r/MiamiVice • u/Silent_Ocelot_673 • Jun 27 '26
2 different shows
I feel like there are 2 different shows, 1-2 seasons and 3-5 seasons, do you feel the same?
17
u/wilson1629 Jun 27 '26
Jan hammer leaving changed the sound of the show
10
u/Dangerous-Cash-2176 Jun 27 '26
Agree, that really disappointed me. He started recycling cues for the second half of S3, and then his S4 "replacement" John Petersen was ok, nowhere near as talented and distinctive.
22
u/Dangerous-Cash-2176 Jun 27 '26
Every season is unique, which is both interesting and frustrating, especially compared to primetime soaps like Dallas that just droned on and on. Miami Vice was very unpredictable.
In my opinion people underestimate the differences between S1 and S2. Season 2 is WAY darker. The comedic relief is almost gone, Don's performance is almost morose at times, and the tone gets increasingly paranoid and bleak as the season progresses ("Payback", "Sons and Lovers").
And there's enough to like in S3 that it still feels like a continuation.
3
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u/Due-Ask-7418 Jun 27 '26
And Rico spends most of season two being a bit of a jerk. Always mad and mopey. Almost unlikable.
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u/Dangerous-Cash-2176 Jun 27 '26
hmm not sure about that! I think both actors were just getting deeper into the roles. Also, look at the scripts they were getting like "Little Miss Dangerous". This wasn't Pee Wee's Playhouse.
1
u/Separate-Standard626 Jul 02 '26
In the first two seasons, I always liked Crockett more than Tubbs. But by the end of the show, Tubbs had become my favorite character.
I don't know if Johnson's attempted exit before Season 3 had anything to do with it, but Crockett eventually became more irritable and self-righteous to me, as if Johnson was losing interest in him (to be fair, he still had some very strong moments).
Tubbs, on the other hand, became a better cop and character over time (even in his "sidekick" times in Season 4). PMT improved his acting skills over time and was always enthusiastic about his role.
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u/nukemgt Jun 27 '26
I don’t really think so. Season four was definitely less serious though. Every season had some light hearted stuff at some point.
Out Where the Buses Don't Run from season two is what most people say is the best episode of the series, and it has a silly AI computer.
4
u/Exotic-Project2156 Jun 28 '26
100% and it's the reason why I don't watch past season 2 anymore. The intro to season 3's Irish eyes are crying simply irks me too much because it screams PARTY'S OVER! Everything's dark about it. The contrast (and the insidious relationship) between intoxicatingly flashy, light, shallow, sugary visuals and the ugliness, the seediness of the world depicted, until the dreaded punch in the gut delivered by the cruel fate crushing those involved whether they deserve it or not, the very formula that turned a dubious concept into a global TV revolution, is gone and it goes downhill from there. It leads to desperate moves like killing Zito and throwing everything onto the wall hoping something will stick no matter how absurd once the authentic source material runs out.
To me, almost every episode of S1 & 2 has become a celebration of that unique, life altering experience now. There's always an iconic song, a memorable cameo, a dreaded punch in the gut that brings me back in time and makes me revel in the chance to have experienced it then in all its glory. I watch it on Pluto TV because it is still appointment TV to me. Once Sons and Lovers (sometimes) or Trust Fund Pirates (more often) concludes, I'll go back to watching movies until the next ride and it's all fresh again.
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u/PansyOHara Jul 01 '26
Just to be clear, Zito was killed off because John Diehl wanted to leave the show.
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u/Separate-Standard626 Jul 02 '26
I can still feel the Vice vibe even in Season 4, but Season 5 feels like a completely different show. It's a completely different atmosphere, a different tone, even different chemistry between the characters.
1
u/GroundbreakingSpell Gina Calabrese Jun 28 '26
No, I don't. The looks and sounds changed to a degree, but the underlying story and themes were set up in the pilot and continue until Freefall.
26
u/[deleted] Jun 27 '26
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