Episode #90 "Mirror Image"


Ferrariman

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On 8/9/2010 at 8:02 PM, Tony D. said:

The first time I saw this episode, I couldn't believe my eyes when Sonny shot Rico, only to breathe easier when we learn he was wearing a vest( pounds). I didn't know what Roland, the sargent meant.

I always thought he meant pounds of cocaine.  Thanks for clearing this up! 

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2 hours ago, mirrorimageegamirorrim said:

I always thought he meant pounds of cocaine.  Thanks for clearing this up! 

Edit: Well I had to go back and see this and sure enough the other cop tells Tubbs " I want you carrying pounds" referring to a vest. I'd never heard that term before. In the series, Coke is generally referred to by weight as Kilos, or Keys in Vice.

 

Edited by Sonny-Burnett
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On 4/4/2016 at 11:52 AM, AzVice said:

It's kind of bittersweet to me to watch it because it's the last use of Jan Hammer's music within an episode, and some classic tunes return.

The Jan Hammer part was always sad to me, and precisely for both details you mention: (1) Hammer's last episode and (2) Rico Blues, Aiport Swap and other classics back.

I don't know if Hammer already knew it was his last ep, but with such terrific music on "Mirror Image", to me it feels as if he left a hidden message meaning "you're gonna miss me!" 

Deliver Us From Evil brings me that, too, after lots of episodes with a "generic" music (comparatively) coming from the Hammer/Petersen association...

This is my favorite episode from Season 4, and I guess one of my top 5. When I watched it for the first time, I thought something like "what will be left of Vice after the main character turning into a cold killer?"

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4 hours ago, Sonny-Burnett said:

Edit: Well I had to go back and see this and sure enough the other cop tells Tubbs " I want you carrying pounds" referring to a vest. I'd never heard that term before. In the series, Coke is generally referred to by weight as Kilos, or Keys in Vice.

 

You're right about the Kilos but there are episodes like "Yankee Dollar" (ounces) and "Better Living through Chemistry" (pounds) where English units are used.  This is why I thought he could have meant pounds of coke, like he wanted Rico carrying coke to project the image of a legit player.  

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  • 9 months later...

Even better than the previous episode. I know the amnesia concept is pretty hoaky. But damn they make it so cool.

Apart from the boat explosion its hard to find fault with this episode.

Julia Roberts was still hot. Manolo reminded me of Dracula.

My favorite scene was when Burnett blew the guy away in the car.

Love Crocketts dream.

Great ending.

Hammer goes out with a bang.

9.5/10

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  • 2 years later...

Okay, doing some reviewing of the Burnett Arc and just watched this episode again, after several years.

Very powerful! 

Slick, colorful, and full of drama.

Julia Roberts was stunning. Burnett was brooding and troubled. (Not to mention vicious.) Tubbs was desperately trying to discover what happened to Sonny, then recognizes him,  just as his old partner pulls a gun and tries to shoot him in cold blood.

Then, Tubbs watches Sonny go off in a speedboat after shooting another cop! Rico's face! He was totally shocked and disillusioned! 

One of the best episodes of Season 4 and the main reasons why I won't say this season was a loser.

I rate this episode 10/10! I thoroughly enjoyed it and now, look forward to watching the rest of the Arc. 

Edited by mjcmmv
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I've started wondering if whoever renamed this episode was a Star Trek fan of some kind. That show had the episode Mirror, Mirror, where a transporter accident sent part of the command crew into an alternate universe where the Federation was the evil empire and all that, and the "evil" Kirk ended up on the normal Enterprise. The reason I wonder is this one was originally called "Alter Ego" and changed during the script drafting process. The concept is somewhat similar, even though we don't have two Crocketts running around. And Mirror, Mirror does have something of a cult following, if for no other reason than "evil" Spock.

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3 minutes ago, Robbie C. said:

I've started wondering if whoever renamed this episode was a Star Trek fan of some kind. That show had the episode Mirror, Mirror, where a transporter accident sent part of the command crew into an alternate universe where the Federation was the evil empire and all that, and the "evil" Kirk ended up on the normal Enterprise. The reason I wonder is this one was originally called "Alter Ego" and changed during the script drafting process. The concept is somewhat similar, even though we don't have two Crocketts running around. And Mirror, Mirror does have something of a cult following, if for no other reason than "evil" Spock.

I'm definitely digging up that old gem. I'll bet you're right! 

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Wait! Did anyone else know that the role of Alejandro Gutierrez in Mirror Image was played by Antonio Fargas,  better known as Huggy Bear on Starsky and Hutch????

I never realized this!

He seemed so different in his role on Miami Vice. Loved his acting!

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  • 4 months later...

The dream sequence on the beach was one of the best scenes in the series, such a skillful scene put together brilliantly. 

It was something David Lynch would be proud of.

And the use of the thunder in another scene was interesting, representing that something is wrong and out of balance in reality.

 

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On 9/21/2019 at 6:59 PM, mjcmmv said:

Wait! Did anyone else know that the role of Alejandro Gutierrez in Mirror Image was played by Antonio Fargas,  better known as Huggy Bear 

 

 

Edited by Sonny-Burnett
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On 9/21/2019 at 7:59 PM, mjcmmv said:

Wait! Did anyone else know that the role of Alejandro Gutierrez in Mirror Image was played by Antonio Fargas,  better known as Huggy Bear on Starsky and Hutch????

I never realized this!

He seemed so different in his role on Miami Vice. Loved his acting!

 

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On 9/21/2019 at 1:04 PM, Robbie C. said:

I've started wondering if whoever renamed this episode was a Star Trek fan of some kind. That show had the episode Mirror, Mirror, where a transporter accident sent part of the command crew into an alternate universe where the Federation was the evil empire and all that, and the "evil" Kirk ended up on the normal Enterprise. The reason I wonder is this one was originally called "Alter Ego" and changed during the script drafting process. The concept is somewhat similar, even though we don't have two Crocketts running around. And Mirror, Mirror does have something of a cult following, if for no other reason than "evil" Spock.

Your agonizer please  :)

Mr Spock.jpg

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  • 5 months later...
On 2/1/2020 at 11:45 AM, RedDragon86 said:

The dream sequence on the beach was one of the best scenes in the series, such a skillful scene put together brilliantly. 

It was something David Lynch would be proud of.

And the use of the thunder in another scene was interesting, representing that something is wrong and out of balance in reality.

 

Yes! Yes! Very Lynchian! I know David Lynch was asked to direct “Manhunter” but passed it down. Surprisingly he thought the script was “degenerate” but “Blue Velvet” wasn’t? LOL A lot of his work is very extreme. Regardless, Michael Mann made it a masterpiece!

I wish they would have had Lynch direct at least one episode of MV. That would have been very interesting! He’s my favorite director and just an overall fascinating man.

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8 minutes ago, AndrewRemington said:

Yes! Yes! Very Lynchian! I know David Lynch was asked to direct “Manhunter” but passed it down. Surprisingly he thought the script was “degenerate” but “Blue Velvet” wasn’t? LOL A lot of his work is very extreme. Regardless, Michael Mann made it a masterpiece!

I wish they would have had Lynch direct at least one episode of MV. That would have been very interesting! He’s my favorite director and just an overall fascinating man.

I didn't know that, thank's for the info.

By any chance have you seen Lynch's Inland Empire?

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2 minutes ago, RedDragon86 said:

I didn't know that, thank's for the info.

By any chance have you seen Lynch's Inland Empire?

No problem! I read that on the Wikipedia page for “Manhunter”. I would imagine it’s true! :)

Believe it or not, I haven’t seen “Inland Empire”. It’s hard to find. I have seen everything else he’s done except that and the third season of “Twin Peaks”.

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Just now, AndrewRemington said:

No problem! I read that on the Wikipedia page for “Manhunter”. I would imagine it’s true! :)

Believe it or not, I haven’t seen “Inland Empire”. It’s hard to find. I have seen everything else he’s done except that and the third season of “Twin Peaks”.

I hope you get to watch it soon because I think it's his most ambitious experimental film to date, it's is a mind-bending trip.

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18 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

I hope you get to watch it soon because I think it's his most ambitious experimental film to date, it's is a mind-bending trip.

Wow. I definitely do want to see it. Sadly, it’s not streaming anywhere in the US and all the DVDs and BluRays I can find are imports (I don’t think my player is compatible). It looks like a used US dvd costs $50. :evil:

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21 hours ago, AndrewRemington said:

I wish they would have had Lynch direct at least one episode of MV. That would have been very interesting! He’s my favorite director and just an overall fascinating man.

Imagine that! It would be wonderful... If I had to choose an ep to be directed by Lynch, I would never be able to decide which one: "Mirror Image" or "Shadow in the Dark".

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24 minutes ago, ivoryjones said:

Imagine that! It would be wonderful... If I had to choose an ep to be directed by Lynch, I would never be able to decide which one: "Mirror Image" or "Shadow in the Dark".

Either would be great!

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  • 1 month later...

I'm in agreement with the consensus here: One of the, if not the, best of Season 4 - with plenty of that ol' Vice magic.  Shocking how suddenly Evil Sonny shoots Tubbs; I knew it was coming but I was expecting a drawn-out showdown.  

The dream sequence is great with the cinematic influences of Fellini, Hitchcock and Ken Russell.

Also one of the best guest casts of the season: Chris Cooper looking cool in his shades, a welcome return of Vice "recurrer" Brent Jennings, weird, unsettling Tony Azito, Antonio Fargas! (His shades were awesome), and, oh yeah, an early role for Julia (ugh) Roberts. (I've never been a fan of hers.)

The trope of an intense, burnt-out person turning bad thanks to amnesia is corny, but it's pulled off with style here.  Now onto Season 5 and more of Evil Sonny!

Edited by Jack Gretsky
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  • 5 months later...

My 6th favourite episode from the entire series........ 10/10 all the way, and the best Burnett saga episode. (Though, it is hard to rate one of them higher than the other)

 

That fresh intro

That beach dream doesn't seem to come from this season at all

The "unknown" of what is going to happen next, so unpredictable

Crockett shooting Tubbs in that "foggy" scene is so..... Ice-cold

An absolutely new plot the show has never seen before

The music is very good

Jann Hammer's last appearance

The ruthlesness Burnett portrays is bone-chilling

The acting level of DJ is amazing

Nice, clean athmoshpere poured in

Good lines: "That's B-U-R-N-E double T" and Tubbs' iconic "SONNY !!!"

And, finally, the cliffhanger itself, after Burnett kills that cop at the pier, and drives the boat, with Tubbs' "SONNY!!!" line

 

2nd best episode from Season 4, only behind Deliver us from evil, and 6th best in the entire series for me.

 

 

 

 

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