Episode #34 "Definitely Miami"


Ferrariman

Recommended Posts

It's a great episode, definitely one of my favorites.  It was always great to see Crockett romantically involved with another character but you knew something was going to happen to her... :) !  I am especially enthralled when Sonny takes Callie to the beach house, I was never really sure exactly what went on in there...LOL!   :p  I agree with many posts here, the music and scenes are just flat outstanding and the 2 story lines were what keeps it moving.  Love this episode!  9/10.  

 

Well Charlie did ask Callie if  she "made it with him" and she said, "no...he wouldn't. He's kind of old-fashioned". :)

In reality Crockett had seen this game before and wasn't taken in, but neither of them knew it.

 

I really don't know why the director allegedly dissed the ep he directed, as I think it was one of the best in the series with music, visuals, the style and I thought the plotlines were decent. I could have done with less of Maria Rojas however, and more of the Crockett/Callie storyline.

Ted Nugent played an outstanding bad guy in here, and we see the Castillo stare-down, and the beauty of Miami and the ocean in the summer heat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

very stylized episode with a weaker story I found compared to a few of the strong episodes before such as "Phil the Shil" and " Back in the World" !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well said. Granted as some have pointed out the 2 storylines were not intersecting but to me it made the ep more interesting.  

Good comment about the sand castles as to me it was like an admission of guilt in hiding the bodies of the men she had seduced and then killed. Much symbolism, and the ending scene with Crockett saying absolutely nothing to Callie as she tried to make him her new Charlie. As if he had been down this road one too many times before with femme fatales and knew where it was going, and he wanted no part of it.

 

Thank you.  The two stories are unrelated, but hey, no problem with that to me!  We get a good Castillo staredown at the end which is good.

 

Poor Crockett, I wish he and Gina had ended up together...  Sonny's job always got in the way of his romances, so why not be with someone with the same job!  And just look at her! lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

is this my favorite episode ever? Yes, perhaps. The heat, the feel, the dialogue is one in which we are pulled in, like no other. Who soaks a shirt in Perrier? Who is so eloquently cool talking with partner about honest things in life? We are here, us viewers like no other episode. I sweat a bit each time I gaze this one. Perfect combination of scenery and emotion. Beautiful beach walking. Ted plays the villain in such a dead pan low vocal way, so good, he's frightening . So believable.So as Arielle. a beauty that stands the test of time. Vice could have provided another short cut hair lady or a big explosive thing from the 80's. but instead we get her. The ultimate femme fatale. I always wonder about this one, two stories,the writers. This and that, both plots, not enough to carry a full experience. Did one guy or girl say "let's put them together!"? Grand move.

The haircut hit man looks like he could have came from the old original Mad Max movies, I think. He should have had a another spot in the series.  But let me get to the point...

 

That moment Maria stabs Clemente, gunshot, assassination aftermath,  the piped in audio chaos thereafter, then sudden smooth flowing into Sonny's drive in that Godley and Creme. Orgasmictastic. My favorite transition in television history. I could write all night, but this is it 10/10  I'm Sonny staring at the ocean in the end

Edited by DeepCover333
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

(snipped) I just get the feeling that Sonny ultimately never really learned in love matters - it kind of makes him even more likeable. I suppose he did eventually learn with what happened to Caitlin and I'm not sure he'd ever love the same way again after that (I'm not including things which I'd call more platonic, like the girl at the end of Bad Timing). I always felt that he got more and more desperate to have a great love in his life as the show proceeded - by Season 3 it was like his professional life was so difficult in terms of losing people, being betrayed by lovers, seeing the justice system repeatedly fail, that he wanted at least some small part of his life to be beautiful.And as he got more and more desperate for that love the disappointment was more and more intense when it didn't work out - I get a feeling that by the end of By Hooker By Crook he really is emotionally 'spent' - he was at his most enraged (at least initially) with Theresa, but then look at how he became so supportive to her by the end of that ep (albeit we never see her again!!) - with Christine I remember one very sad scene at OCB where the whole team's sorrow for Sonny is written on their faces (especially Gina's) but Sonny is almost blank in expression - he looks to have become 'cold' - he seems to have finally learned - at least that is until he meets Caitlin but that took some time - at least another Season.

 

Definitely Miami is (in my opinion) the first episode where Sonny really starts to let his guard down with a woman.  Previously he has had some romantic encounters since his divorce but he doesn't seem to have invested much of himself in them.  From his very first meeting with Callie, he was suspicious of her motives and her ultimate goal. But when she tells him at the safe house:  "I knew you from the very first moment I saw you... You're restless... you're hungry... you're lonely... you have dreams...." it's easy to see he is drawn to her--because who has not dreamed of meeting a mate who really understands him or her?  How tempting is is to have a beautiful woman (or a man, to give equal time) come right out and say you and your wants and needs are her top priority?  Sonny is as human as anyone and I agree that he is lonely, he is looking for someone--although he doesn't understand what he's looking for yet.

 

I also liked DJ's acting during the scene where he calls round to the Safehouse to visit Callie after Charlie beats her up. As soon as she starts talking about setting up a drug deal, you can see Crockett's face change, as if that's when the penny drops that he's definately being set up. I felt that the only reason that he asked her if she wanted him to kill Charlie was in order to test her reaction. Once he hugs Callie you can see the look on his face says it all.I also thought that was a great line from Crockett "The head and the heart Rico, sure like to get em together just once". (snipped)  I like how Callie's belief that Charlie was victorious shapes her perception of Crockett as being Charlie. Then once her eyes get accustomed to what she's seeing, the reality of what's happened hits her and then she then puts on her acting again.Again I thought DJ's acting was great during the final beach scene. He was falling for Callie, and is clearly hurt, but puts his shades on because he doesn't want to show her that she's got to him. He's putting on a cold front. Also, it's almost like he's putting up a barrier, like a "talk to the hand" kinda thing. As Callie is escorted off, Crockett walks away in the opposite direction to signify he's moving on. But this is really for Callie's benefit. It's his way of showing his defiance. As soon as the helecopter pulls away and she can no longer see him, there's no need to walk anymore. Crockett drops his barrier, stops walking, and stares out to sea as the emotional gravity of the experience sinks in.Vice at it's best. 10 out of 10.

 

Of course, I just couldn't resist saying more, even though DeepCover333 said it all!  Papa Legba's comments above demonstrate the supreme style as well as some real character development that is happening in the episode.  Castillo continues to show his own steadfast commitment to keeping a promise, and Tubbs' job of serving as a more rational foil to Crockett's romantic vulnerability comes into play (too bad he never listens when Crockett tries to do the same for him...) 

 

(snipped) With regards to "Definately Miami", I'm still surprised at the common concensus that the episode is considered a prime example of style over substance. I agree that having two concurrent storylines in one episode means that both are spread thin, but that doesn't mean that the storylines have to be bad ones. Tubbs hits the nail on the head when he says "Some weird kind of symmetry.. both things going down today", and there [b']was a symmetry to both stories. Both dealt with love, trust, and betrayal, and both ended in death.

 

The music, the silences, Maria Rojas' hysteria after she stabs her brother, Dalva's brash self-assurance that is shot down when Maria stabs her brother and then is shot by the sniper--ruining Dalva's triumph; the sand castles Callie is building on the beach, the short scene where Sonny is wired for his meet with Charlie Bassett... a lot of time and care was invested to make each of these scenes impart a certain emotion.  I really liked both storylines and would not have minded if the Clemente-Rojas-Dalva storyline was more developed, but for me it was a very touching story that embodied early on the theme that the government could not really be trusted and took the attitude that the end justified the means--unlike Castillo and Crockett, who always contended that if an end wasn't reached by honorable means, it wasn't worth anything.  

 

If I was trying to introduce someone to Miami Vice who had never seen it, I would show them this episode.  In my opinion, if they didn't like it they would have a hard time liking the series.  Each viewer is individual and different things appeal to different people, but I do think Definitely Miami has most of the things that will appeal to most people who have the potential to be fans.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Yesterday I watched the episode again and I have to say that I love the brown Ray-Ban sunglasses that Crocket had on.

By the way, I liked those kind of Ray Ban sunglasses more than the one nowadays because nowadays you can see the Ray Ban emblem on the sunglasses which I don´t like very much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

IMO, the three episodes that define MV are Brother's Keeper, Smugglers Blues, and Definitely Miami.

It's hard not to love this episode. Judging by the majority of S2, it's easy to see why this was the most successful season. Sizzlin.

I really like Ted Nugent. The girl who played Callie was cute.

The best time to watch this episode is during a hot day with a margarita in your hand. I live in Sac County so it's about that time lol.

Don't get me started on the Cry montage and Callie's legs.

10/10

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm right there with you in Brothers Keeper and Definitely Miami. Not sure if I've ever seen a cooler ending to anything than Definitely Miami. Music and scenery perfectly matched.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Remington said:

IMO, the three episodes that define MV are Brother's Keeper, Smugglers Blues, and Definitely Miami.

It's hard not to love this episode. Judging by the majority of S2, it's easy to see why this was the most successful season. Sizzlin.

I really like Ted Nugent. The girl who played Callie was cute.

The best time to watch this episode is during a hot day with a margarita in your hand. I live in Sac County so it's about that time lol.

Don't get me started on the Cry montage and Callie's legs.

10/10

I've already been drinking Margarita while watching MV...I live in the Midwest and we've already had some 85-90 degree days. :cheers: :dance2:

I would have to add Hit List & Calderone's Demise (aka Calderone's Return Pts 1&2) to your list of episodes that defined the show. But I love Smuggler's Blues and Definitely Miami too...superb! :clap:

Then you'd have some wild or bizarre plots/episodes that are also considered some of the show's best...such as Out Where the Buses Don't Run and Shadow In the Dark. I think OWtBDR was even considered one of TV Guides top 100 episodes, or something like that. 

There were several each season that helped define what the series was about, but these all were definitely some of the most famous and remembered! :thumbsup:

Edited by ViceFanMan
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

This is one of my favorites as well.  The only thing that bothered me was how quickly the cars were able to be buried in the sand by machinery you never see.  Who would just leave a bulldozer or skid loader just lying around waiting for someone to use it?  If it was an active construction site those other cars would have been found by now. :)

Edited by IA-SteveB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, IA-SteveB said:

This is one of my favorites as well.  The only thing that bothered me was how quickly the cars were able to be buried in the sand by machinery you never see.  Who would just leave a bulldozer or skid loader just lying around waiting for someone to use it?  If it was an active construction site those other cars would have been found by now. :)

Agreed, not to mention the main characters continually driving flashy Ferraris around town, making busts, and yet they are seemingly almost never outed as Vice Cops (except in specific circumstances like in Payback) .  Btw, speaking of perplexed I never did understand the meeting between Tubbs and Gina with the Nicaraguan guy, when he says the only thing he heard was 'he just wants to see Maria Rojas dance' as if that was some sort of revelation. Yet Tubbs and Gina hear that and race out the door in an 'aha' moment. I didn't hear anything that would give me pause, or that Clemente was planning a hit...Nada.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always took it like when guys with guns in old movies would say "dance", and then start shooting. Too much tv? :) 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

lol....keep the change, you filthy animal!   Except that in the very next scene where Maria meets Clemente, Tubbs shows up and exits the Caddy very nonchalantly and makes no effort to warn Castillo of any impending disaster.  Just perplexes me every time I watch.

Edited by Sonny-Burnett
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Dadrian said:

Oh yeah I never thought of that. Hmm...I say a lot of things. Write it off to the heat. :p

lol...nicely done. ;)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Sonny-Burnett said:

Agreed, not to mention the main characters continually driving flashy Ferraris around town, making busts, and yet they are seemingly almost never outed as Vice Cops (except in specific circumstances like in Payback) .  Btw, speaking of perplexed I never did understand the meeting between Tubbs and Gina with the Nicaraguan guy, when he says the only thing he heard was 'he just wants to see Maria Rojas dance' as if that was some sort of revelation. Yet Tubbs and Gina hear that and race out the door in an 'aha' moment. I didn't hear anything that would give me pause, or that Clemente was planning a hit...Nada.

I always laughed at the idea that Crockett and Tubbs could continually parade around Miami they way they did, and never get found out or recognized (except in certain rare situations). :p  But, that was part of the fun of it...it wasn't reality...it was entertainment! :glossy:

As for the "Maria Rojas dance" comment...her brother, or Clemente, used to have her stand on his feet and he taught her to dance when she was little (if I remember that part right). That's why they knew a hit was most likely being planned, when the jerk agent guy quoted something Clemente had said. He was planning to get revenge on his sister for testifying against him earlier.

Edited by ViceFanMan
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do recall Clemente earlier referring to her dancing and standing on his feet also, and the Nicaraguan messenger for Clemente repeated it nearly word for word. Yet to me it didn't carry any special significance, unless I am missing something?  And if Tubbs heard the comment as a threat to Maria, then why didn't he warn Castillo when he showed up at the end where the meet took place?

Edited by Sonny-Burnett
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sonny-Burnett, your comments make a lot of sense!  I guess I'd put Tubbs' interpretation in the category of a hunch, with nothing logical to back it up.  Perhaps that is why he didn't mention it to Castillo.

Of course, see Dadrian's comment above:  "Plenty of suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy Miami Vice" :)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, vicegirl85 said:

Sonny-Burnett, your comments make a lot of sense!  I guess I'd put Tubbs' interpretation in the category of a hunch, with nothing logical to back it up.  Perhaps that is why he didn't mention it to Castillo.

Of course, see Dadrian's comment above:  "Plenty of suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy Miami Vice" :)

 

This would not have raised any thoughts on my part, except that Tubbs hears the line about Maria dancing again, and he reacts with an AHA look and bolts out the door like a man on a mission. Yet just one scene away he pulls up in the caddie and nonchalantly steps out of the car. Where did this AHA go? He didn't make any moves toward Castillo with urgent news. I get it about suspension of disbelief, but to me this may be a case of some missing or cut dialogue or just a plot goof.

Edited by Sonny-Burnett
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree!  I'm one who always tries to find a reason that the writer(s) made (whatever) happen, but you're totally right about that.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Sonny-Burnett said:

I do recall Clemente earlier referring to her dancing and standing on his feet also, and the Nicaraguan messenger for Clemente repeated it nearly word for word. Yet to me it didn't carry any special significance, unless I am missing something?  And if Tubbs heard the comment as a threat to Maria, then why didn't he warn Castillo when he showed up at the end where the meet took place?

Yeah, perhaps a little more warning would have been warranted, lol! But I can't remember if at that point they knew a hit was going to happen...or were just worried one might happen? This is one of my favorite episodes and I've seen it many times...yet I can't remember that specific aspect! I'll have to watch it again. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Anyone else ever notice during Sonny's dialogue with Callie on the beach, he gives some kind of confusing advice? 

"You just gotta ride it out. First thing to do is get away." :) ?(

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.