Dick Wolf's approach


Guest myonlyvice

Recommended Posts

And why did a mandate from Mann to improve the stories involve destroying the style and look of the show?

Good point. Maybe it was just the situation of fixing something that wasn't broken...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks' date=' C&B. Wolf obviously thinks he's improved the stories, as I'm sure he would. Among others, I would not include "Baby Blues" or "Stone's War" as instances of improved storytelling. He's a narcissist living in his own world. And why did a mandate from Mann to improve the stories involve destroying the style and look of the show?[/quote'] Dick Wolf=T00L
Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO' date=' there was nothing bad in adressing "socially-conscious" issues in MV... I mean, why not? I agree that maybe it was stretched in that Miami cops handled something that wasn't "really" their concern... but all at the same time it could be rather boring to watch 120 episodes of nothing more that catching drug dealers and prostitutes.(And tell me what wasn't "stretched" in this wonderful show, anyway? Maybe an alligator on Crockett's boat? :D). Just IMHO.[/quote'] I agree, baby trafficking and IRA terrorism can happen in Miami just as much as any other city.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Season three has no absolute stinkers? I'm curious how you feel about "Showbiz". If you can believe it' date=' for me this episode is even more impossible to watch than "Missing Hours". At least in "Missing Hours" you get to feast your eyes on the most excellent Trudy, who looked hotter in this episode than at any other time in the series. And that's saying something. "Missing Hours" is 48 minutes of "What the He**?", but it is otherwise harmless. "Showbiz" is so irritating and grating on the nerves with that dude's screaming and trying to wax poetic I can actually feel my blood pressure rise when I watch it. I'm not joking.Dick Wolf would have been well advised not to mess with the show's visuals/style like he did. Ever notice how this is the only season where Crockett doesn't wear Wayfarers? Why? Was it really that important to Wolf that in order to fully turn the show on its head he had to take away one of Crockett's most enduring trademarks? Insanity! Apparently he also incorrectly thought he could get away with no whites or pastels, but later in season three he seemed to realize how bad an idea this was and you start to see Crockett in more familiar garb. He also should not have gone so heavily down the path of politically-themed and "socially conscious" episodes. There's a time and a place for this type of storytelling but Vice was NOT an appropriate venue. Episodes like "Irish Eyes" and "Rising Sun of Death", while not bad (I never skip these), are inappropriate for Vice because the IRA and the Yakuza have nothing inherent to do with the city of Miami or vice cops. Wolf was so darn selfish though in his vision for the show he didn't care. These were stories he wanted to tell even if they didn't really fit in Miami.Simply put, seasons 3, 4, and 5 would have been much better if Mann had stuck around and kept them more in line with the precedent set by the first two.[/quote'] I actually liked Everyone's in Showbiz, especially the part where Crockett gives his share of reciting some poetry ... and how they show the difference of what cliche Elvis and real Elvis is like. Plus there's that great Chris DeBurgh song at the end, whom I admire very much.I liked the change to darker color schemes and Persols for Season 3. I found it to be less extreme than some of the changes in Season 5 (i.e. most of Tubbs' wardrobe that year).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest myonlyvice
I agree' date=' baby trafficking and IRA terrorism can happen in Miami just as much as any other city.[/quote'] Miami is a legit spot for IRA terrorism?Baby trafficking is not really a "vice" crime. Wolf was clever enough to create a segue as Vice's original interest in the airplane was drugs but this was obviously a means to justify his inclusion of more "60 Minutes" type material. Despite all this, I might not feel so harsh towards this episode if it were executed better. EVERYTHING was off in this embarrassment.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Miami is a legit spot for IRA terrorism?Baby trafficking is not really a "vice" crime. Wolf was clever enough to create a segue as Vice's original interest in the airplane was drugs but this was obviously a means to justify his inclusion of more "60 Minutes" type material. Despite all this' date=' I might not feel so harsh towards this episode if it were executed better. EVERYTHING was off in this embarrassment.[/quote'] I did think the ending was rushed on this episode. It was as they were down to seconds on the clock during the tearful goodbye scene that they had to wrap things up abruptly.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest myonlyvice

The beginning of Season 3 saw some really great episodes with film-like cinematography and breathed new life into the show .:D

If you believe that I've got a bridge to sell ya. :)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, how 'bout this: Could Season 3 have turned out better if they didn't blow up Crockett's car? :pOne thing I did not like was how they futzed around with the running order of the episodes. I could tolerate Zito's disappearing/reappearing beard in Season 2, but the Spyder/Testarossa back and forth was jarring, to say the least.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest myonlyvice

didn't blow up Crockett's car? :pOne thing I did not like was how they futzed around with the running order of the episodes. I could tolerate Zito's disappearing/reappearing beard in Season 2, but the Spyder/Testarossa back and forth was jarring, to say the least.

It might have helped a little. I do prefer the Spyder but considering just the show's asthetics (ignoring the writing), I found the new color scheme to be the worst. It was no longer unique; it looked like that of any other show. Somebody earlier already mentioned the curious use of green lighting in night scenes. The clothes were too dark and there wasn't enough white in general.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I did not like was how they futzed around with the running order of the episodes. I could tolerate Zito's disappearing/reappearing beard in Season 2' date=' but the Spyder/Testarossa back and forth was jarring, to say the least.[/quote'] Yeah, I don't like changing order either, looks pretty silly... (Funny, but if I'm not mistaken, they did the same in season 2 of "Nash Bridges".) I can't think out a rational reason to do that... if they were obviously shot in one order, why show them in another? ?(
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah' date=' I don't like changing order either, looks pretty silly... (Funny, but if I'm not mistaken, they did the same in season 2 of "Nash Bridges".) I can't think out a rational reason to do that... if they were obviously shot in one order, why show them in another? ?([/quote'] Especially episodes where they absolutely need to be aired in order. Take the end of Season 4, for example ... Sonny is Burnett, then he's Crockett again like nothing happened ... then he's Burnett again! ?(
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It might have helped a little. I do prefer the Spyder but considering just the show's asthetics (ignoring the writing)' date=' I found the new color scheme to be the worst. It was no longer unique; it looked like that of any other show. Somebody earlier already mentioned the curious use of green lighting in night scenes. The clothes were too dark and there wasn't enough white in general.[/quote'] I think that's why Crockett began wearing white again towards the middle/end of Season 3. At least his new car was white!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Especially episodes where they absolutely need to be aired in order. Take the end of Season 4' date=' for example ... Sonny is Burnett, then he's Crockett again like nothing happened ... then he's Burnett again! ?([/quote'] Was it really so? ?( I thought he was Burnett in the last ep of season 4 and first 2 eps of season 5... just in the right order... Don't know about the original airing time, though, maybe they changed the order again on DVDs? ?(
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was it really so? ?( I thought he was Burnett in the last ep of season 4 and first 2 eps of season 5... just in the right order... Don't know about the original airing time' date=' though, maybe they changed the order again on DVDs? ?([/quote'] According to the syndication codes in the glossary of our site here, it says that Mirror Image is aired before Deliver Us From Evil. Likewise, in the next year, you've got shows like Borrasca and Heart of Night which feature Sonny airing first, then come Hostile Takeover and Redemption in Blood, confusingly going back to the Burnett story. ?(The running order on the DVDs is closer to the original production schedule, but there's still the changing Zito beard in Season 2, and the Ferrari switch of Season 3.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.