I was first introduced to Michael Wincott as an actor when I saw The Crow for the first time. Because his portrayal of Top Dollar left such a memorable impression, I wanted to seek out other projects from his filmography. I also wanted to review one of his projects on his birthday. But, until this year, I hadn’t gotten around to doing that. When I discovered Michael had guest-starred on an episode of Miami Vice, I became interested in checking out his performance. Seeking out this episode also gave me an introduction to Miami Vice, as I have never watched the show before. So, in honor of Michael’s birthday, I am publishing this special tv show episode review! Like my other television related reviews, I will discuss what I liked about the episode, what I didn’t like about the episode, the story itself, the other factors from this episode, and my overall thoughts. So, before we can start singing the “Happy Birthday” song, let’s begin this review!

Episode Name: Blood & Roses

Season 4, Episode 19

Premiere Date: April 1^st, 1988

What I liked about this episode:

In this episode of Miami Vice, a detective named Gina goes undercover as the love interest of a criminal named Frank Mosca. But the longer she stays undercover, the more the mission takes its toll on her. It gets to the point where Frank makes unwanted romantic advances on Gina. One day at the station, Gina tearfully confesses to another detective named Trudy how what she’s doing makes her feel guilty. She is still shaken up by what Frank did to her. If a character goes undercover or is given a top-secret mission on a police/detective procedural show like Miami Vice, the allure and thrill of the mission itself is given so much emphasis, its effect on the characters is rarely addressed, especially if the character is a woman. Gina’s confession to Trudy honestly highlights how, at the end of the day, the characters on police/detective procedural shows are human, complete with emotional limits and breaking points. It also helps how that scene was well-acted and well-written.

What I didn’t like about this episode:

As I said in the introduction of this review, Michael Wincott is the reason why I sought out this episode of Miami Vice. His performance was one of the best parts of this episode because he displayed chameleon-like control over his character’s emotions, which was reminiscent of his portrayal of Top Dollar. But within this forty-seven-minute episode, Michael only appeared in a total of four scenes. Plus, his portrayal of Wilson Cook became overshadowed by Stanley Tucci’s portrayal of Frank Mosca. It was disappointing to watch another project from Michael’s filmography where his talents were underutilized.

The story itself:

Frank Mosca is laundering money through the various banks he owns. Based on the dialogue in this episode of Miami Vice, Frank has crossed paths with the protagonists of the show before. So, the story in “Blood & Roses” is similar to a storyline from the show, Columbo; waiting for the other shoe to drop by determining how the guilty party will get caught. For the majority of Miami Vice’s forty-seven-minute episode, however, the story contained a lack of urgency. A stronger sense of urgency didn’t arrive until the last six minutes of the episode. But this creative decision caused the conflict’s resolution to feel rushed. Plus, the way Frank’s defeat was achieved by the protagonists was a little too easily reached. That creative choice seemed like it was chosen just to satisfy the episode’s run-time.

The other factors from this episode:

• Like I said earlier in this review, Gina goes undercover as Frank’s love interest. One of her reasons for spending so much time with Frank is how she is posing as an interior designer. During one of their conversations, Gina brings up potential design themes like “Santa Fe” and “Nashville” Frank could adopt for his house. With Miami Vice taking place in Miami, Florida in the 1980s, I’m surprised Gina didn’t suggest Frank select an aesthetic the city, let alone the state, is known for. Miami is famous for its bright color schemes and vibrant energy. Based on the rooms from Frank’s house that were shown on screen, I’m pretty sure at least one of the aesthetics of Miami could have been effortlessly woven into Frank’s house.
• Speaking of Frank’s house, some of the design choices featured in this episode were, in my opinion, strange. Frank’s office prominently features a wall length mirror behind where Frank is sitting. If he’s not even utilizing the mirror as a reflective tool, like in a dance studio, why does his office need a mirror in the first place? Right next to the house’s main staircase is a koi pond. To me, having a koi pond so close to the staircase seems like a tripping hazard, especially considering there isn’t a buffer between the floor and the edge of the pond. Had Frank’s house contained a connected greenhouse where the koi pond was located, it would have made more sense.
• I said in the introduction of this review how I have never watched Miami Vice before. Despite this, I thought Don Johnson and Saundra Santiago’s on-screen chemistry was one of the best parts of this episode! Even though their characters, James and Gina, shared very little screen-time together, I could sense a radiant spark between them. Because Don’s and Saundra’s acting talents were so strong together, I wish Gina and James’ relationship had been featured more in “Blood & Roses”. However, I recognize there’s only so much story you can tell in forty-seven-minutes.

My overall thoughts:

Even though this is my first time watching Miami Vice, I was familiar with the general concept of the show. Therefore, I had an idea of what to expect. Based on these expectations, I thought “Blood & Roses” was going to contain a strong sense of suspense, intrigue, and action. What I ended up getting was a forty-seven-minute episode that mostly lacked a sense of urgency. Because a stronger sense of urgency didn’t appear until the last six minutes of the episode, the conflict’s resolution felt rushed and the defeat of Frank (the episode’s villain) was too easily achievable for the protagonists. But out of the television episodes I’ve reviewed on 18 Cinema Lane, “Blood & Roses” isn’t one of the worst episodes I’ve covered. There were elements of the episode I liked, such as how the show honestly addressed how undercover missions can affect the characters. I even liked some of the acting performances, especially between Don Johnson and Saundra Santiago. However, I wish I had more to say about Michael Wincott’s involvement in this episode, since I’m reviewing it on his birthday.

Ratings: A 3 out of 5

Have fun in Miami!

Sally Silverscreen