Miami Vice
In its second season, Miami Vice walks that fine line between hip and cool. Hip fades, but cool is timeless. Then, as now, it doesn't get much cooler than this groundbreaking and trendsetting series' promise of a "life of adventure, exciting folks, and exotic locales," to quote one sardonic character. But the compelling stories, cinematic trappings, and lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry between costars Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas elevate Miami Vice from time capsule status. Likewise, the eclectic soundtrack, that would be painfully dated had it been stuck in the '80s, is a mind-blowing shuffle of genres and mainstream, alternative and world artists. "Prodigal Son," the double-length episode that opens the season, features Glenn Frey, U2, the Neville Brothers, Debbie Harry, Brian Ferry, Lou Reed, Traffic, and Phil Collins. Collins himself portrays a con man in one of the season's most entertaining episodes, "Phil the Shill." Not content to just be heard, other musicians who generally eschewed television, appeared on Miami Vice this season, adding to the series' considerable cachet. Among them: Kiss frontman Gene Simmons ("Prodigal Son"); Miles Davis ("Junk Love"); Leonard Cohen ("French Twist"); Ted Nugent ("Definitely Miami"); and Frank Zappa ("Payback"). Miami Vice instantly established itself as an oasis for character actors, many at the beginning of their careers. The second season offers early glimpses of Nathan Lane ("Buddies"), Harvey Fierstein and a pre-Seinfeld Michael Richards as a menacing heavy ("The Fix"), David Strathairn ("Out Where the Buses Don't Run"), Bob Balaban ("Back in the World"), and John Leguizamo ("Sons and Lovers," which also features the unfortunate stunt-casting of Lee Iacocca as a gun-toting parks commissioner).
Most of Miami Vice's buzz-generating episodes were in season 1, but season 2 offers several series benchmarks. Two of Johnson's finest hours are "Back in the World" (which he directed) and "Buddies," two episodes that explore Crockett's Vietnam War experience. Thomas got his chance to shine in "Prodigal Son" and "Sons and Lovers," in which Tubbs becomes a target of the vengeful Ivan Calderon. "Bushido" is an always-welcome showcase for Emmy-winner Edward James Olmos as Castillo, who helps shield an associate's Soviet wife and son from the CIA and KGB. "Out Where the Buses Don't Run" boasts an Emmy-worthy performance by guest star Bruce McGill (D-Day in Animal House) as an unhinged former vice cop. Miami Vice stylishly subverted TV cop drama convention, but despite one too many downbeat endings that freeze on a devastated Crockett, it remains exhilarating to re-visit. There are no extras on this three disc-set, but the episodes are enough to make you want to party like it's 1985.
Crockett and Tubbs travel to New York to take down a powerful Colombian cartel.
The murder of two beat cops outside their jurisdiction immerses the team in the Santeria religion, while Crockett tries to recover his repossessed Ferrari.
Crockett and Tubbs stake out a drug dealer, an investigation that is being helped along by an ex-cop that seems to know a bit too much about the case.
Trudy's old boyfriend has ties to a drug lord and enlists Crockett's help investigating him.
Crockett and Tubbs race to find a young mother and her baby when they are targeted for death by mobsters.
When Crockett and Tubbs bust the owner of a bordello (Miles Davis), they discover that one of his drug-addicted prostitutes is the object of a powerful drug dealer's twisted obsession.
Crockett and Tubbs escort a coffin containing a criminal to his final Miami resting place ... until its learned that he has risen from the dead and has a similar zombie fate scheduled for Tubbs.
Castillo is forced to choose between friendship and duty when Jack Gretsky, his best friend from his days in Vietnam with the CIA, reemerges from the criminal underground complete with a Russian wife who is being pursued by the KGB.
Gina's cleaning woman gets raped in Gina's home by the spoiled son of a wealthy man, who thinks he's above the law. Despite evidence being circumstantial, Gina wants to have the man arrested. Izzy steals Switek and Zito's bug van.
Crockett flashes to his role during the Saigon evacuation as he and a war correspondent uncover heroin smuggled in body bags. Ten years later in Miami the H resurfaces and so does the reporter looking for the CIA connection.
A British television personality who has dealings with a major cocaine dealer is targeted by Crockett and Tubbs.
Crockett finds out first hand about Charlie Basset as a violent drug runner with an enticing wife that Sonny just can't get out of his mind.
When Crockett sees his stewardess girlfriend die from smuggling balloons of cocaine into the country, he and Tubbs go undercover to expose the ring.
A district attorney is killed at a wedding for getting too close to a French-Canadian drug lord that's operating in Miami. Since the victim was a close friend of the criminal's lawyer, Sonny tries to make the lawyer do something about it.
Crocket and Tubbs visit Miami's kinky Sex World parlor when a sailor shows up murdered. The trail leads to a mysterious underage dancer Tubbs tries to straighten out - but is this more than social work?
Crockett and Tubbs track a Grand Prix race-car driver after the body of a slain prostitute is thrown from his speeding car. Guest star: Danny Sullivan.
When a known terrorist comes to Miami the team tries to find him. And an Interpol operative comes to assist them. Crockett is taken with her but Tubbs thinks there's something odd about her.
After Crockett and Tubbs arrest a dealer, at the bail hearing the judge sets a low bail. Crockett is curious if there's something wrong with him. So he investigates. It seems the man has a gambling problem. And now he's being told to tell his son, who's the star player of his school, to throw a game to settle his debts.
-Crockett goes undercover to take down Mario Fuente (Frank Zappa), a dealer of 'weasel dust'.
The team is assigned to protect a renowned poet who has come to the US seeking political asylum. With sexy Carmen in the mix, things get complicated.
A Bolivian cruise ship is attacked by pirates leading Crockett and Tubbs to enlist the help of a renegade pilot in the contraband business to solve the case.
The son of Tubbs' arch-enemy Calderone oozes to the surface with a $1 million contract on Tubbs, while Calderone's sister Angelina says Tubbs he is the father of her child.
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Edward James Olmos | Lieutenant Martin Castillo |
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Philip Michael Thomas | Detective Ricardo Tubbs |
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John Diehl | Detective Larry Zito |
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Don Johnson | Detective James Crockett |
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Michael Talbott | Detective Stan Switek |
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Olivia Brown | Detective Trudy Joplin |
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Saundra Santiago | Detective Gina Calabrese |
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Rico Paisley | |
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Charles S. Dutton | Lieutenant Pearson |
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Martin Ferrero | Izzy Moreno |
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Annie Golden | Tommy |
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Luis Guzman | Goon #1 |
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Joaquim de Almeida | Roberto 'Nico' Arroyo |
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Michael Des Barres | Power Station Vocalist |
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Hector Mercado | Manuel Guerrero |
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Robert Hoelscher | S.W.A.T. Commander |
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Brad Fitzgerald | Photographer |
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Richard Brams | Policeman #1 |
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John Leguizamo | Orlando Calderone |
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James Remar | Robbie Cann |
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Bruce McGill | Hank Weldon |
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David Strathairn | Marty Lang |
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Gary Cole | Jackson Crane |
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Dan Hedaya | Reuben Reydolfo |
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Giancarlo Esposito | Adonis Jackson |
| Packaging | Keep Case |
|---|---|
| Nr Discs | 3 |
| Screen Ratios | Fullscreen (4:3) |
| Audio Tracks | Dolby Digital 5.1 [English] |
| Subtitles | English | Spanish |
| Layers | Dual side, Dual layer |
| Edition Release Date | Dec 13, 2005 |
| Regions | Region 1 |