This Week In Miami Vice History

[mvnyc]

April 28th - May 5th:

"Evan", the 21st episode of the 1st Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, May 3rd, 1985 at 10PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* This episode is often cited as the best in the series, due to its emotional tone, deep character development and uncharacteristically sensitive portrayal of homosexuality.
* The Ingram MAC-10 is prominently featured in this episode. It was a very popular weapon amongst criminals in the 1980's thanks to its compact size and high rate of fire. It is regularly seen in the hands of villains in crime fiction.
* A recurring theme in Miami Vice is the conflict between local and federal agents going after the same thing, but with different objectives. In this case, both ATF and Metro-Dade want the MAC-10s off the streets, but the ATF doesn't want Guzman busted, while Metro-Dade does.
* The gas station used in the famous finale scene in this episode still exists, though there are no gas pumps anymore. It is now the home of an auto repair shop.
* The hanger used in the opening sequence was used again in Season 5's "To Have And To Hold."
* In the Centric network airings of this episode, the word "faggot" is muted out, with the captions depicting the word as a "BLEEP" prompt, while in the DVD version, on Hulu and in previous first-run and syndicated airings, the term is uncensored.
* The first version of the script for this episode focused on the Cuban dealers. Director Rob Cohen was not satisfied with it and had the script totally re-written just 4 days prior to shooting. He gave William Russ the lead in the episode, which led to conflicts on the set with Don Johnson.
* For this episode, there was a scene shot where Crockett gets information from an obscure S&M guy (played by rock star Iggy Pop). The scene was editied out shortly before the initial airing of this episode. However, this information made it's way into some TV magazines at the time that announced Iggy Pop would appear in the episode. The reason why the scene was cut is unknown.

"Trust Fund Pirates", the 21st episode of the 2nd Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, May 2nd, 1986 at 10PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* This is Charlie Barnett's only second season appearance as "Noogie" Lamont. Allegedly, Don Johnson refused to do scenes with Barnett and had him banned from the set due to his drug-fueled rages.
* This episode was originally supposed to be a sequel to Season 1's "Smuggler's Blues" featuring Glenn Frey reprising his character Jimmy Cole. However, when Frey was unavailable for filming, the script was changed to feature a smuggler friend of his who had taken over Cole's hangar and knew all about "Burnett and Cooper."
* The opening sequence of the episode (set to Randy Newman's "Miami") looks like a mini-music video, showing various stock shots of Miami.
* Lani is playing the classic Nintendo game "Mario Bros." in the arcade, which was the first in the classic "Mario Bros." series.
* After flipping a thug off the dock in the final shootout, Crockett tries and fails to grab an Uzi before rolling behind the bar. He then (somehow) gets ahold of another Uzi from out of nowhere (it isn't the one he just tried to grab, because that one is still lying on the dock when he starts firing).

"Everybody's In Show Biz", the 23rd episode of the 3rd Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, May 1st, 1987 at 9PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* This is the only episode where "Miami Vice" delved into the world of "impressionistic" theater.
* This is also the only time in the series that a single sequence contains three separate songs performed by the same artist. However, while officially considered separate tracks, the three Chris de Burgh songs that were used segue into one another, creating what is effectively a single eight-and-a-half minute composition, with three distinct sections.

"Deliver Us From Evil", the 21st episode of the 4th Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, April 29th, 1988 at 9PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* This episode begins a story arc that runs over the final episode of the fourth season and episodes one, two and four of the fifth, regarding Crockett's near-death experience, losing his wife and then becoming his alter-ego, Sonny Burnett.
* The opening narration ("Previously, on Miami Vice"), references the Hackman episode "Forgive Us Our Debts" from the 3rd season.
* Caitlin's final concert was performed at "Club 1235", which still exists in South Beach (Don Johnson was reported to have visited it during Vice's run). Music artist Prince bought the club late in the 1980s. Since then, it has undergone numerous owner and name changes and is currently called the "Mansion Nightclub."
* The end sequence originally had Crockett shooting and killing an unarmed Hackman, intending to show how his will to be an honorable police officer had finally been broken. However, NBC censors (at the time) refused to allow the episode to air unless both men had "equal arms." As a result, the shot of the gun in Hackman's hand was added to appease NBC for the original broadcast. As a result, a pivotal moment in Crockett's life is somewhat diminished.
* "Deliver Us From Evil", like "Forgive Us Our Debts", are passages from The Lord's Prayer.
* Hackman's Wife (in this episode) is presumably not Felicia from the episode "Forgive Us Our Debts," whom Hackman had a fling with and caused the breakdown of her marriage.
* Jan Hammer's haunting melody used in "Buddies" is effectively used here when Hackman's wife dies and when Crockett asks for a transfer. It has never been officially released.
* It is not known what became of the house that Caitlin and Crockett bought earlier in the season, as it's not mentioned at all after Caitlin's death. Moreover, we never find out what becomes of Caitlin's clearly considerable personal wealth. Unless she had a pre-existing agreement that specifically stated otherwise, her assets should have gone to Crockett, but he shows no signs of having inherited any amount of money at any point during the show's remaining episodes. It is possible that Crockett had no interest in material wealth and simply gave any inheritance to good causes (which would be fitting for his character). .
* In this episode, it is stated that Hackman's signature method of execution is to shoot his victims with a shotgun, then a pistol. However, in "Forgive Us Our Debts", he does not use a pistol at all when he murders Crockett's then-partner Frankel. This is made obvious in the "Previously, on Miami Vice" segment that opens the episode.
* Hackman's fixation with Crockett is shown not only in the fact that he has Crockett in his cross-hairs and cannot shoot him (possibly rationalizing that shooting Caitlin will hurt him more), but also the fact that he even calls himself "Crockett" in exile. Crockett seems to represent Hackman's alter ego, which is everything he could have been had he chosen another path in life.
* When Crockett shoots Hackman, Don Johnson does not flinch in reaction to the gunshot, which is a very difficult thing for an actor to be able to do.
* This episode, specifically the conversation in the car between Crockett and Tubbs as they drive to see Julia for the first time, marks the first occasion that Crockett is shown to be losing his taste for law enforcement and foreshadows the burnout story arc that runs across the fifth season.
* Ironically, or perhaps intentionally, Crockett tells Tubbs that "once you reach the point where punishing the villain is all that matters to you, you have maybe... a year left as a good cop." Ultimately, Crockett burns-out and quits the force almost exactly one year after this episode, marking the end of "Miami Vice."
* At one point, Crockett says he's been on the job for twenty years, but in the previous episode, his age is stated to be 35, meaning he would have joined the force at the age of 15, which is not a likely scenario.

"Victim Of Circumstance", the 16th episode of the 5th Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, May 5th, 1989 at 10PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* The off-kilter architecture and contrast of very strong light and intensely dark shadows in the opening sequence are a tribute to the German expressionist classic "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." This is appropriate both because the film's warped reality reflected the unease in Germany at the rise of the Nazi movement and because the film featured an unlikely killer who had been conditioned to destroy his victims, much like Kozak's daughter.
* During the scene where Crockett and Tubbs investigate the Kravitz killings, the shot from a car is clearly a cut-out photo of a car interior matted over the scene.
* This episode hinges on what Freud called the "Electra Complex", which is the over-attachment of a daughter to a father. Kozak's daughter puts it succinctly when she says, "there's nobody like my daddy."
* As Kozak's daughter is clearly pushed by him to kill the witnesses to his crimes regardless of her own safety, it could be said that she is his final victim.
* This episode features many long, mobile, handheld camera shots, a technique rarely seen elsewhere in the series.
* The Royal Palm Hotel (shown in the scene where Jacob Hoffman's body is found) was another of the South Beach Art Deco hotels that was renovated after "Miami Vice" went off the air and is now a luxury hotel.
* This is the final new episode to be broadcast on a Friday night ("Freefall" would be broadcast on a Sunday Night and the "unaired" episodes on a Wednesday night in 1989).

Pink Flaming0 likes this

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[Susanna Girl]

17 hours ago, mvnyc said:

When Crockett shoots Hackman, Don Johnson does not flinch in reaction to the gunshot, which is a very difficult thing for an actor to be able to do.

This is one of my favorite episodes and the ending to it has always been moving to me...how Sonny walks down the hill slightly leaning to the left.  The grief is palpable.

17 hours ago, mvnyc said:

* This episode, specifically the conversation in the car between Crockett and Tubbs as they drive to see Julia for the first time, marks the first occasion that Crockett is shown to be losing his taste for law enforcement and foreshadows the burnout story arc that runs across the fifth season.
* Ironically, or perhaps intentionally, Crockett tells Tubbs that "once you reach the point where punishing the villain is all that matters to you, you have maybe... a year left as a good cop." Ultimately, Crockett burns-out and quits the force almost exactly one year after this episode, marking the end of "Miami Vice."

Interesting...I don't remember this exact sequence of Sonny's lines, but seems poignant to Sonny's character who becomes so dark in the end.  

[Vicefan7777]

Great information as usual!!  I find myself looking back and asking my memory bank, "Where was I when I watched that episode?"  Just great times for me. 

[summer84]

On 28/4/2017 at 0:07 AM, mvnyc said:

This episode features many long, mobile, handheld camera shots, a technique rarely seen elsewhere in the series.

To me, that was also one of the unique and original things to Miami Vice, the different camera angles and techniques they experimented with in all 5 seasons. For some reason, I just love the creativity in cinematography. And it's especially what I love in music videos, which nowadays is lacking being unimaginative and boring.   

I have thought of reading these wiki info's, before watching each episode. 

Edited April 30, 2017 by summer84

[mvnyc]

Season 5 gets a lot of criticism sometimes for not being up to par, but I liked the music and look better than that of, say Season 3.  

[summer84]

I'm not a fan of S5, but I think "Hostile Takeover" is one of the best episodes of that season, if not the best. 

[Matt5]

Great post - Season 5  although flawed was a good season - just showed the show and the characters coming full circle .

[vicegirl85]

3 hours ago, summer84 said:

I'm not a fan of S5, but I think "Hostile Takeover" is one of the best episodes of that season, if not the best. 

I agree that Hostile Takeover was an excellent episode, but for me, Redemption in Blood was a notch higher--Sonny's journey back to the OCB to Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up was superb.

Agree also with Matt5 that Season 5 showed the characters coming full circle.  There were definitely some weak/flawed episodes and for me the endpoint was depressing, but ultimately it was the inevitable conclusion to all that went before. 

[summer84]

18 hours ago, vicegirl85 said:

I agree that Hostile Takeover was an excellent episode, but for me, Redemption in Blood was a notch higher--Sonny's journey back to the OCB to Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up was superb.

Agree also with Matt5 that Season 5 showed the characters coming full circle.  There were definitely some weak/flawed episodes and for me the endpoint was depressing, but ultimately it was the inevitable conclusion to all that went before. 

The darker tone and look of the show, just wasn't appealing to me. Plus DJ was absent in some episodes and they made a spin-off episode, which was unnecessary I thought. I also felt the way the characters acted was almost with no personality. And there were only a few good and watchable episodes in my opinion. I wish, I could say more positive things about this season. 

[vicegirl85]

I liked the Burnett arc, but wouldn't say I liked Season 5--I disliked many of the eps, I hated the shaggy, holey jeans, long-haired look of Crockett, missed DJ in the eps where he was absent, and I agree about the spin-off episode.  There's no way I feel qualified to offer an opinion about whether the actors themselves were tired of the show and ready to move on/ preferred to do something else, but they played characters who were burned out and so lost some of their charisma for me as a viewer and a fan.

However, I do feel that in Season 5, the show took the characters in an arc that was based on the overall run of the series and was somewhat inevitable based on all that had happened.  The season as a whole could have been much better written, and even the burnout could have been developed better, and the last few eps that were held until after Freefall would have made more sense if shown in chronological order.   

[mvnyc]

2 hours ago, vicegirl85 said:

and the last few eps that were held until after Freefall would have made more sense if shown in chronological order.   

I gotta agree with that, it would've made much more sense to just air them as they were intended rather than to just "hurry up and finish the series out" like they did. 

Edited May 2, 2017 by mvnyc

[Remington]

I've never heard of the Iggy Pop scene. Thats interesting.

[mjcmmv]

On 4/27/2017 at 6:07 PM, mvnyc said:

April 28th - May 5th:

"Evan", the 21st episode of the 1st Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, May 3rd, 1985 at 10PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* This episode is often cited as the best in the series, due to its emotional tone, deep character development and uncharacteristically sensitive portrayal of homosexuality.
* The Ingram MAC-10 is prominently featured in this episode. It was a very popular weapon amongst criminals in the 1980's thanks to its compact size and high rate of fire. It is regularly seen in the hands of villains in crime fiction.
* A recurring theme in Miami Vice is the conflict between local and federal agents going after the same thing, but with different objectives. In this case, both ATF and Metro-Dade want the MAC-10s off the streets, but the ATF doesn't want Guzman busted, while Metro-Dade does.
* The gas station used in the famous finale scene in this episode still exists, though there are no gas pumps anymore. It is now the home of an auto repair shop.
* The hanger used in the opening sequence was used again in Season 5's "To Have And To Hold."
* In the Centric network airings of this episode, the word "faggot" is muted out, with the captions depicting the word as a "BLEEP" prompt, while in the DVD version, on Hulu and in previous first-run and syndicated airings, the term is uncensored.
* The first version of the script for this episode focused on the Cuban dealers. Director Rob Cohen was not satisfied with it and had the script totally re-written just 4 days prior to shooting. He gave William Russ the lead in the episode, which led to conflicts on the set with Don Johnson.
* For this episode, there was a scene shot where Crockett gets information from an obscure S&M guy (played by rock star Iggy Pop). The scene was editied out shortly before the initial airing of this episode. However, this information made it's way into some TV magazines at the time that announced Iggy Pop would appear in the episode. The reason why the scene was cut is unknown.

"Trust Fund Pirates", the 21st episode of the 2nd Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, May 2nd, 1986 at 10PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* This is Charlie Barnett's only second season appearance as "Noogie" Lamont. Allegedly, Don Johnson refused to do scenes with Barnett and had him banned from the set due to his drug-fueled rages.
* This episode was originally supposed to be a sequel to Season 1's "Smuggler's Blues" featuring Glenn Frey reprising his character Jimmy Cole. However, when Frey was unavailable for filming, the script was changed to feature a smuggler friend of his who had taken over Cole's hangar and knew all about "Burnett and Cooper."
* The opening sequence of the episode (set to Randy Newman's "Miami") looks like a mini-music video, showing various stock shots of Miami.
* Lani is playing the classic Nintendo game "Mario Bros." in the arcade, which was the first in the classic "Mario Bros." series.
* After flipping a thug off the dock in the final shootout, Crockett tries and fails to grab an Uzi before rolling behind the bar. He then (somehow) gets ahold of another Uzi from out of nowhere (it isn't the one he just tried to grab, because that one is still lying on the dock when he starts firing).

"Everybody's In Show Biz", the 23rd episode of the 3rd Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, May 1st, 1987 at 9PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* This is the only episode where "Miami Vice" delved into the world of "impressionistic" theater.
* This is also the only time in the series that a single sequence contains three separate songs performed by the same artist. However, while officially considered separate tracks, the three Chris de Burgh songs that were used segue into one another, creating what is effectively a single eight-and-a-half minute composition, with three distinct sections.

"Deliver Us From Evil", the 21st episode of the 4th Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, April 29th, 1988 at 9PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* This episode begins a story arc that runs over the final episode of the fourth season and episodes one, two and four of the fifth, regarding Crockett's near-death experience, losing his wife and then becoming his alter-ego, Sonny Burnett.
* The opening narration ("Previously, on Miami Vice"), references the Hackman episode "Forgive Us Our Debts" from the 3rd season.
* Caitlin's final concert was performed at "Club 1235", which still exists in South Beach (Don Johnson was reported to have visited it during Vice's run). Music artist Prince bought the club late in the 1980s. Since then, it has undergone numerous owner and name changes and is currently called the "Mansion Nightclub."
* The end sequence originally had Crockett shooting and killing an unarmed Hackman, intending to show how his will to be an honorable police officer had finally been broken. However, NBC censors (at the time) refused to allow the episode to air unless both men had "equal arms." As a result, the shot of the gun in Hackman's hand was added to appease NBC for the original broadcast. As a result, a pivotal moment in Crockett's life is somewhat diminished.
* "Deliver Us From Evil", like "Forgive Us Our Debts", are passages from The Lord's Prayer.
* Hackman's Wife (in this episode) is presumably not Felicia from the episode "Forgive Us Our Debts," whom Hackman had a fling with and caused the breakdown of her marriage.
* Jan Hammer's haunting melody used in "Buddies" is effectively used here when Hackman's wife dies and when Crockett asks for a transfer. It has never been officially released.
* It is not known what became of the house that Caitlin and Crockett bought earlier in the season, as it's not mentioned at all after Caitlin's death. Moreover, we never find out what becomes of Caitlin's clearly considerable personal wealth. Unless she had a pre-existing agreement that specifically stated otherwise, her assets should have gone to Crockett, but he shows no signs of having inherited any amount of money at any point during the show's remaining episodes. It is possible that Crockett had no interest in material wealth and simply gave any inheritance to good causes (which would be fitting for his character). .
* In this episode, it is stated that Hackman's signature method of execution is to shoot his victims with a shotgun, then a pistol. However, in "Forgive Us Our Debts", he does not use a pistol at all when he murders Crockett's then-partner Frankel. This is made obvious in the "Previously, on Miami Vice" segment that opens the episode.
* Hackman's fixation with Crockett is shown not only in the fact that he has Crockett in his cross-hairs and cannot shoot him (possibly rationalizing that shooting Caitlin will hurt him more), but also the fact that he even calls himself "Crockett" in exile. Crockett seems to represent Hackman's alter ego, which is everything he could have been had he chosen another path in life.
* When Crockett shoots Hackman, Don Johnson does not flinch in reaction to the gunshot, which is a very difficult thing for an actor to be able to do.
* This episode, specifically the conversation in the car between Crockett and Tubbs as they drive to see Julia for the first time, marks the first occasion that Crockett is shown to be losing his taste for law enforcement and foreshadows the burnout story arc that runs across the fifth season.
* Ironically, or perhaps intentionally, Crockett tells Tubbs that "once you reach the point where punishing the villain is all that matters to you, you have maybe... a year left as a good cop." Ultimately, Crockett burns-out and quits the force almost exactly one year after this episode, marking the end of "Miami Vice."
* At one point, Crockett says he's been on the job for twenty years, but in the previous episode, his age is stated to be 35, meaning he would have joined the force at the age of 15, which is not a likely scenario.

"Victim Of Circumstance", the 16th episode of the 5th Season, premiered on NBC on Friday, May 5th, 1989 at 10PM EDT. Some notes on this episode (from Miami Vice Wiki):
* The off-kilter architecture and contrast of very strong light and intensely dark shadows in the opening sequence are a tribute to the German expressionist classic "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." This is appropriate both because the film's warped reality reflected the unease in Germany at the rise of the Nazi movement and because the film featured an unlikely killer who had been conditioned to destroy his victims, much like Kozak's daughter.
* During the scene where Crockett and Tubbs investigate the Kravitz killings, the shot from a car is clearly a cut-out photo of a car interior matted over the scene.
* This episode hinges on what Freud called the "Electra Complex", which is the over-attachment of a daughter to a father. Kozak's daughter puts it succinctly when she says, "there's nobody like my daddy."
* As Kozak's daughter is clearly pushed by him to kill the witnesses to his crimes regardless of her own safety, it could be said that she is his final victim.
* This episode features many long, mobile, handheld camera shots, a technique rarely seen elsewhere in the series.
* The Royal Palm Hotel (shown in the scene where Jacob Hoffman's body is found) was another of the South Beach Art Deco hotels that was renovated after "Miami Vice" went off the air and is now a luxury hotel.
* This is the final new episode to be broadcast on a Friday night ("Freefall" would be broadcast on a Sunday Night and the "unaired" episodes on a Wednesday night in 1989).

Pink Flaming0 likes this

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Some great stuff, here. Thank you, mvnyc!

[Bren10]

On 5/3/2017 at 3:00 AM, Remington said:

I've never heard of the Iggy Pop scene. Thats interesting.

Check out the Evan thread in S1 discussion. There's a lot of info there including some pics.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Bren10

[Dadrian]

36 minutes ago, Bren10 said:

Check out thr Evan thread in S1 discussion. There's a lot of info there including some pics.

And the last post of my 2019 vacation thread