The original Miami Vice endings.

[Detective_Crockett]

As some of you might know, Freefall had three different endings, one Crockett and Tubbs quit the force (That one happened)

Both Crocket and Tubbs are killed by Bakers men ("Do it, if you got the stones." ) and one where just Tubbs died.

How glad are you they went with the original ending of them quitting the force? It would of been quite hard to see Sonny and Rico get killed there and then, and what if maybe just Tubbs died? How would you have reacted to that?

What do you think everyone?

If they released copies, I would like to see these endings, but I'm still happy and satisfied with the original ending. Last thing we would have wanted to see is Sonny and Rico dead.

Edited June 5, 2015 by Detective_Crockett

[Vicefan7777]

First of all, I never knew three endings were filmed.  I would like to see them all.  I do like the way it was shown with Crockett and

Tubbs riding off into the sunset, pondering their futures.  Maybe partnering up to form a private security company?  Maybe joining a Mayberry type town sheriff department with only a handful of law officers?  Who knows for sure.  The ending where they both are gunned down would have been interesting.  Going out in a blaze of glory, since they were living on the edge undercover.  It could have been a fitting end as the 80s decade of great fashion, cars, decor, and music was about to come crashing down.  

 

The ending where Tubbs gets killed has its own possibility.  Watching Sonny kneeling beside his partner as he dies in this arms.  Sonny then screaming for revenge as the credits role.  Making us fans wonder what would have happened next.  Yes, I see an advantage to all three endings.  However as I said, I do like the way it was shown. 

[damrod]

Them staying alive leaves so many options for future shows and many possibilities for their lives.  Killing them both is final without a chance for more, end of story.  Tubbs getting killed could put Crocket back in the bottle.

[miamijimf]

I can't imagine anyone think killing off Rico and or Sonny in the last episode was a good idea.

[damrod]

Agree. Killing off anybody in the finale would have been the worst.  Then there could be no reunion movie.  A remake which was ok, but the originals would have been nice.

[Detective_Crockett]

The decision to leave them alive was because of the Lost Episodes, there was that one that had those 2 new young Detectives and it served as a possible spin off, and Crockett and Tubbs would have showed up every once in a while in the episodes...so they thought they shouldn't kill them incase that spin off took off, but it never did. 

[Mr. Calderon]

There were three endings but just one was recorded? Or all those three?

 

 

Those would be a really great script items. Am I right, Coop?

[Detective_Crockett]

Yeah, does Coop have any access to those scripts? that would be the icing on the cake. 

[COOPER&BURNETT]

One version has them die when they learn that a terrorist bomb is on a jumbo jet about to take off from Miami. They evacuate the crew and 300 passengers before they die when the plane blows up.

 

The cast of LEAP OF FAITH was to be a possible spinoff staring Justin Lazard about youth crime, but it was never made.

 

Saddly, I don't have the endings. I do have something (not from that episode) that is ultra rare (and perhaps historic) to share at some point, but that will be for another time. 

[Detective_Crockett]

One version has them die when they learn that a terrorist bomb is on a jumbo jet about to take off from Miami. They evacuate the crew and 300 passengers before they die when the plane blows up.

 

The cast of LEAP OF FAITH was to be a possible spinoff staring Justin Lazard about youth crime, but it was never made.

 

Saddly, I don't have the endings. I do have something (not from that episode) that is ultra rare (and perhaps historic) to share at some point, but that will be for another time. 

With that ending, Miami Vice quite literally would have gone out with a bang. 

[Spyder]

Having them die at the end just like that would have been too much of a shock for the audience. The show would have jumped the shark right then and there. Miami Vice wasn't Breaking Bad, where you knew that everything was building up to a point where the lead character must die.

[Stinger390X]

I like the way it ended. I think I would have been disappointed if they were shot but you have to think of the opening episode when at the end the bad guys got away!

 

That was a jaw dropper as it was never done on television ever before that and it caught many people like myself off guard.

 

Having the corrupt DEA/CIA guys kill Crocket and Tubbs would have had the same effect sort of? It would have been anpther WTF moment just like in the opening episode!

 

Having them quit and move on in life was the right choice as now we may possibly have spinoffs? Lets keep hoping.....

[Kavinsky]

the everybody's dead dave ending (the everybody dies one) was used on the show Ashes To Ashes in 2010, and I havent watched that show since, despite its very miami vice like flare for music (one of the big pulls of the show) as that just left such a sour taste in my mouth that I only really fondly remember Life On Mars now, plus Gene was much more fun in that.

 

and that kind of ending just leaves you going, much like a flipside to what holly says here at the end

 

 

should have never watched it in the first place, and I mean they Killed EVERYBODY, including the quattro, but atleast he got to shoot the bastard for it.

 

Tubbs dying though might have worked, and also might have mirrored the pilot abit more, although given the choice I like the idea of them living peacefully back in their homelands more or less too, and I would have left the choice up to PMT out of respect.

 

hell maybe that's what it came down to.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Kavinsky

[TubbsGirl1n&Ou7]

I wouldn't have been able to handle either of those 2 being killed. I am still emotional after all these years with just seeing those 2 leave & how Crockett spoke to Tubbs on how much he enjoyed working with him (it kind of felt as if it was Don himself a little outside of his character was actually saying it to PMT). Crockett looked emotional too. When I 1st saw that final episode how Tubbs kept saying the sense something bad, almost hinting that he was going to possibly get killed, I did thought that he was. I'm glad he wasn't nor Crockett. I just wouldn't be able to handle that.

[Detective_Crockett]

Yeah the way he said "Sonny if anything happens to me." It's scary when characters say that in shows because it normally happens.

[damrod]

Freefall was on Cozi today.

[Jerry B.]

I think the actual ending was the best possible one.

 

MV had such a strong impact on the culture of its time at the point we can say it defined the 80s. It had such a deep influence and meaning in everybody's life at the point it deserved an ending. It needed an ending. It cried for it.

And what better choice than having the good guys leaving a corrupted, degraded system?  "Times are changing, your way to be cops is outdated" that's what Sonny and Rico are told at the very end of the story. (ok, more or less, that's what I remember ;-)

I always read that like a prophecy. Times were really changing. The 80s were leaving the scene, just like our guys. Freefall is one of the best and saddest episode of the series, not only cause it seals the end of the show, but cause it marks the end of an era. It tells us that the final curtain is falling on that age where life was simpler and on a human scale.

To me, all the alternate endings are just crap. Whatever alternative would be worse than the actual one. Last - but in no way least, this one left an incredible opportunity to make literally ANYTHING after. From a series reboot to a movie.

Mann chose to throw this opportunity in the trash can, but that's another story.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Jerry Beck

[agent 47]

I agree with Jerry. They chose the best ending to run with. The other two endings would have felt like tacked-on action movie endings while the one used has that Michael Mann quality to it that leaves things with a resolution but not resolved fully. The current ending has a stronger philosphical tone to it about corruption and the seemingly futile battle to end it. It also pinpoints how the series evolved throughout, starting out bright and glitzy but still with the black and white mentality of the old westerns but by the end the old west mentality had died, the villians and supposed heroes were looking a lot alike and the world around Crockett and Tubbs had grown darker and they seemed to be at a lost trying to make sense of it. In a way the last episode of Vice is like one of those gems of a film that time has forgotten about but should be more important and relevant.

[Noggie]

I remember watching with my mom & when they cut to the shot of the bottom of the car, she said "Oh no" fearing there was a bomb. That was the standard "there's a bomb planted under the car" shot! That would have been a downer.

I guess it ended the best way it could. It was such a strange experience for me. Shows last forever now. Vice had a short run but it felt longer. I was in 9th grade I think when it started & was in college when it went off. It was just sad. I hadn't enjoyed the show as much but occasionally there would be an episode that reminded me of why I loved it. I was sad it ended but that was a decent final show.

Fortunately, USA Network began airing it at the same time so I caught up on episodes I missed!!

[wolfie1996]

On 6/20/2015 at 7:27 AM, Jerry B. said:

I think the actual ending was the best possible one.

 

MV had such a strong impact on the culture of its time at the point we can say it defined the 80s. It had such a deep influence and meaning in everybody's life at the point it deserved an ending. It needed an ending. It cried for it.

And what better choice than having the good guys leaving a corrupted, degraded system?  "Times are changing, your way to be cops is outdated" that's what Sonny and Rico are told at the very end of the story. (ok, more or less, that's what I remember ;-)

I always read that like a prophecy. Times were really changing. The 80s were leaving the scene, just like our guys. Freefall is one of the best and saddest episode of the series, not only cause it seals the end of the show, but cause it marks the end of an era. It tells us that the final curtain is falling on that age where life was simpler and on a human scale.

To me, all the alternate endings are just crap. Whatever alternative would be worse than the actual one. Last - but in no way least, this one left an incredible opportunity to make literally ANYTHING after. From a series reboot to a movie.

Mann chose to throw this opportunity in the trash can, but that's another story.

I disagree. I think the ending was a poor cop-out. Fair enough it would be worse if one or both had been killed, but that's all you can say in its favour. Here we have two people doing a job they love and are eminently fitted for, becoming disillusioned and leaving said job. So where does that leave them? What else do you suggest they could do (and enjoy doing, and find satisfying) given their characters and talents? If they decide to no longer work for the official bodies whose job it is to maintain law and order, what else is there? Working as PI's (which would make use of what they could do and still have that edge of excitement to make life worth living)? Tubbs  did mention it once but who knows how seriously and Crockett never mentioned anything he'd be happy working at as an alternative to his own job. Theoretically they could have become partners in some such business but there was no suggestion that anything like that would ever happen and in fact the impression was that they were parting for ever. Despite their obvious closeness. So where would they end up? Two unhappy and dissatisfied fish out of water somewhere? I can't imagine it. They might as  well have stayed with the  Department. A sad and disappointing ending. I doubt if I'll watch it again, anyway.