Miami Vice

“Streetwise”

“I’m a big believer in Karma. I was a stink beetle in my last life, and I guess I’ve moved down from there.”
– Bill Paxton

Ah, Miami Vice. One of my favorite shows back in the 80s. And this episode is relentlessly Miami Vice—full of angst and pastel ennui and Crockett’s Testarossa. (I always liked the Daytona better, myself, but I’ll take any old kind of Ferrari you want to give me.) Bill plays Vic Romano, rookie undercover cop who falls for a hooker and gets caught with her and a gram of pharmaceutical coke in a vice sweep. Complications ensue.

Bill’s got one of those guest starring roles that seem to be there for the express purpose of a) giving Crockett the opportunity to be big-brotherish and tortured and b) demonstrating yet again the sheer pointlessness of existence. (Did I mention I loved this show? I do, really. It’s just that, as a friend of mine said as we watched this episode together, “I’d forgotten how much Attitude this show had.”)


Okay, this was filmed in 1986, when Bill was 31. And he looks like he’s about 16. (He always seems to look ten to fifteen years younger than he really is.) So when Crockett calls him “the kid,” he by god looks like a kid. And, this being Miami Vice, they’ve got him looking all sleek and pouty. We get some bare chest action in the opening scenes, and some kissing scenes with the girlfriend. Very watchable.

Three stars, because Bill’s cute and it’s Miami Vice.

Dead or Alive?