Episode #23 "The Prodigal Son"


Ferrariman

Recommended Posts

  • 8 months later...

For the second season, I'll try a new review format:The Good:+Well Written Dialogue+Exciting Action Sequences+Luis Guzman (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Carlito's Way)The Bad:-The Margaret character was another lousy attempt at a Crockett romanceThe Ugly:?What's with Crockett's thing for women with short hair?Score: 8.0 out of 10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree, it is a good episode, but my dvd player has a problem with the disk. It won't play the first scene, and jerks until Gina gets shot. But that's my dvd player, not the disk. And this is a region 4 dvd.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Hi Gang,FYI, The DVD reviews are being done one episode per week. Every Monday Tony D. opens up the next episode for review. There is a poll at the top of each review ranging from 1-10 with 10 being the highest. Please feel free to post your review or vote for the number you feel the episode is worth, or both. The episodes that come after the one we are on for that week are locked. This is so everyone stays together on the reviews.Please be patient and stay with us on the reviews and please do not start a new topic to review an episode that is not yet opened.If you have a question on/or want to discuss a particular episode, please post that in the episode forum.We are currently reviewing "Milk Run" this week.Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Here we are at Season 2 and one of the most popular Episodes : "The Prodigal Son"This episode is in my top 5 all time favorites! Since I'm from N.Y., I loved "Prodigal Son"! As Tubbs said, "New Yaawk,.... if it has to be, it has to be!" The camera angles of the city were incredible! Rico says this is the "core of civilization", & Sonny said "this is gridlock We find out, T.U.B.B.S. stands for, tough, unique,bad, bold & sassy. I liked Club Delirious, Sonny & Margaret meet eye to eye & she looks like a female version of him. As Frank Sacco said Rico & Valerie"make nice bookends." I got a big chuckle out of that. When Sonny takes his walk, I get the chills listening to "You Belong to the City" & seeing the long shadows captured on film. Sonny is so Miami in New York! Love Jimmy Borges' yellow Caddy, the Gramercy House which I used to pass going to my grandma's apt., 32 6th ave. phone building in the background. Cool shootout when Sonny gets his $1.50 Lucky Strikes & sees the gunman in the mirror, & yells, "Tubbs". I guess he blew his Cooper cover. Then reaches for his gun & drops for his leg holster, since Margaret took his gun. I loved the circleing camera action on the building with the Chrysler building & the Empire State & the Pan AM in the background. What building are they on??? NY Lieutenant had green shoes!!!! Jimmy Borges pad had some cool colors on the walls & also the house in Miami in the beginning when the DEA guy got shot. I couldn't believe Valerie aimed the gun at Rico when he killed Frank Sacco. She made up for it when she started the shootout at the World Trade Plaza. Cool takedown of the helicopter by Crockett! Rico makes it last minute to airport & it's back to the dull routine of the OCB! I loved this one & rate it a 10. :thumbsup:

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not overly keen on Prodigal Son. It is a good episode. Action packed and quite entertaining. But I think a problem with it is it has so many shootouts and they all seem a bit similar and redundant. It's just a succession of shootouts with no real continuity between them.Prodigal Son isn't a favourite of mine and the reason is because it's not in Miami. There's no Daytona, supporting cast or gorgeous Miami scenery. Instead we get dreary old Manhattan. It doesn't suit Vice very well. If they were to go to another city I would've preferred it to be LA. That has the sunny Vice atmos and vibe. Vice doesn't work in New York IMO.The scene with the Mr. Burns-like Mr. Johnston is one of the greatest in the history of the series. Superb scene in every way but especially in Julian Beck's performance. He was excellent. The Mr. Johnston scene was actually filmed in Brickell, Miami. So the best scene in the New York episode wasn't filmed in New York.Quite a lot of exceptional scenes, especially the 'You Belong to The City' sequence. You could see how Sonny was a fish out of water in New York. The climax was good but a bit of a stretch for me. Could they really have had a shootout at the World Trade Centre and could Sonny really have taken down a helicopter with his handgun? There's a nice Vice City connection in an appearance by Luis Guzman aka Ricardo Diaz. Anyways, a strong season opener but not one of my favourites. 8.5/10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are we supposed to be reviewing Prodigal Son right now, since the Poll for it is locked...I thought the review of Prodigal Son was supposed to be a separate thread, not unlocked yet...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My prodigal Son review from a few years ago.When I first saw Prodigal Son it was sometime in 2001 on VHS (Columbia). I was not very well acquainted with Miami Vice, and I had no idea Crockett had an alligator named Elvis. The reason I mention this is the comment Sonny makes about soaking up more swamp than Elvis always puzzled me. Now the Light dawns! After having watched this episode recently again on the Season 2 DVD set, I like it even more than I already did. Is this the only episode we see the OCB crew in Blue Police Uniforms? As mentioned before I love the "You Belong to the City segment (the first one) and I get chills everytime I see Sonny leaning against the lamp post kicking his toe, and then lighting his cigarette and snapping his lighter shut with a snap. I never noticed it on the TNN showings or the Columbia version, but Sonny sees Margret for the first time at Club Delirious While he's on business. Makes you wonder if Margret was following Sonny or at least waiting for him when he exited Club Delirious, after all she shows up at the one place he decides to go into after taking his walk through town during "You Belong To the City". As has been mentioned I love the scene at the taxicab and the whole dialogue there, but while the kiss is hot, it seemed kind of mis-timed after Crockett's comments It just didn't come off quite right to me. like it would have been better a bit earlier or with an additional comment to make it fit better. (Just my feeling every time I watch that scene.) I agree that I'd expect this episode to be more focused on Tubbs, than just his relationship with Valerie, after all this is his home town. They alluded to it when Tubbs smiles and comments to Sonny that Miami may be paradise, but we are now in the core of civilization (something to that effect.) Tubbs here seems very happy to be back home, and seems anxious to show Sonny around. (made me think of his comment in Milk Run when Crockett asked when Tubbs was going to show him the big Apple - When I think You're ready for it.) The police station in New York City was a nice touch after all no one is going to be happy with two people out of their jurrisdiction, but I love the cool way Crockett just picks up the phone and dials some big-wig (was it commander Rene? or Bill Smitrovich's character?) and hands the NYC Police guy the phone "It's for You" Another part I had trouble with was Why was Crockett who had never been to NYC before in his life driving around like he knew the town? I understand that Borges and Tubbs had to talk to the pushers and dealers on the street and knew how to do it New York style, but still that always bothered me. As for the other guys looking out of place and clownish in the pastels except for Sonny. If I remember correctly, Indianapolis, Louisville, Bloomington, Chicago were all wearing the Miami Vice look. Everybody wanted to emulate Don Johnson, so I didn't find it as out of place as I might have if I didn't remember the feeling back then (Did New York City follow suit like everyone else?) I appreciated Sonny on Black satin sheets, and how he was abruptly brought back to earth when he discovers his main gun is missing. Like others commented, I also noticed he called Tubbs by his real name at the ciagarette machine when he had to hastily drop down and pick up his gun from his ankle holster to shoot since he didn't have his normal one which went in his shoulder holster. Notice again at Borges place when the shoot out happens Both Crockett and Tubbs are calling each other by their real names! I suppose it makes sense since both were surprised and their lives were in immediate danger, but it still seemed strange. Now I hope no one takes this the wrong way, I like Tubbs too, but I think he sometimes is unreasonable when it comes to Valerie! I mean when he's under does he socialize with old friends? I thought for a cop Valerie was a little naive about her job, wouldn't she have to have wondered when she was going to get the order to move on Sakko, or maybe being new to Vice she thought it was normal procedure. The whole bit with Valerie's answering machine bothered me . Why would Rico's messages be on her answering machine while she was under at Sakko's Rico was just supposed to have met her, not be an old friend. I love the If the Supplier can't Deliver... dialogue between Rico and Sonny. And I love the scene at the Banker's office It described US Policy and the politics of contraband good, and it gave a bit of terror to the proceedings, I mean it kind of scares me to know that the banker knew who Crockett and Tubbs really were and how much they had in their bank accounts to the last assett. I also Love Sonny's comment about it being his job to rock the boat even if it's the U.S.S. Enterprise and then I love the comment about the banker being dirty even though Sonny couldn't touch him. "You're Dirty Ace, and I'm patient." Although I've never known Sonny Crockett to be very patient! This dialog is especially telling considering the US Banks are now in trouble and it looks like the World was affected by our Banking crisis just as the Banker guy said. (added 3//20/2009)Now we get to the Meet with Revillas. I like that Valerie showed up and was on the right side, but it bothered me that Tubbs left Sonny to run after the bad guy all alone. After all Tubbs is supposed to be Sonny's partner, and have his back! Instead he stays with Valerie and doesn't even check to see if Sonny had the situation handled or not. I mean Did he see the helicopter go down and figure Sonny shot it down, and so Sonny was OK? I mean comeon Valerie can't be that good! I love the Phil Collin's song "Take Me Home" while Tubbs and Valerie are making love and Sonny's leaving the hotel room and preparing to go back to Miami. It makes you wonder (the first time) where Tubbs really feels at home Valerie's or with Crockett in Miami? When Sonny looks into Tubbs Room and finds he's not there nor has he packed, he seems resigned to go back to Miami without him, but he doesn't want to, you can see the business way he goes through the airport showing his badge and waiting by the gate area with both Tubbs and his tickets reading a newspaper. Someone already commented on the aftermath of the love making with Valerie, Rico's knocked out, but Valerie looks bored to death. (Was Frank Sakko better?) I always wondered about Tubbs carrying just a duffle bag (while Crockett had a garment bag and a suitcase) and running through the airport? was this a nod to the OJ Simpson Hertz commercials at the time? Crockett's grin when Rico shows up, is classic. It looks to me like Rico isn't sure Sonny has waited for him, as he's at the counter about to ask for ticket information, and maybe if Sonny left his ticket with the counter people. The whole OCB segment at the end is interesting. Here Crockett and Tubbs have been gone for quite a while, and when they walk through the doors, it's as if they had left yesterday. Trudy grabs Rico right away about another case, and Zito doesn't even return Crockett's greeting because he's busy doing something. The by-play between Sonny and Gina is intersting as usual. He's really happy to see her, and is typically interrupted while talking to her by a phone call or business, and Gina as usual comes to his rescue with a pencil and sits on her desk. Rico comes over and puts his arm around her, while Sonny pursues business. It's obvious that these three people care about each other. I love Prodigal Son. My big complaint, but it can't really be helped, is the other OCB members aren't in the episode enough, but then how could they all be, they'd have to divide the time between Miami and NYC, and that just isn't logical. For that reason I give Prodigal Son a 9 out of 10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I gave it a high score earlier, it has a lot of great action sequences, but to be honest, the whole Margaret thing just was boring and dragged it down. I love the ending, where Tubbs rushes to the airport with Take Me Home playing, and the chase when the hitmen were chasing Crockett out of Jimmy's place is my favorite scene, I love that piece of music that plays.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest neworder

What a sensational start to a sensational season. This is a thoroughly enjoyable two parter episode of miami vice. Who would've thought it would work so well out of Miami. The style is immense, as is the soundtrack, some fantastic tunes in there ranging from Bryan Ferry to U2 to Phil Collins, a large collection and a good mix of tracks to entertain. Great stakeout in the everglades, leads to a brilliant trip to a party on a boat. Nice intro scene for the new scarab boat for Crockett. I love this scene, the blue sky, hazy sunshine, ladies in bikini's, the scarab smoothly driving by, fab scene. Then to new york, brilliant music from jan hammer in the new york theme, and tubbs and valarie and all his other works. Crockett walking around new york at glenn freys you belong to the city fantastic, fantastic, fantastic, fantastic lol Hmmm tempted to give it 10 but...hmmm 9 because tubbs and valarie story can get a little annoying, as if she'd be that pissed off with Tubbs over a drug lord. Also the story can be iffy in places, but this episode is fantastically stylish, sounds amazing with all the music and has plenty of action. A true great, a well deserved 9/10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

PART IIt seems I'm a little bit late for the review (waited for the original thread/poll to be opened). So I really can't bring in new thoughts but only my personal review. As usual i'm with you Tony D. this is one of my top favorites as well.Yet the beginning is close to the bone. Crockett and Tubbs on their way through the Columbian jungle, a breakneck ride to a secret place (Sonny: "Slow down Henry! I'd like to have all my limbs get there at the same time"), threatened by an unpredictable group of guerilla fighters ... the Vice makers show also the unspectacular and not glamorous side of drug wars: poverty, nescience and some questioning methods even the tough cops from Miami can't deal with.Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild The following story is a Bang-Boom-Bang firework of events: A nightly surveillance in the Glades, a shootout in Henry's appartment where Gina gets hurt. It looks like Sonny realises for the first time since the pilot, that there is more than collegiality which connets him to Gina ... it's written in his terrified face - literally.Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild But the two cops are confronted with danger and unusual challenges in New York as well. They have to fight against jealous cops and feds, deal with freaked out people and at last even with freaked out helicopters. And ... they challenge the Revillas ("If the supplier can't deliver then Revilla's customers start to shiver ...")Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

PART IIBoth lose their hearts, one of them his gun as well and the other one is nearly killed.Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild The unusual challenges in the city are combined with unsusual camera angles at a very low or a very high level. The latter left me feeling really small and lonely - lost in the jungle of New York City.Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Though the main part of the episode takes place in New York, the tremendous choice of locations and colors makes me forget about that fact. The episode's style is pure Vice and pure 80ies!Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

PART IIII also love the headstrong (right word?) characters, who play major roles in the episode: There's Valerie whom we already know as a woman of determined mind, Jimmy the dealer who would sell his grandma for a certain amount of money, the banker Mr. Johnston (a GREAT Julian Beck!!!) who gives us a cruel but true lesson about politics, money and human rights. And of course there's also Margret, who like playing games. Though Crockett claimed that he doesn't like the game already, he plays it - but he isn't familiar with Margret's rules, that's why he loses in the end.Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes BildEingefügtes Bild Last but not least the music of the episode is a great choice as well. Notably "You belong to the City" and "Take me Home". These two are also my favourite scenes of The Prodigal Son: Crockett's lonely walk through the nightly streets of New York conflicts with the songs lyrics indeed, but deepens the vision of a lonely man in a strange land (the cowboy pattern!!). The same contradiction between lyrics and scene was used several times in Miami Vice - for example in "No Exit" when Tony Amato beats his wife, Teddy Pendergrass sings "Stay with me". I get goosebumps everytime I watch contradictionary scenes like these ones.Eingefügtes BildBut the best and most conciliable scene imho is the end of the episode: Crockett looking for his partner, finding an empty bedroom only - his face speaks volumes ... unbeatable!!!! At the airport only a single smile appears for a short moment on Crockett's face, when Tubbs rushes through the terminal. Just as much to let the viewer know, that Crockett would give his right arm for his partner and is more than happy to see him. The Collins song "Take me home" makes it clear, where Sonny and Rico belong to ... Miami!Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild Eingefügtes Bild This episode deserves a clear and full 11 out of 10. ;)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Too bad ... the poll is only counting up to 10 points ... :cry:;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, for this episode, I keep going from 8 to 9, 9 to 8, 8 to 9, etc. I think an 8.5 would be the most reasonable rating for Prodigal Son. I have rounded up and given it a 9/10…The beginning is excellent right up until they go to NY.The initial scenes/events in NY are very good, but it starts going a little off with the love stories. They bring back Valerie, who I don’t really like. And this time the relationship with Tubbs and her mannerism is strange (can’t think of a better word). Crockett’s love interest is a funny one too. I don’t like the actress – the acting wasn’t that good and believable and this aspect of the episode is the weakest part.But apart from the side-tracking love stories, the main story is a very good one and the last part is excellent.Mr. Johnston’s scene was very unpredictable – I don’t think anyone saw that coming – and it makes for one of the best scenes and dialogues throughout the MV show history. This is the scene that pulls the whole episode up and links in well with NYPD’s reluctance to help MV.The ending is good in the airport although predictable – being the first episode in the 2nd season, of course Tubbs wouldn’t stay in NY…

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Prodigal Son has "event television" written all over it. Every dollar they spent on it is up there on the screen, and the result is another feature-quality double ep. (How nice it would've been if this was an MV tradition that kept up for the entire run, 2-hour season premieries with big budgets and bangup production values.)But curiously, the story itself is kind of weak. The Revillas are supposed to be the big villains, but they're more like macguffins since we hardly ever see them. And having Margaret tied to Valerie's gangster is wee bit too convenient for my taste.But in the end, this ep is more about letting it assault your senses and enjoying the ride.(A final note: yes, it should've been Tubbs walking around during the YBTTC montage.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I give this episode a grade of a full 10! It had all the makings and characteristics of a Miami Vice movie. It had gripping drama and suspense from beginning to end. On the downside I found it made most of the first half of season 2 lack somewhat, mostly because they did such a great job in the production of this ep!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An explosive and emphatic start to Season 2. It's a signature for the quality of the whole season, the second season being my favourite.I love pretty much every scene in the entire episode. The producers did well to maintain the fast moving pace of the story in an episode that lasted over an hour and a half. Credit of course to Paul Michael Glaser for this as well.Notice "Tommy the mechanic" shouting in the background during the "Now I've gotta babysit a coupla Miami Vice cops?" scene.I like the timing of how when Jimmy Borges first walks past Crockett and Tubbs while Tubbs is talking on the phone, and as soon as Tubbs slams the phone down, the music kicks in. You see them walk off and as the camera pans out the World Trade Centre appear in the background. Again this illustrates the great thing about Vice, it's sense of timing, and how everything is filmed in a certain way. This is why Miami Vice is not just a tv programme ("anymore than Blue Suede shoes is just a song"), to me it's an artform.I loved the nightclub scene in Club Delerious. Check out that weird guy standing behind Crockett at 26:37 pulling a face! PMT did a good job of conveying seething jealousy in his face when he saw Valerie and Frank Sacco together. PMT always acts jealousy very well."You belong to the city" scene was a great scene with a great tune accompanying it. Again note the synchronicity when Tubbs and Valerie are slow dancing to "Many rivers to cross", and right at the point where Joe Cocker (a fellow Sheffielder!) sings "My woman left me but she wouldn't say why", Valerie leaves Tubbs, but she doesn't say why! Again great timing, and shows how much the MTV influence had on Vice. You also see a similar thing occur when Tubbs and Valerie first start slow dancing to "Tell it like it is". This was never obvious to me until I recently heard this song in full for the first time and was able to properly hear the lyrics. The song is basically about a man who loves a woman who is messing him about, blowing hot and cold and for whatever reason has barriers to letting herself fall in love with him. He considers that she deep down really loves him and encourages her to be honest with her feelings for him. This whole song could have been written for Tubbs and Valerie!Now I'm sure when Margaret was getting into that taxi, that scene was made to look like something else... you know what I'm talking about!I had to question the morality of Crockett and Tubbs when they pretty much coerced Jimmy Borges into working with them, despite the fact that he knew it might lead to his untimely death, and in the end that's exactly what happened!I loved the scene where Crockett, Tubbs, and Borges were driving round New York trying to drum up business, and the roller skator who kept coming in and out of view in time to the music (again the MTV influence). I thought Tubbs' line was hilarious when he and Crockett got shaken down by the police and the hostile police captain says "This is our jurisdiction". Tubbs replies "Up your jurisdiction man. Sit on it and keep it warm!!".With Margaret we see that whole "Spy who falls in love with the mark" cliche that so often happens in films and television. I believe the reason why this theme is so common is because it emphasises how much the spy has fallen in love with their mark, (making the drama more emphatic), when you consider that all the time the spy is probably trying to fight their true feelings and maintain the act. I also thinks it makes the emotional dialogue more interesting. Once again you see Crockett get his heart broken by the wrong woman.Spot the goof when Crockett and Tubbs shoot the Revilla's hitmen in Club Delerious. Crockett shouts "TUBBS!", but Borges was there at the time. Wouldn't that have blown their cover considering they were supposed to be Burnett and Cooper?I love the scene where Crockett and Tubbs blow up the warehouse, mainly for Jan Hammer's music during that scene. But how unrealistic! How do you not notice two good looking men in designer suits in an open top, Canary yellow caddy driving past you with the lights on in a deserted street. Clearly Crockett and Tubbs must have been employing some kind of cloaking device!Notice how the rooftop scene with Crockett and Tubbs and the New York PD takes place on a building right between The Empire State building and the Crysler Building, two major New York landmarks. This again shows how much care and thought goes into every scene in Vice.I love the shootout at Jimmy's apartment. And I love how the scene ends with a camera angle showing Crockett running away from the two hitmen merging into a scene with Tubbs walking along a pavement filmed at exactly the same camera angle.One of Vice's classics. 9 out of 10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like this episode also. From the Glades to seeing the Scarrab pull up to a motoryacht with ladies dancing all over the place. Meet Gene Simmons...go figure. As stated earlier, Tubbs is almost giddy returning to his neighborhood. I love when Sonny and Margret meet and exchange lines, especially the "why don't you buy yourself a drink and try to get over me" from Margret. Guys, take it from me, back in the day, this didn't work saying it to the ladies. I liked the shoot-out in Borges's apartment when sonny is shooting while backing out the door and shoots towards the ceiling for good measure-makes me smile every time. Classic vice all the way. I recorded this and a few others off NBC back in the day(as they aired) and prolly watched this episode more than all...I gotta see if they'll still play. Season one set the hook and season 2 seems to be my favorite, yet I love the way other folks see these episodes and thru their eyes, I appreciate vice even more...Thanks folks!!....Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now I'm sure when Margaret was getting into that taxi' date=' that scene was made to look like something else... you know what I'm talking about![/quote']I, too, have always wondered if that was intentional, sort of a subliminal message!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

This is a good opening episode for season two. We get to see Tubbs on his home turf. There are some good examples shown of the uptight cops in New York as oppossed to the laid back cops of Miami. I give this episode an 8.

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.