gradually phased out among the characters since the start of Season 3.

* Don Johnson and Penelope Ann Miller would later appear together in the film "Dead Bang."

* When Crockett is driving around having visions of Amy's murder, the footage of him is clearly reused from Season 3 as Crockett has his spiked haircut (which was short in the back) in the scene (and is wearing different clothing from what we see in the scene at Glantz's house later). The footage used was taken from "Shadow in the Dark", in the dream sequence when Crockett is driving to the Jefferson Street area to search for the Shadow.

* When Crockett appears on the deck of the St. Vitus' Dance after watching Glantz's televised interview, his hair is wet, suggesting that just watching Glantz's justifications for what Crockett has called "dirty business" made him feel so dirty he had to shower.

* Although Crockett's interrogation of Jill Ryder is hard-hitting, when he realizes that she mourns for her sister, who died to help her father, he wraps his arms around her, one of the only times Crockett makes such a gesture of sympathy in the interrogation room. Today, such contact would be considered illegal under sexual harassment laws.

* Kelly Lynch actually performed as three different characters in this one episode: She first appears as "Lori Swann" in the peep show visited by Crockett and Tubbs, She then performs as "Margot Franck" at the roof-top film party and lastly, she appears as "Amy Ryder" in the film's "dead-eyes" scene. This is the only time in the entire Miami Vice series that one actor performed three different characters in the same episode.

* This is one of several episodes which does not end on a freeze frame.

* During the screening of Death and the Lady that opens the episode, the event's announcer is clearly standing in front of the cinema screen while addressing the audience, but when the footage cuts to a wide shot, he has disappeared.

***There was no Season 5 premiere this week***　

Edited October 14, 2016 by mvnyc