Episode #10 "Give A Little Take A Little"

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

1 minute ago, zachbmarsh said:

Oh, no, Switek is hilarious. But there's absolutely no question in this episode that he was TERRIBLE as a literal stand-up comic. The only good in that sequence was Zito laughing his ass off when no one else was (although that quickly got tired) and that AMAZING shot where Madsen tries to make an exit and Crockett comes out of the shadows with a gun pointed right between his eyes.

Oh, I meant that I thought Stan would do better on the stage, so I'm surprised it went down that way but yeah, he was pretty terrible in that spot, humorously terrible:-).

Yeah, I thought Stan's shtick did frame the Alvarado arrest well; something going on in the background that wasn't too loud and distracting from the arrest but still something happening nonetheless.

[ViceFanMan]

On 6/11/2010 at 11:56 PM, ViceFanMan said:

This episode is not really that cool or special. It's by no means the worst of first season, but it still is just sort of an average episode. I did not really care for or like the storyline of Crockett's informant and him spending time in jail for refusing to reveal the name. I also didn't think the actor (Lenny Von Dohlen) playing the goofy informant Bob Rickert, was very good or believable. The best part and/or storyline in this episode was with Gina and her emotional dilemma of getting too caught up in her case. I thought Saundra Santiago did a superb job and you really felt for her. Of course we all love Crockett and Tubbs--but in many ways Gina is also my favorite edition to the Vice team...and I love the episodes that deal with or focus on her. Another good part to this episode is this is the first time we get to see Tubbs' Cadillac Convertible! The Ferraris were cool...but I've always loved the Caddy and the color--it was totally "MV!"  Because of Gina's part/performance in this episode and the introduction of the Caddy--I gave it a 7. Otherwise, I would've voted it lower.

 

On 11/13/2010 at 12:35 AM, ViceFanMan said:

Yup...the Caddy and Gina...you can't do much better than that!  Now, if only those aspects had been focused on in a much better episode! 

 

On 11/15/2010 at 8:46 PM, ViceFanMan said:

The episode was definitely not one of the best or most memorable...but I did like the Gina storyline and I thought it was interesting how serious she took her job and cover. However, she should have stopped it before it went that far. Saundra Santiago, and her character of Gina Calabrese, was one of my favorite aspects to the show...so I always like the episodes and/or parts of the episodes that deal with her. For this particular episode they should have left all that other silly "Crockett sideline" story out and dealt specifically with the Gina one.

 

On 3/19/2013 at 8:00 PM, ViceFanMan said:

Quote

I again still loved seeing the introduction to Tubb's Caddy!! Loved that car , and the color was so awesome and "screamed" MIAMI VICE! I also still love seeing Gina (Saundra Santiago) "shine", and even her and Trudy disagreeing over some of Gina's choices or decisions. But, they all still come together and support/love each other at the end. That's the little things that really make a show...the chemistry and reactions of the characters.

This/these were my original review and/or other thoughts/statements regarding this episode. I still feel pretty much the same way...not the worst episode by any means, but not a great or memorable one either. I still love Gina’s part/storyline, and the intro of Tubbs’ Caddy...other than that, I consider this another Season 1 “filler”. 

[RedDragon86]

8/10.

Excellent episode. 

 

 

Edited September 25, 2022 by RedDragon86

[RedDragon86]

I agree with you Eillio, makes sense 

Edited September 25, 2022 by RedDragon86

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

6 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

This episode was a mess. One of the things that made no sense was why Larry and Stan were still in the club even though Gina and Trudy were no present, realistically Marty would have pulled them off the Club Ocho assignment. 

Maybe they wanted to keep up appearances and not draw suspicion, but I totally see what you're saying.

[Jack Gretsky]

This is a solid episode; not one of the classics, but an engaging one.  Quite a cast: Uber-scuzz Burt Young (only 44 at the time; he remains very busy with movie and TV roles to this day), future Lost star Terry O'Quinn, Lenny Von Dohlen (later in Twin Peaks), Henry G. Sanders (later in Dr. Quinn), Michael Madsen, Tony Plana, Jacqueline Brooks, and the return of Charlie Barnett's Noog-Man! I like his hair salon chair!

I always crack up at Plana's tacky stage show.  The brief scenes with Von Dohlen and his wife are kind of soap-opera-ish; how about a spin-off with those two in which every conversation they have is done in that same hushed style with "Crockett's Return" playing underneath? "Bob...I...forgot to pick up eggs at the store..." 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Jack Gretsky

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

37 minutes ago, Jack Gretsky said:

This is a solid episode; not one of the classics, but an engaging one.  Quite a cast: Uber-scuzz Burt Young (only 44 at the time; he remains very busy with movie and TV roles to this day), future Lost star Terry O'Quinn, Lenny Von Dohlen (later in Twin Peaks), Henry G. Sanders (later in Dr. Quinn), Michael Madsen, Tony Plana, Jacqueline Brooks, and the return of Charlie Barnett's Noog-Man! I like his hair salon chair!

I always crack up at Plana's tacky stage show.  The brief scenes with Von Dohlen and his wife are kind of soap-opera-ish; how about a spin-off with those two in which every conversation they have is done in that same hushed style with "Crockett's Return" playing underneath? "Bob...I...forgot to pick up eggs at the store..." 

 

 

Wow, Burt young at 44 in that spot? That's my age currently (I think Burt young is one of those people who looks virtually the same no matter the age).

Ha ha, Bob Rickett & his wife in that setup, sounds like great stuff. Call it "Rickert Fences" (this is before the show "Picket Fences", so we aren't ripping anyone off yet; besides, I'd never do such a thing to a show that involves Tom Skerritt. Actually, CAN we get Tom Skerritt in this too?), and DEFINITELY have it played out in the style described (lots of silence, awkward pauses & slowly-developing dialogue; one simple problem would take an entire episode, especially those eggs!). Also, Rickert should take his turn as a professional fencer, just to make the title match up (there were a lot of unusual professions in 1980s shows, maybe it could work?).

[Jack Gretsky]

54 minutes ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Wow, Burt young at 44 in that spot? That's my age currently (I think Burt young is one of those people who looks virtually the same no matter the age).

Ha ha, Bob Rickett & his wife in that setup, sounds like great stuff. Call it "Rickert Fences" (this is before the show "Picket Fences", so we aren't ripping anyone off yet; besides, I'd never do such a thing to a show that involves Tom Skerritt. Actually, CAN we get Tom Skerritt in this too?), and DEFINITELY have it played out in the style described (lots of silence, awkward pauses & slowly-developing dialogue; one simple problem would take an entire episode, especially those eggs!). Also, Rickert should take his turn as a professional fencer, just to make the title match up (there were a lot of unusual professions in 1980s shows, maybe it could work?).

 I got a good laugh from your "Rickert Fences" ideas.  Sounds like a winner - is Von Dohlen still available? 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

1 minute ago, Jack Gretsky said:

 I got a good laugh from your "Rickert Fences" ideas.  Sounds like a winner - is Von Dohlen still available? 

Lenny Von Dolan was a little busy in 1984 (I like "Electric Dreams"), but maybe he'd consider. Also, I'd like Kathy Baker (always liked her; strong dramatic chops) to play Skerritt's wife in "Rickert Fences" (they could be neighbors...with fencing to hold them together), just as she did in "Picket Fences".

[Jack Gretsky]

13 minutes ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Lenny Von Dolan was a little busy in 1984 (I like "Electric Dreams"), but maybe he'd consider. Also, I'd like Kathy Baker (always liked her; strong dramatic chops) to play Skerritt's wife in "Rickert Fences" (they could be neighbors...with fencing to hold them together), just as she did in "Picket Fences".

I'm getting more of a David Lynch vibe from RF.  Have you ever seen his "Rabbits" sitcom?  All it is is three actors wearing rabbit heads sitting and standing around an apartment spouting banalities while a laugh track continually roars. 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

18 hours ago, Jack Gretsky said:

I'm getting more of a David Lynch vibe from RF.  Have you ever seen his "Rabbits" sitcom?  All it is is three actors wearing rabbit heads sitting and standing around an apartment spouting banalities while a laugh track continually roars. 

I thought "Picket Fences" had a little bit of a "Twin Peaks" feel to it though.

I've read a little on "Rabbits"; it sounds interesting, a nine episode, 50 minute sitcom (that's a very David Lynch thing to do). Hey, I think "Rickert Fences" could be about this for sure!

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

Anyway, I felt kind of bad for Bob Rickerts here; Crockett was pretty rough on him at first ("You gay?". Well, Bob was, but after the news that the warehouse was pretty illegal, Bob isn't happy at all), but softened when he realized that Bob was a bystander to the illegal activity that was going on. I'm just glad Alvarado didn't get to him, as he'd be likely to cut off one of Bob's ears and start dancing around.

[ViceFanMan]

24 minutes ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Anyway, I felt kind of bad for Bob Rickerts here; Crockett was pretty rough on him at first ("You gay?". Well, Bob was, but after the news that the warehouse was pretty illegal, Bob isn't happy at all), but softened when he realized that Bob was a bystander to the illegal activity that was going on. I'm just glad Alvarado didn't get to him, as he'd be likely to cut off one of Bob's ears and start dancing around.

Crockett was kind of rough on Bob at first...but he had to be, to try and get Rickerts to say who had the stuff in the warehouse. Bob wasn’t gay...he had a wife. Crockett was just trying to “rattle” him at first to get him to talk. But, since Alvarado was eventually taken care of, we’re hopefully assuming Bob was ultimately never hurt or killed. 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

3 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

Crockett was kind of rough on Bob at first...but he had to be, to try and get Rickerts to say who had the stuff in the warehouse. Bob wasn’t gay...he had a wife. Crockett was just trying to “rattle” him at first to get him to talk. But, since Alvarado was eventually taken care of, we’re hopefully assuming Bob was ultimately never hurt or killed. 

Oh yeah, I'm sure Bob ended up fine (We just know he didn't have any bad intentions, just did the wrong favor), and I agree that Crockett had to be rough. As others have mentioned before, Crockett was always able to gear down and read people and the situation as it was, instead of being stubborn. I think both Crockett & Bob ended up serving each other well.

[ViceFanMan]

7 minutes ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Oh yeah, I'm sure Bob ended up fine (We just know he didn't have any bad intentions, just did the wrong favor), and I agree that Crockett had to be rough. As others have mentioned before, Crockett was always able to gear down and read people and the situation as it was, instead of being stubborn. I think both Crockett & Bob ended up serving each other well.

Yeah, I think Crockett could tell from the start Bob was naive and in over his head (he probably agreed to watch over the warehouse because he and his wife needed the money, but had no clue what he was getting into). So, Sonny chose to be a jerk at first to get him nervous & to talk. But, I think Crockett planned to help Bob from the start. 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

7 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

Yeah, I think Crockett could tell from the start Bob was naive and in over his head (he probably agreed to watch over the warehouse because he and his wife needed the money, but had no clue what he was getting into). So, Sonny chose to be a jerk at first to get him nervous & to talk. But, I think Crockett planned to help Bob from the start. 

Well, maybe: to be fair to Crockett, the whole thing looked suspect, so he had to be hardcore about it, even if bob seemed like a decent fellow. I picture Noogie in that spot, and wow...things could've gotten wild.

[ViceFanMan]

11 minutes ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Well, maybe: to be fair to Crockett, the whole thing looked suspect, so he had to be hardcore about it, even if bob seemed like a decent fellow. I picture Noogie in that spot, and wow...things could've gotten wild.

I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stand Noogie! He annoyed the crap out of me and was way too spastic!  If he had been in that scene instead, it would have been a good-ball scene, and not come across very serious. As it was, I think Crockett had a pretty good idea that Bob was “greener” than Crayola , when it came to the drug business & being a so-called thug. But, to make sure I think he used his bad-cop routine to see how Rickerts would react or respond.

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

2 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stand Noogie! He annoyed the crap out of me and was way too spastic!  If he had been in that scene instead, it would have been a good-ball scene, and not come across very serious. As it was, I think Crockett had a pretty good idea that Bob was “greener” than Crayola , when it came to the drug business & being a so-called thug. But, to make sure I think he used his bad-cop routine to see how Rickerts would react or respond.

Yeah, I feel a little of Noogie goes a long way, and he's definitely pretty spazzy. Yeah, a charcter such as Bob was meant for a scene like that and I feel it played out wonderfully, but I had fun picturing Noogie there (Noogie would be off-the-wal, and Crockett would have to get him down).

[ViceFanMan]

19 minutes ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Yeah, I feel a little of Noogie goes a long way, and he's definitely pretty spazzy. Yeah, a charcter such as Bob was meant for a scene like that and I feel it played out wonderfully, but I had fun picturing Noogie there (Noogie would be off-the-wal, and Crockett would have to get him down).

Yeah, at the time MV was considered a “darker”, more serious crime drama...so when they’d sometimes try and interject goof-ball humor in, it didn’t always “gel” or come together right in my opinion. Izzy once in a while was okay...but Noogie was too much & too stupid for what MV was supposed to be!  

From what I understand, Charlie Barnett (Noogie) was into drugs in real life & acted like his character normally ...he got so spastic & disruptive on set that he eventually was fired from the show. Sadly he died of an overdose in 1996 I think. 

This episode was a somewhat serious one, and the character of Bob needed to be down-to-earth & genuine...words Noogie couldn’t even spell, let alone know what they entail. 

Edited August 27, 2021 by ViceFanMan

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

7 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

Yeah, at the time MV was considered a “darker”, more serious crime drama...so when they’d sometimes try and interject goof-ball humor in, it didn’t always “gel” or come together right in my opinion. Izzy once in a while was okay...but Noogie was too much & too stupid for what MV was supposed to be!  

From what I understand, Charlie Barnett (Noogie) was into drugs in real life & acted like his character normally ...he got so spastic & disruptive on set that he eventually was fired from the show. Sadly he died of an overdose in 1996 I think. 

This episode was a somewhat serious one, and the character of Bob needed to be down-to-earth & genuine...words Noogie couldn’t even spell, let alone know what they entail. 

Yeah, sadly Charlie Barnett died of AIDS via heroin intake.

[ViceFanMan]

7 minutes ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Yeah, sadly Charlie Barnett died of AIDS via heroin intake.

I’d read before that it was an overdose...but yeah, I guess it was ultimately complications from AIDS...contracted from drug abuse (I’m assuming “dirty” needles). 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

24 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

I’d read before that it was an overdose...but yeah, I guess it was ultimately complications from AIDS...contracted from drug abuse (I’m assuming “dirty” needles). 

It seems that happened quite a bit in the 1980s, unfortunately. I enjoyed Barnett in "D.C. Cab" though (I also would've also been psyched to have Irene Cara as a fare).

Edited August 27, 2021 by Eillio Martin Imbasciati
needed re-wording

[ViceFanMan]

1 minute ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

It seems that happened quite a bit in the 1980s, unfortunately. I enjoyed Barnett in "D.C. Cab" though (I also would've be psyched to have Irene Cara as a fare).

Yeah, the whole AIDS pandemic was fairly new to everyone in the 80s. Although most knew about it, people didn’t always understand the “ways” you could spread it. Most associated the disease with sex, but sharing drug paraphernalia could also spread it just as easy. 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

19 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

Yeah, the whole AIDS pandemic was fairly new to everyone in the 80s. Although most knew about it, people didn’t always understand the “ways” you could spread it. Most associated the disease with sex, but sharing drug paraphernalia could also spread it just as easy. 

Definitely, AIDS was a pandemic that took some time to be educated on (I think 1993's "And the Band Played On" is a good film on the history of the subject). I think what helped the cause was Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis, and to a lesser extent Ryan White & Arthur Ashe (it became known as less of a "gay" disease or one contracted through intravenous drug use).

Edited August 27, 2021 by Eillio Martin Imbasciati
misspelling

[Jack Gretsky]

1 hour ago, ViceFanMan said:

Yeah, I think Crockett could tell from the start Bob was naive and in over his head (he probably agreed to watch over the warehouse because he and his wife needed the money, but had no clue what he was getting into). So, Sonny chose to be a jerk at first to get him nervous & to talk. But, I think Crockett planned to help Bob from the start. 

My one problem with the scene of Crockett and Tubbs scaring Bob straight was Tubbs looking on with a big grin as Sonny tells Bob what awaits him in prison and that his wife might leave him.  Come on, Tubbs.  You shouldn't be finding this amusing!