The Miami Vice Episode That Changed The 80s And Television Forever
Miami Vice was hit from the moment it first hit the airwaves, and by the time “In the Air Tonight” started playing, it had made television history, but that was only the pilot episode. Years later, the Season 2 finale, “Son and Lovers,” would take what was already a dark series (despite the pastel suits), and, just as the decade the series epitomized had started to take a turn, so too did the series. This season finale also blew my mind as a kid when I caught it in reruns, as for the first time in my life, the heroes lost.
The Surprise Impact Of Sons And Lovers
Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Phillip Michael Thomas) were the epitome of cool, with their flashy cars, cool suits, sunglasses, and hair, but as revealed in “Sons and Lovers,” they also made powerful enemies. Tubbs is abducted, but it turns out it’s Angelina, the drug lord’s daughter, who had a fling with Tubbs, and as we all learn, resulted in a son, Ricardo Tubbs Jr.
Angelina warns her former lover that her brother, Orlando Calderone (played by the debuting John Leguizamo), has taken over the family business and is out for revenge. At the time, no one knew how far he’d go to destroy Tubbs, but by the end of the episode, Miami Vice would never be the same.
A Moment Of Sacrifice
Thanks to a corrupt DEA Agent, Orlando gets his hands on Angelina and her son, trapping his own half-sister in a car and luring Tubbs out for a meeting. Now, at the time, in my mind, I expected Tubbs to get his hands on Orlando, punch him a few times, and then get Angelina out of the trap so she could ride off with her son to safety.
What I did not expect was Angelina to save Tubbs from the trap by breaking free of her head restraint, slamming her head on the car horn, and blowing herself up once he was clear of the explosion.
The Villain Won
Miami Vice had done bummer endings before, but nothing with the intensity of Angelina’s final moments. In the last moments of “Sons and Lovers,” Tubbs, at Angelina’s funeral, receives a note from Orlando Calderone that reads, “I’ll be back.”
Today, even NCIS has had multiple episodes with characters getting killed off, but back when Miami Vice aired “Sons and Lovers,” it marked a turning point for the series. The amazing hair would disappear, with Tubbs keeping the short look until the end, and those sunglasses? Changed to be more serious, with darker tones to match the change of storylines from here on out.
Changed The Series
Again, this wasn’t the first time a relationship ended in heartbreak or even death, but there was something different about Angelina’s fate and how, for once, Tubbs was able to take the lead that now you can mark Miami Vice pre-and-post “Sons and Lovers.”
The Power Of A Story
For me, this episode of Miami Vice, of all shows, was my first experience with a shocking ending where horrible things happen, and good doesn’t always win. It wasn’t as traumatic as that scene from The Neverending Story, but it left an impression on me. Everyone goes through that moment when a show or a movie shifts the narrative just enough that it catches you off guard, and you become engrossed in the story, the world, and the characters.
It’s a magical moment that speaks to the power of stories. Even if, like with me, it happens during an episode of Miami Vice.
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