Miami Vice - Misunderstood At Times?

[Detective_Crockett]

Here's an interesting topic; 

I have discussed this with several people and friends before, but I can't help but shake this feeling when you mention Miami Vice.. people completely think of it in the wrong light. More than likely for them, the first thing that will come to mind is. Fashion, attractive people, and cops with sports cars and the music used being loud and classics (I mean, yeah that is true to an extent.  but not fully!) They either can't remember or they just tuned in once or twice, or it's new people with not too much knowledge on the show.. they don't realise it's this absoloutely brilliantly written crime piece that definitely (Miami) was not afraid to get dark at times, they don't see the sun drenched neo noir that we see. Is it nostalgia misleading them or do they remember things a little differently? 

Feel free to add your perspective! 

Edited May 17, 2021 by Detective_Crockett

[pahonu]

It’s a very interesting topic indeed.  I think at least part of what you are experiencing is people remembering the show in the ways it was new and different it at the time.  The elements you describe, and we all appreciate, are certainly present, but they weren’t necessarily new to television.  What WAS original, was the use of popular music and incorporating it into montages of cinematic standards.  These and other so called “MTV Cops” elements were like nothing that had come before it.  There’s certainly more complexity in the series, but to a casual observer, those cutting edge qualities stand out.  

[Tom]

I have also noticed this perception of many people. And I think it is just due to the superficial and abbreviated "nice women, fast cars, great music" headline many media used for the show that completely ignores all the great stories, the human drama involved, etc. 

IMHO MV is one of the most underrrated series of all time. Underrated in a sense that it is judged by most people as purely visual and style, although it was the only series at that time - and until today - that seriously dealt with child molestion, baby snatching, AIDS(!), discrimination of gay people, youth gangs, death penalty, police brutality, and so on. But all you hear is "palms, ferraris and bikinis"!

[Detective_Crockett]

7 minutes ago, Tom said:

I have also noticed this perception of many people. And I think it is just due to the superficial and abbreviated "nice women, fast cars, great music" headline many media used for the show that completely ignores all the great stories, the human drama involved, etc. 

IMHO MV is one of the most underrrated series of all time. Underrated in a sense that it is judged by most people as purely visual and style, although it was the only series at that time - and until today - that seriously dealt with child molestion, baby snatching, AIDS(!), discrimination of gay people, youth gangs, death penalty, police brutality, and so on. But all you hear is "palms, ferraris and bikinis"!

Extremely underrated! Which is weird to think because you'd never think a show that inspired so much fashion in people and was the most hot topic in the 80's.. some folks just completely misjudge or misremember it.  You nailed it though.. Vice was always ahead of it's time. 

The only other show I can think of to have this much affect which is just as amazing is The Sopranos.

Although, I can't exactly see men dying their sideburns white and calling it the Paulie Walnuts look! 

[Glades]

I totally agree with you! And I know that because I used to think that way too. It's what you read and hear. I had only seen MV a few times as a child. It came on late on TV. And I definitely didn't get it. I was confused why there were always so many animals and sports in the credits and then none of that in the episode itself.... I didn't even understand that the cops were working undercover. Maybe it's because I didn't realise for a long time that there was such a thing as undercover cops.

So yes, I didn't understand MV at all. I watched it about 3 years ago because I wanted to see something with Don Johnson and I thought he was most famous for MV. Well, I thought to myself, the show won't be that bad. Lol, what a mistake! And what a gem.

Seems like it's very easy to be fooled by a cursory glance at the show. That you only see the superficial and miss everything deeper! It helped me a lot that I was able to watch all the episodes in just 4 months. It made me notice a lot of subtleties that I probably would have missed otherwise. I'm now on my fourth viewing and I'm still discovering a lot of new things, unexpected angles.
In general, I have the impression that among those who watched MV later and from DVD, there are more who like the later seasons and the overall story that spans the 5 seasons.
Among those who especially love seasons 1 to 2, sometimes even 3, there seem to me to be more viewers of the first airing.

[AndrewRemington]

I much agree! Miami Vice is much misunderstood by many! There are many people I know that wouldn’t even give it a chance. They think it’s all fashion and style, but no substance. This is very saddening. 

[OCBman]

This is touched upon by Michael Mann in his director's commentary of the 2006 motion picture. Near the end of the film, he states the following:

"I was in a quandary about whether or not to use "In the Air Tonight" or a piece of score.That quandary was emblematic about the whole prospect of making "Miami Vice" as a motion picture. The music is "In the Air Tonight" by a group called Nonpoint and...if the music had never existed until 2006, it would've been obvious to go ahead and use it here because it's a terrific piece and Nonpoint's performance of it is very good. But, it brings back, so strongly, the [Miami Vice] pilot. So, then you're dealing with memory, cultural memory of the show, as memory exists in the audience and the memory of the show in the minds of the audience is very different for different people. People remember the show differently. They liked different things about it. Some folks liked the pastels and the flamingos, other folks liked the writing and the power of the stories in the first couple of years. Other folks may have been younger when they saw it - they may have been 10, 11, 12 and they just kinda liked groovin' on a style for five years.  So, the motion picture was going to be delivered into an audience that had a complex and divergent set of attitudes about it. So, the advantage of it, in a way, is that the brand name, "Miami Vice" is known. The disadvantage is that it meant many different things to many different people."

Edited May 17, 2021 by OCBman

[airtommy]

Quote

other folks liked the writing and the power of the stories in the first couple of years.

Mann delivers a little shot at Dick Wolf's S3/S4 stories?

 

[Cassagrande.M]

Great show but yes misunderstood to the masses I think. It’s very deep at times, love it! 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Cassagrande.M
Spelling mistake

[Vicefan7777]

I would have to agree that this show is misunderstood.  I am a fan but my wife does not care for it.  She thinks this show is only about Don Johnson and his clothing.  This show ran the gauntlet of story lines.  Some were very dark and others lite hearted.  

[Kladdagh]

TOTALLY AGGRE With all of your previous statements !!! ...

But one thing is sure for me : At the time I discovered MV on tv, I had 10 or 11 years old ... 

So obviously, some (many) things were too "difficult" to me to understand ...

Ok, at that time, all I could notice was "Cars, Cool Looks and Beautiful Girls all around" ... (AND the Musics (Score & Songs))

I didn't event known the name "Ray Ban" ... 

But, I was a child.

Now, I could clearly understand AND appreciate what MV really is: One of the BEST SHOW ever on tv AND a vision of the world at that time and location.

Edited May 18, 2021 by Kladdagh
Forgot to tell about the music !!!

[RedDragon86]

It is most certainly misunderstood. Before I watched it for the first time in 2007 I wasn't how I imagined it to be, I mean the way it was perceived by the general public, all palm trees and pastels etc. I was expecting something typically 80s, more along the lines of Magnum PI, a bit silly and cheesy but I never thought it was going to be sophisticated and even dark at times.

The series in general is perceived all wrong.

 

[FlemFan]

58 minutes ago, RedDragon86 said:

It is most certainly misunderstood. Before I watched it for the first time in 2007 I wasn't how I imagined it to be, I mean the way it was perceived by the general public, all palm trees and pastels etc. I was expecting something typically 80s, more along the lines of Magnum PI, a bit silly and cheesy but I never thought it was going to be sophisticated and even dark at times.

The series in general is perceived all wrong.

 

Right on, or should I say write on! Love it.

Some can get the South Beach pastels or Darky Dark choosing between Seasons.

[vicegirl85]

13 hours ago, airtommy said:

Mann delivers a little shot at Dick Wolf's S3/S4 stories?

Possibly--but I simply took it as he only wanted to comment on the years when he molded the show's look, characters, stories, and narrative.  I think when he stepped away, he also took away his personal investment, as he was busy with Crime Story.  Therefore he may or may not have really watched MV regularly.

[RedDragon86]

1 hour ago, vicegirl85 said:

Possibly--but I simply took it as he only wanted to comment on the years when he molded the show's look, characters, stories, and narrative.  I think when he stepped away, he also took away his personal investment, as he was busy with Crime Story.  Therefore he may or may not have really watched MV regularly.

He has a dig at season 4 in his "Miami Vice" 2006 interview "I mean we didn't cover James Brown showing up in a coffin as a vampire in season 4" 

Edited May 18, 2021 by RedDragon86

[vicegirl85]

4 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

He has a dig at season 4 in his "Miami Vice" 2006 interview "I mean we didn't cover James Brown showing up in a coffin as a vampire in season 4" 

LOL!

[IA-SteveB]

It can be misunderstood by some, but people always remember how a show made its mark on the culture of the time.  Fashion and music resonated with a lot of people in this truly unique time in the 80's.  I associate a lot of 80's songs I hear with particular events in my life and it brings back a lot of fond childhood memories.  Pop culture sticks with people because of the memories associated with the times they were experienced in.  You don't have to be invested in the show to know its impact on pop culture.  When I wear a season 2 look at the lake, I will always get a "Hey, Sonny Crockett" by someone.

Edited May 18, 2021 by IA-SteveB

[airtommy]

Perhaps the episode that best captures the false perception of Miami Vice is "The Great McCarthy".  It's 99% fun and glamour, and the ending when she gets arrested is very forgettable.

If you wanted to correct someone's perception about the show, the pilot "Brother's Keeper" might be the best place to start.  It's tense, unhappy, full of failures, and has numerous gritty ugly locations.

 

[pahonu]

7 hours ago, IA-SteveB said:

It can be misunderstood by some, but people always remember how a show made its mark on the culture of the time.  Fashion and music resonated with a lot of people in this truly unique time in the 80's.  I associate a lot of 80's songs I hear with particular events in my life and it brings back a lot of fond childhood memories.  Pop culture sticks with people because of the memories associated with the times they were experienced in.  You don't have to be invested in the show to know its impact on pop culture.  When I wear a season 2 look at the lake, I will always get a "Hey, Sonny Crockett" by someone.

Well put!  I think we’re all describing the difference between fans like us “invested in the show” as you stated, who see the complexity and nuance, and more casual observers who understand it on a more basic level.  The pop culture influence was absolutely huge, but obviously there’s much more to the series.  If someone doesn’t actually watch much of the series, however, this complexity is missed.  

In all honesty, the show was originally marketed highlighting these pop culture elements.  Even now, the DVD covers depict images of style and flash.  It’s a bit of judging the book by its cover for those who don’t actually watch the series.  Theirs is not an accurate judgement, but it’s not really all that surprising either.

[jpaul1]

this is an interesting topic. because i always thought that too, and sometimes i used to think i was marginal in my way of thinking. that it was a realistic dark series. i think it's mainly caused by Mann high attention to details. just yesterday i was watching a couple of documentaries included in the elephant package, and the guy was saying exactly this. first season, divorce, partner killed, boss killed, brother killed, and i could go on, son killed, badly depressed girlfriend.. these things being totally compatible with a high risk undercover cop job

this is why i love so much 2006 movie. some hate it with passion , but personnally i find the movie very realistic. the danger is almost palpable, making it very realistic

[Christine]

I think this phenomenon applies to many movies or series. People nowadays often watch a movie/series, but only superficially. Our whole society is going in this direction. Everything has to be fast, entertaining, but please not too deep. Everyone has a strenuous job (possibly children, household, garden, dog) and does not want to think long about what he sees on TV or even reads.
With most series only certain headlines remain, in this case. Sun, beach, good looking people, fast cars ...
And then there are people like us. We didn't just watch the series once, but do it again and again, discovering things that escape anyone who watches a movie or series only once. We look behind it and find that MV is much more than what most see in it.
When I tell people I'm a Vice fan, I often hear, "I know that show too.... Watched it in the 80s. Was cool." But it sounds about as enthusiastic as if they were talking about what it looks like to have laundry spinning in the washing machine.

 

Edited May 19, 2021 by Christine

[jpaul1]

people are also naturally attracted by the positive, rather than the negative. the negative even if positive because realistic appears in second

[Christine]

vor 6 Minuten schrieb jpaul1:

people are also naturally attracted by the positive, rather than the negative. the negative even if positive because realistic appears in second

That certainly has something to do with the fact that all the news tends to be filled with negative things, and people tend to pick out the positive wherever possible.
But I've also often noticed this with readers. I'm in many groups where there are both authors and readers. Often readers say they can easily manage to read 800 pages in two days. They only read across because, in their opinion, there are only unimportant things on many pages anyway. If these people watch movies and series in the same way, then it's clear why they don't catch and understand everything.

 

[jpaul1]

personnallly it's the opposite. if the book is boring it takes years for me to finish it. the only books i finish over a week end are great plot books. but i agree that the news being what they are (most are simply incitating to panic), people are dream hungry

Edited May 19, 2021 by jpaul1

[wolfie1996]

3 hours ago, Christine said:

That certainly has something to do with the fact that all the news tends to be filled with negative things, and people tend to pick out the positive wherever possible.
But I've also often noticed this with readers. I'm in many groups where there are both authors and readers. Often readers say they can easily manage to read 800 pages in two days. They only read across because, in their opinion, there are only unimportant things on many pages anyway. If these people watch movies and series in the same way, then it's clear why they don't catch and understand everything.

 

Also, do you think that some people actually lack the ability to comprehend "deeper" topics? Maybe they live life on a shallower level mentally and emotionally. I know  some who would look at me as if I were speaking a foreign  language if I was talking about the finer points or significant dialogues or actions of MV.