Season 1 - Rank your 5 Favorite Villians


ComplimentsofMrCalderone

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Who's your top 5 favorite villians from Season One?  If it's Bruce Willis as the gun running Tony Amato, Jim Zubiena as the Hit Man Argentinean assassin Ludovici Armstrong, or Burt Young as Paulie... er.. I mean Lupo Ramirez, rank your five favorites here:

- - -

My Top 5 Favorite villians from Season One:  (Counting down from number five)

5. Afemo Omilami as Desmond Maxwell (Cool Runnin)

Desmondmaxwell.thumb.jpg.c003b74a6bb1153506da053ac895fecd.jpg

Many will find this an odd choice considering how little screen time he had, but Afaemo showed so much screen presence and gravitas that I was left hungry for more Desmond Maxwell... sadly something we never got. But that stare of his still fills me with dread to this day!

4. John Turturro as David Traynor (Rites of Passage)

latest-9.thumb.jpg.9814bd0ec9d06973c427e458ae2ae222.jpg

I love John Turturro in almost everything he does, and he doesn't disappoint as the head of a modeling agency which is a front for a high class call-girl service. Traynor is way too smart and smooth to get caught by the law, and I love the sinister underlying to his sweet demeanor.

3. Al Israel as Guzman (Evan)

latest-19.thumb.jpg.b5d982f2408b860e022528be3f9ac9e6.jpg

Something about Al Israel's screen presense and line delivery exudes danger and betrayal in every scene he's in. Israel has this uncanny ability to make you feel like that in any moment, it can be your last. He expressed the same ability in "Scarface" and "Carlito's Way".  Any character sitting across from Guzman just make me plain worry for that character... which is impressive because Al is certainly not an imposing man.

2. Dennis Farina as Albert Lombard (One Eyed Jack, Lombard)

albert-lombard-miami-vice.thumb.jpg.0a131198397772bc00b3d89f5a615415.jpg

That's the price. - Anyone trying to resist that lovable Italian murderous gangster stereotype shouldn't watch Dennis Farina as Albert Lombard. Dennis is extremely likeable in this role, so much so I questioned myself - does Lombard really belong in a top 5 villian list?  I must relent that, likeable or not, the extremely charismatic Farina does play a character responsible for enough numerous murders and crimes to make him eligible.  And you got to love the old school gangster and his code, being pushed out by a new generation of honorless thugs.

#1 Miguel Piñero as Esteban Calderone (Brother's Keeper, Calderone's Return - Part II)

IMG_20171208_114806.jpg.882a1a7c7f1dbd3c4a2a6ddcc2bd2b4a.jpg

You can arrest me now!  You're not gonna shoot me are ya? It's against the law. It's against the law!  - Thanks to a wonderfully written character, the small statured yet big on presense actor Miguel Piñero plays the vilianous role of a lifetime - almost not a villian himself, but the representation, the face of a crooked system that will forever beat down the vice cops Crocket and Tubbs. Sonny and Rico are fighting a losing war... and Calderone is an embodiment of why. Bravo!

- - -

So that's my Top-5 Season One Villian list!

1. Calderone

2. Lombard

3. Guzman

4. Traynor

5. Maxwell

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Great selection. I'd agree with those for the same reasons you gave. 
I'd add Amato from No Exit as he was just all round scumbag with a degree of cunning and it was Bruce Willis too to make it even better.

General Lao Li as he was such a great adversary for Castillo.

And Esai Morales' character in Home Invaders as he too was a total immoral scumbag.

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22 minutes ago, Remington said:

1 Esteban Calderone

2 Tony Amato

3 Al Lombard

4 The Argentinian

5 Guzman

Yes, I wrestled with putting The Argentinean in my final list!  His look was so unique, and the fact his characer was primarly silent added to the eerieness of him... as well as his desire to go down firing when faced with a no escape scenario of armed police!  Yep, if I picked a runner up, it would be him for sure!

Jimzubiena.thumb.jpg.e0d1baba6db57f752ce4a2e90a98f5c3.jpg

Edited by ComplimentsofMrCalderone
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On 19/01/2018 at 7:17 AM, ComplimentsofMrCalderone said:

Who's your top 5 favorite villians from Season One?  If it's Bruce Willis as the gun running Tony Amato, Jim Zubiena as the Hit Man Argentinean assassin Ludovici Armstrong, or Burt Young as Paulie... er.. I mean Lupo Ramirez, rank your five favorites here:

- - -

My Top 5 Favorite villians from Season One:  (Counting down from number five)

5. Afemo Omilami as Desmond Maxwell (Cool Runnin)

Desmondmaxwell.thumb.jpg.c003b74a6bb1153506da053ac895fecd.jpg

Many will find this an odd choice considering how little screen time he had, but Afaemo showed so much screen presence and gravitas that I was left hungry for more Desmond Maxwell... sadly something we never got. But that stare of his still fills me with dread to this day!

4. John Turturro as David Traynor (Rites of Passage)

latest-9.thumb.jpg.9814bd0ec9d06973c427e458ae2ae222.jpg

I love John Turturro in almost everything he does, and he doesn't disappoint as the head of a modeling agency which is a front for a high class call-girl service. Traynor is way too smart and smooth to get caught by the law, and I love the sinister underlying to his sweet demeanor.

3. Al Israel as Guzman (Evan)

latest-19.thumb.jpg.b5d982f2408b860e022528be3f9ac9e6.jpg

Something about Al Israel's screen presense and line delivery exudes danger and betrayal in every scene he's in. Israel has this uncanny ability to make you feel like that in any moment, it can be your last. He expressed the same ability in "Scarface" and "Carlito's Way".  Any character sitting across from Guzman just make me plain worry for that character... which is impressive because Al is certainly not an imposing man.

2. Dennis Farina as Albert Lombard (One Eyed Jack, Lombard)

albert-lombard-miami-vice.thumb.jpg.0a131198397772bc00b3d89f5a615415.jpg

That's the price. - Anyone trying to resist that lovable Italian murderous gangster stereotype shouldn't watch Dennis Farina as Albert Lombard. Dennis is extremely likeable in this role, so much so I questioned myself - does Lombard really belong in a top 5 villian list?  I must relent that, likeable or not, the extremely charismatic Farina does play a character responsible for enough numerous murders and crimes to make him eligible.  And you got to love the old school gangster and his code, being pushed out by a new generation of honorless thugs.

#1 Miguel Piñero as Esteban Calderone (Brother's Keeper, Calderone's Return - Part II)

IMG_20171208_114806.jpg.882a1a7c7f1dbd3c4a2a6ddcc2bd2b4a.jpg

You can arrest me now!  You're not gonna shoot me are ya? It's against the law. It's against the law!  - Thanks to a wonderfully written character, the small statured yet big on presense actor Miguel Piñero plays the vilianous role of a lifetime - almost not a villian himself, but the representation, the face of a crooked system that will forever beat down the vice cops Crocket and Tubbs. Sonny and Rico are fighting a losing war... and Calderone is an embodiment of why. Bravo!

- - -

So that's my Top-5 Season One Villian list!

1. Calderone

2. Lombard

3. Guzman

4. Traynor

5. Maxwell

Very good post ! Lombard played by the brilliant Dennis Farina was so charamasmatic and such a good actor you always rooted for him.

I know what you mean about Maxwell from “Cool Runnin” he had a dangerous unpredictability about him in the limited screen time he had - a real danger to him

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8 hours ago, Matt5 said:

I know what you mean about Maxwell from “Cool Runnin” he had a dangerous unpredictability about him in the limited screen time he had - a real danger to him

Definitely!  I wonder why we never got more of Maxwell...

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4 hours ago, ComplimentsofMrCalderone said:

Definitely!  I wonder why we never got more of Maxwell...

A menacing character - not sure how much acting experience he had though?!:hippie::thumbsup::cheers::)

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  • 1 year later...
On 1/19/2018 at 10:17 AM, ComplimentsofMrCalderone said:

Who's your top 5 favorite villians from Season One?  If it's Bruce Willis as the gun running Tony Amato, Jim Zubiena as the Hit Man Argentinean assassin Ludovici Armstrong, or Burt Young as Paulie... er.. I mean Lupo Ramirez, rank your five favorites here:

- - -

My Top 5 Favorite villians from Season One:  (Counting down from number five)

5. Afemo Omilami as Desmond Maxwell (Cool Runnin)

Desmondmaxwell.thumb.jpg.c003b74a6bb1153506da053ac895fecd.jpg

Many will find this an odd choice considering how little screen time he had, but Afaemo showed so much screen presence and gravitas that I was left hungry for more Desmond Maxwell... sadly something we never got. But that stare of his still fills me with dread to this day!

4. John Turturro as David Traynor (Rites of Passage)

latest-9.thumb.jpg.9814bd0ec9d06973c427e458ae2ae222.jpg

I love John Turturro in almost everything he does, and he doesn't disappoint as the head of a modeling agency which is a front for a high class call-girl service. Traynor is way too smart and smooth to get caught by the law, and I love the sinister underlying to his sweet demeanor.

3. Al Israel as Guzman (Evan)

latest-19.thumb.jpg.b5d982f2408b860e022528be3f9ac9e6.jpg

Something about Al Israel's screen presense and line delivery exudes danger and betrayal in every scene he's in. Israel has this uncanny ability to make you feel like that in any moment, it can be your last. He expressed the same ability in "Scarface" and "Carlito's Way".  Any character sitting across from Guzman just make me plain worry for that character... which is impressive because Al is certainly not an imposing man.

2. Dennis Farina as Albert Lombard (One Eyed Jack, Lombard)

albert-lombard-miami-vice.thumb.jpg.0a131198397772bc00b3d89f5a615415.jpg

That's the price. - Anyone trying to resist that lovable Italian murderous gangster stereotype shouldn't watch Dennis Farina as Albert Lombard. Dennis is extremely likeable in this role, so much so I questioned myself - does Lombard really belong in a top 5 villian list?  I must relent that, likeable or not, the extremely charismatic Farina does play a character responsible for enough numerous murders and crimes to make him eligible.  And you got to love the old school gangster and his code, being pushed out by a new generation of honorless thugs.

#1 Miguel Piñero as Esteban Calderone (Brother's Keeper, Calderone's Return - Part II)

IMG_20171208_114806.jpg.882a1a7c7f1dbd3c4a2a6ddcc2bd2b4a.jpg

You can arrest me now!  You're not gonna shoot me are ya? It's against the law. It's against the law!  - Thanks to a wonderfully written character, the small statured yet big on presense actor Miguel Piñero plays the vilianous role of a lifetime - almost not a villian himself, but the representation, the face of a crooked system that will forever beat down the vice cops Crocket and Tubbs. Sonny and Rico are fighting a losing war... and Calderone is an embodiment of why. Bravo!

- - -

So that's my Top-5 Season One Villian list!

1. Calderone

2. Lombard

3. Guzman

4. Traynor

5. Maxwell

This is great. Love the pictures!

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On 1/23/2018 at 2:04 PM, ComplimentsofMrCalderone said:

Definitely!  I wonder why we never got more of Maxwell...

https://miamivice.fandom.com/wiki/Desmond_Maxwell

Maxwell didn't turn up at the meet did he? Miami Vice Wiki says that he was killed by Metro-Dade police during attempted rip-off. Wasn't it a guy that kind of looked like him that got killed?

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Not necessarily in order...

Sgt. Maynard

General Lao Li

Al Lombard

Tony Amato (I hated him but Bruce Willis was so good in his role!)

Dale Menton (so slimy!)

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Maynard doesn't surface until Season 2, so you can't really count him.

I would have to go with Guzman, Lao Li, Menton, and the kids from Nobody Lives Forever.

Lombard was just too typical "mob guy" for me, even though I liked the character. Calderone was just...flat. I like the punk kids because they embodied the total random viciousness of a particular type of crime, and did it with total colorful abandon.

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31 minutes ago, Robbie C. said:

Maynard doesn't surface until Season 2, so you can't really count him.

I would have to go with Guzman, Lao Li, Menton, and the kids from Nobody Lives Forever.

Lombard was just too typical "mob guy" for me, even though I liked the character. Calderone was just...flat. I like the punk kids because they embodied the total random viciousness of a particular type of crime, and did it with total colorful abandon.

Yeah, Guzman's up there. And of course, Calderone, and Tony Amato was someone I loved to hate!

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1 hour ago, RedDragon86 said:

https://miamivice.fandom.com/wiki/Desmond_Maxwell

Maxwell didn't turn up at the meet did he? Miami Vice Wiki says that he was killed by Metro-Dade police during attempted rip-off. Wasn't it a guy that kind of looked like him that got killed?

Rule number one of Vice - never trust the Vice Wiki unless you've verified it elsewhere first. It's a handy reference point for character names and some of the location stuff, but the backgrounds are hideously unreliable in many cases (Crockett's springs immediately to mind).

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3 minutes ago, mjcmmv said:

I'll have to watch that episode again! 

I watched it not too long ago, and I don't remember them saying specifically that he was killed. There was someone in the room who looked very much like him, and it's quite possible that the "attempted rip-off" the Wiki garbled so badly was the shootout in Noogie's apartment. I think we can safely assume ol' Desmond Maxwell met his demise there.

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39 minutes ago, Robbie C. said:

Maynard doesn't surface until Season 2, so you can't really count him.

Oops, you're right.  Don't think I was paying attention to the Season 1 bit...

Ah well.  Neither Guzman or Calderone was special for me.  Not sure who else I'd pick.  The Argentinian was a good one but since he didn't have any lines I wouldn't pick him.  Most of the villains kind of ran together in my mind in S1, kind of generic. 

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Just now, vicegirl85 said:

Oops, you're right.  Don't think I was paying attention to the Season 1 bit...

Ah well.  Neither Guzman or Calderone was special for me.  Not sure who else I'd pick.  The Argentinian was a good one but since he didn't have any lines I wouldn't pick him.  Most of the villains kind of ran together in my mind in S1, kind of generic. 

I agree. That's why I put the punks in there. They were unique, and interesting in their way. More so than most of what we got in Season 1. And they had some good lines.

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10 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

I agree. That's why I put the punks in there. They were unique, and interesting in their way. More so than most of what we got in Season 1. And they had some good lines.

They remind me of a crazy gang from a western, maybe the one from "High Plains Drifter" like when death comes they don't give a crap. The fact they had nothing to lose made them so dangerous.

I remember the first time I watched "Nobody Lives Forever" and some scenes really took me back, especially the one in the fast food restaurant when they just blew away Morgan's hitmen. I was like wtf!

 

Edited by RedDragon86
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10 hours ago, vicegirl85 said:

Oops, you're right.  Don't think I was paying attention to the Season 1 bit...

Ah well.  Neither Guzman or Calderone was special for me.  Not sure who else I'd pick.  The Argentinian was a good one but since he didn't have any lines I wouldn't pick him.  Most of the villains kind of ran together in my mind in S1, kind of generic. 

Not Calderone?  Guzman I agree wasn’t that special looked a sinister though. I liked McCarthy in “Great McCarthy” he played it different.

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1 hour ago, Matt5 said:

Not Calderone?  Guzman I agree wasn’t that special looked a sinister though. I liked McCarthy in “Great McCarthy” he played it different.

Yes, McCarthy was out of the usual mold :).

I don't think there was enough character development of Calderone, considering how many of our guys'  lives he affected.  He was just evil and cruel, violently eliminated his enemies and used his ill-gotten gains to provide a luxurious life for himself and his daughter.  Just what I would have expected from a successful drug dealer. 

And since he got more air time than most of the villains, I guess I was looking for more background on him.  But honestly, I came late to Season 1, not being able to watch the show during its initial run.  I don't love Brother's Keeper as much as some other episodes, and the parts of it that are special to me are more about Crockett and the betrayal by his old friend Scotty Wheeler.  

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2 hours ago, vicegirl85 said:

Yes, McCarthy was out of the usual mold :).

I don't think there was enough character development of Calderone, considering how many of our guys'  lives he affected.  He was just evil and cruel, violently eliminated his enemies and used his ill-gotten gains to provide a luxurious life for himself and his daughter.  Just what I would have expected from a successful drug dealer. 

And since he got more air time than most of the villains, I guess I was looking for more background on him.  But honestly, I came late to Season 1, not being able to watch the show during its initial run.  I don't love Brother's Keeper as much as some other episodes, and the parts of it that are special to me are more about Crockett and the betrayal by his old friend Scotty Wheeler.  

Yes maybe your individual taste if you thought some other Season 1 episodes were better than the Pilot. I thought Calderone was a great villain and loved the Pilot perhaps better than any other Season 1 episode.  But getting back to McCarthy I thought he seemed a little different.

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  • 2 years later...
On 8/9/2019 at 12:49 AM, Robbie C. said:

Rule number one of Vice - never trust the Vice Wiki unless you've verified it elsewhere first. It's a handy reference point for character names and some of the location stuff, but the backgrounds are hideously unreliable in many cases (Crockett's springs immediately to mind).

Certainly a good rule. On another website it says Tubbs zaps him with a lazar, no way in world this guy is Maxwell.

To begin with there is no scar on his cheek.

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Untitled.png.964b3b4f7f6bc91d622256a4f7f099e9.png

 

Edited by RedDragon86
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Five?  :freeze:
...I don't got no five.?(
...But I got three favorites.  
...But NOT from Season One, LOL!  I got nearly NO favorite villains from S1.  I got nearly no favor for villains at all---the more thuggish, self-centered and callous they show themselves, the more callous my regard for the role and the actor playing him.  Hoods bore me.
But these are my three faves from the WHOLE series.

 

Ludovici Armstrong, the hitman Calderone hired to go through a LIST of victims in one assignment.  I don't know anything about assassins, but it seems to me that a truly professional one would blend in and look as non-villainous as the way the director made Armstrong look every time you spotted him in the camera frame.  Spot-on performance by Jim Zubiena (who did it all without a single line of dialogue, right?--did that actor even talk a word in the show?)

Charlie Glide, the guy who symbolized my jaded image of how a real Miami resident who chooses to get revenue from illegal means must have dressed and behaved and portrayed himself to his friends in the 80's.  So popular in his parties, so smarmy if police or dangerous players introduced themselves to him,... that an honest man just wants to go up and smack him in the head with a long piece of wood!

The professional driver father Frank Tepper (Stephen Joyce), because he's NOT the boisterous villain---he's someone whose face and demeanor don't allow you to picture him as a freak-out killer of prostitutes.

 

 

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