Vice- Separating Fact from Fiction: What was plausible and what was fantasy?

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

Just now, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

Yes

Oops, didn't work; just type in "Lynda Carter, Shakey's Pizza" and it should be all good!

[RedDragon86]

6 hours ago, Kladdagh said:

Yep I agree ... But the reality (about the undercovers, badges, and bullet holes in the cars) was certainly not the top priority during the production of the series.

Miami Vice was, at the time, more credible than the others tv shows, like Knight rider, Street hawk or Airwolf. 

So, for me, bullets holes in the cars or not are just details.

 

 

Exactly, they are just details. It's more than authentic enough anyway.

I think like any show if it was 100 realistic it would be boring and would create a lot more hard work for the production team, and be a distraction being obsessed about every realistic detail. Great stories were created between 1 and 3 along with the vibe, style and tension.

"Where is Rico?" "oh he got shot again this week, he's at Jackson Memorial Hospital"

"No car today Sonny" "yeah Tommy is fixing the bullet holes for the 12th time in 2 weeks"

Oh just get on with episode! 

Edited January 27, 2022 by RedDragon86

[Mr. Calderon]

2 hours ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

I don't believe in Wonder Woman, but I do believe in Lynda Carter in that one photo in which she's wearing a Shakey's Pizza shirt w/ jeans; when I think of Lynda Carter, I automatically think of that photo.

Too much clothing. Its almost like wearing a burkha

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

1 minute ago, Mr. Calderon said:

Too much clothing. Its almost like wearing a burkha

For me, I just love it; I can see a skimpy Lynda Carter on "Wonder Woman" at other times, and I just really dig the simplicity of the shot & the natural beauty of Carter in this spot. So, even if I get these occasional urges for stability in my life, I can always go for this Shakey('s) snap!

[Eddie Trumbull]

Funny to think that all the suspects that were arrested NEVER told any of their friends or associates that a dude named Burnett and his partner Cooper were actually undercover cops who put them in jail.. and that they drive a Ferrari and a Cadillac.. it’s like all the criminals they arrested just went “poof” and disappeared.. and their lawyers or cell mates never divulged to anyone the true identities of the undercover cops that arrested and testified against a them in open court… let’s see someone articulate that fantasy!

[Robbie C.]

3 hours ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

For me, I just love it; I can see a skimpy Lynda Carter on "Wonder Woman" at other times, and I just really dig the simplicity of the shot & the natural beauty of Carter in this spot. So, even if I get these occasional urges for stability in my life, I can always go for this Shakey('s) snap!

It's Lynda Freakin' Carter. She looks good in anything.

[pahonu]

Just to add some detail to the comments about phones on boats in the 80’s.  A good friend of mine lived aboard from the late 80’s, before we met, until  his retirement about 15 years ago.  He had a Formosa 41 Ketch named Sequoia when we met.  The first time we sailed together was about 1995 and I recall commenting on his cordless phone. He told me boaters had been using them for several years.  The phone lines in the marina ran to the dock boxes in each slip, along with water and electricity.  The waste had be pumped out weekly by a boat service, and he used propane to cook.  The wireless phone communicated with the dock box device and the phone set was onboard in a charger.  It wasn’t cheap, but it was a better way than running a cord as in the past.  Satellite phones were and are still VERY expensive to buy and use.  He got a cell phone very shortly thereafter, which was pretty early.

[Kladdagh]

18 hours ago, Eillio Martin Imbasciati said:

I definitely think much of Vice still holds up; not bad for the "cheesy" 80s, right?

Agreed ... The base of the series is very solid and truthful for its age. In VICE I believe 

[Robbie C.]

1 hour ago, Kladdagh said:

Agreed ... The base of the series is very solid and truthful for its age. In VICE I believe 

It was good as far as cop shows go from that period. Of course there's no way Crockett and Tubbs could have used their covers as many times as they did, and you can see a marked shift in procedure as the show continued through its run.

I have to say I'm surprised @Dadrian missed an opportunity to comment on a Lynda Carter photo, though. 

[Kladdagh]

6 minutes ago, Robbie C. said:

It was good as far as cop shows go from that period. Of course there's no way Crockett and Tubbs could have used their covers as many times as they did, and you can see a marked shift in procedure as the show continued through its run.

 

Yes of course ... But as you know, it is a TV show and I think, if Crockett & Tubbs changed their undercover names too mutch often, the viewers would be "lost" ... Even Crockett & Tubbs ... "hum, what is my name today ?" ... Maybe they could "rotate" with 2 or 3 names but ... It is a TV show 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Kladdagh

[Robbie C.]

2 minutes ago, Kladdagh said:

Yes of course ... But as you know, it is a TV show and I think, if Crockett & Tubbs changed their undercover names too mutch often, the viewers would be "lost" ... Even Crockett & Tubbs ... "hum, what is my name today ?" ... Maybe they could "rotate" with 2 or 3 names but ... It is a TV show 

I was thinking about their looks, too...only Tubbs changed his look on occasion. But they had to preserve the undercover stuff because one of the underlying themes of the show (at least with Sonny) was the cost of UC work for the average cop. It works great for the show, but is it plausible? Not really.

If nothing else, the press feeding frenzy from "Child's Play" would have burned him for UC work. Let alone the whole Caitlin Davies arc. And even with the pilot, Calderone's organization would have known he was a cop. His face would have been all over the place in that world.

They did put a nod toward preserving his cover in the pilot episode, though. At the tail end of the courtroom scene you can hear the clerk calling a case involving one Sonny Burnett...

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

On 1/28/2022 at 9:30 AM, Robbie C. said:

I was thinking about their looks, too...only Tubbs changed his look on occasion. But they had to preserve the undercover stuff because one of the underlying themes of the show (at least with Sonny) was the cost of UC work for the average cop. It works great for the show, but is it plausible? Not really.

If nothing else, the press feeding frenzy from "Child's Play" would have burned him for UC work. Let alone the whole Caitlin Davies arc. And even with the pilot, Calderone's organization would have known he was a cop. His face would have been all over the place in that world.

They did put a nod toward preserving his cover in the pilot episode, though. At the tail end of the courtroom scene you can hear the clerk calling a case involving one Sonny Burnett...

Good mention of a nod to Sonny Crockett catching a case; I like how in 'Contempt of Court' the topic of Burnett being behind bars was no surprise as well. So the whole deal is for sure implausible (too many instances: Calderone & Fuente alone would've cooked the Burnett cover, and the Caitlin fiasco would've likely ended Sonny's undercover career in total) but I do like that at least SOME effort was made to reinforce Crockett's cover.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Eillio Martin Imbasciati
wrong wording

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

18 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

It's Lynda Freakin' Carter. She looks good in anything.

This is true!

[IA-SteveB]

I think it is safe to say that a show like this wouldn't work as well in the information age.  Facebook drug cartel groups would share everything they know. 

[RedDragon86]

All shows are not ultra realistic but this one is special, groundbreaking. 

One of the greatest shows of all time.

Edited January 29, 2022 by RedDragon86

[Matt5]

On 1/29/2022 at 12:45 AM, RedDragon86 said:

All shows are not ultra realistic but this one is special, groundbreaking. 

One of the greatest shows of all time.

Well said @RedDragon86

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

On 1/28/2022 at 7:45 PM, RedDragon86 said:

All shows are not ultra realistic but this one is special, groundbreaking. 

One of the greatest shows of all time.

I agree 100%; I believe we're looking at an all-time great right here (which is the same thing I say to myself every day I look in the mirror...just kidding; I'm a little playful today. Okay okay, A LOT playful today).

[sdiegolo78]

The burnout of the two leading characters and the depth with which that aspect was depicted, it was and it is (during re-watches) very plausible for me. It was absolutely unrealistic Sonny reinstatement back in the police force after the events of the Burnett saga. And living with an alligator pet was something not completely implausible being in Florida, rather quite eccentric and perhaps a bit silly from the common viewer's point of view. I can also think of the notoriously off the wall and wacky episodes (Missing hours, the cows of October, miracle man), the laser weapon seen at the beginning of 'World of trouble'...now, about Castillo, certain things he did in Bushido seem way over the top for a police lieutenant. In that regard Lt Rodriguez was more plausible. And how Sonny and Rico could always keep the same cover without being recognized or made as cops by the crooks in Miami...and they, along with Switek, Zito, Gina, Trudy and Lt Castillo seemed the only cops working at OCB....perhaps in the whole Metro PD!

Edited February 3, 2022 by sdiegolo78

[sdiegolo78]

On 1/26/2022 at 9:10 PM, RedDragon86 said:

Sonny did get shot and they were not exactly in the wars every single episode, they did get maimed from time to time.

The thing is how would it work as a cop show if Rico and Sonny got shot more or less every time during shootout?

 

 

Sonny got shot in the titular episode 'A bullet for Crockett' and it was pretty serious...Tubbs got shot in Viking bikers from hell and got voodooed in S2

[sdiegolo78]

On 1/26/2022 at 11:41 PM, Mr. Vigilante said:

This is one of the aspects that I laugh at now, but it still doesn't affect my enjoyment of the show. Being truly undercover they would've never shown up on a crime scene with their badges out.  Heck, they probably wouldn't have badges in their possession.  Even in the scene of "Brother's Keeper" after the explosion....Crockett would've been whisked out of there long before any witnesses or media arrived.  I think "Donnie Brasco" and "The Departed" showed how crazy true undercover work could be.

true! However, the OCB building was truly undercover (the front side had the 'Gold coast' signs or something) being only accessible to police personnel within the Metro Dade and federal agents alike. As with the former, I'm sure you had to have some clearance or permission to get access...

Edited February 3, 2022 by sdiegolo78

[sdiegolo78]

On 1/27/2022 at 1:09 AM, Miami Beau said:

The fact they had Crockett surprised that his car didn’t get shot, was a nice nod to the audience. 

perhaps it was bulletproof like Knightrider's KITT bar the talking? and a subtle nod to that show?!?

[sdiegolo78]

On 1/27/2022 at 4:17 AM, Vicefan7777 said:

I don't ever remember C and T being placed on administrative leave after a shoot out.  Wouldn't that be standard police procedure? 

That might have happened behind the scene...they wouldn't do a 'Crockett & Tubbs' day sort of episode The same would apply to court appearances etc... they would be expected to take part after most cases...

[sdiegolo78]

On 1/27/2022 at 11:48 AM, Ferrariman said:

Not even after shooting a child in "Child's Play" 

Sonny had to attend counseling meetings with Sgt De Lello if i remember correctly. He obviously couldn't care less and instead drove his Ferrari to see his estranged son and ex-wife...class!

[sdiegolo78]

On 1/28/2022 at 2:22 PM, Kladdagh said:

if Crockett & Tubbs changed their undercover names too mutch often, the viewers would be "lost" ... Even Crockett & Tubbs ... "hum, what is my name today ?" ... Maybe they could "rotate" with 2 or 3 names

Crockett used 'Bates' as undercover name in one of the early S1 episodes and Tubbs came down to Miami as 'Taylor' or something like that...

[sdiegolo78]

On 1/28/2022 at 8:27 PM, IA-SteveB said:

I think it is safe to say that a show like this wouldn't work as well in the information age.  Facebook drug cartel groups would share everything they know. 

true, if you only think about the dark web...