Your all-time top 5 Miami Vice scenes


Daytona74

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"El Viejo" - Jake Pierson's death scene. That has to be the best death scene I have ever seen - Willie Nelson's acting talent outstrips that of many Hollywood stars.

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  • 3 years later...

This is one of the harder questions.............

I will give my personal top 5, then continue with the next 5, to make it fair:

#1:"Deliver us from evil" ending- is my favourite scene, because it is so..... ice-cold, well put, well deserved, good athmoshpere, good acting level from both Don Jonhson and his "nemesis" + some nice music in the end...... It has anything a legendary scene needs. I mean........ I think this scene gives "Deliver us from evil"  5 points of rating on the x/10 scale. Even if the episode was itself just a 5/10, and this scene came, it would still be 10/10. I think that is why that is my 2nd favourite episode.

#2: A bullet for Crockett intro- sums the show EXTREMELY well........ drug busts, shootouts, style, good music, luxury car chases, and a strong end (Crockett getting shot)

#3:The Freefall end sequence- is  my 3rd favourite scene because it finnishes the show smoothly. We say goodbye to our main characters, see "the jewel" one last time, the St Vitus dance one last time, all of these while being shown in a pleasent athmoshpere with one of the few good Tim Trunman performances and "Tell me" at the end- and a past quote: "Tubbs, have you ever considered a career in southern law enforcement ?" 

#4: "Cry" ending- I think  I don't really need to explain this one...... So fresh, stylish, such good music, and baddass acting level, and it also ends my 4th favourite episode on a high note

#5: Crockett getting the "jewel" (aka Testarossa)- short scene, nothing emotional, BUT, it shows us for the first time Crockett's new car, a white Ferrari Testarossa, all while playing on "Crockett's theme"

Now the next 5, since it is fair to put them aswell:

#6: Sons and Lovers ending scene: We get a lot of content here regarding Tubbs' character, all while playing on "Long way to go". Need I say more ?

#7: Down for the count 1- Switek finding Zito dead. Also, need I say more ?

#8: Down for the count 2- that Testarossa chase (The greatest Testarossa car chase we are offered in the entire show)- but I can't put it higher since it doesn't add much to the story or to the characters

#9: The Payback ending scene: Smooth music, good acting level, some sea-action, an intense fist-fight, sunny athmosphere.

#10: This one is very hard....... Out of "Crockett-Castillo" scene in Child's play, and the "Stinger scene" in Calderone's return or Sonny Burnett surrendering to the OCB............. OR, the cliffhanger scene at the end of S4. I don't know what to choose intead of the other one......... to be honest. It is very hard.

Edited by Adrian321
Changed my mind
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5. Crockett and Castillo discuss obsession at the coffee shop in Shadow In The Dark

4. The slow-motion shot of Crockett and Tubbs stepping away from Evan and Guzman at the end of Evan.

3. Crockett and Tubbs talk with Marty Lang about Hank Weldon's "J-50", Tony Arcaro in Out Where The Buses Don't Run.

2. Tubbs makes his way across the dance floor and over to Calderone's table to shake the hand of the man that killed his brother in Brother's Keeper.

1. Crockett and Tubbs discuss "business" with Grocero at the night club in Smuggler's Blues.

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  • 10 months later...

Hard question because I mostly have scenes in my mind instead of full episodes that I really like, but here we go:

 

1. The ending of "Heart of Darkness" where Crockett and Tubbs get the info that Arthur killed himself. The music really fits the atmosphere

2. In "Rock And A Hard Place" where Caitlin gets into the car and Crockett looks at the window sliding up. Since then Don't Dream It's Overe is one of my favorite songs

3. The scene where Crockett confronts Castillo about what he thought about him in "Payback". Really like how Castillo reacts and what he tells Crockett

4. The ending scene of "Forgive Us Our Debts" where Hackman tells Crockett that he really committed the murder and that he was indeed the killer. The look on Crocketts face is very emotional and I have this in memory since I first saw it

5. At the end of "Free Fall Pt. 2" where they want to kill Crockett and Tubbs after shooting down the plane and they just walk off and throw their badges. Also like how Castillo drives up like in an old Western movie and gives them the staredown. This ending really fits the Vice vibe in my opinion.

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I'm going to leave the iconic scenes alone---many are going to name them (the revenge scarab boat ride to Calderone's island to vindicate Rodriguez' death, the assassin shoot-out in the house of Sonny's wife, the bomb between Trudy's feet in Smuggler's Blues, Evan's death).

I can't cut my favorites down out of these SIX: 

1---Tubbs yelling "You Beast!" as he discovers the power of the boat he just stole and is escaping in, not realizing that a guy named Sonny Crockett is waiting a la Michael Keaton's Batman with his back calmly against the bridge Tubbs is about to roll under...

2---Up to now silent and harmless Lt. Castillo, bleeding after that (stupidly scared) woman stabbed him, suddenly dropping from ceiling rafters and silently going throughout the house Ginsu-ing half a dozen gunmen---Sashi-Mori-Sock-it-through-Ya, pal!  This man's got mad skills!!

3---Calderone dying by the swimming pool.  Miguel Pinero, the actor who played him did NOT give us the typical kingpin routine.  This actor was short in height, with a thin street-voice, and the eyes of someone you could share a pleasant blue-collar bus ride with tomorrow morning.  Even as he dies, the actor "rolls" in this very distinct way like a walrus beside the water, then dips his head back. Never saw that in an acted death before, not corny or overplayed, yet SO danged memorable---kudos to everyone who helped him film that (including Ms Madiera whose wailing cry DRIVE's home Miguel's last body movements).

4---Crockett's stewardess lover coming out of the airline terminal (prettiest legs on that actress), neither Sonny nor her knowing that a drug bag she's been muling in her stomach has burst open.
Something about seeing her curled up to her splayed knees in the corner next to the toilet and bouncing like a Mexican jumping bean, just disturbed the hell out of me---I couldn't get that sight out of my mind through the whole episode.  It hurt, and got me mad.

5---Some dude with a bag and a ski mask walking into a Jewish man's diner, and PUMPING OUT every living soul (four total) with a short-barrel shotgun.  Owner, boy, two drug hoods (four total), and packs and leaves before Tubbs and Crockett could reverse their car and pull out their handguns to investigate.  The only witness to the multiple murder was Tim Trumans' guitar sequence.  It's really well filmed and edited, and has maximum shock value no matter how many repeat watchings you do.  
Like another poster wrote, it was a particularly more violent episode than we were used to seeing from the show.

6---We've only just been introduced to Crockett, and it's now near the end of the pilot episode.  Sonny's worked out the math indicating one of his own fellow officers had been "bought".  The man's got a daughter in a wheelchair, so I can imagine right away why he was easy to "buy",... and he and Sonny are sitting within a really tight camera close-up in the lush brown leather seats of Sonny's black Daytona.  Somewhere on the outer edge of the block the sun is shining Miami style, but here these two actors and the upholstery are in early shadow.  And even after the guy confesses to Sonny, and Sonny is cool and reserved about it, Sonny still has to ask the question WHY,... and HE BLOWS UP ON THE GUY, he loses everything you can call control, you want to cry for Sonny, you want the cops to hurry up and pull Sonny out of the car, and pull him off the guy before he chokes him to death right in front his own home.  I read critics say the scene was pretentious, corny, needlessly embelished, yadda-yadda.  But I think the critics are seeing things wrong a lot of times.  I grew up with Kojak, seen TJ Hooker, Starsky and Hutch, Mod-Squad, and never had it expressed to me the way this Miami Vice scene did... how much members in a cop TEAM have to assume SO MUCH trust in each other, that it must actually hurt that much to learn that one of you "sold your people out".  This scene was VERY necessary.

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1. Out where the buses dont run

Leaving ocb and going tô break the wall (brothers in arms)

2. When irish eyes are crying

The Daytona explosion (yeah, but see, the boat sails tomorrow)

3. Sons and lovers

Tubbs crying and Sonny shooting the machine gun.

4. The brothers keeper

In the Air tonight

5. Lombard

Wire u2 part

6. Payback

- Frank zappa's part

-The boat fight

7. Like a Hurricane

When crockett meets Caitlin

 

Probably more but my Alz..Alz...well...i forgot...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

5. Stone's War - The moment Stone yells, "Incoming!!!" as he realizes they're under fire in the boat. It completely caught me off guard.

4. Glades - The moment Clem saves the day. I love that guy. I wish we could have been reunited with him in a later episode. 

3. Shadow in the Dark - The moment when 'The Shadow' is discovered in the house, and is about to attack the woman. That scene shook me up.

2. Bushido - The entire scene in the house while Kate Bush's song, 'Hello Earth' is being played. 

1. The Prodigal Son - The exchange between J.J. Johnston and the detectives. The dialogue and tension is absolute perfection. It's MV at the absolute top of its game.

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  • 7 months later...

1. Forgive Us Our Debts - The ending when Hackman gives Sonny the cross. "I guess I won't be needing this anymore. Maybe you can use it". And the look at Sonny's face. I remember watching that for the first time and I was genuinely surprised too. Amazing plot.

2. Out Where the buses don't run - I mean Brothers in Arms, Ferrari and Tony Arcaro inside the wall. This is TV history.

3. Payback - When Sonny goes to the prison to meet Maroto (that was a genuine super tough guy Roberto Duran). "Vice, Miami".

4. Death And the Lady (very underrated). "Moon over Miami". That episode had unexplainable dark vibe... very, very unique "Twin Peakish" atmosphere.

5. Lombard - Denis Farina was sensational, charismatic actor and everything in the dialogue worked so well. The ending was great of course.

Edited by apocalypse
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  • 3 months later...

1. In The Air Tonight scene.

2. Voices boat sequence.

3. Jackie killing herself, it finally sinks into her that she is truly wicked in "Little Miss Dangerous" powerful stuff.

4. "Out Where The Buses Don't Run" ending.

5. Gina finding out that Odette killed herself at the end of "Bought and Paid For" heartbreaking scene.

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  • 2 months later...

One from each season:

  1. "Calderone's Return" (second half) AKA "Calderone's Demise" - the ending, set to Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It?".
  2. "Smuggler's Blues" - Tubbs is apprehended and Crockett and Jimmy have no choice but to leave him behind.
  3. "Little Miss Dangerous" - the whole climax up until the final, fatal suicide of the unofficially-eponymous murderer (I can still hear Tubbs's screams in my head today).
  4. "Hell Hath No Fury..." - the epilogue, with Lieutenant Castillo basically giving everyone a talking to, which was unusual, if not the first time.
  5. "Freefall" - the very final scene of the series, with our two heroes parting ways, followed by a montage of the show's good times (and the bad).
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