Episode #1 "Brother's Keeper"


Ferrariman

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My apologies. I deleted my initial "begin posting" post and somehow the whole topic disappeared. Nothing missing except a few posts about the confusion of which site to post on. I must admit, I'm confused as well. Tony if I knew you intended to continue on .org I wouldn't have created those forums here.Tony, I think we should continue here as well as on .org. Many members visit both sites and many do not. If we do both sites then everyone is covered and those that wish can post on both sites if they so desire.Feedback? Suggestions?

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I think we should start here because the forums are here a la F-man and people who surf between .org and here they can Copy-Paste their reviews here by themselves if they want, or they can make a new review here and compare to the old ones. Plus I've been itching to start the reviews.

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So I propose we start this week with "Brother's Keeper" and go on from there, if that's OK with timm and of course everyone else "the more the merrier".

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Brother's KeeperSince I don't have time to watch all the episodes & write new Reviews & Ratings, I will copy & paste my posts from .org. I'll add comments or change a rating if necessary. Brother's Keeper gets a rating of 10 from me. It can stand alone as a full length movie as Maynard said, & better than most of the R rated trash that's coming out of Hollywood today! The opening scene with Rico on stakeout is one of my all time favorites. It shows how cool & tough he is right from the start. JC, yes, I realize what you mean about DJ & PMT looking at each other while "In the Air Tonight" is playing. There is real drama here! Another is when Sonny stops Rico from blowing Calderone away. The closeups are powerful! The music, the clothes, the humor, the cool, tough dialog, it's all here in the Pilot Episode. It made me a fan of Miami Vice forever! "Hey Tubbs, ever consider a career in Southern law enforcement?" Maybe,..........Maybe! " I Love It!!!! :happy:

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i agree with TonyD 100%!this ep was like "i want to hold your hand": the beginning of a phenomenon. it was perfect from the first to last second. i like the working title, too (Gold Coast). it's as exciting as the last ep is depressing. in fact, if i ever watch "freefall", i have to watch "brother's keeper" very soon after to lift me back up :)

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Ok, "Brother’s Keeper" was the show that defined the series. It let us know the who, what, when, where, why, and how’s of the show. Sonny was portrayed as a quazi over the line but still “by the book” cop. Rico was over the line and hell bent on revenge on his brother’s death. The rest of the cast played out as the series intended.Sonny and Rico eventually partnered together to catch Calderone, the guy they were both chasing for a long time.This was the ep. that defined the show.Great character development that was carried though the series.I give this one a ten for the originality of the series.

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Guest neworder

I was lucky in that when i started watching Vice in 2005 i managed to catch the Pilot before seeing any other episode. The pilot sets up the series in a great way, its not perfect but it is highely entertaining. Very good intro with cool music and tubbs acting very bad ass, New York style. The credits role, cool music, palm trees, flamingo's, sexy ladies i was like whoa this TV show is something. Then we see Crockett looking super cool in his introduction.The story is set up nicely, but the true vice style doesn't really start until the scene where Crockett Leon are crusin in the cigarette boat with cool moody Hammer music. Then we have the lovely chase, Crockett vs Tubbs, a classic scene. Here comes my first critism, really dont like the court scene, doesn't feel right to me...with the dodgy lights being turned out and the strange Martha wielding a gun. We move to the second part, some conflict between C&T over Lou being a straight cop, Tubbs is told to take a backstroke, but crockett still questions Lou later. This is one of the mysteries that is never addressed in the few episodes that Lou was in Vice, was he a bent cop??? I mean i know scottie is discovered to be the leak but Lou was still affording things beyond his salery, maybe he 'married well' like the guy in Badge of Dishonor. In the air tonight - classic scene need i say more and a good shootout at the end.So overall, the pilot is very good, a few acting issues at this stage, a few style issues, not much Hammer music beyond the Miami Vice theme and i have an issue with a few scenes in particular the court room scene.Overall, a strong start 9/10

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Lou's salaryHey Neworder, Lou's spending was not that excessive. Sonny wondered how Lou could afford a private school for his kid on a Lieutenant's pay, which insulted Lou & he said it was none of Crockett's business! He did what we all do....scrimp & save for our kids.We later find out that Lou wasn't dirty & Lou finally loses his life to save Crockett from the hit man.

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Brother's Keeper is a superb pilot. It sets the scene and establishes the characters and setting excellently. A terrific episode and a Vice classic. All the elements that made Vice great were established here. The opening sequence in New York is a bit of a slow burner. There's very little dialogue and it's somewhat ambigious but it's a great introduction to Tubbs as he pulls his shotgun on the street punks who hassle him. Then the action shifts to Paradise City and we get a fantastic introduction to Crockett. He looks so impossibly cool standing outside the Carlyle and the whole sequence with Jimmy Smitz is great. Corky is great too. I enjoyed his sequence. One thing about it though, the background locations kept changing while he was driving. One second they were on Ocean Drive, the next on the MacArthur Causeway. What was that about? And there's another big goof in this episode when the entire camera crew were reflected in the shop windows when Leon was walking to his car. Then a chicken leg suddenly appears in his hand when he gets in the car. Real Ed Wood time here. The car bomb on the underpass was another very good scene. As was the next scene with the argument with Lou in the squad car. There was never a scene like that when Castillo joined. And I very much like the scene where Crockett breaks the news about Eddie's death to his wife. The good mood and smile evaporates as she sees him in that state. Powerful scene. We get a chance to see Crockett as a normal guy as he lives in a surburban house. But he won't be there for long as his marriage is crumbling. His line of work really puts a strain on marital life. Tubbs has some really good moments, especially in the club lip syching 'Somebody's Watching Me'. The sequence where Crockett and Tubbs first meet is of course fab. Tubbs stealing Crockett's speedboat and Crockett giving chase in a sportscar. Great sequence but maybe it could've done with some music other than the Miami Vice theme. Crockett jumping from the bridge on the boat, the punches being thrown and Tubbs revealing himself as a cop. Great stuff. The location is great too. The scene with Lou is also excellent. The interaction between Crockett and Tubbs is obviously very different to how it would be subsequently. And this is carried over to the scene at the St. Vitus. Another great sequence, especially the classic line "This is Miami pal, where you can't even tell the players without a program". It took Tubbs' twisting Crockett's arm after Leon's murder for him to change his mind. The start of a great partnership. "We might have to figure out some temporary working relationship". I like how Crockett lays out his principals in this episode("When it gets messy the wrong people get killed"). Principals he will one day betray with Frank Hackman. The scenery is great in this episode. As is the music, especially Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and Lionel Richie's 'All Night Long'. Not that much to dislike in this episode, apart from the stupid courtroom scene where everyone brandishes guns. Dumb. And I didn't like the OCB set used here. Thankfully we'll move to the usual OCB set in the next episode. Izzy's twin brother Trini DeSoto appears here. There's very little to differentiate them as they're both pretty much identical. And neither of them are funny I'm sorry to say. The scene where Sonny confronts Scott Wheeler over his betrayal is excellent. Very powerful sequence. Scotty is remorseful but Crockett is pained, confused and ultimately lashes out at him. Great scene. The 'In The Air Tonight' scene is iconic, even though I'm not a fan of Phil Collins I have to admit the song matches the scene perfectly. It's a very understated yet powerful scene and it always reminds of the classic line from the Miami Vice spoof on the radio in Vice City, "Partner, let's go cruise in the car and look moody!". Then there's a very good shootout and a tense confrontation with Calderone. He taunts Tubbs as he holds Calderone's life in his hands momentarily but ultimately decides not to kill him. Then the great ending where Calderone manages to give them the slip. Crockett and Tubbs are left aghast as he makes his escape. But he'll be back. The ending reminded me of the ending to the Chief Wiggum PI pilot on The Simpsons where his enemy escapes but Wiggum says "Ah let him go. I have a feeling we'll meet again each and every week, always in more sexy and exciting ways". And I think the last line "Ever consider a career in southern law enforcement" can rival even "This could be the start of a beautiful friendship". As far as pilot episodes go, this is how it's done. 9.5/10

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Guest neworder
Hey Neworder' date=' He did what we all do....scrimp & save for our kids.[/quote']Thats a good point, i wouldn't be at uni without my parents help!!! So damn expensive...SJB
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I love it!I like the Pilot very much it sets up the series very well and introduces everybody(except Castillo). The opening is great, after the meeting with Tubbs and the punks, there is no dialogue just music and action and to me that is one of the things that makes MV so great. I'd even go so far as to say that even a little bit of dialogue would almost spoil the scene, for example in the opener the club scene that ends with Tubbs in the street and then starts THE classic theme a la J.Hammer, pure Vice. Another example would be the meeting with Trini De Soto where Tubbs returns Calderones money and he walks to Calderone there's the Lionel Richie tune playing and Crockett follows a little bit to the dance floor, you really don't if he is going to shake Calderones hand or shoot him, a word said would have killed the mood. Of course there is "In the Air tonight" and it's GREAT enough said.One thing about Tubbs is that if you just watch the episode is that you don't really know if he is a cop or a bad guy until Crockett pulls the flare gun on him. Of course there is the car/boat chase, nobody does it like MV. 10/10

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  • 3 weeks later...

Everything I think of this episode has been said above by other members. Compared to other pilots for shows it did a good job: it introduced us to the main characters well without talking plot (apart from when Rodriquez is chatting to Sonny about his past in the police car & then later Tubbs remembering Sonny's past in football as they're supposed to be searching the apartment) however the rest was done oretty subtely & the information on the character's past was generally fed into the storyline with ease. I did get bored hearing the "time for a little (onboard) romance" line (mentioned by Eddie and by Gina in this ep). Another fave line made its first appearance "free enterprise, dude (etc etc)".The one scene that has me is "In the air tonight" ... seen it sooooo many times and yet I can't tear my attention away if it's on the screen.Did Rico ever use the name of Teddy Prentiss again after this ep?Sue

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  • 3 weeks later...

I give the pilot episode a 9.5 . For some reason I found the first half to be more entertaining, and the second half to be a more laid back. Except for the Phil Collins/Daytona sequence and then on in the second half. This ep marked the beginning of a later-to-be legendary under cover police tandem. But starting off with a not so pleasnt introduction. But the assignment which they both were incidentally involved in, brought them together for 5 years afterwards. Truly a landmark of pilot episodes!

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You beast, you!The beginning is different where the music and credits are and I like that. I hated how poor Eddie, (Jimmy Smits) died, but then how would Tubbs come aboard. Very moving when Sonny yells when he drops his sunglasses and sees the bomb. Then all dirty goes to tell maria, very emotional. The whole pilot was emotional. Tubbs wanting to get back for his brother's death and lying about who he is. And loved when Sonny keeps pushing New York away with Lou. Lou is closer to Sonny then Martin was and I enjoyed their relationship, like when he was reaming Sonny out about no reports in a week like he was in his football years. Always wondered if Lou knew him then or they just talked about it. Oh speaking of football. I alway love Sonny's line and he did this in another episode....Tubbs figures out who Sonny was, a football star almost making pro and Sonny tells him very good Tubbs, next week we'll work on your name...I think that's what it was been a bit since I saw it. Then when it comes to Sonny and Gina, Oh I always love those two together and they fight and he puts a rose in her mail box. But what I also noticed is that the office changed big time from the pilot to the show. And Crockett seemed to head things up more. Having people do certain things, arranging how things were going down. And on the Vitus, finding out who Tubbs was and using a flare gun..lol.....love that and then in thinking he has his football. Oh and Trini, you have to love Martin. And I'm glad they brought him back as Izzy. Another great part him and Scottie in court and the lights go out and also the guns come out, very funny. And when 3/4's of the people show up are cops and Scottie asks Sonny if he took the keys out of that monster.....Tubbs taking off yeahing "You Beast you" And Sonny following and then jumping on the boat, to find out Tubbs is New York PD. I found the whole pilot entertaining, loved the music, style , personalities, and the plot.....Sad at the end with Scottie and Sonny yelling I trusted you! First sign with Tubbs pulling Sonny off of Scottie.I have to agree with a lot of what other's said too. But had to put in my own 2 cents even if some is repeated. I give it a big TEN! Sue

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The clothing' date='music, and exotic destination is what hooked me.[/quote']LOL....MV86, you are just hooked with it all....hehehehe. It's an addiction and I will NOT go to a 12 step program to get away from it....lmao! Sue:D
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  • 4 weeks later...

Brother's KeeperDefinitely a 10. I could go on forever about how much I loved this one, but it's already been said very well by all of you!MJ

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  • 3 weeks later...

Brother's Keeper opens the series with a perfect sense of style and flair and makes for a darn good TV movie while it's doing it. A perfect and exciting blend of action and mystery with solid performances and characterizations all around. The soundtrack is also nothing to sneeze at especially the iconic Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight". We learn a lot about the two leads Crockett and Tubbs and their personalities within seconds of seeing them. Overall this is a perfect beginning for the series and fully deserves a 10/10

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

Wow, well said TommyVercetti. I am watching again now after not watching the series for several months. I can remember this ep when it first ran and will never forget the impression it left on me. Never has been a show like this since. Great characters and lead in for the Tubbs/Crockett team. "In the Air Tonight "with the Daytona--a scene no one can forget.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Now, I know I'm going out on a limb here, but although I liked the pilot, I was never a huge fan. I always felt that Vice took a few episodes to warm up from the beginning, and didn't reach it's peak until Season 2.What I like in particular about this episode is that you see a very good example of the "two complete opposites that have to come together in order to fight evil and initially don't get along but after a while start to bond" archetype, that has been going on in televison, myths, and legends as long as there's been human beings. The pilot starts off with Tubbs, an African American, in a cold, dark, New York City (the north), wearing dark clothes, and going after a dark figure during the night. I loved the nightclub scene because I loved the tune and the way that the whole action within the club is integrated in with the tune. I also liked the red and black colour scheme with the neon lights (about the first and last time you will ever see the colour red in Vice). Then once the scene ends, you're hit with the opening credits which are a complete contrast and merge into a vision of Crockett, a white guy, standing outside the Carlyle in a brightly colourful Miami (the south) during the daytime, in a completely white suite, and blonde hair. And this whole sequence is in my opinion designed to emphasise the opposite natures of their personalities and lives at the beginning of the whole story. The relationship between Crockett and Tubbs at this point is very much Yin and Yang.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ying_and_yangThe differences between Crockett and Tubbs are distinct, but it is only once they are forced to work together to bring down Calderone that ultimately a chemistry starts to form. They initally lock horns and bump heads, but by the end of the episode, the "you ever consider a career in Southern Law enforcement" line confirms that their bond is cemented and it paves the way for the rest of the the show. When Tubbs came to visit Crockett for the first time at the St Vitus, if I had been Crockett I would have asked Tubbs to keep his voice down when he says "So Burnett, is that your cover or something?". I think that's a conversation they should have had below deck!The "All night long" nightclub scene I felt captured the spirit of Miami, and this is one of the good things about Vice. It's not just about the story (like CSI Miami where apart from a few arial shots of the city, the storyline could take place anywhere in the world), Vice captures the spirit of the city as well, and I felt that the title captured the essence of the show very well. The show isn't just about Vice, it's just as importantly about Miami as well.Notice how Leon is dressed exactly like Michael Jackson. You can tell this is 1984!What baffled me is that my dvd box set has the pilot in two parts (what's the point if I'm watching it on dvd?). Two scenes were cut short. One is where Gina stays the night on Crockett's boat. The bit where Crockett descends the steps and says to Elvis "what are you lookin at?" was cut out, as was the bit where Tubbs throws the fish to Elvis. Maybe the distributors didn't like Elvis, but the point is I hate it when they mess about with things like that!You also see Crockett quite impatient and aggressive during this episode, and you see this continue for the first few episodes of Season 1. It's only when you get to about "The Great McCarthy" that he starts to chill out a bit. As for the "Is Rodriguez dirty" issue, that too had me puzzled. Was the point of this scene merely to illustrate the paranoia that was going on at the time when they knew that there was a leak somewhere in department, and Rodriguez was annoyed because he felt like Crockett was being insubordinate? Or was he in fact dirty, and he was actually being defensive with Crockett, and this was a storyline that was going to be developed later. Gregory Sierra left Vice not long afterwards, so maybe that idea may never have followed through. Remember that Crockett was very rarely wrong when it came to his instincts and his intuition.In reality, as we all know, Tubbs would never have been given a job with Vice, after the stunts he pulled with NYPD. But then of course there would have been no Miami Vice! I thought DJ looked a bit rough in this episode, like that hangover he had at the beginning of the episode, he carried through the whole week! Once Season 1 gets underway after this episode, he looks a lot fresher and healthier. From what I read, DJ was still partying quite hard by the time he got the part. Once the show got underway properly, he followed a strict excercise routine and cut down a lot on the booze.All in all it's a great pilot. I think because the pilot was so much storyline orientated (and necessarily so), there was less of an integration of music in this episode than later ones. I also feel that the momentum didn't really get going until the second half of Season 1. Therefore I'll have to say 7 out of 10.

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  • 1 month later...

A couple points: The Rodriguez issue was just to throw something out there to dangle in front of the audience, but it was resolved. He wasn't the leak. As for Don's look in this episode, i think they were really going for the "living undercover" thing. I don't think it had to do with Don partying.Terrific start to the show , 10/10.

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This is 10 all the way. I don´t have better reviews than already posted. This to me is just an episode I keep watching over and over again. A piece of magic

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I could understand Rodriquez deing angry with Crockett. He saves his money to send his kid to a private school & then is questioned by a guy who pisses his money on booze etc. Well, he gave his life to save Crockett later on!

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