Customer Reviews

Miami Vice - Season Four

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ok, this was a very strange, and often goofy, season of vice with some pretty good episodes and some very bad episodes. sonny gets married and loses his mind (no, not at the same time). the marriage to caitlin davies (sheena easton) is kinda hokey, and some think crockett's brain damage and subsequent reversion to burnett is hokey, but i really liked that story arch. here's a summary of the eps:

contempt of court: geez, this is the season premiere?? a lackluster episode about a mob guy (stanley tucci) attempts to get to the witness that will testify against him at trial. pretty dull...

amen send money: pretty funny episode with dueling television evangelists. one of them accuses tubbs of rape. i like the soundtrack of this one and it had some really funny moments...

Death & the Lady: pretty good episode about a strange porno director that crockett and tubbs suspect has made a genuine snuff film. crockett teaches him a lesson about the fact that violence isn't glamorous...

The Big Thaw: another goofy episode about a dead and frozen reggie star. everyone is fighting over his body and izzie is involved in the scam. pretty funny stuff...

child's play: a strange episode in which crockett shoots a child. the children's parents speak directly to the camera about the shooting and crocket agonizes about it. the kid isn't necessarily the innocent victim he was first thought to be however...

god's work: esai morales returns as a potential heir to takeover a family drug operation but may be there for other reasons entirely. pretty good episode in the scheme of things

missing hours: many fans HATED this episode but i liked the dream-like quality of it as trudy investigates a missing body from the morgue and has strange dreams (and encounters) with james brown, who is the head of a ufo investigation. nuggie, izzie and peanut butter are featured...

like a hurricane: ok, this is where sonny falls in love with sheena easton after agreeing to protect her in a payola scam. sheena is actually pretty good in this and makes it more believable. some funny dialogue and she demands to drive his "testosteroni" and calls him the fashion police. they fall in love and get married

the rising sun of death: castillo investigates the yakuza in miami. didn't really like this ep.

love at first sight: caitlin worries about sonny's assignment in a dating service. iman comes back in this. this is not a good episode...

rock and a hard place: two music guys try to expose sonny as a drug dealer to ruin caitlin's music career. funny scene when they try to block sonny in as he leaves a parking lot

The cows of october: geez, what is up with this season? this episode is also really goofy as a conman tries to sell supposedly mini-cow bull sperm to the u.s. and communists and izzy trys to broker the deal. still, pretty funny stuff..

vote of confidence: the gang raids a rolling whorehouse (a train) and discover that one of the johns is a senatorial candidate <<yawn>>

baseballs of death: ok, now we return to the good, non-goofy, vice format as chase a chilean police chief that kills a hooker and is trying to buy small land-mines (the baseballs of death). a funny scene when the chilean demands that "this peasant (crockett) pick up my gun" crockett: it will be a cold day in july pal!"

indian wars: wow! a great start as american indians drop in on a drug deal with hawaiian chance, by yello, playing in the background. tubbs goes undercover to learn more about the tribe. he looks a little like ed bradley as he sports his glasses. a good episode

honor among thieves: ok a really weird episode in which crockett and tubbs track down a serial killer that pumps little kids full of high-quality blow. he is a high level drug dealer and crocket has to act as his lawyer in a trial set up by the other drug dealers. hummm, not to sure about any of this...

hell hath no fury: a lame episode about a rapist who is released and goes on the talk show circuit. is he really rehabilitated or does he have something else in mind? does anyone care?

badge of dishonor: didn't like this ep. about a gang of bad cops who are hitting drug dealers. crockett suspects a woman that is part of south beach special ops as being in on the hits. i only watched this episode about 2 times...

blood and roses: another lame ep. in which gina gets way too close to a drug dealer. crockett gets over-protective of her, but he's proven right in the end...

a bullet for crocket: ok, this ep. is called, "we need to save money and/or we don't have any ideas..." crockett is shot and the gang sits around the hospital room reminiscing about him, which means they get to fill this ep. with clips from all the previous episodes. basically, a free episode for them to do

deliver us from evil: ok, now we get back to the good vice as crockett tracks down the guy he got out of death row. great soundtrack (finally!) and great plot. also, no more sheena easton! very contraversial ending among the fans as they try to determine whether sonny's shooting of the suspect is justified. could the shooting have been where sonny became burnett for good (before the explosion in the next ep)

mirror image: really good episode in which sonny barely excapes an explosion from a boat, which triggers amnesia and crockett to believe that he is really burnett. he goes to work for a drug lord and is very effective. my theory is that he couldn't take the pain of being crockett anymore after the death of his wife, and the explosion on the boat was nothing more than an excuse to lapse into his burnett persona. he's really good as burnett and ruthless. its the few gems in this season such as this one that make this set worth buying.

overall, a somewhat poor season of vice. even at its worst, vice is better than other tv shows though.

It's interesting to note that Season 4 suffers from the misfortune of having occurred after most of the original writers and producers for the show, including creators Anthony Yerkovich and Michael Mann, had long-since bailed and freelance writers were brought in to write for the show, most of whom had probably not even seen an episode of Miami Vice and had no clue how to write for the series cast. The result is an unforgiveably mixed bag of erratic episodes that are all over the map. The season opener "Contempt of Court" features great performances by Stanley Tucci and Meg Foster but it feels more like a mid-season filler episode than an explosive opener compared to Season 3's "When Irish Eyes Are Crying" but nonetheless gets the season off to an awkward start. By the fourth episode in, however, the season gets pretty much derailed beginning with "The Big Thaw" about a Rastafarian Michael Jackson reggae singer preserved in a cryogenic sleep chamber and then there's the infamous "Missing Hours" featuring James Brown and a whacked-out plot revolving around Trudy's alien abduction and it's time to call in Mulder and Scully instead of Crockett and Tubbs. If Vice hadn't already "Jumped the Shark" at that point, the introduction of Sheena Easton in the following episode "Like A Hurricane" as Sonny's recurring love-interest Caitlin Davies is enough to make you shriek like nails screeching on chalkboard when Sonny's lovey-dovey side reduces the season into a series of mushy soap-opera escapades and inevitable wedding bells ring while poor Rico is left on the sidelines. Then there's the throwaway "flashback" episode aptly titled "A Bullet For Crockett" which is nothing more than a series of clips from previous episodes including "Evan" from which the episode derives its name from as Sonny fights for his life after being shot in action, an oft-imitated television cheat which would be recycled again in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Shades of Gray" with Riker fighting for his life intercut with a series of episode flashbacks. On the plus side there's some good cinematography and lighting this season and DJ looks good with his longer hairstyle and PMT looks pretty suave with his GQ beard and there's a pretty decent selection of alternative music featuring tracks by artists like Yello, Love and Rockets, Gene Loves Jezebel, Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, U2 and Peter Gabriel peppered throughout but any misgivings you may have about season 4 eventually payoff with patience building to the last two dramatically stunning episodes of the season, "Deliver Us From Evil" when Crockett's nemesis Frank Hackman returns to settle the score and "Mirror Image" with Crockett suffering from amnesia and believing he is his undercover persona Burnett ("That's B-U-R-N-E-double T") that set the stage for the jaw-dropping season-ender and the three-part Burnett story-arc that continues into Vice's fifth and final season.

Just finished watching Season 4, I hadn't watched it since, well, the 80's early 90's...[...] And yes, "Mirror Image" is a great ep too, but a bit over the top and silly. I am glad I have it in my collection, but I don't know if I would ever let anyone watch most of it.


Contempt Of Court **1/2
By scaring the jury into mistrial, a mobster hopes to buy the time he needs to find the witness Crockett is protecting

Amen...Send Money *
The full fury of feuding TV evangelists hits Tubbs during his investigation of them when he is accused of raping a parishoner. Features Ben STiller in an early role.

Death & The Lady ***1/2
An actress' on-screen murder propels Crockett & Tubbs to investigate the film's flaky director -Perhaps my fave ep of the season

The Big Thaw *
Two factions fight for possession of dead reggae superstar's body -Pitiful...

Child's Play ***
Crockett agonizes over his shooting of a child during weapons investigation

God's Work **1/2
The return home of a kingpin's financial wizard son sets off speculation as to why in the Miami underworld - Not a bad ep, has a preachy "I'm gay" afterschool special scene thay feels VERY much out of place.

Missing Hours 1/2 star
A man's body disappeas from the morgue; Trudy has an encounter with UFOs

Like A Hurricane **
Crockett reluctantly agrees to guard a recording star who is a key witness in a payola scandal, and they end up falling in love.-Humorous...not so sure that's a good thing

The Rising Sun of Death **
The murder of an executive alerts Castillo to Yakuza presence in Miami, and the arrival of a Japanese investigator is no help

Love at First Sight ***
Newlywed Caitlin fears Sonny's new undercover assignment at a dating service will make her a widow -Interesting change of pace for the show, not a classic, but definitely one of the better eps of this season.

Rock And A Hard Place **1/2
Two music executives try to ruin Caitlin's comeback by exposing Sonny as a drug kingpin - ANother interesting attempt at change. Takes a good look at the problems of undercover life. But man, Sheena can't act!!!

The Cows of October *
A cowboy's larcenous attempt to improve his cattle attracts attention from the US government, Cuban Communists, and Izzy - Dreadful!!!

Vote of Confidence **1/2
A prominent senatorial candidate is arrested during a raid of a mobile whorehouse. _Not bad....not great...but watchable.

Baseballs of Death ***
Crockett & Tubbs suspect a Chilean police chief in a double murder. Decent ep....

Indian Wars **
Tubbs empathizes with American Indian zealots trying save their homeland. -SNORE

Honor Among Thieves? ***
Crockett & Tubbs discover the identity of a serial killer, but fear that trying to bring him in will blow their covers in a separate operation. I liked this episode, quite cheesy at times, but again, better than most of the season.

Hell Hath No Fury **
The highly publicized release of a convicted rapist causes Trudy to fear that the man's victim may have revenge on her mind. -Snore...whats with the bad 80's horror movie synth strings?

Badge of Dishonor **
When a string of murders is linked to a rival unit, Crockett & Tubbs believe an undercover officer may be the killer- Another bore, but does feature one of my favorite 80's songs, Payolas "Eyes of a Stranger"

Blood & Roses ***
The mobster who killed Sonny's friend is freed from prison. Yeah, boring...but at least it is not ridiculous like most of the season

A Bullet for Crockett 1/2 star
Members of the vice squad reminisce and hope for the best as Sonny lies near death from a gunshot wound

Deliver Us From Evil ***1/2
A murder that hits close to home reunites Sonny with the man who used him to trick his way off Death Row. Part 2 of one of my favorite MV eps from season 3, glad to see Crockett get his revenge.

Mirror Image ***1/2
A concussion from an accident while undercover during leaves Crockett believing he is drug-dealer Sonny Burnett, and he goes to work for a Colombian crime boss


[...]

Sometimes, this season is considered the weakest season but in my opinion it features many of what would be my favorite episodes. The first few episodes are rather run of the mill - though "Amen .. send money" is a great episode but is different to other MV - and certainly "The big thaw" is terrible, but "Child's play" and "God's work" are very strong and inventive episodes. "Missing hours" is often cited as the worst episode of all but while this is clearly not MV in style, it is the kind of stuff people would be watching later on "Twin peaks" or "X-Files". I like the Caitlin Davies episodes (Crockett's revenge on Frank Hackman - that episode is one of the best ever MV episodes imo) and "Mirror image", where Sonny loses his mind after his Caitlin's death. "Bad of dishonor", "Indian wars" and "Hell hath no fury" are great action-packed episodes. The anti-Pinochet episode "Baseballs of death" is not only fiction but shows the kind of people the West supported against communism (this is the best political episode since "Stones war" in season 3).

The only problem with season four is there are about 4 very pointless episodes (the boring "Vote of confidence", the ridiculous "Cows of October" and "The big thaw" and - if you want to - "Missing hours" (the strongest of these 4 actually!)) that sometimes were back to back. The fact that the season also had many of the best episodes ever is not well known as a result.

I am a huge fan of Miami Vice. HUGE. And I own this season on DVD. I own all of the seasons, so this was a must have in order to complete the collection. But for the life of me, I cannot fathom how anyone could give this season a high rating. I think many are rating it high simply because it is Miami Vice. At least, I think it is. Then again, when I watch this season, it really makes me wonder...is this the same show I grew to love in seasons 1 and 2 (and parts of 3)? Because it sure does feel like a totally different show, with no link to the earlier years.

Here's just some of problems:
- Miami?: Most of the scenes are set in dark, fog-filled garbage-strewn alleys or dimly-lit rooms. Where's the Scarab? Where's the St. Vitus? Where's Elvis? Heck, where's a palm tree? How about the South Beach strip? Or any beach, for that matter. How about some ocean? Or a sunset? Watching this season, you would never even know it takes place in the fun and sun of Miami. If not for the use of pastel neon lights, this season could have been Detroit Vice.
- Music: Where did the mainstream pop music go? When one thinks of Miami, they think of dancing, laughing, partying, etc. Seasons 1-2 captured that (season 3 tried at times, but failed in comparison to the first two seasons). In season 4 however, the soundtrack goes into the obscure hard rock, industrial and goth. Huh? Was this a budget issue? I mean, I like the Jesus and Mary Chain and The Smiths too...but in Vice? Come on. Since when did South Beach get so depressing? Even most of Jan Hammer's tracks were recycled from earlier seasons. No wonder he was smart and found the quickest exit door at the conclusion of this season.
- Budget: Clearly, there were some serious cuts. Many of the scenes look cheap and contrived.
- Season Opener: Vice was always known for a gripping season opener. The pilot was groundbreaking. Season 2, Crockett and Tubbs hit NY in a classic two-hour opener. Season 3 we see the Daytona blown to smithereens. However, in this season we get 'Contempt of Court' -- an episode largely filmed indoors -- in court and in jail. No fun & sun here. More like a 'Law and Order' pilot. With a poor storyline.
- Death: Want an indication of just how dark this season got? No less than three episodes have the word 'Death' in the title -- 'Death and the Lady', 'Rising Sun of Death' and 'Baseballs of Death'. Give me a break.
- Crockett AND Tubbs?: You know, the best part of the first three seasons is watching the relationship develop between Sonny and Rico. In season 4, Sonny takes the lead and most of Tubbs' lines revolve around some semblance of the word 'yes'. Rico grows a beard and just fades into the background. Only in 'Child's Play' do you get a hint that they even know each other well. Coincidentally, 'Child's Play' is one of the few decent episodes this season.
- 'Missing Hours': Was this Close Encounters or Miami Vice? Where was the QC? An outright embarrassment. I know people who, when Vice was must-see TV on NBC, never watched another episode after sitting through this nonsense.
- 'The Cows of October': Western-themed music throughout this episode? Wait, this IS Miami...right?
- 'The Big Thaw' and 'Vote of Confidence': Both are unwatchable, but still better than the two previous eps mentioned. Who approved these to make it into the season? I mean, this isn't even bad writing. It's atrocious. I wonder if the actors knew, while they were filming, that the series was rapidly going down the tubes.
- Sheena Easton: A bad singer. A worse actress. Did the producers think that SHE would save the show?
- Testarossa: Yes, I know its a real Ferrari. Big deal. Yes, it's slick. Beautiful. But it lacks the class and style of the Daytona. It has no character. Just like this season.

In all, I give this season two stars. Season 4 is when the heart and soul had been ripped out of the series. Despite the dark title, 'Death and the Lady' is worth a watch. 'Child's Play' is excellent and makes you wonder what the rest of the season would have been like if the producers and writers injected a little more humanity into the characters. 'Deliver us from Evil' is a good follow-up to Season 3's 'Forgive us our Debts', which leads into the season-ending arc. That's four episodes worth watching. The rest is abysmal. Never before had one season derailed a hit series so quickly as Season 4 did to Miami Vice. And never since. It's a real shame.

By the time the fourth season of MV appeared in the Fall of 1987, the show had peaked ratings-wise (second season) and creativity-wise (arguably the previous season). The writers were new, and it shows. Our favorite stylish cops are put in some new and strange situations. This is a pretty mixed bag compared with previous seasons.

There are a number of noticeably weaker episodes this time around. Some seem half-finished, never taking advantage of a good idea. Examples include Rising Sun of Death, dealing with the Yakuza in Miami. The plot is completely confusing, and by the climactic swordfight(!) and hari-kiri, I didn't much care anymore. There's also a requisite flashback episode when Sonny gets gunned down and the cast wait in the hospital while reminiscing on past seasons. There's the cryogenically frozen reggae singer whose body the Vice squad winds up trying to safeguard from scheming factions. Then there's the whole Crockett marriage to Sheena Easton, who plays a version of herself. This unlikely romance sets in motion the season-ending cliffhanger (first time on the show) which takes things down a dark path.

And perhaps the most reviled episode, often voted worst ever, is Missing Hours. This is a sci-fi episode of sorts where the partners investigate strange reports of alien abduction involving...Trudy and James Brown! Or is there a quite logical but non-public explanation? I actually thought it was kind of fun to watch the cast in a non-standard situation, having fun with the conventions. It's definitely strange, it ends strangely, but as for 'worst episode of any show ever'...I would not be so harsh. When you crank out 100 episodes of any drama, expect a clunker or two.

The season begins strongly, with the return of Stanley Tucci as Gotti-esque gangster Frank Mosca. Pity they don't keep him around, though, and the violent ending comes with no coda at all, which was becoming a regularity on the show. Then Brian Dennehy makes a tremendous guest appearance in a 'ripped from the headlines' episode as he plays a televangelist who may or may not be shady. Another popular theme (to this day) appears in Death And The Lady, about a popular artists whose foray into 'erotic performance art' may or may not contain murderous elements.

More so than previous seasons, the endings in Season Four are cynically twisted or nihilistic, with no afterthought to the deception or violence. One gets the sense that the show's characters (and writers) were feeling the wear and tear of the Miami underworld (and of coming up with plots for 20+ episodes). In true late-80s fashion, things get grittier and grittier amidst the neon and soft focus. This perhaps echoes the sentiments around the 'War on Drugs' and the increasing frustration with fighting an inexhaustible supply of dealers and product.

The show was never about police procedure, which explains the consistent holes and flaws that presumably exist to keep certain 'elements' of style and posing in place for the weekly viewer. For instance, though Crockett and Tubbs are undercover...they consistently show up at crime scenes AS cops, but in their undercover outfits and cars, in front of crowds of onlookers and even the media. And they're always hanging out at the police station, which is supposed to be discreet...but nobody notices the white Ferrari that appears there every day? They do overt cop work while in their undercover clothes and cars...I don't get it. Way too many people learn that they're cops for the facade to survive for this long...not ONE criminal has leaked their personas to the underworld? They don't change their appearance or names? Again, too much thought for what was supposed to originally be 'MTV cops'.

The box set is bare bones, with zero extras. (The only MV set with extras was actually Season One). Part of the delay in release was the clearance of song rights for the many tracks used in the many episodes. Also, in contrast to Seasons One and Two, these episodes do not even have mini-menus with a synopsis of the episode (when you click the episode you want to watch, it goes straight into the prologue/intro). Which is all fine, I guess. The show looks good, though with a bit of grain, particularly when stock footage is used. Thankfully, there are sub-titles for deciphering names and various lines that are muttered. Given the wide availability of the set at decent prices, the box is still a good value.

Highly recommended for the MV fanatic, more casual fans should check out the previous seasons (just start with the original). While the show is cemented in the collective conscious as being an exercise in style (most associated with the clothes), it was a lot better than folks think, and has proven very influential to this day.

Miami Vice is to me (a new fan) one of the best shows ever made with its first three seasons. The first two exemplified a new style, but remained a focused and well made television show that transcends its famed style and was a great show. The third season made things a little darker and a little more real, losing the style to a certain extent, most likely hoping to establish itself as a show with substance over style. With season 4, the show was at a bit of a cross-roads, strugling greatly with the chance to be taken more seriously beyond the label of MTV Cops. The focus was less team/partner oriented and more single character based (usually), and the popular songs are greatly toned down. While it turned up some winners, it turned up some clunkers as well. With the clunkers the problem was repeating already established themes and stories (crokect not wanting to testify, Gina with men in...poor situations), as well as stories that were just plain silly (cryo-frozen jamaican?). However, amongst this was some really great episodes, and some real surprisingly dark turns. Crocket went darker than I ever expected, and did it surprisingly well. Ultimately, this season still was fun, and easily recomended for Miami Vice fans. Though flawed, with some clunkers, it was still fun to watch, and I can't wait for the fifth season.

Miami Vice has always been one of my favorite TV action series. Beside the great parts of Tubbs & Crockett, there is the music of the time which is always well chosen for the situation. I now have the complete series and will
enjoy them in the years to come.

I find it funny how alot of you write how stupid the show is...but yet you spend all this time writing and writing....hmmmm sorry but my opinion is you must have liked it enough to write about it.See the things I don't like I dont bother to spend time writing about it. But this show rocked and went down in history. THE SHOW GETS 5 STARS FROM ME...loved it. All 5 seasons. They were ahead of there time. So thats my thoughts ta ta! Give you all a tip....if you don't like it don't bother....

When the TV series was first launched in 1984 I was a teenager. What teenage boy doesn't enjoy seeing a Ferrari or a Wellcraft Scarab racing across the TV screen?

Now, 20+ years later, I have been watching the Season 1 - 4 DVDs (Season 5 is being shipped this week). It brings back a lot of memories!

If you watched and enjoyed the TV show, I don't know what I can say that you don't already know. Technically, the video and audio quality is very good.

Watching Crockett and Tubbs speed across the screen in that white Testarossa while listening to those old Phil Collins ('In The Air Tonight') and Glenn Frey ('Smugglers Blues') songs... what more could you ask for? :)