Miami Vice

I’d always heard people say that Miami Vice was a milestone in television history, but never really realized why. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the pilot episode(s) of the series. It consisted of the first two one hour episodes of Miami Vice. While I found the first half of the show to be typical cop show formula, I found the second half really picked up the slack.

Of course, the highlight is the famous scene in which “In the Air Tonight” is playing in the background as Crockett and Tubbs are driving through Miami on the way to their showdown with Calderon. Faced with the possibility of their own deaths, Phil Collins song gives a somber flavor to a scene tense with anticipation. The camera work also adds a dream like quality to the scene too as we see the streets zipping by. The whole thing is surprisingly poignant.

Also, of note is the scene in which Sonny goes to the home of his former partner to have him arrested for providing information to Calderon.

I’ll probably watch more episodes, but I just wanted to share my first impressions. The show is surprisingly enjoyable, and I’m loving all the 80s jams.