Episode #88 "A Bullet For Crockett"

[mjcmmv]

On 4/5/2019 at 10:27 PM, mjcmmv said:

This episode wasn't just a filler. The Bullet clips helped me appreciate why I loved the show and why it was special to me. 

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by mjcmmv

[mjcmmv]

So on another MV site, someone posted that when this episode was out, there was a rumor that two endings were filmed. One is the one we see on TV and the other has them announcing that Sonny doesn't make it or is in a coma (?). The post goes on to say that fortunately, DJ was able to reach a contract agreement with the producers and he continued with the show. If he left, they had already made the decision to replace him with Mark Harmon. 

I've heard the story about Mark Harmon, but never the one that Bullet for Crockett had two endings and the possibility Crockett would die.

Anyone know if this was true?

Edited May 8, 2019 by mjcmmv

[BunMVO]

2 hours ago, mjcmmv said:

So on another MV site, someone posted that when this episode was out, there was a rumor that two endings were filmed. One is the one we see on TV and the other has them announce that Sonny doesn't make it or is in a coma (?). The post goes on to say that fortunately, DJ was able to reach a contract agreement with the producers and he continued with the show. If he left, they had already made the decision to replace him with Mark Harmon. 

I've heard the story about Mark Harmon, but never the one that Bullet for Crockett had two endings and the possibility Crockett would die.

Anyone know if this was true?

Crockett replaced by Mark Harmon? Yuck! The show wouldn't have lasted another season had that been the case.

[mjcmmv]

36 minutes ago, pmconroy said:

Crockett replaced by Mark Harmon? Yuck! The show wouldn't have lasted another season had that been the case.

Oh, I absolutely agree!

[AndrewRemington]

I really struggle to make it through this episode. The beginning teaser is very cool, but I also think it was too much. Sonny get shot, next episode Caitlin gets shot, episode after that Sonny is in serious boat explosion? Come on, that’s too much in a row. I love the Burnett storyline. They really shouldn’t have done this episode with him being shot. Also, all the clips just gets tedious. I think a clip show would be best served for a series finale (which they also did). With all the clips, it made the storyline of this episode drag and drag. Rewatching this episode, I realized it was a really weak entry in the series. It’s like making supper out of a bunch of leftovers and watering it down... Not very appetizing.

They could have done an episode where Crockett gets shot and is unresponsive, but kept it original. Maybe just focus on Rico finding the lady who shot him and not string it along with tedious clips. I’m sure they could have done more with that storyline..

Edited August 3, 2020 by AndrewRemington

[Rev Nada]

So far I have really enjoyed season 4 (with the exception of THE two bad ones),  in this season there is a lot of character development through character interaction.  This episode continues that highlighting the few moments of development through interaction from previous eps.  Overall a good ep.  4 out of 5.  (1= boring, 2 = bad but with ok moments, 3 = ok, 4 = good, 5= great)

[Rev Nada]

On 4/6/2019 at 11:27 AM, mjcmmv said:

This episode wasn't just a filler. The Bullet clips helped me appreciate why I loved the show and why it was special to me. 

 

Same.  As I was watching this I started thinking of when I’d start watching the show again from season 1 (have to watch The Wire and Sopranos again first)

[Rev Nada]

On 5/8/2019 at 10:04 PM, mjcmmv said:

So on another MV site, someone posted that when this episode was out, there was a rumor that two endings were filmed. One is the one we see on TV and the other has them announcing that Sonny doesn't make it or is in a coma (?). The post goes on to say that fortunately, DJ was able to reach a contract agreement with the producers and he continued with the show. If he left, they had already made the decision to replace him with Mark Harmon. 

I've heard the story about Mark Harmon, but never the one that Bullet for Crockett had two endings and the possibility Crockett would die.

Anyone know if this was true?

From Wikipedia (though I’m sure you’ve already seen this by now):

After two seasons, Don Johnson threatened to walk from the series as part of a highly publicized contract dispute. The network was ready to replace him with Mark Harmon, who had recently departed St. Elsewhere, but the network and Johnson were able to resolve their differences and he continued with the series until its end.

[Tom]

vor 10 Minuten schrieb Rev Nada:

From Wikipedia (though I’m sure you’ve already seen this by now):

After two seasons, Don Johnson threatened to walk from the series as part of a highly publicized contract dispute. The network was ready to replace him with Mark Harmon, who had recently departed St. Elsewhere, but the network and Johnson were able to resolve their differences and he continued with the series until its end.

That rumor is from start of season 3 during filming of first episode El Viejo.

it has nothing to do with Bullet for Crockett. That was a filler episode due to season budget and the writer‘s guild strike that prevented new scripts at that time. The prolongation of the 5th season was never in question but there was a discussion about 13 or 22 episodes where the latter prevailed.

[Rev Nada]

35 minutes ago, Tom said:

That rumor is from start of season 3 during filming of first episode El Viejo.

it has nothing to do with Bullet for Crockett. That was a filler episode due to season budget and the writer‘s guild strike that prevented new scripts at that time. The prolongation of the 5th season was never in question but there was a discussion about 13 or 22 episodes where the latter prevailed.

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by Rev Nada

[Tom]

vor 5 Minuten schrieb Rev Nada:

Sorry. Just took a look and found nothing backing that other rumour for the BFC ep.  It doesn’t mean that they aren’t connected.  It could be that the story (of Johnson leaving) season three was brought back as a rumour by those who clearly aren’t as in the know as yourself.  That is how some stories persist. 

No problem. I have seen a lot of unsubstantiated rumors over the years, mostly spread by people with no inside angle on the series and just reproducing some tabloid speculations. 

Just wanted to help to solve this question based on facts (which I have researched and verified myself in the course of writing my MV episode guide).

 

[Adrian321]

I can give it a 7......... AT MOST......... and it's not that I don't like it, but it is not enough to deserve more

5 points is for the beggining (one of my favourite begginings IN THE ENTIRE SERIES,if not MY favourite and one of the most MV intros the show had to offer--a deal, gunfight, car chase, "supposed-ending",an emotional ending to the scene, AND ALL ARE PLAYING on the beautiful "In the air tonight")

1.5 points for............ pretty much the rest of the episode, which is just some compilation of past moments..... nothing new or that I didn't know about

And 0.5 points for the acting of the cast, which seems a bit forced -.-

So sad this episode is weak, since the intro is AMAZING ! The first time I watched it, I was thinking "If all the content this offers is like this beggining, then it's another clean 10/10 for me"

 

[Dadrian]

If this has ever been discussed I somehow missed it:

Near the end during the “Smuggler’s Blues” song montage when we see a string of scenes of guns/drug deals from various episodes, I (somehow for the first time in all these years) noticed a scene that I do not recognize. Where did this bit come from?

Please help!

@Crockettt @Tom @RedDragon86 or anyone...

(Tubbs is shaking the little coke purity tester—sorry for the poor image quality—iPhone shot while in bed  )

 

—EDIT: wait is it Knock Knock?  
the mirrored image threw me  

why did they do this stuff???  

Edited April 29, 2021 by Dadrian

[Crockettt]

1 hour ago, Dadrian said:

If this has ever been discussed I somehow missed it:

Near the end during the “Smuggler’s Blues” song montage when we see a string of scenes of guns/drug deals from various episodes, I (somehow for the first time in all these years) noticed a scene that I do not recognize. Where did this bit come from?

Please help!

@Crockettt @Tom @RedDragon86 or anyone...

(Tubbs is shaking the little coke purity tester—sorry for the poor image quality—iPhone shot while in bed  )

 

—EDIT: wait is it Knock Knock?  
the mirrored image threw me  

why did they do this stuff???  

Yes this is from the teaser of "Knock knock...who's there?".

Edited April 29, 2021 by Crockettt

[wolfie1996]

3 hours ago, Dadrian said:

If this has ever been discussed I somehow missed it:

Near the end during the “Smuggler’s Blues” song montage when we see a string of scenes of guns/drug deals from various episodes, I (somehow for the first time in all these years) noticed a scene that I do not recognize. Where did this bit come from?

Please help!

@Crockettt @Tom @RedDragon86 or anyone...

(Tubbs is shaking the little coke purity tester—sorry for the poor image quality—iPhone shot while in bed  )

 

—EDIT: wait is it Knock Knock?  
the mirrored image threw me  

why did they do this stuff???  

Dadrian, you watch these in bed?? What does your wife think?  I sometimes watch "Evan" (downstairs) before I go and I don't know why, because it always makes me sad.

[Dadrian]

3 hours ago, wolfie1996 said:

What does your wife think?

“I think I’ll go to sleep” seems to be the norm.  

[wolfie1996]

Just now, Dadrian said:

“I think I’ll go to sleep” seems to be the norm.  

I see!!!!! Even when you're watching The Prodigal Son? or French Twist? She might find those rather educational

 

[wolfie1996]

On 4/29/2021 at 12:07 PM, wolfie1996 said:

“I think I’ll go to sleep” seems to be the norm.  

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by wolfie1996

[ivoryjones]

I’m not sure if this has been discussed previously, and I might be wrong about this. Yesterday I rewatched “A Bullet for Crockett” (funny that on NBC’s 1st airing it appeared as “A Bullet for Crocket”, only one “t”), and it seemed to me DJ’s hair was abnormally long in comparison to other eps from late S4. Sources seem to indicate that shooting dates were in March 1988, but considering DJ’s hair, I'd guess at least some dates must have come from before January 7, 1988, because by then they were already filming “Vote of Confidence”, in which DJ had already a noticeably shorter hair!

Then I started to consider if production could have postponed “A Bullet for Crockett” first airing in order to make sure that Crockett’s identity crisis were more “organic” and credible (in that case, of course, they would have delayed final editing too, after all there's footage from "Badge of Dishonor" in "A Bullet for Crockett"). Well, in one ep the poor guy’s shot, on the next his nemesis kills his pregnant wife and he finally kills someone for personal reasons (doing what he wouldn’t let Tubbs do to Calderone), then on the next one he survives a boat explosion and he's told his name was Burnett, becoming simply a killing machine. That gives a new meaning to the term “Astral Hell”, doesn’t it?

 

Images!

079-Rock and a Hard Place (longer hair)

 

080-The Cows of October (longer hair)

 

081-Vote of Confidence (shorter cut)

 

087-Blood & Roses (shorter cut? I believe so, just a little longer, it's been a couple of months since Vote of Confidence)

 

088-A Bullet for Crockett (mullet out of control, it looks like S4 first half to me)

 

=========

Once I did mentioned it, check the ep title misspelling on NBC's first airing:

Edited May 9, 2021 by ivoryjones
Images

[Dadrian]

@Tom do your thing 

[TylerDurden389]

I preferred Don's longer hair during the first half of S4. When they cut the back/bottom, it threw off the symmetry. However, I did like the slick-back look for Burnett in the finale, though granted it had grown back a bit by then.

[Cassagrande.M]

On 5/9/2021 at 7:37 PM, ivoryjones said:

I’m not sure if this has been discussed previously, and I might be wrong about this. Yesterday I rewatched “A Bullet for Crockett” (funny that on NBC’s 1st airing it appeared as “A Bullet for Crocket”, only one “t”), and it seemed to me DJ’s hair was abnormally long in comparison to other eps from late S4. Sources seem to indicate that shooting dates were in March 1988, but considering DJ’s hair, I'd guess at least some dates must have come from before January 7, 1988, because by then they were already filming “Vote of Confidence”, in which DJ had already a noticeably shorter hair!

Then I started to consider if production could have postponed “A Bullet for Crockett” first airing in order to make sure that Crockett’s identity crisis were more “organic” and credible (in that case, of course, they would have delayed final editing too, after all there's footage from "Badge of Dishonor" in "A Bullet for Crockett"). Well, in one ep the poor guy’s shot, on the next his nemesis kills his pregnant wife and he finally kills someone for personal reasons (doing what he wouldn’t let Tubbs do to Calderone), then on the next one he survives a boat explosion and he's told his name was Burnett, becoming simply a killing machine. That gives a new meaning to the term “Astral Hell”, doesn’t it?

 

Images!

079-Rock and a Hard Place (longer hair)

 

080-The Cows of October (longer hair)

 

081-Vote of Confidence (shorter cut)

 

087-Blood & Roses (shorter cut? I believe so, just a little longer, it's been a couple of months since Vote of Confidence)

 

088-A Bullet for Crockett (mullet out of control, it looks like S4 first half to me)

 

=========

Once I did mentioned it, check the ep title misspelling on NBC's first airing:

Good post! 
Sonny’s hair went through two phases in season 4. The best being at the start.
So from what I understand, in early January 1988 Don got a haircut (trim). 
Vote of Confidence was filmed and this was was the first time we see the new trim. 
 

Because of episode changes, Indian Wars was held up and shown at a latter date after VOC even though Indian Wars was filmed before it. 
 

Don’s hair gets back to it’s original season 4 length by the end of season 4. 

[FlemFan]

Beautiful Petersen reworked scores. An episode that brings back many show memories. It really was a bullet FOR Crockett.

Smuggler's Blues fast montage sequence is superbly edited and timed with the score. One of the best edited sequences in all of Vice and all of the shows of the time, for that matter.

Edited May 15, 2021 by FlemFan

[ViceFanMan]

These were my original thoughts on this one...not much has changed: 

I don't hate this episode...but I don't love it either. It's obviously a "filler" and possibly one filmed where Don Johnson didn't have to be there much. You get to see all the cool action and music scenes from seasons past, in the flashbacks...but there's no real major captivating plot, other than Crockett is shot and the OCB team is reminiscing about past experiences with him.

Of course he lives, so we can have a 5th season , and that's about all there is to it. To be honest...my favorite part of the whole episode is where even Izzy shows up to see how Sonny was doing, and he has his moment of remembrance with Crockett. Then he and Stan shake hands and hug at the end when of Course Sonny lives. That really did show the care and love that even 'ol Izz had for him and the OCB team.

Overall, nothing memorable or that awesome. Not a terrible episode by any means...but not a great or captivating one either. I originally gave it a 5, but lowering it to a 4 would work too. 

[Kladdagh]

Lots of interresting stuffs here about this episode guys.

"A Bullet For Crocket(t)" is not a bad episode. It was one of lots same kind of story when the hero get shot and we have lots of memories of the series.

So, it is not very original in a kind of way.