Okay, real talk. This is not only one of the best episodes of season 5, but maybe one of the best episodes of Miami Vice. This story is complex and nuanced. It has several subplots that lead directly into Freefall and for whatever reason it was completely pulled from air until reruns.
To be honest, we’re all in total shock this episode did not air before Freefall on NBC. No jokes here, this episode really is something great. We have Stan’s gambling, Tubbs’ terrible loneliness, Tubbs & Crockett’s strained relationship and the closure of the Valerie story line. All of that doesn’t even include a very real and thoughtful story about a drug addict, child abuse & should a cop lie to take down despicable person.
This is an episode of Miami Vice you can’t miss.
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Episode Information
Miami Vice – Season 05 Ep. 20 – Too Much, Too LatePremiered January 25, 1990 (Never aired originally, only came back on reruns later and they always aired it BEFORE Freefall)Writer: John Connor (only episode he’s written for anything)Director: Richard Compton (Down for the Count, which is interesting as he’ll be able to circle back on the Zito storyline. Everybody’s in Showbiz, The Big Thaw, Mirror Image, just to name a few others. )
Guest Stars
Pam Grier as NYPD Detective Valerie GordonMalinda Williams as LynetteJune Gable as Dr. Ellen HardyC.C.H. Pounder as Yvonne
Music
Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl by Mink DeVille
You Gonna Get Yours by Public Enemy
Show notes
Opening
Hooker row, how we’re gonna miss you! So many great memories, so many foreign dignitaries caught paying for sex.
Woman at home, talking to a man named Swain. She wants some drugs, but wants it for free. Swain breaks the table and flips out. He’s pissed. Yvonne already owes him money. Girl watching it go down and goes in her room.
Lynette calls her Valerie, she’s scared. Her mom is using again and there’s a man she’s scared of. Valerie says stay there, I’m coming to help. She calls Tubbs and asks to keep it family, don’t send a patrol car.
Meanwhile Swain is destroying the house, then starts beating up Yvonne. Lynette tries to break it up but Swain hits her. Goes back to beating the mom.
Tubbs pulls up, pulls his gun but Swain runs off like he was expecting it, escapes. Tubbs goes back to Yvonne and Lynette.
Credits
Hospital
Tubbs comes in, checks on Yvonne. They don’t want to talk to him, won’t give up the name. Lynette tries to say please buy Yvonne tells her to be quiet. Tubbs says fine, but I’m going to keep in touch.
After Tubbs leaves Lynette says she’s gonna tell Tubbs, but Yvonne says don’t Swain is my only connection and she hurts real bad inside. She asks Lynette just to stay with her mom and she concedes. A true junkie. Not the other ones we’ve had in Vice where they’re just degenerates. Junkies use for a whole bunch of reasons and a lot of times they’re good people who have had bad things happen in their life.
Airport
Valerie flies in
Precinct
Sonny is talking to Tubbs but Tubbs is somewhere else. Sonny wants help with a case but Tubbs is barely functioning. Sonny eventually calls him out and that’s right when Valerie walks in. Everyone is happy to see each other but Sonny lets the two love birds have their time, leaves.
Melissa: She dress up like a mime, is that whats going on here.
Tubbs is head over heels for Valerie, can see it written all over him. Valerie thanks him, Tubbs asks how Yvonne and Valerie know each other. Valerie tells the story and says we need to help them. Yvonne’s had a hard life and she’s Lynette’s godmother. Tubbs says he tried to get info, Valerie says let me talk to her. She goes to leave and Tubbs says don’t spend all your time working, Valerie says you wanna invite me out to dinner.
