Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Mondays, I will be reviewing Miami Vice, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.  The entire show can be purchased on Prime!

This week, the Vice Squad investigates the “other Hollywood” and some notable guest stars pop up.

Episode 4.3 “Death and the Lady”

(Dir by Colin Bucksey, originally aired on October 16th, 1987)

Painter-turned-filmmaker Milton Glantz (Paul Guilfoyle) is very proud to have received an Erotic Film Award for his latest movie, Death and the Lady.  However, when Glantz receives his award, a man named Tulane Knox (Michael David Morrison) shouts that the violent murder that ends the film was real and that Glantz is a killer.

Knox is taken into custody by Gina and Trudy.  Crockett doesn’t believe a word that Knox is saying.  He’s convinced that it’s all just a publicity stunt to get people interested in the film.  Crockett doesn’t have much use for all that art film mumbo jumbo.  He lives on a boat with a crocodile named Elvis, after all.  Actually, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Elvis.  I hope he’s okay.

Still, Crockett investigates.  He and Tubbs discover that the actress from the film — Lori Swann (Kelly Lynch) — is still alive and working in the movies.  However, he also discovers that Lori and Glantz made another film, called Twins.  That film featured Lori and a woman named Amy Ryder, who looked just like her.  A conversation with Amy’s sister (Penelope Ann Miller) reveals that Amy hasn’t been seen for a while.  Plus, Amy has terminal cancer….

Especially when compared to the previous two episodes, this episode felt more like classic Miami Vice, dark, moody, and fatalistic.  It doesn’t take long for both the audience and Crockett to realize that Glantz murdered Amy for his film.  (Amy’s dead eyes appear in Glantz’s film.)  But the problem is that there’s no way for Crockett to prove it.  The District Attorney (Miguel Ferrer, making an early appearance) refuses to bring charges without hard evidence.  When Glantz taunts Crockett with the fact that he committed the perfect murder, Crockett snaps.  He beats up Glantz but he doesn’t kill him.  Crockett hasn’t crossed that line but, watching this episode, you get the feeling that it’s only a matter of time.  But it doesn’t matter how many times Crockett throws a punch, Milton Glantz gets away with murder.

This was the Miami Vice of old, depressing, distressing, and very, very stylish.

(Plus, there’s a kitty in this episode!  He is discovered in a cocaine dealer’s home and he’s given to Gina as a present.  Even Castillo smiles when looks at the kitty.  Awwww!)