Episode #10 "Give A Little Take A Little"


Ferrariman

Recommended Posts

  • 8 months later...

This is not one of my favorite episodes. Burt Young's accent seemed all wrong to me. Maybe Rick could tell me if I'm off-base on that. He was better as Rocky's brother-in-law! Some of the dialogue seemed stiff, as though they were saying it for the first time. Parts I liked were: Cool Miami shots like Ramirez's house, inside & out. Bright sunny Florida daytime scenes. Stan doing his nightclub act & Larry, the only one enjoying it. The best part to me was the way Sonny protected his informants, to the point of going to jail. Noogie, got a new respect for Sonny & Rico after that. Good scenes when Cinco & Ramirez got their lumps. I'll rate this a 7+ because of Sonny's integrity & Stan's comedy!Quote from Rick: "Tony D,Burt Young's accent wasn't an accent...he was constantly sloshed while we were shooting. Those drinks he was having on screen were the real deal!An I agree, I didn't like this episode at all!"RB

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest neworder

This episode really does show its age. The editing is pretty poor throughout the episode, especially in scenes with the awfully played Bob in them. Both Bob and his wife go down as in my book probably the worst actors to be featured in vice. And why crocketts return plays in the background in his scenes i dont know. This episode continues the trend of average episodes in season 1 carrying on from glades. It has some nice scenes, a cool car chase which again is ruined slightely by editing and also a few nice shootouts...again ruined by editing. To be honest editing is really the biggest issue with this episode...and oh that gay looking guy who dances at the club with the big hair, dont like that.This is the first ep to centre on the lovely main ladies of vice, and it's also the first episode to feature Tubbs' Caddy! Trudy and gina look nice for the most part but their acting is sometimes a little wooden. I enjoyed the scenery in this episode...nice to see a young Michael Madsen...ermmm....yeah. Basically this episode is nothing special, it introduces the 'ladies' line of work at the vice department and there are some nice scenes in this episode. Unfortunately bob and his wife are hopeless at acting, the editing is poor and the scene in court looks very out-dated when compared to season 4's contempt of court!Overall 5/10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

although some of ginas acting seems to be far fetched ... it's a start to extend ginas character during the show. she shows a part of her inside that will be continued in later episodes: she's extremely high-flying. she thinks she gets everything under control when she's throwing all caution into the wind. a fatal mistake! so she's beaten by the overestimation of her own capabilities.gina also has some fine sound bites:"they haven't invented a tricky situation we can't handle.""you always have to mess up the merchandise, don't you?""i don't wanna catch nothing."... her gaze could be as contemptuous as crocketts gaze.i also enjoyed...... stan and larry at their show act... nice car chase ... though i always wondered why the heck alverado don't drive OVER the hot-dog stall instead of being stopped by it ...... great clothing for gina and trudy... and the first flying wastebasket of the show ;)all in all it's not the best vice episode. i'd rate 7 plus 2 extra points for the wordless end between gina and sonny. i never thought one could express so much without a single word ...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not one of my favourites but I didn't hate it either.Glad they used "Better be good to me", but I always felt the tune was cut somewhat short. I actually bought the first Miami Vice music album on which that record was featured, before I actually saw the episode. I always imagined when I actually saw the episode, the tune would have been put to more dramatic use.I have to agree with the shoddy editing. Notice the appearance of Giancarlo Esposito used in the opening montage at 01:15, the footage being borrowed from the following episode in which he appeared, "Little Prince". And what was with Castillo's nodding dog backwards forwards backwards forwards head at 24:10?Is it me or does Burt Young look a little bit like Yoda? No wonder Gina felt violated!Earlier this year, DanJ managed to get inside the nightclub where the focal point of the episode took place. From the shots he showed me, the place is pretty much identical to what it was back then.Funny how during the Michael Madsen car chase, one minute you see them passing Chalks office at Watson Island, then only seconds later they end up coming to rest in Lummus Park on Southbeach. I guess they must have been through a wormhole or something.In "Dutch Oven", I never understood what all the fuss was about when it came to Trudy shooting that thief dead in the alleyway. Trudy and Crockett identified themselves as cops, and the thief responded by shooting at them. Therefore Trudy shot in self defence. Yet in "Give a little Take a little", Cinco has no idea that the people who've turned up at Gina's appartment who are shooting at him are cops. Trudy doesn't identify herself as a cop, and despite the fact that she doesn't tell him to stop, he isn't shooting at them, and he's running away, she almost fatally shoots him. Yet nothing is ever said about it! Internal affairs could have had a field day with that one!Best part of the episode had to be Switek's pitiful standup routine, and Zito's attempts at supporting him. I think someone should also tell Castillo that Gina and Sonny's stare was 35 seconds long. I think he's got competition!In my opinion, 5 out of 10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This episode is pretty much garbage. Burt Young (Mickey Blue Eyes, The Sopranos) looks ridiculous. I give this one 3 out of 10.

Edited by agent 47
Still stand by the rating
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would simply brand this ep as watchable. Neither awful, nor spectacular. It had an average storyline with a less then average suspense level. I give it 7.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Give a Little, take a littleWell you're going to get mad at me, but this is one of my favorite episodes and I rate it a 9. I love the opening montage with Tina Turner's Better Be Good to Me playing as Gina and Trudy shop for the 'hooker attire'. It shows their inexperience compared to later episodes. As for why Gina felt she had to sleep with Ramirez. She didn't know her cover was blown for sure. She just knew that the guy was telling her to put up or pay the consequences. She might have very well thought if she proved she was a hooker every thing would be back to the business they were conducting. I also don't think she thought it would bother her that much since she 'played ' at being a hooker all the time. You heard her she kept saying 'I can handle it. There isn't a Tricky situation..." This whole episode showed some of the upbeatness of the unit. Although Sonny's was a little puzzling since he had been working Vice for nearly 10 years, but he said it was still fun. It seemed to me if anyone should be cynical it would be Sonny. He became Cynical finally after he was forced to give up his informant and he wouldn't so he had to go to jail, and the guy walked because the informant came in and indentified himself. (I love the wastebasket kicking.) Gina's naivete is understandable, as she was fairly new at working that deep undercover. Remember she thought she had gotten over. She crowed to Trudy she hit He wants me to meet people, and until Cinquo showed up, she indeed did have Ramirez. He wanted to take her to bed ever since he first began doing business with her, but that wasn't their business arrangement. When Cinquo told him about the wire and that 'Paula had only been around for a couple of months, Ramirez connected 'Paula' to being someone's informant, not a cop. Even in the last scene when Gina and Trudy come to arrest him, and she shows him her badge. He doesn't believe she's a cop. So I can understand why Gina thought she had to Sleep with Ramirez. As for the scene at the end where Crockett and Gina just look at each other. It's the first time evidently either one of them got a little tarnished. (Sonny's a jailbird) and Gina's slept with someone she didn't want to). Remember at this point of the series. They have a romance going on, besides their work relationship. Sonny isn't very good about his emotions, and doesn't really know what to do to Comfort Gina, Gina on the other hand doesn't know what Sonny Thinks, or probably at this point she feels like damaged goods and doesn't think Sonny may want to have anything to do with her. She finally makes up her mind and walks into Sonny's arms, and his arms come around her and holds her and tries to comfort her, still not knowing what exactly he should say or do, or how he even feels about the whole thing. The scene has to go on that long to give it believablity. I for one wouldn't believe it if Sonny and Gina just came into each other's arms without even questioning what this case and its circumstances have done to their relationship if anything. Do they still feel the same about each other. Can Gina stand to be touched like that even by Sonny? I also like this episode because the whole unit is in it. Everybody has something to do. Castillo is runnng the investigation and doesn't want anyone injured. Crockett and Tubbs are investigating Alvarado and Ramirez. Gina and Trudy are working the streets, and Gina is fixing to move up the ladder to really go under as Paula to get the goods on Ramirez. Stan gets to do comedy, and Larry's there with Stan to support his partner, and to watch over Gina and Trudy and back them up.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

File this under forgettable. A resondingly weak episode in many areas.Gina's story is weak and Crockett's isn't much cop either.Some very bad acting, not least from Burt Young. He makes a disastorous attempt at a Latino accent.This episode is quite badly directed too. It's very cheap and shoddy looking.A few redeeming features; nice scenery, a good night driving scene towards the end and a guest appearance by a young Michael Madsen, although he didn't have very much to do.Overall a poor episode. 4/10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Give a littleI'm sorry, Nancy, but I hated this episode. I agree that the end when Sonny is holding Gina is a tender moment but that was its only redeeming scene. Burt Young is a better actor than we see him here! I loved him in "Back to School" and "Rocky". In this episode, he is so wooden. His speech is monotone, emotionless. I thought he was reading his lines off a teleprompter! I hated the fact that Gina put herself in such situation where she was forced to sleep with him. How could she be so stupid? He could have killed her! And honestly, I don't understand why she felt forced to begin with. No case is worth that! Just push him away and say, "Sorry, bud. Not today." After all, she's a cop and he's fat and out of shape. That wouldn't have been much of a contest. Just trip him down that stupid spiral staircase instead of walking up to his room like a dumb lamb to the slaughter! Did she go to counseling after this? Did she go on leave? Did she get reprimanded for poor judgement? If I had been Castillo, I would have reassigned her to another department. Instead, she goes on and gets tripped up again in "Blood and Roses". Another time she makes a very poor decision. All Castillo did that time was give her a "stern" look! Sorry, there's no believability here for me. I gave this one a 3, and I felt that was being generous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MoscaTrue, Tony, Mosca had his charm...until he decided to kill her. Mosca was a lady killer, and after a few glasses of champagne, Gina was putty in his hands. Loved that episode, actually. The plot made a lot more sense than "Give a Little, Take a Little" for sure. And I agree with you, I hate the Italian Mobster stereotype. The entertainment industry has done a lot of harm perpetuating that image. MJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Drunk?Wait, was Ramirez drunk?? I couldn't tell with that awful acting. More like a semi coma!! Mosca might have been tipsy, but he was sexy and seductive. Ramirez was a Neanderthal. MJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait' date=' was Ramirez drunk?? I couldn't tell with that awful acting. More like a semi coma!! MJ[/quote']Tony was saying that Rick Bravo (who was on set at the time), said that Burt Young was drunk throughout filming.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

This is not another standout episode for me. With that being said I don't think it is all that bad. It is definitely better than "Glades." I think the scene where Crockett is protecting his informant shows how dedicated he is even if it means being held in contempt. I give this episode an 8.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Not a great episode - a so/so one in my opinion. 6/10:DThis run of three , "Glades", "Give a Little..." and "Little Prince" are before we see the Series really pick up again with "Milk Run" and "Golden Triangle Pts1/2"

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

One of the best episodes of the first season !!!:happy::clap::clap:Two parallel stories at first which don´t seem to meet, but in the last moments Ramirez is the gangster in both cases.:sick:Futhermore Gina´s destiny is so much emotional - background music by Jill Colluci with Toda´s a Beginning (why this song hasn´t been recorded until today???:cry:)Style, fashion and music is very strong as well as wonderful scenes of Miami full of sunshine und hotness - in contrast to this cruel and depressing story - COOL.:clap::happy::happy:Moreover a large list of great actors is playing here and many various locations.Humour also doesn´t miss out (Noogie and Stan:D:D).Great episode with great actors !!!10 of 10 points

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

This episode is not really that cool or special. It's by no means the worst of first season, but it still is just sort of an "average" episode.I did not really care for or like the storyline of Crockett's informant and him spending time in jail for refusing to reveal the name. I also didn't think the actor (Lenny Von Dohlen) playing the goofy informant Bob Rickert, was very good or believable.The best part and/or storyline in this episode was with Gina and her emotional dilemma of getting too caught up in her case. I thought Saundra Santiago did a superb job and you really "felt" for her. Of course we all love Crockett and Tubbs--but in many ways Gina is my favorite edition to the Vice team...and I love the episodes that deal with or focus on her.Another good part to this episode is this is the first time we get to see Tubbs' Cadillac Convertible! The Ferraris were cool...but I've always loved the Caddy and the color--it was totally "MV!" :thumbsup:Because of Gina's part/performance in this episode and the introduction of the Caddy--I gave it a 7. Otherwise, I would've voted it lower.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

The subplot with Sonny and his informant keeps this one off my all time worst list. That should've been the main story IMHO. As others have mentioned, Burt Young was just plain awful and disgusting to look at.Bad casting at it's worst.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
File this under forgettable. A resondingly weak episode in many areas.Gina's story is weak and Crockett's isn't much cop either.Some very bad acting' date=' not least from Burt Young. He makes a disastorous attempt at a Latino accent.This episode is quite badly directed too. It's very cheap and shoddy looking.A few redeeming features; nice scenery, a good night driving scene towards the end and a guest appearance by a young Michael Madsen, although he didn't have very much to do.Overall a poor episode. 4/10[/quote']Madsen should've had the role Burt Young played
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.