Episode #96 "Line Of Fire"

[Matt5]

8 hours ago, Campion said:

Watched this one again the other night and it is how I remember it: one of the better season 5 episodes with some nice--but not enough--Crockett & Tubbs camaraderie and a fairly good plot/story that might have seemed at home in season 2. The actor who plays Joey Hardin does a great job, IMO, with just the right amount of hints in his action/dialogue that make it realistic that he is an undercover cop, not really a witness needing protection ("no, Crockett, you don't understand, it wasn't supposed to be like this"--I think that's a panicked witness, but after learning the twist it comes across as a young, undercover cop who is fearing he's in over his head). 

However, Line of Fire suffers from the same lazy, lack of attention to detail as much of season 5. Take, for instance, the well-known helicopter shadow screw up. This could have taken ten seconds in the editing bay to fix or avoid--just use fly over shots without the shadow. But someone didn't care. I mean, it was so obvious the first moment I saw the episode so many years ago. A little nitpick and it certainly doesn't ruin the episode, but it's the type of thing that happened a lot in Season 5 and I feel insulted--as a viewer--that they actually thought I wouldn't notice such an obvious blooper.

Also, the whole sequence when Tubbs and Switek chase down then capture Felix and do the whole "we're letting you go free so that your boss thinks you cooperated" thing. After snatching Felix, they show an exterior of OCB then go to an interrogation room that, in seasons past, would've been at police HQ (I don't think they'd bring a suspect into the undercover operation at Gold Coast). Silly nitpick again, but also a sign of laziness IMO. Also, it has very deus ex machina  vibe, and really isn't necessary; they could've discovered Agent Bates' duplicity in an easier way, other than just hand-waving about Izzy. Furthermore, Tubbs over-explains the whole thing as if the writers are saying: "Hey, this is so clever an idea that if we don't spoon-feed you what's going on you'll never get it!" See "Brothers Keeper" on how to pull off this tactic perfectly.

The flare-gun and horrible helicopter explosion dampen what was a good sequence. Just have Crockett shoot the gunner out the door, forcing the pilot to fly off. Flare guns, by the way, aren't stinger missiles. Just sayin'.

Still, I'm banging on the episode too much. I do enjoy Line of Fire and feel like it's one of the few Season 5 episodes where things click on par with episodes from the previous seasons but then again I tend to enjoy episodes directed by Richard Compton. 

Good review - I always enjoy this late 1988 episode a lot!

[Rattlehead]

One of the better episodes of the season, quite fun actually. I don't really have an issue with it. I paused at the end to look at the longbox albums handed to Hardin, I saw the Metallica and Anthrax albums from that year but no Megadeth despite them being named!

[RedDragon86]

Joey Hardin is so annoying it's unwatchable for me, the way he goes on makes me cringe.

Wish they brought Al Shannon back or Frank Military for this role.

Edited May 9, 2019 by RedDragon86

[mjcmmv]

4 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

Joey Harden is so annoying it's unwatchable for me, the way he goes on makes me cringe.

Wish they brought back Al Shannon for this role.

 

4 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

Joey Harden is so annoying it's unwatchable for me, the way he goes on makes me cringe.

Wish they brought back Al Shannon for this role.

Was Al Shannon Eddie Rivers in Milk Run? I googled the name, but it wasn't clear. 

[RedDragon86]

5 minutes ago, mjcmmv said:

 

Was Al Shannon Eddie Rivers in Milk Run? I googled the name, but it wasn't clear. 

That's him, Frank Military also would have been a better choice.

Edited May 9, 2019 by RedDragon86

[mjcmmv]

2 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

Thats him and I made a mistake saying Joey Hardin it was the young guy Justin Lazard who got on my nerves.

I can see why the character, Joey Hardin got on your nerves. Playing the role of the heavy metal rocker was acceptable at first, but got annoying after awhile.

But, I loved how Rico said Joey's nature and attitude reminded him of Crockett. Crockett retorts, "Yeah, but I earned my attitude!" LOL!

Then, on the St. Vitus, Joey and Sonny start to talk and get to know one another. And Crockett throws him a cassette tape of Eric Clapton (I think it was EC) ,  hoping to show him the music of previous generations was better crafted and just as influential.  Maybe it was an eyeopener for Joey. Not sure if it made an impression, but good try, Sonny! 

Finally, Joey shows Crockett he knows about Molotov Cocktails and it's because his father, who was a Viet Nam Vet, as well as a cop, taught him how to make them. Wow, now, Crockett was hooked!  It seemed as if he stared to mentor Joey, even though he didn't know at this point that Joey was a cop/DEA agent. 

 I wasn't really in love with the Joey character either, but I loved the way he affected Crockett. It was almost as if he renewed Crockett's commitment to law enforcement.

Too bad it didn't last!

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by mjcmmv

[mjcmmv]

Loved Tim Truman's music in this episode, BTW. Very haunting music playing during the scene showing Rico searching for Sonny from the helicopter. 

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by mjcmmv

[mjcmmv]

If you play the YouTube video for Tim Truman's Helicopter, read the comments the YouTube fans wrote about the music, and Don Johnson's role in this episode. It addressed some of these issues. 

In response to everyone's disappointment over DJ's apparent disinterest in the show, I am willing to give him a pass.  

Do I think DJ lacked commitment or was unprofessional? No, not really. I think he saw what was happening and got out while he could. He was also taking advantage of how this role sent his career into orbit. Maybe it didn't make the fans happy, but in this business, it's every man for himself!

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by mjcmmv

[vicegirl85]

23 minutes ago, mjcmmv said:

(snipped)

In response to everyone's disappointment over DJ's apparent disinterest in the show, I am willing to give him a pass.  

Do I think DJ lacked commitment or was unprofessional? No, not really. I think he saw what was happening and got out while he could. He was also taking advantage of how this role sent his career into orbit. Maybe it didn't make the fans happy, but in this business, it's every man for himself!

I agree, he did want to take advantage of the opportunities he was being offered at the time, and he wanted to be out of the limiting shooting schedule of a weekly TV show.  I don't think he wanted MV to continue at this point. 

But I also think he was acting, acting the role of a burned out cop who is no longer sure that his work is accomplishing anything, and feeling that his personal life has deteriorated into ashes.  Crockett was looking for some motivation to keep doing the job he has always been dedicated to, but that has led to many personal losses including the temporary loss of his own identity.  He doesn't know what else he might do, but he's lost the engagement in his work that he used to feel.

At least, it makes me happier to think that DJ's acting in S5 was related to his character's development as Crockett moves down a rather nihilistic path through the course of the season.

[mjcmmv]

20 minutes ago, vicegirl85 said:

I agree, he did want to take advantage of the opportunities he was being offered at the time, and he wanted to be out of the limiting shooting schedule of a weekly TV show.  I don't think he wanted MV to continue at this point. 

But I also think he was acting, acting the role of a burned out cop who is no longer sure that his work is accomplishing anything, and feeling that his personal life has deteriorated into ashes.  Crockett was looking for some motivation to keep doing the job he has always been dedicated to, but that has led to many personal losses including the temporary loss of his own identity.  He doesn't know what else he might do, but he's lost the engagement in his work that he used to feel.

At least, it makes me happier to think that DJ's acting in S5 was related to his character's development as Crockett moves down a rather nihilistic path through the course of the season.

That's a really good observation!  I would like to believe DJ had this in mind when he tuned out in Season 5; he's a good actor, so it's an excellent theory.

DJ made the character come to life for all of us and considering what 'Sonny Crockett' had been through, not to mention all his frustrations with the law enforcement system, I could see DJ adapting this "I don't care anymore; I'm done" attitude...just like the Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs in "Free Fall". 

Thanks for posting this. 

Edited May 10, 2019 by mjcmmv

[Matt5]

I love this episode.

[Mr. Vigilante]

Pretty good episode.  Joey was annoying but I liked how Crockett started to look out for him.  For some reason, during the shootout at the pier, I thought I was watching the MV Stuntshow from Universal Studios!  Maybe it was just the explosions givin me that vibe.  Also, Crockett still looks cool in the denim jacket.

[RedDragon86]

On 1/29/2020 at 11:49 PM, Mr. Vigilante said:

Pretty good episode.  Joey was annoying but I liked how Crockett started to look out for him.  For some reason, during the shootout at the pier, I thought I was watching the MV Stuntshow from Universal Studios!  Maybe it was just the explosions givin me that vibe.  Also, Crockett still looks cool in the denim jacket.

He is annoying as hell, I can't figure out if this episode is good or not because I can't enjoy it with the way Joey is going on.

It would have been better if he had the same demeanor as Eddie from "Milk Run" 

Edited January 31, 2020 by RedDragon86

[Jack Gretsky]

This was a fun one after a run of OK, but kind of dreary, episodes.  Some nice magic hour exterior shots - I could almost feel the air and atmosphere.  And plenty of lines that made me chuckle: "He pushes more flake than Tony the Tiger," "Idealism is for fat girls with guitars," "Rico, get Star Search."

Nice visuals for the eyes, good wit for the funnybone, but crappy music for the ears - both Truman's music and the speed-punk (already old hat by then? You can hear similar stuff in the movie Cruising from a decade earlier). (Sorry, I'm more of a synth guy than a guitar guy.) I was amused, though, by seeing those old rectangular boxed CD packages when Tubbs and Crockett give them as presents to Hardin at the end!

[Robbie C.]

On 5/9/2019 at 5:04 PM, RedDragon86 said:

That's him, Frank Military also would have been a better choice.

I would rather have seen them bring him back to write more episodes.

[RedDragon86]

9 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

I would rather have seen them bring him back to write more episodes.

Wrote and performed in "Line Of Fire"

We would have had a quality episode 

[Adrian321]

Such a fine episode.......... 9/10. The music made this worse, rather than better, but even without that, this is a very strong S5 episode, one that I enjoyed watching. Combines almost all MV elements, except good music. I'd say it's deffinitely worth watching. Combines emotion, heavy action,good characters, entertaining plot and a few laughs here and there,not to mention we see the Testarossa Jewel for the 1st time in 6 episodes.

The main complaint I have about S5 is the lack (and when it is-bad) music. Was this rock that cheaper  than some more "classy" songs ? Damn......... the producers really went cheap. Maybe they could've squeezed a bit more $ from the audience if they put in some better music. If they did, we would also have more "solid" last seasons, with less bad episodes, since they'd have the money to make them as good as possible. Also the replacement of Jann Hammer was a BAD move.

[ViceFanMan]

This episode is pretty good. Love the action scenes...at the Biltmore and later on the St. Vitus. The Maltov Cocktails being chucked by Crockett and Joey were pretty cool! Love the intro, with Crockett now in ripped jeans and denim--there's a very late 80's/90's feel to it. I also liked Crockett's pastel pink shirt he wore throughout...this season's kind of hit-n-miss with the pastels, so it's nice to see them here-n-there.  

Justin Lazzard did a descent job as a young undercover cop, Joey Harden, trying to learn the "ropes"—and the whole father/son thing played out between Crockett and Joey was a heartfelt & interesting touch. Harden turning out to really be an undercover DEA agent was a nice plot twist that I didn't see coming the first time I watched this one.

However, the action scene that required Switek to run was pretty ridiculous.  You could tell it was done very slowly (almost in slow motion) but was supposed to be like a regular or fast chase...it was humorous!  Other episodes have more visuals and/or "flash"...but overall this ones got substance, depth, and it’s enjoyable to watch. I originally gave it a 7, and I still do. 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

Yeah, I really like this episode, from the beginning when Crockett airs his disgust with not being about to stem the tide of the many ills of society ("All anyone cares about is kiss and tell, dirty laundry, and public relations"; I see Crockett has been watching a rerun of 'Rock and a Hard Place', or maybe met up with Jerry Lee), to the interactions between Crockett/Hardin (sort of a mentor/protege deal, even though Crockett was unaware of who Hardin really was throughout), to the nightclub scene with the blonde gal ("Man, I gotta go more to church": Yes, Forgive Us Our Debts indeed).

But, in mentioning the nightclub scene, I don't get Hardin's move in that spot: seemed pretty reckless.

I also liked the inclusion of Paris Buckner here, also with "that guy" who plays Quintero's lawyer (Michael George Owens is his name, and he's a real Vice guy: my favorite role of his is 'Down for the Count, Part II', when he says to Crockett & Tubbs that Giulinni is a cross between Charles Manson and Ben Siegel. Me? I'm a cross between Scrappy-Doo & Eric Carmen).

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

This is how much Vice has a grip on me: I was in the Wal-mart neighborhood Market yesterday looking at spices, and I see Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic and automatically think, "Imagine me getting praise from Paul Prudhomme". That's one of the things I like about Crockett though, lines like that "And I thought I knew everyone in the Joint Chiefs" (wasn't that line from 'Rock and a Hard Place'?) or "Where did you find Albert Schweitzer?" . Like I always say, James "Funny" Crockett. Crockett said things that I definitely could see myself saying for sure (like at work last week, when a server at the hotel said that 2 guys in suits were asking about our group, and I said, "Were they the Men in Black?"). Good times really.

[Jack Gretsky]

This is the one where Crockett and Tubbs babysit Justin Lazard's Keith/Joey. (He comes off like one of those delinquent teens you see pictured in the backs of magazines for ads like "Is Your Child Disobedient?  Send Him or Her to Our Camp." Maybe Sonny and Rico could have introduced him to that other rambunctious protected witness Cindy from "French Twist.")  And it's nice to have Sonny Crockett back after the comic book adventures of Burnett.  And Sonny is dead right about speed metal being warmed-over sped-up Hendrix.  Gad, it actually had me wishing for some Rockwell "Somebody's Watching Me," it was that bad!  

This is a lively one, with a light touch regarding Crockett's relationship with Hardin.  We'll encounter this guy again in "Leap of Faith" - a "backdoor pilot" that some people here despise, but I like it jenniferrubin for several reasons. 

A nice piece of music by Truman when Tubbs is helicoptering over the water and islands.  Too bad that most of Truman's score is an overuse of squealing guitar riffs. (more warmed-over Hendrix?)

[Jack Gretsky]

On 9/10/2020 at 7:09 PM, Jack Gretsky said:

This was a fun one after a run of OK, but kind of dreary, episodes.  Some nice magic hour exterior shots - I could almost feel the air and atmosphere.  And plenty of lines that made me chuckle: "He pushes more flake than Tony the Tiger," "Idealism is for fat girls with guitars," "Rico, get Star Search."

Nice visuals for the eyes, good wit for the funnybone, but crappy music for the ears - both Truman's music and the speed-punk (already old hat by then? You can hear similar stuff in the movie Cruising from a decade earlier). (Sorry, I'm more of a synth guy than a guitar guy.) I was amused, though, by seeing those old rectangular boxed CD packages when Tubbs and Crockett give them as presents to Hardin at the end!

Oh!  I did review this last year.  I'm glad this time I found praise for one of Truman's cues.  And definitely several witty lines in this one. 

[sdiegolo78]

Watched this last night again after quite some time. It was nice to see Crockett being his old self again, almost as if nothing had happened. The Quintero case and Dexter Simms murder went down behind scenes, probably after the previous show events. This shows you Sonny is back full time at OCB.

In my view this is one of my S5 favorites although the writing seems a bit all over the place at the start. I agree with someone else who mentioned a lack of details, when the camera showed an OCB room first then some Metro Dade HQ interrogation room.  And Switek was so out of shape he couldn't run after that suspect at the beach

I love Tubbs dressing style in this last season, it's primo! Better than any pastel
The plot was about another witness protection like some past episodes (milk run, Lombard) but with a twist. The leak was ultimately exposed as FBI agent Bates. I like this episode even more because of the recurrent corruption theme and the way this series showed us how rotten the system can be. I didn't remember the real Keith Mullins didn't actually nailed Quintero in court but chickened out...
Joey Hardin guy would have made an excellent addition to OCB squad as regular after this episode. There clearly was chemistry with Crockett and he could see his young self in Joey...
However, his under cover heavy metal persona was slightly annoying but it was just to show the generation gap with C&T. Had there been a S6, he probably would have replaced Sonny i think...The actor had some Charlie Sheen vibe to him.
Needless to say the young female FBI agent was really cute and pretty. To me she seemed a bit too young to be a special agent...she must have been on her first assignment too or just out the academy.

This deserves a solid 9. PS: I don't get the criticism on Tim Truman's music. He was just different than Jan Hammer and more adequate for a late 1988 -89 show.

[sdiegolo78]

On 9/27/2021 at 7:04 PM, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

This is how much Vice has a grip on me: I was in the Wal-mart neighborhood Market yesterday looking at spices, and I see Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic and automatically think, "Imagine me getting praise from Paul Prudhomme". That's one of the things I like about Crockett though, lines like that "And I thought I knew everyone in the Joint Chiefs" (wasn't that line from 'Rock and a Hard Place'?) or "Where did you find Albert Schweitzer?" . Like I always say, James "Funny" Crockett. Crockett said things that I definitely could see myself saying for sure (like at work last week, when a server at the hotel said that 2 guys in suits were asking about our group, and I said, "Were they the Men in Black?"). Good times really.

"You have a package? call Fedex!"

[fakespyder]

Any episode where Sonny touches on his motives for doing what he does I tend to enjoy. It gives his character room to stretch. His disgust at the system crumbling. His self-deprecation when Tubbs points out how similar he is to the kid. And his response to Joey's questions:

"That's what it's about? Trust your partner"  "That's all there is kid"

"Why do you do it?" "Make the world safe...for children"