The Evan Issue

[Bren10]

First of all, I was somewhat reticent to make this post for fear of causing offence which I do not intend. This post in no way represents my views on gay people, nor does it represent any of my socio-political stances. What it solely has to do with is the episode of Evan itself, which is one of my favorite episodes of all time, and how it is structured. So...

In many reviews and articles etc. of Evan, much has been made of the homosexuality of Mike Orgel and how that element a) was partly responsible for the episode's quality and b) that Miami Vice was a progressive show for simply even addressing this issue. My argument is that Evan would have been a great show even without this plot point. My testament to this is that I was very young when I first saw the episode and didn't quite understand the actual issue between Sonny and Evan, yet I knew I was watching great television with a lot of emotional weight. I could also tell that this particular episode felt very different compared to many of the episodes that came before. In other words, the episode didn't need Mike Orgel to be gay to make it a good episode. There could just as easily have been a love triangle in the past that caused a rift between Sonny and Evan, or Orgel could have simply been a depressed and suicidal person that Sonny and Evan didn't catch in time etc, etc. The show still would have worked.

I think reviewers and viewers are ascribing a social conscience/agenda to Miami Vice that it didn't really possess. I remind you, as one reviewer did, that Orgel's homosexuality is off screen and in the distant past, which means that we conveniently do not have to directly confront it. Perhaps if the show were truly pushing the envelope, Orgel would still be alive and confronting both Sonny and Evan. Or if Evan himself were gay and it was Sonny who had the problem with it all this time. To me, Orgel's orientation was a controversial hook and a device for the conflict between Sonny and Evan. This may have made the show seem cutting edge and timely, but I do not think that the show itself was taking a stance on the issue. It may have been commenting, but not endorsing, one way or the other. I say this because I feel that Miami Vice's disposition was always an observational and relatively objective one when it came to heavy issues, leaving the viewers at home to extrapolate what they would from it. This reflects Michael Mann's filmmaking style in general, which has been discussed here before. 

I wanted to address this because Evan is not only one of my favorite Miami Vice episodes, but one of my favorite hours of television, period. In Evan's description it said  "uncharacteristically sensitive portrayal of homosexuality". I simply don't see this, really. I don't know that a gay person would either, though I cannot speak for anyone else. Again that implies a "very special episode" mentality which it is not. What I see is a deep, dark mistake in Sonny and Evan's past that they have both been silently paying for ever since. 

I welcome any further thoughts. 

Edited April 5, 2019 by Bren10

[mjcmmv]

1 hour ago, Bren10 said:

First of all, I was somewhat reticent to make this post for fear of causing offence which I do not intend. This post in no way represents my views on gay people, nor does it represent any of my socio-political stances. What it solely has to do with is the episode of Evan itself, which is one of my favorite episodes of all time, and how it is structured. So...

In many reviews and articles etc. of Evan, much has been made of the homosexuality of Mike Orgel and how that element a) was partly responsible for the episode's quality and b) that Miami Vice was a progressive show for simply even addressing this issue. My argument is that Evan would have been a great show even without this plot point. My testament to this is that I was very young when I first saw the episode and didn't quite understand the actual issue between Sonny and Evan, yet I knew I was watching great television with a lot of emotional weight. I could also tell that this particular episode felt very different compared to many of the episodes that came before. In other words, the episode didn't need Mike Orgel to be gay to make it a good episode. There could just as easily have been a love triangle in the past that caused a rift between Sonny and Evan, or Orgel could have simply been a depressed and suicidal person that Sonny and Evan didn't catch in time etc, etc. The show still would have worked.

I think reviewers and viewers are ascribing a social conscience/agenda to Miami Vice that it didn't really possess. I remind you, as one reviewer did, that Orgel's homosexuality is off screen and in the distant past, which means that we conveniently do not have to directly confront it. Perhaps if the show were truly pushing the envelope, Orgel would still be alive and confronting both Sonny and Evan. Or if Evan himself were gay and it was Sonny who had the problem with it all this time. To me, Orgel's orientation was a controversial hook and a device for the conflict between Sonny and Evan. This may have made the show seem cutting edge and timely, but I do not think that the show itself was taking a stance on the issue. It may have been commenting, but not endorsing, one way or the other. I say this because I feel that Miami Vice's disposition was always an observational and relatively objective one when it came to heavy issues, leaving the viewers at home to extrapolate what they would from it. This reflects Michael Mann's filmmaking style in general, which has been discussed here before. 

I wanted to address this because Evan is not only one of my favorite Miami Vice episodes, but one of my favorite hours of television, period. In Evan's description it said  "uncharacteristically sensitive portrayal of homosexuality". I simply don't see this, really. I don't know that a gay person would either, though I cannot speak for anyone else. Again that implies a "very special episode" mentality which it is not. What I see is a deep, dark mistake in Sonny and Evan's past that they have both been silently paying for ever since. 

I welcome any further thoughts. 

The show pushed the envelope in so many ways, it was hard to decide whether the producers just wanted to create a stir to improve ratings, or make a statement that would disrupt the status quo. I chose to believe  the later. So, Evan is probably my favorite episode for this reason. We show the audience a conflict that exists in the real world and the characters try to come to terms with it. This was powerful television at the time, and I don't think it was appreciated for what it was back then. 

Edited April 5, 2019 by mjcmmv

[vicegirl85]

1 hour ago, Bren10 said:

(snipped) In other words, the episode didn't need Mike Orgel to be gay to make it a good episode. There could just as easily have been a love triangle in the past that caused a rift between Sonny and Evan, or Orgel could have simply been a depressed and suicidal person that Sonny and Evan didn't catch in time etc, etc. The show still would have worked.

I think reviewers and viewers are ascribing a social conscience/agenda to Miami Vice that it didn't really possess. I remind you, as one reviewer did, that Orgel's homosexuality is off screen and in the distant past, which means that we conveniently do not have to directly confront it. Perhaps if the show were truly pushing the envelope, Orgel would still be alive and confronting both Sonny and Evan. Or if Evan himself were gay and it was Sonny who had the problem with it all this time. To me, Orgel's orientation was a controversial hook and a device for the conflict between Sonny and Evan.

(snipped)What I see is a deep, dark mistake in Sonny and Evan's past that they have both been silently paying for ever since. (snipped)

Agree with all the points you have made.  I also can't speak to whether a gay person would feel the episode was taking a groundbreaking stand, sensitive to the issue of homosexuality, realistic, etc.  Gay people were just starting to be portrayed as normal in theatrical release films at the time (mainly in response to the AIDS crisis, which was a new scourge at the time), but I think it was a revolutionary move for the MV producers to use as an element of the plot in a TV show at the time. 

However, I agree it would have worked with any of the alternate scenarios you mentioned. 

One reviewer (I think the same one you were referencing) felt it would have been more powerful for Sonny to have taken some action on the Orgel issue at the time, but I always thought that his guilt over not saying anything was realistic and affected his overall response to Evan and their alienation after Orgel's death.

[Bren10]

I actually think God's Work contains more of what people were trying to find in Evan. Although that episode is very much inferior.

[Robbie C.]

I agree about God's Work. It had serious potential to take on some very important issues and missed the mark. That is truly a shame.

I had issues with Evan in no small part because of the points I've raised about Crockett's background. Having taken that onboard as part of his character, his reactions always felt very forced to me. He wasn't some kid just out of high school or whatever. He'd seen friends die, carried the sort of guilt a combat veteran does for that, and experienced far more before he reached the Academy than Evan and Mike combined. As far as I'm concerned the gay angle didn't make Crockett's reaction any more believable to me. He reacted, I think, the way he thought he was supposed to react.

What fascinated me about this episode was Evan. Evan's reaction to Mike is far more powerful, and what it speaks to remains very much in the shadows. I've seen it suggested that Evan reacted so strongly because he was in the closet. Maybe he was mad at Crockett because he felt Crockett didn't feel the pain of Mike's passing enough. The most powerful reactions in that episode are between Evan and a character we never even see through flashback. Mike has no face, just a name. One we never hear before or again for that matter. Given what we see of Evan, why did Mike's death touch him so deeply? Drive him so far off the beaten path? If we take this episode honestly, Crockett is a bystander watching events unfold that he doesn't seem to understand and certainly can't control.

[Vincent Hanna]

Evan is definitely one of the best episodes on the whole show. The writing, the direction and the acting are all notch, but the gay angle is just the icing on the cake in making it a special episode imo.

Okay maybe they could've used some other conflict but the gay angle was a pretty strong source of turmoil for these characters. They needed something that would cause Crockett and Evan to be sufficiently ashamed of their actions(or lack of action in Crockett's case) and for Evan to be haunted enough that he'd be suicidal or "catch a bullet" on the job. Then at the end, Evan redeems himself by taking a bullet for his old friend but Crockett is left hanging. Will he carry on the cycle of self-hatred or will he forgive himself? It's pretty ingenious.

So considering we got two important characters who are tortured by their treatment of their gay friend. That's a favourable portrayal of homosexuality by 80s standards I think.

[Bren10]

A favorable portrayal is a long way from "uncharacteristically sensitive". Again what "portrayal" actually is there? There is no actual homosexuality in evidence nor is there anyone to "portray" it themselves. What we have instead are two characters who regret how they treated another character who is dead and gone. The show, and even the episode itself isn't actually championing anything as some would have us believe. If anything, the episode's theme is choice. Choices of the past and the present, which will affect the future. Evan makes his, as Orgel did. And they both have to accept personal responsibility for their deaths, no matter the outside influences that drive them to it.

[OCBman]

Rico walks in and sees Sonny and Evan embraced, as Evan has completely broken down. Evan sees Rico and straightens himself out and leaves the room.

Rico: What the hell was that all about? 

Sonny: Confession and redemption.

To me, these are the main themes in the episode. They realize what their action/inaction led to in the past and they are haunted by it.

With or without the gay aspect, this is dramatic stuff.  

 

[Robbie C.]

God's Work was a much more sensitive portrayal if we're going down that path, honestly. It brought everything right out in the open, and didn't rely on a character we never see to make the point. It's a shame it's often overlooked in that regard.

Edited April 5, 2019 by Robbie C.

[Robbie C.]

2 hours ago, OCBman said:

Rico walks in and sees Sonny and Evan embraced, as Evan has completely broken down. Evan sees Rico and straightens himself out and leaves the room.

Rico: What the hell was that all about? 

Sonny: Confession and redemption.

To me, these are the main themes in the episode. They realize what their action/inaction led to in the past and they are haunted by it.

With or without the gay aspect, this is dramatic stuff.  

 

But mostly because of Evan. That's why I remain convinced he's the real focus here and Sonny is just a vehicle or medium for the tale. The casting of Evan (William Russ) was especially brilliant as far as I'm concerned. Sonny's confession and redemption (if there is one) isn't really important at the end of the day. It all goes back to Evan. It's how he reacts that matters. How he confesses and finds his own form of redemption.

Edited April 5, 2019 by Robbie C.

[mjcmmv]

3 hours ago, OCBman said:

Rico walks in and sees Sonny and Evan embraced, as Evan has completely broken down. Evan sees Rico and straightens himself out and leaves the room.

Rico: What the hell was that all about? 

Sonny: Confession and redemption.

To me, these are the main themes in the episode. They realize what their action/inaction led to in the past and they are haunted by it.

With or without the gay aspect, this is dramatic stuff.  

 

You are so right! That scene was so powerful!

[mjcmmv]

3 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

God's Work was a much more sensitive portrayal if we're going down that path, honestly. It brought everything right out in the open, and didn't rely on a character we never see to make the point. It's a shame it's often overlooked in that regard.

I need to watch this again. It's been awhile. 

[Bren10]

That briefing room scene also says something about the insecurity of masculinity, as Sonny shoves Evan off as soon as Rico enters the room. Sonny won't be seen showing such vulnerability or risk such a scene being misinterpreted by an outsider. 

[BunMVO]

I'm not one to do Freud on the idea of masculinity or homosexuality or anything like that. I think that we all truly know what it means to be a man, and that's a recurring theme in the series (think of Buddies). As Evan said, "A man makes mistakes."

I happen to agree with you that this episode was not endorsing homosexuality but it simply happened to be part of the story and what caused Orgel to kill himself because he couldn't take the way he was ostracized. Even mentioning homosexuality was quite taboo at the time, whereas today it is the polar opposite; if you don't support the gay agenda with 100% of your heart and soul then that instantly makes you "homophobic". The point is, for the creators of the show to include a mention of homosexuality was a bold and I imagine unpopular move, but it worked for the story quite well. 

[Bren10]

I also don't buy Evan's getting himself killed as a form of redemption for the character, just as I don't think Sonny does. It may have been that in Evan's mind but not in reality. Suicide by robber didn't actually solve Orgel's problems and it doesn't do that for Evan either imo. It just takes him out of the game. Now if you look at it as he saved Sonny's life by getting in front of the line of fire then that's something, but I'm not 100% sure that's what happened. Was Guzman aiming for Sonny or Evan? Did Guzman really get the drop on Sonny anyway?, Because I remember Sonny reacting even as Guzman was drawing. His eyes never left the scene. Or did Evan just see opportunity to suicide himself?  True redemption imo is realizing you did something wrong and then learning from that mistake going forward.

[Bren10]

15 minutes ago, pmconroy said:

I'm not one to do Freud on the idea of masculinity or homosexuality or anything like that. I think that we all truly know what it means to be a man, and that's a recurring theme in the series (think of Buddies). As Evan said, "A man makes mistakes."

I happen to agree with you that this episode was not endorsing homosexuality but it simply happened to be part of the story and what caused Orgel to kill himself because he couldn't take the way he was ostracized. Even mentioning homosexuality was quite taboo at the time, whereas today it is the polar opposite; if you don't support the gay agenda with 100% of your heart and soul then that instantly makes you "homophobic". The point is, for the creators of the show to include a mention of homosexuality was a bold and I imagine unpopular move, but it worked for the story quite well. 

I don't mean confusion about what being a man is. I am talking about the macho male anxiety of appearing "weak" to others which is a very real phenomenon. If Gina were consoling Trudy over something physically, she would not have shoved her away as soon as another female entered the room. Certain behavior is considered more acceptable among one gender as opposed to another in our society. That may be changing slightly (very slightly) in recent years but it still exists. I do think the episode is intentionally confronting some of this. That's what the entire conversation with Rico and Sonny before the deal goes down is about as the Evan theme plays-the inability of one man to express deep feelings to another. "You have the courage to do this job every day. Have the courage to tell Evan how you really feel." Sonny 's reaction-"I can't". Just like that. And thus Evan dies without Sonny's true closure, which is the real tragedy here. I find it odd that no one ever mentions that point either.

[BunMVO]

41 minutes ago, Bren10 said:

I don't mean confusion about what being a man is. I am talking about the macho male anxiety of appearing "weak" to others which is a very real phenomenon. If Gina were consoling Trudy over something physically, she would not have shoved her away as soon as another female entered the room. Certain behavior is considered more acceptable among one gender as opposed to another in our society. That may be changing slightly (very slightly) in recent years but it still exists. I do think the episode is intentionally confronting some of this. That's what the entire conversation with Rico and Sonny before the deal goes down is about as the Evan theme plays-the inability of one man to express deep feelings to another. "You have the courage to do this job every day. Have the courage to tell Evan how you really feel." Sonny 's reaction-"I can't". Just like that. And thus Evan dies without Sonny's true closure, which is the real tragedy here. I find it odd that no one ever mentions that point either.

I suppose. Being a man myself, I understand that completely. I'm very old-fashioned in that sense, I refuse to ever show weakness in public like that. Some guys are okay with it, but I don't ever see myself changing it, nor do I have a reason.

[mjcmmv]

2 hours ago, Bren10 said:

I don't mean confusion about what being a man is. I am talking about the macho male anxiety of appearing "weak" to others which is a very real phenomenon. If Gina were consoling Trudy over something physically, she would not have shoved her away as soon as another female entered the room. Certain behavior is considered more acceptable among one gender as opposed to another in our society. That may be changing slightly (very slightly) in recent years but it still exists. I do think the episode is intentionally confronting some of this. That's what the entire conversation with Rico and Sonny before the deal goes down is about as the Evan theme plays-the inability of one man to express deep feelings to another. "You have the courage to do this job every day. Have the courage to tell Evan how you really feel." Sonny 's reaction-"I can't". Just like that. And thus Evan dies without Sonny's true closure, which is the real tragedy here. I find it odd that no one ever mentions that point either.

Are we talking about a man not showing weakness, or not letting someone see you showing affection for another man? (handshakes, never hugs!) 

Even though Evan was drunk and crying with guilt when he held on to Crockett, it could have been seen differently by someone just walking into the room. Sonny was almost terrified that's how Evan's embrace would be interpreted, thus the hasty push. You're right; it was tragic he missed the opportunity to forgive Evan. Evan is begging him to forgive him and Sonny just can't say it. Even as Evan lay dying, Sonny doesn't express his feelings. It's after Evan dies, that he embraces Evan and Rico puts his hand on Sonny's shoulder to comfort him. That was a powerful scene-made me think of the song "Brothers in Arms". 

[Bren10]

mjcmmv, in the male world those two things are often construed as one and the same. Not always, but often. Sonny's being terrified at misinterpretation would hold more water if a stranger had entered the room (or Castillo who embodies male emotional stoicism btw) but it wasn't. It was Tubbs, who just the night before he had poured his heart out to explaining the Evan situation, with his arm around him no less. Tubbs may have been taken by surprise, but there was little chance he would have misinterpreted the scene. Sonny had to know this too, but his first instinctive reactilon was to separate himself.

[vicegirl85]

Quote

 

I read Cory Barker's review earlier and he seemed to feel it would have been better if Sonny had participated in the bullying of Orgel:  "it's still telling that the character who is actually homosexual is dead and gone and Crockett gets to feel bad simply for not speaking up (not for actually doing anything wrong)."

But I think his guilt over doing nothing is more relatable and the fact that he "didn't do anything" also gave him the ability to repress and deny his part in Mike's death for a long time.  When Evan showed up again and forced him to face the demons he'd been avoiding, he struggled to maintain those defenses.  To continue the confessional motif of the episode, sins of omission can carry the same weight as sins of commission.  In the end he couldn't fully give Evan or himself the absolution Evan sought (because Evan was dying he wasn't able to rebuild the relationship) but I think he did understand the truth Tubbs spoke about how he (Sonny) needed to forgive himself in order to get out of the hole of guilt he was in. 

 

(Quoting myself from the Evan thread in Season 1 DVD discussion)

Bren 10, I agree 100%--Sonny's inability to express his true feelings to Evan prevented him from attaining closure himself over the death of their friend.  While he was able to understand what Tubbs was trying to tell him, he wasn't able to act on it, thus to move past the guilt and self-blame.

[Bren10]

Also, a fourth-wall explanation for not having Sonny being in on the bullying is so the audience doesn't turn on him. He also didn't shoot the picture in the locker room from Death And The Lady but he also didn't rip it down. He has a history of indecision and bystanding which I think haunts him. That goes back all the way to the heroin in the body bags. We see Stone show it to him, but what does he actually do about it?

[Mvice8489]

Evan is one of my favorite 3 episodes for sure.  GREAT scenes and music!!  And Evan, the character, was a blast to watch

[BunMVO]

In a way it kind of reminds me of when I found out a friend of mine was gay. He admitted it to a close friend of mine and within the hour my entire friend group was in the know. None of us have ever bullied him for it, we just didn’t really care. It doesn’t bother me. Even if his personal beliefs aren’t perfectly in line with me.

What’s more, he doesn’t get all sensitive. We still call each other “faggot” and call things “gay” in a joking manner. It’s great that he has an excellent sense of humor.

[Robbie C.]

I'm not totally convinced Sonny HAD deeper feelings about some of it, honestly. Maybe he can't tell Evan how he feels because he really doesn't feel much about it aside from what he's been told he should feel. We see Sonny's lack of emotional depth quite a bit, actually, especially when it relates to people he knows from his past. He disconnects so much from where he's been it might not really be real to him anymore.

[vicegirl85]

5 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

I'm not totally convinced Sonny HAD deeper feelings about some of it, honestly. Maybe he can't tell Evan how he feels because he really doesn't feel much about it aside from what he's been told he should feel. We see Sonny's lack of emotional depth quite a bit, actually, especially when it relates to people he knows from his past. He disconnects so much from where he's been it might not really be real to him anymore.

I believe he's very good at repressing his feelings, and that may have brought him to a point where he doesn't consciously feel the emotional reactions that someone would who is less guarded with his emotions would.  This disconnection you mention isn't something that had occurred to me before (at least not on the global basis you're talking about).  But it does make sense.