About Crockett's Cover Burnett


Den Taylor

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Something occured to me...(once again haha)....
during the entire course of the show how unrealistic is it that Crockett's cover Burnett never really got blown?
I mean think about it - pretty much after season 1 or season 2 word should have gotten round in Miami's crime scene and beyond that most of Burnett's partners either end up dead or in prison. I mean that should be a clue right there. xD
Granted, there were a few episodes where the criminal found out that he's a cop and even confronted him about it - but strangely enough word still didn't get around? Does this make sense to you?
It would have been kinda interesting if Crockett had to change his cover in let's say Season 3 with a slightly different style and look (and also Tubbs). But at least the name. They could have made an entire episode around that...

Edited by Den Taylor
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9 minutes ago, Den Taylor said:

Something occured to me...(once again haha)....
during the entire course of the show how unrealistic is it that Crockett's cover Burnett never really got blown?
I mean think about it - pretty much after season 1 or season 2 word should have gotten round in Miami's crime scene and beyond that most of Burnett's partners either end up dead or in prison. I mean that should be a clue right there. xD
Granted, there were a few episodes where the criminal found out that he's a cop and even confronted him about it - but strangely enough word still didn't get around? Does this make sense to you?
It would have been kinda interesting if Crockett had to change his cover in let's say Season 3 with a slightly different style and look (and also Tubbs). But at least the name. They could have made an entire episode around that...

I am sure this has perhaps been discussed many times, and I must say I completely agree with you. It was a thought I had by the time season 2 rolled around back way back in the original episode airings. I always considered it to be a case of the writers to expect an understanding of us, as an audience to utilize the "suspension of disbelief" and somewhat overlook the almost certain possibility that Sonny's permanent cover would have been inevitably identified after an undefinable amount of time. However, this does make for fun discussion....back then the spread of information was not so instantaneous as it is today, (limited cell phones, no digital cameras, texts, internet, etc.) but then again, as they say...word on the street travels fast! Then again we have the trilogy where he really does turn to the dark side, albeit long after the fact.

I am unsure a complete change in look and undercover name would have been accepted by the audience...(even the clothing color changes around season 3 bothered some people, haha!)

But as I said, I think it was simply a matter of trust that the viewer overlook the fact, that certainly the word would have spread, eventually through criminal networks, informants, and even corrupt law enforcement.  Great post, I am glad you brought this up. Happy weekend wishes to everyone.

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it did get blown in Payback, and they never addressed it after that.

plus various people during Burnett trilogy found out who he was and word never got around?

 

Also didn't Calderone basically put together that Crockett and Burnett were the same person??

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  • 1 month later...
Am 11.3.2017 um 03:37 schrieb AzVice:

 

plus various people during Burnett trilogy found out who he was and word never got around?

 


The way that happened there was kind of ridiculous too. Like in the last episode of the trilogy (actual a Tetralogy?) where that old cop passed Crockett in the hallway and has nothing better to do than to casually remark to the criminal he's walking out (?) that that guy was such a good cop once. And then that same criminal later spots Crockett in a mutual operation....ouch.

Like uhm yeah, people on the police force espcially an experienced veteran (that by the way we get to see the first time ever in the show xD) will expose their colleagues even if they went bad. And in Crocketts' case they couldn't have been sure how bad he actually went and if its was for good. So a veteran cop whould have shut his mouth about that. But yeah, it's just a TV show and these things you kinda gotta love too. ;-)

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yeah that made no sense. and were they downtown or at the OCB? why would they book criminals at the OCB, and how could the guy be out already maybe 2 hours later and unloading coke?

that's where MV started out pretty realistic in some ways and then just threw it out a lot of times.

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What's unrealistic is that Crockett and Tubbs flashed their badges when busting people. Usually undercover agents get arrested WITH their mark so their cover doesn't get blown, and they don't do any interviews or normal police work.

But, they flashed their badges, some of their marks got arrested. They could easily spread it around whilst in prison saying "I got busted by this undercover cop named Burnett", and tell all their friends, who tell their friends' friends, etc.

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On 4/15/2017 at 6:33 AM, James said:

What's unrealistic is that Crockett and Tubbs flashed their badges when busting people. Usually undercover agents get arrested WITH their mark so their cover doesn't get blown, and they don't do any interviews or normal police work.

But, they flashed their badges, some of their marks got arrested. They could easily spread it around whilst in prison saying "I got busted by this undercover cop named Burnett", and tell all their friends, who tell their friends' friends, etc.

Good point my friend :D

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well yeah in the pilot Crockett got busted and went to court. later on they just dispensed with the realism. like in Whatever Works. why would they send C&T out to question dealers about a murder when they might have to meet those guys undercover someday? did that stuff all the time on the show.

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On 4/15/2017 at 1:33 AM, James said:

What's unrealistic is that Crockett and Tubbs flashed their badges when busting people. Usually undercover agents get arrested WITH their mark so their cover doesn't get blown, and they don't do any interviews or normal police work.

But, they flashed their badges, some of their marks got arrested. They could easily spread it around whilst in prison saying "I got busted by this undercover cop named Burnett", and tell all their friends, who tell their friends' friends, etc.

So many great points in this thread!

I have to admit I was able to buy into the "suspension of disbelief" to the extent it didn't stop me from enjoying the show :)  But even back then I remember thinking it was unrealistic that in one scene they would be working undercover as their cover persona, and during the same episode they would be wearing the same clothes, looking the same, and identifying themselves as police officers in order to arrest someone...

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Yup. It's sloppy but understandable for the purpose of entertainment. It is just a show, after all. They can't be undercover in a new case every episode, that'll get old quick I guess. 

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TV producers just can't resist having the stars of their shows leading raids and making arrests.  It's even worse when they have the lab techs doing all that stuff on CSI.

Edited by airtommy
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In the episode "The Great McCarthy" I actually expected Crockett and Tubbs to arrest McCarthy after they had busted him, but to my surprise it was done by other units and the OCB squad. I guess it was because, I was used to Crockett and Tubbs doing the arrests and it was before, I knew anything about how it actually works in real life. They also kept their cover I think in "Heart of Darkness," where they get arrested by Switek and Zito. It would be interesting to learn, how many times they stayed undercover during S1. I'll see, if I can find some more examples. :)

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Really good points ya'll. Luckily we still can enjoy the show. In a way it can add to the fun....unless it's a really bad blunder but that's just me. (And I don'T think there ever was a really big mistake?)

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