Episode #35 "Yankee Dollar"

[Sebax]

Well, the storyline of this ep isn't very appealing, but I really like Glide. The facial expressions, his voice, everything. I mean he's the bad guy, but he's the best character of this ep by far.

I'll give it an 8/10

[TylerDurden389]

Rewatching this ep. right now. At the beginning when Sonny is waiting for his lady at the terminal, you can see the actress that stars in "Little Miss Dangerous" walking ahead of her. She's got big sunglasses on and she's not in focus, but I know it's her.

[Dadrian]

13 minutes ago, TylerDurden389 said:

Rewatching this ep. right now. At the beginning when Sonny is waiting for his lady at the terminal, you can see the actress that stars in "Little Miss Dangerous" walking ahead of her. She's got big sunglasses on and she's not in focus, but I know it's her.

Good eye! This has been discussed here before. 

[Neons in Noir]

On 9/22/2019 at 5:51 PM, Sebax said:

Well, the storyline of this ep isn't very appealing, but I really like Glide. The facial expressions, his voice, everything. I mean he's the bad guy, but he's the best character of this ep by far.

I'll give it an 8/10

Agreed. There are baddies in the series that I wished some sort of redemption for, and he's one of them. He's not one of those "downright evil antagonists" I think, just a way too overconfident, slick-talking opportunistic character.

---

The pre-title part was moving, enhanced by the excellent choice of music (Mike + The Mechanics - Par Avion). The rest was kinda OK I guess? Jan Hammer's great cue he previously used during the Golden Triangle (Part II) was a nice touch. From the standpoint of cinematography I especially liked the meeting of Tubbs & Crockett with Charlie Glide at night with the boat at the marine stadium. I would give this a 7/10.

 

[Eillio Martin Imbasciati]

I really like pretty much everything about this episode: the cold open sets the mood perfectly for me, with Crockett getting his hopes up when it came to Sarah, but she sort of giving him the brush-off (we quickly find out why; I also like that Crockett later tells Tubbs how fun Sarah was, since the viewer never gets to know that otherwise).

After that we're introduced to Tim Davis (I like Clayton Rohner overall, and his 'Cliffy' character in 1986's "Modern Girls" I  related to at one time in my life): who, although pretty callous, gets the episode headed into the direction of Charlie Glide.

Now, Charlie Glide is one of my favorite villains, because even though he's one cold dog, I like how he does business and I like his sense of humor (my examples are the "You guys are aces" comment at the end of his interrogation by Crockett & Tubbs and the look/attitude he gives off at the Lydia Sugarman dinner meet in which the Peruvian eats and drinks like a slob). Plus, he has Max as his assistant (hey, Castillo seemed to admire Louis McCarthy, so here I am:-)!

Oh, I think Russ Ballard's "Your Time is Gonna Come" is well-placed (I like how the Peruvian describes the delayed timer on the boat garage door there, and that he acknowledged the sacrifice of his soldier). I also felt Jan Hammer's bit was exceptional as usual.

Another star of this episode for me is Lydia Sugarman's hair: first she has it parted on the side in full-volume and fierce, then at the climax she has this puffy hairspray-plus-blowdryer look. I wanted Sugarman to stick around, not for the Sugar (I stay away from the big bad white thing: too much sugar in my diet makes me hyper. But Echo and the Bunnymen's "Lips like Sugar"? Aw, yes), but to see what she came up next with her hairstyle.

I also like the ending: as Vice episodes go their were more villains that survived than usual (maybe because characters were getting greased throughout the entire episode, so it just came down to numbers:-), and I felt a measure of justice (probably more poetic than confirmed) was achieved.

 

[Dadrian]

“You watch too much MV when...” #3162

...anytime the number “43” comes up, you say out loud: “fot tee tree...I jus hov enuff”

 

[ViceFanMan]

I love this episode, and another Season 2 ‘gem’...I enjoy watching it everytime I go through the series! The beginning with Crockett and his girlfriend OD'ing is very heart-felt and touching! The song they chose was also perfect for the situation...tragic and sad!  

I also thought for the time Audrey Matson (Sarah Davis) did a superb acting job when having the seizures from the burst cocaine balloon in her stomach! I remember seeing that for the first time and thinking...whoa! That was almost too real...but it captivates you because of that.  

I can’t believe Sarah agreed to be a ‘mule’ just for some old ‘Beamer’...it wasn’t that cool of a car!  But, I guess she wanted it bad enough to agree to that kind of risk. Her brother was also a total loser...love how Crockett realizes he only cares about the balloons of ‘coke’ when he only wants to know where her body was taken, rather than how or why did it happen—and Sonny ‘jacks’ him one! 

However, I'm sorry if this sounds mean but Crockett didn't always choose the most attractive girlfriends. I never thought Brenda from "Nobody Lives Forever" was very attractive...and I think Sarah from this one is even less attractive!  She looks like she’s barely 20 & not really Crockett’s type. But, I still would not want her to die. I love the action, explosions in the boat house, the characters of Charlie Glide & Max Rogo, Lydia Sugarman, the music, etc...it was just an awesome episode! Lydia was supposedly 28...she looked more like 35-40, but ok. 

Also, despite the "dark" and sad beginning...this one also had some humor! I love Charlie Glide's party that Crockett (Burnett) crashes and that air-head blonde is ooing & awwing over Glides butt-ugly, painted statue! I also laugh my butt off everytime at the character of Zabado--"sliming" caviar all over his mouth, swigging champagne like it was soda, spitting food while laughing hysterically at everything...I laugh hysterically every time I watch him! 

But, the plot, performances, action, colors, fashion music, etc...made this a captivating episode!  Crockett and Tubbs put the "slide on Charlie Glide"...but they also put the slide on me, to love this one with pride!   I originally gave it a 9...still go with that!  

Edited April 28, 2021 by ViceFanMan

[Jack Gretsky]

What's nice about "Yankee Dollar" is that it's one of those episodes I forget about and then, while rewatching it, I remember how good it is.  A gut-wrenching (pun unintended) teaser: Sonny's flight attendant friend is carrying a balloon filled with cocaine and it bursts inside her!  MV Wiki notes that it's a goof that the overhead shot of Sonny driving Sara home is actually a high-speed chase from an earlier episode.  I like to think that Sonny is so in a hurry for her, uh, company that he's racing through the streets!   The Mike + the Mechanics song is a good moody, nighttime ballad.  It should have been a single.  

Ned Eisenberg continues the tradition of smarmy villains who exasperate Crockett and Tubbs, especially Crockett.  (I like how when Glide makes a cruel snark about Sara and Tim Davis, Tubbs has to restrain Sonny from pounding him; Crockett kicks Glide's chair out from under him anyway.) Austin Pendleton has been a long time favorite of mine.  I like the Davis siblings too: Audrey Matson looks cute in her uniform and is chilling in her seizure scene.  I'm finally going to be able to see Modern Girls with Clayton Rohner - it's an elusive 1980s movie that I finally went ahead and ordered a used DVD of.  

Good plot and also good how it's told - I'm really loving the pin-sharp "look" (shiny daytime scenes, gloriously lit nighttime scenes) of these first two seasons.  I know we lose this in many of the S 3-5 episodes. 

Another fantastic Russ Ballard track in the finale.  He's an artist I know only through Miami Vice (aside from songs he's written for other singers.)

Edited September 6, 2021 by Jack Gretsky

[Jack Gretsky]

On 4/27/2021 at 5:53 PM, ViceFanMan said:

that air-head blonde is ooing & awwing over Glides butt-ugly, painted statue!

Heh.  Did you notice when after everyone leaves, she touches the statue's hand to test if it's a real person or not? 

[ViceFanMan]

38 minutes ago, Jack Gretsky said:

Heh.  Did you notice when after everyone leaves, she touches the statue's hand to test if it's a real person or not? 

I don’t remember that...I’ll definitely have to pay more attention to that scene, lol!!! 

[ViceFanMan]

On 4/27/2021 at 7:53 PM, ViceFanMan said:

I love this episode, and another Season 2 ‘gem’...I enjoy watching it everytime I go through the series! The beginning with Crockett and his girlfriend OD'ing is very heart-felt and touching! The song they chose was also perfect for the situation...tragic and sad!  

I also thought for the time Audrey Matson (Sarah Davis) did a superb acting job when having the seizures from the burst cocaine balloon in her stomach! I remember seeing that for the first time and thinking...whoa! That was almost too real...but it captivates you because of that.  

I can’t believe Sarah agreed to be a ‘mule’ just for some old ‘Beamer’...it wasn’t that cool of a car!  But, I guess she wanted it bad enough to agree to that kind of risk. Her brother was also a total loser...love how Crockett realizes he only cares about the balloons of ‘coke’ when he only wants to know where her body was taken, rather than how or why did it happen—and Sonny ‘jacks’ him one! 

However, I'm sorry if this sounds mean but Crockett didn't always choose the most attractive girlfriends. I never thought Brenda from "Nobody Lives Forever" was very attractive...and I think Sarah from this one is even less attractive!  She looks like she’s barely 20 & not really Crockett’s type. But, I still would not want her to die. I love the action, explosions in the boat house, the characters of Charlie Glide & Max Rogo, Lydia Sugarman, the music, etc...it was just an awesome episode! Lydia was supposedly 28...she looked more like 35-40, but ok. 

Also, despite the "dark" and sad beginning...this one also had some humor! I love Charlie Glide's party that Crockett (Burnett) crashes and that air-head blonde is ooing & awwing over Glides butt-ugly, painted statue! I also laugh my butt off everytime at the character of Zabado--"sliming" caviar all over his mouth, swigging champagne like it was soda, spitting food while laughing hysterically at everything...I laugh hysterically every time I watch him! 

But, the plot, performances, action, colors, fashion music, etc...made this a captivating episode!  Crockett and Tubbs put the "slide on Charlie Glide"...but they also put the slide on me, to love this one with pride!   I originally gave it a 9...still go with that!  

 

On 9/6/2021 at 12:09 AM, Jack Gretsky said:

Heh.  Did you notice when after everyone leaves, she touches the statue's hand to test if it's a real person or not? 

Watching this one again at the moment. Such a heart/gut wrenching beginning with the tragic death of Sarah ...but the plot, colors, fashion, action, music, filming locations, cinematography, etc...are amazing! One of the many Season 2 gems! 

Quoted above is my recent review, and @Jack Gretsky had noticed the air-head girl of Glide’s touching the hand of the statue at Glide’s party to see if it was a real person...just watched that scene—hilarious!  Definitely the ugliest, most grotesque statue I’ve ever seen—only in Miami! 

[pahonu]

I just watched this last night for the first time in quite a while.  My wife came into the room when Sonny and Rico were searching Sarah’s place and she commented on how 80’s her living room was.  It has the blue-grey background with the white splotches and overlapping black squiggles contrasting with that base color.  She commented that it would look cool to have a similar paint scheme in our bedroom on the wall behind our bed!  I think so too and have thought about the details of the paint scheme since.  Has anyone else taken note of this detail?

[Dadrian]

13 minutes ago, pahonu said:

Has anyone else taken note of this detail?

Every time I watch it. 

This is a fine example of season 2 set decoration. 

[ViceFanMan]

30 minutes ago, pahonu said:

I just watched this last night for the first time in quite a while.  My wife came into the room when Sonny and Rico were searching Sarah’s place and she commented on how 80’s her living room was.  It has the blue-grey background with the white splotches and overlapping black squiggles contrasting with that base color.  She commented that it would look cool to have a similar paint scheme in our bedroom on the wall behind our bed!  I think so too and have thought about the details of the paint scheme since.  Has anyone else taken note of this detail?

So many set decorations, rooms, colors, designs, etc... from Season 2 that I would love to do now! But, #1 I sadly don’t live in Florida/Miami, and #2 I probably could never afford any of it.  

[OCBman]

Rico hears it's some of the purest dope he's ever seen.

Edited September 13, 2021 by OCBman

[ViceFanMan]

12 minutes ago, OCBman said:

Rico hears it's some of the purest dope he's ever seen.

Direct from Joe-Blow, down in the Grove. 

[Dadrian]

2 hours ago, ViceFanMan said:

Direct from Joe-Blow, down in the Grove. 

Sonny’s look after that line, followed by Rico’s look is priceless. “I’m sorry” and “it’s okay“ without a word spoken. 

[ViceFanMan]

9 minutes ago, Dadrian said:

Sonny’s look after that line, followed by Rico’s look is priceless. “I’m sorry” and “it’s okay“ without a word spoken. 

Amen...good acting can say a ton, without actual words being spoken! 

[Dadrian]

16 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

Amen...good acting can say a ton, without actual words being spoken! 

I think they channeled EJO’s spirit there

[ViceFanMan]

4 minutes ago, Dadrian said:

I think they channeled EJO’s spirit there

Lol...using the famous stare to say a “thousand” words!  But, I think DJ & PMT had a special “magic”, or spirit all their own. Even if it was just for the camera, they both just seemed to gel together so well...it just seemed so ‘real’ and genuine.   

[RedDragon86]

The actress who played Sarah did an amazing job when she overdosing, so good it was felt real. It actually scares me a bit every time I watch it.

And when she screams at Sonny it was like she was so out of mind she didn't even recognize him. 

Astonishing acting. 

[ViceFanMan]

6 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

The actress who played Sarah did an amazing job when she overdosing, so good it was felt real. It actually scares me a bit every time I watch it.

And when she screams at Sonny it was like she was so out of mind she didn't even recognize him. 

Astonishing acting. 

100% agree! Although I don’t feel like she was a very realistic choice of a girlfriend Sonny would be with...the acting was amazing!!  It’s interesting you say that when you watch the scene when she’s overdosing it scares you a little bit...it does me too—makes my stomach cringe & it’s realistic enough I’m actually glad when the scene is over! Superb episode!  

Edited May 8, 2022 by ViceFanMan

[fakespyder]

Everything leading up to the overdose moment was beautiful and serene. The couple's playful banter, the long drive home, the dreamy music.

Then she screams and Sonny breaks into her apartment in a matter of seconds. It was smart of the show to keep the music going (like it hadn't caught up to the horrible reality unfolding).

When we see her curled up wrenching beside the toilet, she looks lost, in pain and fighting. When she sees Sonny and reaches out for him it is so scary and sad.

Such a great performance. She made no pretense at trying to preserve any dignity at that moment. Really powerful stuff that still gets to me after all these years.

[Augusta]

20 hours ago, fakespyder said:

Everything leading up to the overdose moment was beautiful and serene. The couple's playful banter, the long drive home, the dreamy music.

Then she screams and Sonny breaks into her apartment in a matter of seconds. It was smart of the show to keep the music going (like it hadn't caught up to the horrible reality unfolding).

When we see her curled up wrenching beside the toilet, she looks lost, in pain and fighting. When she sees Sonny and reaches out for him it is so scary and sad.

Such a great performance. She made no pretense at trying to preserve any dignity at that moment. Really powerful stuff that still gets to me after all these years.

Excellent descriptions, fakespyder!!  You've also hit on something that happens repeatedly in Miami Vice with its music----you get a music piece that plays its attitude, and something really violent or really urgent suddenly happens,... and the music JUST KEEPS going with its attitude unchanged, like "who cares?---Miami doesn't care,"   Tubbs races through the city in a car hoping there's time to save Crockett's wife and child from being murdered,...and Miami doesn't care about you, Mr. vice cop.  Woman painfully short-circuiting in her bathroom, holy jeez... and the music says that Miami isn't interested in stopping their good party and showing any concern for what's happening to her.  Miami is just a callous party thing that keeps going in its breezy mood---the music says it to you.  No other tv show "says" such important things and feelings to you through its music soundtrack like Vice did.  Everybody else copied the soundtrack trend afterward, but didn't understand how to even come close to doing it right (so eventually the technique sounded cliche' in everyone's tv shows).

I've posted before that this scene with that actress with the pretty legs going into spasms beside her own toilet is one of the most unforgettable and "exclusively Miami Vice" images for me out of the entire series.  It's a mere nothing scene in the context of the entire series,... and yet it's the EVERYTHING scene that grabs the audience in this episode.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Augusta

[dragon48]

I'm giving it a 9 out of 10.  I'm deducting a point for the scene with Zabado on the boat.  Pepe Serna's drunk, whacked out character, with his overdone laughter and having spit out the cork, was too much of a buzz kill for me to rate the episode a perfect 10.