Miami Vice was a massive hit in the mid-to-late 1980s. Flashy, featuring the biggest hits in music, harnessing plenty of action sequences and of course following two of television’s celebrated detectives, Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Rico Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas). Their adventures in Miami of busting drug dealers at the height of the action were entertaining and often came at a price for one, or both, detectives. Still, Miami Vice undoubtedly left its mark on television history, setting standards for police procedurals to come. Even though they had some of the best episodes, however, they also had some of the worst.
Worst: “Miracle Man”
To sum it up: too unrealistic. Granted, the quality of the episodes of Miami Vice began to noticeably dwindle following the conclusion of the third season. This episode featured a superhero-like character called “Miracle Man” that wants to rid the city of drugs. While outrageous, his efforts are somewhat humorous, which saves the episode to some degree, as well as his reason for being “Miracle Man”—he does it to save others from a possible OD, as his daughter died of one. Plus, he turns out to be the cousin of Izzy (Martin Ferrero), a recurring character that is an informant to the Vice squad. As if “Miracle Man” weren’t enough, a reporter looking to capture a “day in the life” of the members of Miami Vice continues to meddle inconveniently as they investigate.
Best: “Forgive Us Our Debts”
Mind games are prevalent in this Season 3 episode as Crockett is forced to revisit painful memories in which an old partner of his was brutally murdered and the killer is about to be executed on Death Row. Cop killings are a serious thing (often involving plenty of politics), and the way the plot was set up to keep audiences guessing (as it was being argued the man on Death Row was actually innocent) was brilliantly done.
To the point that, at the episode’s end, it’s fair to say we were shocked to discover that Crockett had been right all along: the man on Death Row really was the killer, and now because of Crockett’s work to reexamine the case, gets to go free. Imagine being Crockett in that moment: trying to do the right thing, but being outwitted anyhow.
Worst: “Free Verse”
Rated at 6.9, it’s easy to see why audiences aren’t a fan of this episode. The Vice squad is tasked with protecting Hector (Byrne Piven), a man charged with testifying about the conditions of his country. He and his daughter Blanca (Yamil Borges) cause nothing but trouble for Crockett and the gang, almost to the point where we’d be happy to see them meet their demise as they both kept encouraging it in their own ways. Not to mention this episode strays away from the usual theme of Vice’s cases, which is risky enough considering the show was still in its early stages at the time “Free Verse” aired. While the poetry aspect of the episode was intriguing, it wasn’t enough to provide this episode a higher rating.
Best: “Smuggler’s Blues”
Crooked law enforcement, Eagles musician Glenn Frey comes in as a guest star, and Crockett and Tubbs masquerade as smugglers on a dangerous mission that takes them out of the United States. This episode has it all, but what makes it most impressive is the insight we receive regarding the fallout of being a smuggler.
Its danger, its monetary lure, and its effect on the families of said smugglers are all presented. Another realization that is shown is how even a seasoned cop can be lured into the life of a criminal simply with grand amounts of cash. Vast amounts of money can change anyone, even the most decorated law enforcement official if they allow it. Smugglers may have a job that produces a more than comfortable lifestyle, but they have to endure the “smuggler’s blues” with it.
Worst: “Viking Bikers From Hell”
Life on the street is no piece of cake. Biker gangs of all kinds exist; this episode just happens to outline one of the worst. Out for vengeance because of the death of one of their fellow bikers (who is also a drug dealer), the streets get bloody as the gang begins to kill their friend’s customers, which includes Sonny (as his alias, Burnett). With Sonny’s life on the line, the heat gets intense as Sonny has to fight a psychopath to end the line of vengeance. The thing about this episode is that it’s predictable, an overdone genre, and frankly, something of a burnout, making it a 6.9 on the ratings scale.
Best: “Definitely Miami”
Musician Ted Nugent guest stars as a serial killer targeting drug dealers. His seductive wife tries to set up Crockett as part of their scheme. Meanwhile, Castillo (Edward James Olmos) must deal with the fallout of bringing a protected witness out of hiding due to the efforts of a pushy government official only to face ultimate disaster.
Nugent utilizes a sandpit to hide the bodies of his victims and their cars and nearly succeeds in adding Sonny to the list, but thankfully Sonny had seen through the heinous scheme and had come prepared, with Nugent dying and Sonny arresting his wife, who shamelessly flirts with officers as she is escorted away. This episode is one of the highest-rated in the series coming in at a 9.0, because hey, it’s definitely Miami.
Worst: “The Big Thaw”
A case of a frozen body turns out to be complicated for the Vice team. Basically, the episode covers whom the body of a famous reggae singer belongs to, and then trying to find it when it goes missing. The hilarious portion of this episode is how Izzy, one of the main Miami Vice informants, gets mixed up in the whole affair in only a manner Izzy could. Still, this episode had a rating of 6.3, so maybe audiences weren’t quite so taken with the idea. It’s not exactly a typical Miami Vice episode, and while we need episodes out of the ordinary every once in a while, this may have overshot the idea just a bit.
Best: “Out Where The Buses Don’t Run”
Tied with “Definitely Miami”, this episode has earned the accolade. The episode does a beautiful job of portraying just how tough being a cop really is, and the stress associated with it. Hank (Bruce McGill), an ex-Vice cop with apparent psychological issues, ends up tagging along with Crockett and Tubbs to investigate a case that winds up connected to one of Hank’s cases. Secrets rise to the surface as Hank’s wacky behavior increases, and he leads them to the body of a drug dealer that has been hidden behind a wall—turns out, Hank murdered him when the dealer was released on a technicality. Hank’s former partner shows up and admits to having known what Hank had done, but says to Sonny, “He was my partner, you understand?". The things partners will do for one another may be outside the law, but in this case, it was for good reason.
Worst: “Missing Hours”
Rated at 4.6, this is the lowest-rated episode of the series. With the given plot, it’s no question as to why. Trudy (Olivia Brown) has an encounter with UFOs—yes, UFOs—and it goes haywire from there. Too many strange occurrences are going on, and frankly, the entire episode is freaky. What do UFOs have to do with Miami Vice? As it turns out, the episode ends with Trudy having dreamt the whole affair. In what world does any of this make sense?
Best: “Evan”
While tracking down an arms dealer, Crockett is faced with buried memories of his past in the form of Evan Freed (William Russ), who just happens to be undercover with the dealer. Gradually, the episode unveils Evan’s and Crockett’s past (nearly at the cost of Sonny’s friendship with Tubbs). Crockett, Evan and another cop went through the Academy together and became good friends. Turns out, said friend was gay and Evan tormented him over it while Sonny, clueless as to what to do, did nothing. Their friend went on a “suicide mission”, and ever since, Sonny and Evan have each taken the death hard and blamed themselves. This episode addressed real-life struggles, especially a topic ahead of its time in the 1980s, and Evan tragically dies in Crockett’s arms in the episode’s conclusion.
