Episode #27 "Buddies"

[ViceFanMan]

The Nobodys!! That was a superb song, and for the episode! To be honest that was probably my favorite part and the reason I'll watch it with the others when viewing my DVD sets.But, the rest of it wasn't that good to me. I did like DJ's acting with the realization of his friend deceiving him all those years...but other than that the rest just wasn't that captivating or memorable. Because of the "No Gaurantees" song and some acting by DJ--I did give it a 6.

This was my original review of this one. I still feel pretty much the same. Some of the action and the song "No Gaurantees" are the only aspects I will watch this one for. The rest is just so-so, and Noogie's wife annoyed the living crap out of me! Still a 6 to me.

[Victor]

great episode no doubt 10/10 from me:thumbsup:

[ViceFanMan]

great episode no doubt 10/10 from me:thumbsup:

Yeah...just a 6 for me. But, to each his or her own!

[Bryan]

Excellent understated but intense performance by Remar, awesome work by Hammer. A compelling story I thought, we learn a bit more about Crockett's time in Vietnam (It's fun to watch his "Heartbeat" music video and imagine the war segments are of Crockett). The shootout in the room at the end, where Crockett crashes through the window was timed perfectly with the music and it was a great cool moment.

[Jerry B.]

To me is a good episode, with good DJ acting and great Jan Hammer cues.

 

Unlike many of you, I didn't find the girl's acting that bad. While she's certainly not Meryl Streep, I think she was the perfect choice for that role. Her a bit awkward, clumsy and sometimes "lost" acting worked well with the personality and being of the character she portraied.

 

Just a personal vew, of course ;-)

[DeepCover333]

Solid episode, as many have said. A few plot questions and acting issues are far outweighed by the excellent scenery, mood and tense moments. I was always especially impressed with the scene where Sonny gives Robbie "two minutes" to call his wife in the office. As the camera focuses on DJ in the hallway outside, I was fully expecting to hear a gunshot from Robbie killing himself, and thankfully this didn't happen. Superior scene where Sonny goes after Dorothy's abusive man in the hallway, and Castillo confronting him, not because of that but to tell him he is off the case. Really liked the creepy masks the thugs wear when going after the papers, I think the entire series always did a great job with providing a grand variety in appearance of villains. Nice Hammer sounds here, great car chase, overall a 8/10 for me.

[vicegirl85]

To me is a good episode, with good DJ acting and great Jan Hammer cues.

 

Unlike many of you, I didn't find the girl's acting that bad. While she's certainly not Meryl Streep, I think she was the perfect choice for that role. Her a bit awkward, clumsy and sometimes "lost" acting worked well with the personality and being of the character she portraied.

Jerry, I agreed and I felt the same way.  She portrayed a character who was young, not sophisticated, and who had been trapped in an abusive relationship.  Someone mentioned English didn't seem to be her first language--I wonder if her husband even picked her because he thought she'd be easy to keep under control because she might not be able to stay in the US if she left him.  I thought her acting expressed the character very well.  Something I had not noticed before (or maybe had forgotten!) was when she dropped the tray of drinks she was serving.  I had always thought it was just clumsiness or inexperience, but one of the men had just groped her thigh and she jerked away.

 

One thing that struck me was her height.  She must have been 6 feet tall!

 

Solid episode, as many have said. A few plot questions and acting issues are far outweighed by the excellent scenery, mood and tense moments. I was always especially impressed with the scene where Sonny gives Robbie "two minutes" to call his wife in the office. As the camera focuses on DJ in the hallway outside, I was fully expecting to hear a gunshot from Robbie killing himself, and thankfully this didn't happen. Superior scene where Sonny goes after Dorothy's abusive man in the hallway, and Castillo confronting him, not because of that but to tell him he is off the case. Really liked the creepy masks the thugs wear when going after the papers, I think the entire series always did a great job with providing a grand variety in appearance of villains. Nice Hammer sounds here, great car chase, overall a 8/10 for me.

 I couldn't say it any better!  Agree this was a top episode. 

Edited September 2, 2015 by vicegirl85

[vatdim]

This must be one of my favorites in the entire show. It offers a great personal story for Crockett and puts him in a very delicate position where he must strike the right balance between being a good cop and being a good friend. Don Johnson's acting is of the highest quality here. Some incredibly memorable scenes have been included and some important questions of morality have been raised. I'd say this episode deserves at the very least 9/10.

[vicegirl85]

I really liked it, too!  Of course I always like the stories that develop the characters and/or give us insights into them based on past events and friendships.

[Remington]

This is the first of two times I'm going to commit blasphemy this season.

The only real problem with S2 for me is the fact that a terrible actor/actress is cast in an important role in several episodes. This episode starts that. With Dorothy. I mean what the hell were they thinking. At least we got to see Nathan Lane.

I do enjoy the Robbie plot. I like James Remar. The baptism scene is great. DJ is on fire during their scenes together. Wish we'd seen more of Robbie. If Robbie was connected with drugs or something this would've been a top episode.

Love No Guarantees.

5/10

[Rattlehead]

A stunning episode, I really like seeing an expansion upon Sonny's personal life and the references to his service. James Remar is a great actor and to me, the highlight of the episode is the ending. The drawn out, naturally flowing argument between Sonny and Robbie, then the climax set to No Guarantees...absolutely fantastic.

[Bren10]

I love seeing Ajax and Sonny Crockett together.  Plus Nathan Lane as an evil creep.  It's good but it's no Evan in terms of the "Sonny's past" episodes.  Anybody else notice all the smoke in the hallway while Sonny is waiting on Robbie?

Edited October 8, 2018 by Bren10
New addition

[Robbie C.]

I happen to like "Buddies" quite a bit, though it does skirt some of the issues with Crockett's background. Unlike some, I got the impression that Sonny and Robbie actually hadn't seen each other for some time before the start of the episode. There's a distance between them, but that might also speak to Sonny's efforts to bury his time in Vietnam. That it's not as powerful as "Evan" likely has more to do with the subject matter in "Evan" and the powerful dynamic between Sonny and Rico. If their discussion at the gas station hadn't been there the episode wouldn't have been nearly as powerful. "Buddies" simply didn't have that, and it makes it weaker than it perhaps could have been.

[Bren10]

3 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

I happen to like "Buddies" quite a bit, though it does skirt some of the issues with Crockett's background. Unlike some, I got the impression that Sonny and Robbie actually hadn't seen each other for some time before the start of the episode. There's a distance between them, but that might also speak to Sonny's efforts to bury his time in Vietnam. That it's not as powerful as "Evan" likely has more to do with the subject matter in "Evan" and the powerful dynamic between Sonny and Rico. If their discussion at the gas station hadn't been there the episode wouldn't have been nearly as powerful. "Buddies" simply didn't have that, and it makes it weaker than it perhaps could have been.

Spending a lot of time on the baby subplot is also distracting.  Evan is a very insular episode and didn't have that problem (which is why I don't miss Iggy Pop's deleted appearance-it doesn't need it).  Evan is simply a better directed episode.  I'm not sure Sonny is trying to bury his past in ' Nam as much as simply moving forward in life, which he has witnessed many vets unable to do. Burying the past implies some kind of shame which I don't believe Sonny has.  It is important to remember part of Sonny's motivation for being in law enforcement was witnessing dead soldiers being used as mules out of Vietnam.  I also like Buddies, if only to have Ajax and Sonny Crockett together.

[Robbie C.]

Actually the few times you see Sonny interacting with veterans he doesn't seem very comfortable around them. I've always suspected Sonny was actually an MP or something similar as opposed to a line grunt. Sonny's Vietnam background is actually quite sparse and patchy, especially when compared to Castillo's Southeast Asia stuff.

[Bren10]

Sonny was apparently enlisted AirCav during the closing stages of the conflict.  He was able to return home and adjust and found another avenue to concentrate on in life, namely law enforcement.  A lot of his compatriots' lives were ruined by the war and could not make the transition like he did, or went the opposite route with their talents like Jimmy Cole.  I'm sure when he looks at them he's disturbed by this because he could easily have been one of them, or worse, permanently disabled by wounds.  This would explain some of his uneasiness.  Sonny's youth and determination to do the right thing in the worst of situations (like he tells Robbie) allowed him to persevere.

[Robbie C.]

Actually Sonny wasn't air cav. He and Robbie would have enlisted in 1969 and were most likely Marines based on them coming in-country at Da Nang (which was the main Marine entry point). This is supported by what we see in "Back in the World." His ribbon rack (aside from one ribbon that simply wasn't awarded during the time he would have served) is more suited to Marine service than Army. He also lacks the Combat Infantryman Badge, which he would have earned had he been air cav (unless he served in the rear, but based on locations mentioned he would have been in the 4th Infantry Division). There are some continuity issues with Crockett's background, but I've gone through every episode and that's his most logical path of service.

[RedDragon86]

I think the actress who played Dorothy was fine, and that her timid nature maybe gets confused with bad acting, like Jerry said a while back, her performance and approach is intentionally awkward, it reflects her situation, she is lost and confused, was all alone in Miami with a baby and only Annie was there for her, I truly felt sorry for her, I bought her performance. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by RedDragon86

[Robbie C.]

Yeah, I didn't have any issues with her, either. There were some awkward moments, but as you mention those were likely at least in part intentional.

And if you dig into it, this was likely Frank Military's first full writing gig for TV (according to IMDb he did one script for The Equalizer the same year, but it's hard to say which came first). He also wrote Little Miss Dangerous.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Robbie C.

[Bren10]

2 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

Actually Sonny wasn't air cav. He and Robbie would have enlisted in 1969 and were most likely Marines based on them coming in-country at Da Nang (which was the main Marine entry point). This is supported by what we see in "Back in the World." His ribbon rack (aside from one ribbon that simply wasn't awarded during the time he would have served) is more suited to Marine service than Army. He also lacks the Combat Infantryman Badge, which he would have earned had he been air cav (unless he served in the rear, but based on locations mentioned he would have been in the 4th Infantry Division). There are some continuity issues with Crockett's background, but I've gone through every episode and that's his most logical path of service.

Sonny was not a jarhead (no offense to jarheads of course).  I suggest reading this bio:

http://miamivice.wikia.com/wiki/James_"Sonny"_Crockett

It is explicitly stated in the series he was regular Army and in the AirCav.  

 

[Robbie C.]

That section was copied from Wikipedia, where it has been edited out as unsourced as I recall.

The Air Cav thing comes up because people misunderstood the discussion he has with Jimmy in "Smuggler's Blues." He said Jimmy was Air Cav (more in the form of a question) but never said he (Crockett) was. In fact, Sonny never says what unit (or branch) he was in at any point during the series. But if was army, he wouldn't have been present for the evacuation of Saigon.

Crockett's Vietnam time has always fascinated me because they stayed so vague about it (unlike Castillo's SEA experiences). Based on the locations he mentions in a number of episodes, the ribbon rack we see in "Back in the World", and general timeline stuff I've come up with a couple of alternative military careers for Sonny. "Buddies" and "Back in the World" are really the two episodes that talk most directly about Sonny's time in Vietnam.

[Bren10]

I will have to thru those eps again. Regardless of where its sourced, the TV show itself has to be the primary canon and the info comes from there.  Sonny served under under U.S. Army Col. William Maynard so preumably Crockett was Army too. Ira stone was also an Army jounalist and that's how he and Crockett met.  You're right about Saigon although it's possible that's the only stock footage they had handy to set the scene as being in Vietnam.

[Dadrian]

Going by what is actually seen and said in the show, it seems that this aspect of Crockett's past wasn’t designed to infer any authenticity that could stand up to such scrutiny, as many of the details seem to conflict one another. 

Many aspects of the show are like this—just enough to facilitate the story—right down to the Ferrari replicar. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Dadrian

[Robbie C.]

41 minutes ago, Bren10 said:

I will have to thru those eps again. Regardless of where its sourced, the TV show itself has to be the primary canon and the info comes from there.  Sonny served under under U.S. Army Col. William Maynard so preumably Crockett was Army too. Ira stone was also an Army jounalist and that's how he and Crockett met.  You're right about Saigon although it's possible that's the only stock footage they had handy to set the scene as being in Vietnam.

He knew Maynard...didn't serve under his command. Stone wasn't army...I always got the impression he was supposed to be Rolling Stone or something similar. Taking the series canon, Crockett went to Vietnam with Robbie. I did all my research based on the show itself and then tried to create a plausible background based on what the show told us. It can be done, but it does exclude some things. And the start of "Back in the World" made it clear the prologue was set during the evacuation of Saigon, as did the lead-in shot with Sonny on the carrier's flight deck. The memory box in "Back in the World" is a good source of stuff, but most of it pretty much excludes Army service.

Part of the reason I started digging into it was Sonny's portrayal as a reasonably-well adjusted Vietnam vet...a rarity on television in those days. All the other examples (Magnum, Rick Simon, and so on) had very clearly-defined service careers. Only Sonny didn't. I also dug into it because it was apparently considered important enough to surface in the pilot. I get that it's in part atmospheric, but it does stand out when compared to other characters in the show.

 

The interesting thing is this kind of vagueness about very basic things only really happens with Sonny. Castillo's time can be clearly and cleanly tracked, and Tubbs of course is pretty much engraved in stone.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Robbie C.

[RedDragon86]

44 minutes ago, Robbie C. said:

He knew Maynard...didn't serve under his command. Stone wasn't army...I always got the impression he was supposed to be Rolling Stone or something similar. Taking the series canon, Crockett went to Vietnam with Robbie. I did all my research based on the show itself and then tried to create a plausible background based on what the show told us. It can be done, but it does exclude some things. And the start of "Back in the World" made it clear the prologue was set during the evacuation of Saigon, as did the lead-in shot with Sonny on the carrier's flight deck. The memory box in "Back in the World" is a good source of stuff, but most of it pretty much excludes Army service.

Part of the reason I started digging into it was Sonny's portrayal as a reasonably-well adjusted Vietnam vet...a rarity on television in those days. All the other examples (Magnum, Rick Simon, and so on) had very clearly-defined service careers. Only Sonny didn't. I also dug into it because it was apparently considered important enough to surface in the pilot. I get that it's in part atmospheric, but it does stand out when compared to other characters in the show.

 

The interesting thing is this kind of vagueness about very basic things only really happens with Sonny. Castillo's time can be clearly and cleanly tracked, and Tubbs of course is pretty much engraved in stone.

Would it not be plausible that he did serve under command? from "Back In The World" -  "He was always asking me about football and what I was gonna do back in the world. God, I sort of liked him"

If Maynard was a U.S. Army Col  and Crockett said that he was always asking him what he was going to do when he gets back, then surely he was in his unit. I mean when you consider that they were regularly talking to each other during "The Vietnam War"

Edited January 8, 2019 by RedDragon86