Episode #8 "The Great McCarthy"


Ferrariman

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  • 7 months later...
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deduction of points the bad guy is far too plain and one dimensional, the story line too skinny ... and rico - a cop from NY - suddenly is well informed about boats to talk shop with mc carthy?? but ...... i love izzy's performance.... i even love better the countless shots of white boats, blue sky and green water ... after the race: castillos mute but clear sign to care about mc carthys boat - AWESOME! my rating is 8.
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  • 3 weeks later...

I only saw this episode about twice since it was first made & I forgot what it was about. Now that I watched it on my DVD, The Great McCarthy is one of my favorite episodes. Izzy starts off my enjoyment of this one right in the beginning, jumping to a big inconclusion! Nice inviting Miami scenery as Crockett & Tubbs meet with McCarthy. At McCarthy's home, the band playing,"Some Guys have all the Luck," everyone dancing & having fun, shows a really attractive Florida lifestyle. I dig Izzy's tux at the party. Cool pool game between Sonny & McCarthy, even though it was difficult for him to keep the yellow ball in the pocket. Then the big race! The song "Born to be Wild" ignites the excitement. A little strange hearing the words "going down the highway" when they're on water but exciting none-the-less. All around good feeling in this episode. I rate it a 9. I added "Some Guys Have all the Luck" to my repertoire at gigs & got some favorable comments!Ell.a.........like I said on .org, maybe Sonny gave Tubbs a crash course on racing boats.

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Guest neworder

The Great McCarthy is the epiosde along with one eyed jack that really hooked me to vice. Stylish, action packed and a terrific jan hammer soundtrack make this a definate highlight of the whole series. Izzys is introduced also which is brilliant. If im being critical however, the love scenes between rico and mcarthy's wife drag on a little and slow the reasonably fast paced episode down. Additionally, ive found on my latest viewing, the first for nearly a year, that McCarthy is a bit of a bland villain, he is not cool and confident, nor on the edge and dangerous.Originally i gave this 10, but now i'm only deducting .5 because it is still a great episode!9.5/10

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If you want an episode that really shows the beauty of Miami this is surely it. This episode really has all the great elements of Vice: the style, the fashion, the music, scenery and locations. It has a good story too and it's a very well written and well executed episode. The scenery in this episode is absolutely beautiful. This is really is a visually striking episode. I loved how they used the Scarface house in Key Biscayne again. The scene where Tubbs first meets with Louis McCarthy there and they discuss the boats is great. The party sequence was also great. Crockett is in dark clothes, a precusor to the season 3 wardrobe.I loved the band covering Laura Branigan's 'Self Control', which was also on the Vice City soundtrack. Superb music by Jan Hammer in this episode. Some of his best work. I loved the two tunes that were later re-used in Mirror Image. He never made a track on the show that I didn't like. The introduction of Izzy is a questionable blessing. He's OK here. I can tolerate him in small doses but there was way too much of him in seasons 3 & 4 and it was the same schtick every time. One notable thing is Izzy and Castillo are in the same scene. There was never too many scenes with the both of them. And about Castillo, he's in a surprising good mood in this episode. He even cracks a joke at one point. His hard look was very effective when McCarthy got busted after the race. The boat race is one of the greatest sequences in the show's history . What a great way to show the full majesty of Miami. Awesome stuff. I love the aerial shoto of the islands and South Beach then the overhead shots of the boats zooming past Miami Beach and Bal Harbor. The boats go through the 'front door' at Haulover, which was featured in Cocaine Cowboys. We got a look at the Harbor House condo, which was also featured in CC. It was demolished years later and a new modern condo was built in it's place. 'Born To Be Wild' matches the race scene very well, but it's odd having lyrics about heading out on the highway used during a boat race. Then this was followed by an awesome Jan Hammer tune 'The Great Boat Race' which matched the sequence perfectly. The whole boat race scene was amazing. The Great McCarthy is an excellent episode. 9/10 Season one has a dip in quality after this and the next three episodes are weak.

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i may have missed this in one of the posts above, but am i the only one who finds the final scene of this ep to be one of the worst endings of the entire series?"you...can't....do it""i've got to"then jan hammer's "diiiinnnngggg"wth?don't get me wrong, this is one of my favorite eps, but i always laugh at that last exchange.

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My Comments for Great McCarthy from original postSomehow I missed commenting on this episode the first time around. I give this one a 9. It's one of my very favorite episodes from 1st Season and I love Jan Hammer's music, and the choice of popular music used in this episode. I love the scenery and the life style, as to the cover band, it's better than some of the ones which were playing around here. It looks to me that Sonny's and Rico's friendship is still forming, and Rico who's been down in Miami for what a month or two is still too optimistic and a little green for the life. Sonny on the other hand has been around the block some and feels he needs to warn Rico. It's a bit hypocritial of both of them but human, I mean every time Sonny gets involved Rico is always warning Sonny, and Sonny takes offense, this time the shoe is on the other foot, and Sonny warns Rico about Vanessa, and Rico takes offense. I love the pool game, and I love 'Go Insane' playing while it's going on, Sonny seemed to be alittle insane betting the dept's Daytona, on a pool game, but he was told by Castillo to get into the race, so I guess he felt he had to pull out all the stops, also he was pretty confident he could win with his background. Later on in the series in "Bad Timing" we hear how he got so good at billiards. I love the boat race. I also like Zito's enthusiasm while they're racing. I always thought it was interesting that after Gina's and Trudy's take down of the professor,(by the way who wears clothes like that while in college? Those dresses looked like they were from the 60's and my mother's house dresses!) Sonny tries to charm Gina into giving him the money. Not once does he tell them that Castillo said maybe he could borrow the money from them, he only tells them he needs a little good faith money at short notice. Of course at this point Sonny and Gina are involved so maybe that's why he felt he didn't have to explain any more than what he did. Sonny and Gina dance, ok it's just a little, but they are doing a little moving on the boat. I also liked the way they were cuddled up together. (Sorry, but I'm a Sonnny should be with Gina fan.) One of the funniest lines in this episode Sonny utters is in response to Stan complaining about Larry being the one on the Beach as the lifeguard. Sonny says something like, Oh we shouldn't put him out there, he might blind somebody! I laugh every time I hear this line. :D

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Don't remember what I put down the first time for this episode. I think Sonny gave Rico pointers on all the boat stuff to tell McCarthy. And the man is so full of himself. Like it's said at the party. "What does one talk about at a McCarthy party" "Why McCarthy of course" I know I didn't get it the right way but you all have the idea....Always liked that. Then the way Castillo tells Sonny and Rico to go to Trudy and Gina for the money..lol....Love Sonny as the waiter coming to their room and he uses his relationship to get the money from Gina....And both Tubbs and Crockett watch Larry, Stan , Gina and Trudy get the guy...I laugh at that part. And then he comes in to carry the case and get the money.....Of course being a DJ girl I just adore the betting scene with Pool and the ride in his ferrai....lol....and of course Sonny looks great in his green cut off shirt, winning and then saying he won some lunches.....lol....Of course the race was so good, like Tony said "Born to be Wild" the perfect song there. And the extra kick Sonny had added to the boat to win the money back! I love this episode. But the kinky part where Rico asks Vanessa about how she is coming on to him in front of her boyfriend was funny too, I don't remember things like that said in the 70's shows. And in the end, I just adore Gina with Sonny, some don't but I always did. I love them laying together with Izzy coming up on them. But hated how Sonny must have felt to rain on Rico's love life........I give it a 10. sue

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  • 2 weeks later...

I found this to be a really feel good episode, and I felt the episode captured the spirit of Miami very well. Parties, boats, the young and wealthy. This episode could have been used as a tourist advertisment for the city.My favourite scene was the boat race. Not only "Born to be wild" but in particular the Jan Hammer score during the second half, against the backdrop of the water, sun, and hotels. Very beautiful.I also loved the party scene, and also the scene where Tubbs introduces himself to McCarthy, with Jan Hammer's "Marina" playing in the background.Having said all that, I thought Crockett was insane to bet his Ferrari. Afterall, technically it's not his car, and also he had no idea what kind of player McCarthy was.My vote would be 8 out of 10.

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I found this a really feel good episode of Miami Vice, and I felt the episode captured the spirit of Miami very well. Parties, boats, the young and wealthy. This episode could have been used as a tourist advertisment for the city.My favourite scene was the boat race. Not only "Born to be wild" but in particular the Jan Hammer score during the second half, against the backdrop of the water, sun, and hotels. Very beautiful.I also loved the party scene, and also the scene where Tubbs introduces himself to McCarthy, with Jan Hammer's "Marina" playing in the background.Having said all that, I thought Crockett was insane to bet his Ferrari. Afterall, technically it's not his car, and also he had no idea what kind of player McCarthy was.My vote would be 8 out of 10.

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The Great McCarthyI loved the Boat Race and the scene where Sonny is playing pool. I also liked the dialogue between Vanessa, Tubbs and Crockett in the beginning. But, I agree with a previous comment that the villian was flat. Terrible actor. Also, I'm sorry, but that love scene between Rico and Vanessa in that bed with that weird window in the background, is just...embarrassing. I give this episode an 8.

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Guest neworder
i may have missed this in one of the posts above' date=' but am i the only one who finds the final scene of this ep to be one of the worst endings of the entire series?"you...can't....do it""i've got to"then jan hammer's "diiiinnnngggg"wth?don't get me wrong, this is one of my favorite eps, but i always laugh at that last exchange.[/quote']Yeah pretty random ending I say, goes down with One Way Ticket (Bang your dead) and Florence Italy (loud sound of glass smashing as car crashes in wall) as the most random/poor endings to a vice episode.SJB
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  • 3 weeks later...

Solid enough episode with plenty of great scenery and Richard Liberty (Dr. Frankenstein from Day of the Dead) in a small part as a drug-dealing college professor. Overall the romance subplot felt kind of meh and took away from the smuggling aspect of the episode. Great song "Go Insane" by Lindsey Buckingham. Overall have to lower from my original 9 to an 8/10.

 

Edited by agent 47
New review due to Blu-ray viewing.
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  • 4 months later...

Did anyone catch what does McCarthy say about the boat when he invites Tubbs to watch the race, something like, 'beameane n batch' ??He also talks about it later but I didn't get it :rolleyes:

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Perhaps a little more style than substance, but totally cool episode. I just love it when "Rico's Blues" is introduced. Funny to see Izzy practically in tears. 9/10

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Well it's all been said... and well said by all before me here. I agree with many of the previous comments so what else can I say?When I saw this episode in 1985, I was blown away! I went out after to hang out with my hot rod buddies but I was in a daze, day dreaming about that boat. The next day I got in my pathetic 15 foot 1960 Larson with a 35 Evinrude on the back and went for a cruise down the Niagara River and it was embarrasing.............................Now 24 years later I finally own the boat as my dream has come true. That one episode inspired me to have that boat and live that lifestyle. (although I am not a rich person)Last year I went to the Thousand Island Poker Run (the biggest run in North America now!) I was navigator for a friend of mine, as sadly, my boat is not as fast as some of these units today. While attending the big dinner after the run I met many people from all over north America and they asked what kind of boat I had. I admitted I was with a friend and only navigator, but that I owned the Stinger. I became an instant celebrity of sorts in about five minutes and lots of people gathered and spoke up that it was that single episode of "McCarthy" that also inspired them. Now I am not in the class of these other kind folks as I do not have a couple of million dollar Sunsation, Fountain, Donzi or Nor-Tech, but many expressed that it was that single episode that inspired them to play in this hobby! Some of the people I met there were actually doing this full time as a hobby and of great means who could afford this type of oppulance. They all told me that I have to bring the boat this year just for the "nastalgia factor" and I hope to attend.This one episode of "The Great McCarthy" got me hooked and as I saw from my weekend with these folks that it also inspired numerous others both of my age group as well as some younger folks. One person in particular was only 24 years of age and very rich from some software development. He told me he saw TGM on DVD and decided to buy a Nor-tech (3 1/2 million dollar triple engine speed boat capable of over 120mph) and do all the Poker Runs across the continent. ( I, in my humble meager means can barely afford to attend one of these events and pay for fuel alone!) But you can see as I did that TGM gave the fantasy of the boating world, racing and living the lifestyle, eating shrimp and having cocktails and getting a tan etc. Who wouldn't want to do that?One of my personal all time favorites and a 10 in my humble opinion. Great music, good scenery and of course...boats!

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Guest neworder

Nice story Stinger 390XI have to say I was never even remotely interested in any boats before I watched Vice, but the Stinger/Scarab changed that for me. I doubt I'll ever get one, simply the UK doesn't really have anywhere that could let the beast un-leash itself, but it shall always be a pleasure to see others preserving these boats. Keep up the good work!

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Thanks New Order.You mentioned that you have no where to run? Well my god man!!! You have the English Channel and all those nice beaches in France! And only twenty minutes away for that matter!!!Here where I run my boat I hang around Port Dalhousie and the Lower Niagara River. The trip to Toronto is only 26 miles across the lake and you can see the CN Tower and the Bank of Montreal etc on a clear day. I understand the same can be said from England to France!Of course there are places to run the boat. Going up the Thames might be fun but you would have to clean the hull after...hahahahahaha...........

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  • 4 weeks later...

This episode is the perfect depiction of Miami. Boats, parties, nice homes and fancy clothes. Jan Hammer's tune "Marina" is a great song and I have it on my I pod along with every other song from Jan Hammer's Miami Vice: The Complete Collection. Sonny's ability to play pool is another insight as to what makes him such a great undercover cop in that he seems to have come from this background of having learned about life on the streets. I guess what I am trying to say is that he developed street smarts early on in his youth. He is really a down to earth all American male i.e. former football player and military veteran. He is much more laid back than Rico. I give this episode an 8.

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  • 10 months later...

This may be an episode that some like and some dislike. But, I love this episode!! It was a little "lighter" with the plot and we didn't have to worry about or deal with the character's personal problems or own dept. politics--it was all about the case and an interesting one to me!I thought Lewis McCarthy was an interesting and different type of bad guy than say Calderone or even Lombard. He was much more sophisticated and suave...not exploding into rages or constantly having people murdered when he didn't get his way. He knew what he wanted and tried to get it intelligently and behind-the-scenes to not attract that much attention.I loved the wardrobe and "Vice" clothes in this episode too--especially for Crockett and bad-girl Vanessa. I also loved the music choices, especially at McCarthy's party (where Gifford gets "iced")!!So, awesome plot, awesome music, awesome clothes, etc... = an awesome episode! I gave it a 9! :thumbsup:

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