Season 2 - Final Remarks


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I don't think we did this for Season 1, but I remember doing it on .org for Seasons 4 & 5 so I thought I may as well revive this thread.Also over the course of reviewing Season 2, I've noticed a lot more fans on here making their displeasure for the quality of the season known in the reviews. To be fair, although I still rank S2 as my fave I've started to understand some of the reservations that have been put forward by others on here, so I'd like to hear more from them on an overall assessment of the season.For me, the season just blends the style, action, stories (for the most part) most perfectly out of all the seasons. My Top 5 Season 2 eps;1). Payback - probably the best episode of the entire series2). Out Where The Buses Don't Run 3). Little Miss Dangerous4). Phil The Shill5). One Way Ticket- all top class episodes, there are many more episodes I rated 9 out of 10 in this season, the most I think I have given out of all the seasons, but Season 1 beats this on the number of 10s I gave out, with only 1 dished out here in Season 2.3 Weakest episodes;1). Florence Italy - the gutter of Season 2, nice to see the cars, no story tho2). Junk Love - There are parts I love but overall it's so slow3). Bushido - just doesn't engage meOne thing to note though is that the lowest mark I gave in S2 is 6/10, compared to Season 1 where I rated 4 episodes below 6/10.So OVERALL, Vice is more established in this season and that's why overall it does better than Season 1. But towards the end of the season the stories do get thin and for that reason, I now realise that the shift that occurs in Season 3 was a necessary one, and I'm quite looking forward to starting Season 3 over again, haven't been through it properly since .org days years ago!Your final remarks?

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Season 2 - a season where style ruled supreme and substance was severely neglected.Season 2 isn't my favourite season because of the lack of quality storylines.When a Vice episode is all style and no substance it's like a great looking car with no engine.

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You know, for the longest time I considered S2 the best season and my favorite, but over time, it's fallen in stature with me. I love the looks, the styles, the music, and there's some classic eps throughout. But, when critics say MV was style over substance, there's a lot here to add weight to their claims. Now, S1 by comparison, while maybe not quite as heavy on the style (by still very stylish, don't get me wrong), by and large had excellent storylines; IMO S1 was the only season to not feature a single weak episode. S2 really sort of dumbed down in order to be hipper with the mass audience and much increased popularity.S2 is good, but I think they rebounded somewhat with S3, though that season has it's share of weaker eps, as well.(I consider S1 and S5 tied as my fvaorite seasons, for the record)

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This season leaves a lot of mixed feelings, too much style, so little substance, goofy plotting, bad acting, poor dialogue, bad romances, misuse of good plot points and guest stars, really, it just goes off into :eek:ville a bit too much.My Top Five Best Episodes Of The Season:1. The Fix2. Buddies3. Back In The World4. Out Where The Buses Don't Run5. The Prodigal SonMy Top Five Worst Episodes Of The Season:1. Junk Love2. The Dutch Oven3. Sons And Lovers4. Yankee Dollar5. Defintely MiamiTotal Episodes I liked/kinda liked: 12Total Episodes I disliked/kinda sucked: 10Favorite Song Of The Season: "No Guarantees" by The NobodysLeast Favorite Song Of The Season: "Earth" - Kate Bush (or something like that title.)Overall rating for the season: 6.5 out of 10A season that is only an episode above average.

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OK gang, you have given me the idea to create a poll for the most popular ep. from each season.So poll away! :)

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This is probably the most liked season for me.It was very hard for me to just pick one ep. from here.Lots of good ones.

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Bushido got my vote. There were a few faves from S2 I had to choose from - I'm just glad we didn't have to choose at the end of S1 or I'd still be trying to decide!Some of the supporting acting in S2 was cringeworthy ... for me, Dorothy in Buddies spoilt the episode where it was good to see Nathan Lane early in his career. Julian Beck, however, shines in Prodigal Son - he still makes me shiver with his creepy character Mr Johnston.

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ooo that's one thing I forgot to do, average my score for Season 2. Well averaged out my score for Season 2 has come to an 8 which beats Season 1 which was at 7.5 for me. Season 1 in my book is only let down by The Maze and Made For Each Other, episodes I literally struggle to watch especially The Maze, whereas Season 2 I never have much of a problem watching any of the episodes because the style is consistently good, whatever the story. I gave Payback my vote for best episode, it's very very good.And I agree with many comments about this season being the most style over substance, but then again the style is so immense...I am looking forward to watching Season 3 again though! Will be a nice change.

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Will return for comments on the Season as a whole later in the week hopefully, but as for best Season 2 ep - Payback. Superb ep. Great combo of substance and style. Also scored Definitely Miami the same score (9/10) but that was for pure style rather than anything else.

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I don't like this kind of poll, because there really can be no 'best' episode."Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" I do watch & enjoy other eps. more, like "Buses", "Bushido", "Payback", "Bought & Paid For", "Definitely Miami"..........but.......I voted (like I did in Seas. 1) for the 2 hour episode...."Prodigal Son". It has everything. :thumbsup:

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I don't like this kind of poll' date=' because there really can be no 'best' episode.[/quote']Yeah I agree here, it's difficult to select one, my selection of One Eyed Jack in Season 1 was an especially difficult one.Hence why I started this thread as a final remarks thread where one can list a top 5 or 10 or whatever they wanted in a written comment. Sometimes I feel that the poles are a lazy way to grab an opinion on a season or episode, I always enjoy reading people's justifications, especially those who vote episodes different from the masses.
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I am reluctant to weigh in on these, because I look at the episodes in terms of my own experiences. That tends to give me a slanted view of the episodes, and the seasons. That usually means that I am more critical of the stylistic things, and more interested in whether this episode is reasonably realistic. And who in their right mind watches series TV for realism?!?With that said, I really like to watch Definitely Miami. I think that the conflict between Sonny's need to do his job and the fatalistic feeling he has about the girl is very real. This episode, to me, gets into the mind of an undercover agent better than anything since Heart of Darkness. The split storylines doesn't bother me so much, because that is how a real unit would operate. Everybody would have their own cases going, and investigative needs are priotized by the Lt. Tubbs would occasionally be needed to help out in other matters, and Crockett would have to partner with someone else as his cover (physical cover, not his cover identity).I do agree that Season 2 seems to dwell on style, and that the episodes in Season 1 tended to be more deep and realistic. But, I thought that Season 2 brought the OCB together as a team and seemed to define the relationships for the whole series.

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I voted (like I did in Seas. 1) for the 2 hour episode...."Prodigal Son". It has everything. :thumbsup:

Same here. There's some plot problems, but it's just so great to see C & T in New York. One episode I love watching over and over.
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We all watch & re-watch certain episodes for different reasons.My reason mainly is for that carefree, tropical, Florida feel, but also C&T's coolness & dramatic acting & shootouts. I'll start a new Topic on this!

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1). Payback - probably the best episode of the entire series

YES YES YESWe are about the same opinion.....Prodigal son is the best double episode!
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Overall - just wasn't as polished and consistent as Season 1 was. I could watch every episode of Season 1 in its exact order without feeling bored. That's a testament about how great Season 1 was - it really had no weak spots whatsoever. It seems like people dislike "Made For Each Other" and "The Maze", but I thought both were fine episodes (especially the silliness of "Made For Each Other"). Season 2 started out with a bang - "The Prodigal Son" is perhaps my favorite episode of the whole series for sentimental reasons. Heck - I even wrote a thesis on the meaning of its title. :D But IMO, it really was its own movie completely unrelated to the rest of the season. So the season kinda basically started with the second episode: "Whatever Works". I don't remember it specifically, but it somehow ended up with Tubbs lying unconscious at the bottom of a unfilled pool. WTF? It was such a confusing episode, and it pretty much set the tone for the rest of the season. You had some truly brilliant episodes that were heartwrenching and suspenseful: "Out Where The Buses Don't Run", "Buddies", "Bought and Paid For", and "Sons and Lovers". It seems like every season had a heartwrenching episode that left the viewer as distraught as Crockett or Tubbs (or Valerie) were by the end. But then you had the unbelievably dull "Dutch Oven" and "Free Verse". "Florence Italy" started out with a bang, had some good racing scenes in between, and ended kinda okay (I liked the crash into the wall ending) - too bad it was poorly put together and made so little sense. Then you had some completely WTF episodes, like "The Fix" and "Junk Love" - "The Fix" for using a red herring for the intro, its convoluted storyline, and its awful acting by Bernard King and Bill Russell (also that weird-ass Q*bert courtroom scene); "Junk Love" for its cringe-inducing incest theme throughout. I did like Miles Davis, though, because he's Miles Davis. Basically, it seemed like Season 1 was rather straightforward with its themes and its storylines. Season 2 was a bit too ambitious: too many morality-themes, psychological-problem themes, family-problem themes, and just plain weirdness. I'm not saying that those themes can't be done well, but that the producers and writers of Miami Vice couldn't pull them off well nor convincingly for the most part in that season. And ultimately, that's the downfall of Season 2: it could survive 1 or 2 duds and remain a solid season, but it had several of them.And finally, even some of the great episodes had some problems - in "Buddies", what was the point with using the single mother as a plot device? Confusing...

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  • 3 months later...

Miami Vice couldn't pull them off well nor convincingly for the most part in that season. And ultimately, that's the downfall of Season 2: it could survive 1 or 2 duds and remain a solid season, but it had several of them.And finally, even some of the great episodes had some problems - in "Buddies", what was the point with using the single mother as a plot device? Confusing...

I agree with 99% of your comments on Florence Italy, but how did it not make sense?
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  • 4 months later...

I have to say that season 2 is my favourite. The Prodigal Son is my all time favourite episode. Why? - Because it looks and feels like a very good 80's crime/drama/action movie. Lots of great music here. Second season also has deeper stories involving more characters, their problems... etc. I also liked Santeria cult and Voodoo mv eps.(Which some of you don't like). S2 is how I say...pure MIAMI VICE:)

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  • 5 months later...

Best Episode: Out Where the Buses Don't RunOther faves....Prodigal SonDefinitley MiamiSons and LoversLittle Miss DangerousBuddiesBought and Paid ForWorst Episodes...Tale of the GoatPhil the ShillWhatever WorksFlorence, ItalyTrust Fund PiratesFrench Twist

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