Review of Miami Vice: Series 2 (Box Set)

Introduction

Crockett and Tubbs. Two names synonymous with the 80`s. Miami Vice was the programme that introduced the world to the glitzy world of undercover cops, one of whom drove a Ferrari Spyder (that wasn`t quite…), lived on a boat and kept a pet alligator called Elvis.

Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) moved in the higher echelons of the drug underworld, Crockett`s cover as a playboy `player` called Burnett and deal broker with Tubbs playing Cooper, a out of towner looking for the big score. The dynamic duo were backed up by an elite team of vice cops lead by the moody and dramatic Lt Martin Castillo (Edward James Olmos). Gina (Saundra Santiago) and Trudy (Olivia Brown) were the female backup, often required to dress up and act as hooker bait for the guys. Last but not least we have the excellent Larry Zito (John Diehl) and Stan Switek (Michael Talbott) who generally provided backup when the sting was going down and providing comic relief from their bug van with the giant cockroach on top. Finally, hopping between good and slightly bad is the comedic genius of snitch Izzy Moreno (Martin Ferrero).

After the smash hit provided by Series 1, the gang were flying for this one and tried something slightly different. People were queuing up to appear, and guest stars this season included John Taylor and The Power Station (JT gets a mention as he both spoke and allegedly did a couple lines when appearing), Phil Collins, Emo Phillips, Pam Grier, Eartha Kitt, Little Richard, Frankie Valli, and The Fat Boys amongst others.

Video

Glorious visuals spoiled only slightly by some graininess and slight picture damage. Trust me though, for the most part this looks really good. Not as sharp as most modern TV series, granted, but this was 1985, baby. The mix of art deco, pastel colours, fast boats, faster cars and gorgeous women in padded shoulders means you`ll never forget that this was set in the decade of excess.

Audio

Nice 5.1 soundtrack that isn`t utilised as well as it could be, but allows you to soak in the atmosphere with some corking music alongside those visuals. Jan Hammer provides most of the music with some stunningly moody synth pieces, but there are also tracks by the likes of Propaganda, Power Station and, ahem, DeBarge in there…

Features

Nada.

Conclusion

Break out the pastel shades, the cop series that defined the 80`s is back! Miami Vice wore it`s heart on its rolled up sleeves and strode through the decade with no socks, influencing style and fashion in its wake. There was no other show like it and probably won`t be again. It was the height of cool and 1984/85 was the right time for it.

Now, with the inevitable re-imagining on the horizon, it`s also time to re-assess this moody cop series. It was good, never forget that, but there are some mighty big plot holes in this series if you stop and think about it. Crockett and Tubbs were supposed to be undercover but spent as much time in a police station behind desks as outside it. They carried badges when required, but they miraculously disappeared when being frisked by the bad guys. They also took part in some high profile operations, such as protecting foreign diplomats in the full view of the Florida media. Hmm, better re-think that undercover thing, boys…

Some of the episodes here are real stinkers too. The writers decided the drugs and violence weren`t quite enough this season and decided to dabble in voodoo as well, probably after a late night viewing of Live And Let Die or something. Regardless, every episode with a touch of voodoo is complete cack. The less said about the Phil Collins-starring Phil The Shill the better.

The thing to remember about Miami Vice is that it wasn`t really about the story, it was about characters, atmosphere and visuals. Most episodes have this in abundance, so the storylines making little or no sense doesn`t tend to matter too much. Aside from the two leads, a big part in the success of Vice was the quick addition of Edward James Olmos in probably a career-defining role as the silent but deadly (serious) boss of our two heroes. Olmos gets to glower and speak in quiet tones most of the time, but is allowed to strut some of his stuff and also allowed to direct some of the episodes. When you want a lighter note, you turn to Zito and Switek, but when you want laugh out loud, you bring in Izzy Moreno. Or just listen to Thomas` Jamaican accent, man.

It`s a brilliant combination of light and dark, and this is why it was so successful. Unlike other shows in the genre, Miami Vice tended to stay away from the light-hearted finish or the wrapped up neat and tidy resolution of the story. Most episodes ended abruptly after some seismic event and generally a bad one. It`s just part of that mood I was talking about, and it separated Vice from similar inferior genre shows.

So, not all good, but good enough to watch it again and probably much much better than the Farrell/Foxx fronted film. Stick on your shades, roll up your sleeves and get ready for some serious crime-busting against all things Columbian.