Episode #40 "The Fix "

[Rattlehead]

It's an okay episode, however the guest acting was bad. I did not recognize Michael Richards during my viewing, guess I was half asleep during the credits. I wish the excellent music used here was used in a better episode. I found it hilarious that the judge could afford such a nice house but not a car he can sit comfortably in.

[Buddy Love]

Having watched this again, it always surprises me that Sonny is almost sympathetic to the Judge’s position. Good scene on the park bench. Contrast Sonny’s feelings towards a bent cop!!!

[Dadrian]

1 hour ago, Buddy Love said:

Having watched this again, it always surprises me that Sonny is almost sympathetic to the Judge’s position. Good scene on the park bench. Contrast Sonny’s feelings towards a bent cop!!!

Good point. I think it’s that Crockett knows Ferguson is a good man (with a bad habit and some bad decisions) that sets him apart from jerks like in “Whatever Works”. Also, the judge obviously loves his son very much, and that could’ve been a part of Crockett’s sympathy. 

Edited June 2, 2019 by Dadrian

[Robbie C.]

2 hours ago, Buddy Love said:

Having watched this again, it always surprises me that Sonny is almost sympathetic to the Judge’s position. Good scene on the park bench. Contrast Sonny’s feelings towards a bent cop!!!

Like Dadrian, this didn't really surprise me. Part of it's the son, the other part (I think) is that the judge had a solid record up until he started being blackmailed. There's also a clear disconnect in Vice between the cops and the court system (unlike shows like Law & Order where they're closely linked). Sonny would always react worse to bent cops because (a) they're part of his work family and (b) they present a direct threat to him in the field. We very rarely see any kind of legal outcome from cases on Vice, so judges and the like are always distant figures.

[Glades]

I agree with Robbie.
And maybe it has as well something to do with the fact that Miami Vice, according to me, doesn't always have such clear boundaries between good and evil.
For example, there is Lombard, a gangster, who became increasingly likeable to me, even though he apparently actually committed crimes. There are sometimes "good guys" who act morally questionable...

Edited June 2, 2019 by Glades

[Robbie C.]

26 minutes ago, Glades said:

I agree with Robbie.
And maybe it has as well something to do with the fact that Miami Vice, according to me, doesn't always have such clear boundaries between good and evil.
For example, there is Lombard, a gangster, who became increasingly likeable to me, even though he apparently actually committed crimes. There are sometimes "good guys" who act morally questionable...

With Lombard you had the old "honor among thieves" trope that was common in crime shows from this era. There was always the idea back then that the "old school" criminals had lines they wouldn't cross. Like the Mafia not dealing drugs because it damaged families, not staging hits in front of woman and children, and so on.

But yes, Vice was always about shades of gray instead of black and white. You get that from the very beginning, when Tubbs breaks all kinds of policies and likely laws impersonating his brother to come to Miami to take down Calderone. A good guy doing bad things to achieve a good end.

[vicegirl85]

Yes, and that was why Crockett told him, "When it gets personal, it gets messy.  And when it gets messy, the wrong people get killed."

[Bren10]

7 hours ago, vicegirl85 said:

Yes, and that was why Crockett told him, "When it gets personal, it gets messy.  And when it gets messy, the wrong people get killed."

And Crockett violates that very thing when he goes after Hackman. And subsequently the entire world turns upside down .

[Robbie C.]

1 hour ago, Bren10 said:

And Crockett violates that very thing when he goes after Hackman. And subsequently the entire world turns upside down .

He actually violated that one a fair amount. Hackman had the most dramatic consequences, but it certainly wasn't the first time things got personal with Sonny.

[Bren10]

The Hackman situation was the most akin to what Tubbs was doing when he first came to Miami. Since it (basically) comes around at the last season I consider it a bookend of sorts to Sonny's journey.

[Robbie C.]

Hackman's season 4. Burnett is (mostly) season 5. While the Sonny-Hackman dust-up led directly to Caitlin's murder and Sonny's little excursion after Hackman, I don't know that it made Burnett inevitable. I tend to think (like Artie Rollins) Burnett was inevitable because of what Crockett did and how his character was used as a window into undercover work. Hindsight? Quite possibly. But as Burnett morphed from transport guy to fixer to "Henry Kissinger of the Miami underworld" he got closer and closer to the position Artie was in when we meet him. Did Hackman and Caitlin accelerate the process? Quite possibly (and from the perspective of Sonny as a real character instead of a kind of avatar most definitely), but it still took a TBI to push him into that break.

Not really disagreeing (well...kind of, but you know...), but one could also contend that both Stone episodes were quite personal to Sonny, and quite messy as a result. Buddies had the same undercurrent. Death and the Lady also jumped to personal.

[Bren10]

I mean in terms of personal vengeance out of the death of a loved one. That's a little different than getting personally invested in a case, which admittedly Sonny does do a lot (this is a neo noir after all). Sonny never obsessively tracked down Captain Real Estate to kill him outside jurisdiction. Once he smacked Glantz around he was done with him.. But his personal investment is also why he's as good at the job as he is. Castillo even makes note of that when defending him against Dan Hedaya's IA character in One Eyed Jack. I don't think Burnett was inevitable myself. I don't think Sonny turns criminal without the explosion and Amnesia. He sympathizes and empathizes with Artie, but he himself is not Artie. There was more inevitabllity to Sonny actually quitting than turning (without the explosion etc) imo. And even in that case, I believe he would return if working conditions improved. Burnout is not necessarily forever, in fact it usually isn't.

[Robbie C.]

You notice I said it took a TBI to push him into that break. My point is that his chasing Hackman didn't lead to Burnett. The explosion came as part of a separate UC case...one that arguably put him in position to suffer the TBI. But we've also managed to derail yet another thread...

[Bren10]

Somebody posted awhile back that the episode threads were essentially dead anyway because they've been analyzed to death since the inception of this forum. So we may have actually extended this one's life. 

[Robbie C.]

1 minute ago, Bren10 said:

Somebody posted awhile back that the episode threads were essentially dead anyway because they've been analyzed to death since the inception of this forum. So we may have actually extended this one's life. 

Most likely. And I'd say only a handful of episodes have been analyzed to death (mostly the episodes that were thin to begin with). And even that's questionable because it's opinion. I think we come at them from different angles, so there's always more to discover.

[ViceFanMan]

On 4/16/2013 at 1:15 AM, ViceFanMan said:

This is not one of my favorite episodes of the 2nd season. But, it's still not terrible...just not great, either. The beginning was pretty cool...with the gun battles at that exotic bird zoo or something, and capturing Ortega--who turned out to be a woman.  I also like Bill Russell guest-starring...but after that, the episode just doesn't quite come together.  "The Fix" is an ‘okay’ episode but it's just not that captivating or interesting either. This is one that I watch when going through the series, but I can be doing something else while it's playing...ending was fitting.  I rated it a 6.

This was my original review of this episode (although I changed some wording around to make it sound better). Not much has really changed with my thoughts on this one. If this had of been done in Seasons 4 or 5 it would probably be considered in a much “higher” light, so-to-speak. But, for as powerhouse a season as 2 was, it’s just an ‘okay’ episode...a Season 2 filler. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by ViceFanMan

[RedDragon86]

Does anybody know what the elevated platform is all about?

[pahonu]

13 minutes ago, RedDragon86 said:

Does anybody know what the elevated platform is all about?

Looks like a monorail line.

[RedDragon86]

2 hours ago, pahonu said:

Looks like a monorail line.

Thanks, looking at pics on google I would say you are correct. 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by RedDragon86

[RedDragon86]

The acting could have been better but at the same time Bill Russell convinced me as Judge Ferguson, he got better as it went on.

I think its an excellent episode, very emotional about a good man in a bad place. The music tracks are brilliant and Harvey Fierstein who appears as corrupt lawyer, Benedict is very good and so is Michael Richards plays the creepy main bad guy.

It's a top episode imo.

9/10.

[Dadrian]

19 minutes ago, RedDragon86 said:

The acting could have been better…

Agreed!

Ironically, the little scene where C&T are sitting at the computer at OCB discussing Ferguson’s situation, and then when they go to the break room to tell Castillo—some of the most natural and believable acting of the series for all three actors IMO. 

[ViceFanMan]

The acting could have been better...and how the plot was carried out just didn’t really seem to be that realistic or heartfelt. The acting seemed kind of forced or “faky”. It wasn’t a terrible episode, but not great either. It seemed more like a Season 2 filler. I originally gave it a 6 and still do. 

[RedDragon86]

7 hours ago, Dadrian said:

Agreed!

Ironically, the little scene where C&T are sitting at the computer at OCB discussing Ferguson’s situation, and then when they go to the break room to tell Castillo—some of the most natural and believable acting of the series for all three actors IMO. 

Oh yes! Great acting, the way Marty struggled to take off his tie at they end.

I know fans don't care for this one but "The Fix" is great.

Edited August 17, 2021 by RedDragon86

[Dadrian]

30 minutes ago, RedDragon86 said:

Oh yes! Great acting, the way Marty struggled to take off his tie at they end.

I know fans don't care for this one but "The Fix" is great.

All three actors in full stride of the characters they had become. 

Cynical Crockett, cool Tubbs, and few words (but heavy mood) Castillo.

They each deliver all the lines so perfectly. 

In one little easily-overlooked scene. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Dadrian

[Jack Gretsky]

Hector Berlioz - one of the greatest French composers of the 19th century - is in this episode!  Except it's not that Berlioz, but a jumpy Ortega informant who looks like a badly rumpled Dog Day Afternoon Pacino.  A novel opening scene taking place at an aviary with lots of charming wooden bridge and staircases.  It's unique, anyway.  

Don't you always root for guest stars who aren't pro actors to do well?  I give Bill Russell and Bernard King props for coming off as sincere, if a bit stiff.  As a Seinfeld fanatic, it's very bizarre seeing Michael Richards as the bad guy.  He does seem like Kramer doing one of his mock-tough personas though! 

Otherwise routine stuff.  I prefer "Killshot" as a sports-related episode. 

Edited September 10, 2021 by Jack Gretsky