In this episode of Miami Vice, Crockett and Tubbs are undercover hoping to shake down a Porno magnate, finding that in his entourage is another agent, working for the FBI, whose loyalties have become jaded as he become so immersed in that world he lost himself in the role. Ed O'Neill(..who is terrific)is Artie Rollins(..his real name is Arthur Lawson), a FBI undercover agent who become a member of porn king Sam Kovics(Paul Hecht). Crockett and Tubbs portray themselves as businessman with multiple stores on the East Coast wanting merchandise from Kovics. Rollins figures them for detectives, asking for Crockett and Tubbs to allow him to finish his job. But, Vice is worried that Rollins is legitimately "on the other side" and Crockett(..who sees Rollins as a mirror image of himself)trusts, reluctantly, that he'll ultimately help them bring Kovics down.
Intense story of how one can lose himself as another character, in another life alien to his own, and O'Neill is the perfect choice to handle such a complex role. We see how he is as both people, the detective stressed at maintaining his credibility as an officer of the law, and inside the world of Kovics, as Artie, surrounded by money and women. I think this is an excellent plot in that we can see how being an undercover cop, having to ingratiate yourself within an ugly world in order to bring down a powerful criminal, can take it's toll and separate that person completely(..emotionally, psychologically, and physically). You, inevitably, become the person you portray. The ending is a humdinger as a wire, placed on Tubbs, is faulty, ruining a potentially successful shakedown. It provides a heartbreaking conclusion as Crockett and Tubbs' lives are in the hands of Rollins who is "given permission" to shoot them himself by Kovics..this will prove whether Arthur or Artie will reign over the other. While, we obviously know how it will end for Crockett and Tubbs, Arthur himself can never fully recover from the role that has consumed him, ending in tragedy. Early role for Suzy Amis, as a 15 year old runaway Kovics has killed, afraid she will turn him in for filming pornography with a minor. This episode was directed by John Llewellyn Moxey(The City of the Dead). I think this also works well at further evolving Johnson's Crockett as we see he carries a burden, in regards to understanding Lawson's plight, knowing what it means to suffer the part of an undercover cop, terrified that Arthur will not do the right thing.
Intense story of how one can lose himself as another character, in another life alien to his own, and O'Neill is the perfect choice to handle such a complex role. We see how he is as both people, the detective stressed at maintaining his credibility as an officer of the law, and inside the world of Kovics, as Artie, surrounded by money and women. I think this is an excellent plot in that we can see how being an undercover cop, having to ingratiate yourself within an ugly world in order to bring down a powerful criminal, can take it's toll and separate that person completely(..emotionally, psychologically, and physically). You, inevitably, become the person you portray. The ending is a humdinger as a wire, placed on Tubbs, is faulty, ruining a potentially successful shakedown. It provides a heartbreaking conclusion as Crockett and Tubbs' lives are in the hands of Rollins who is "given permission" to shoot them himself by Kovics..this will prove whether Arthur or Artie will reign over the other. While, we obviously know how it will end for Crockett and Tubbs, Arthur himself can never fully recover from the role that has consumed him, ending in tragedy. Early role for Suzy Amis, as a 15 year old runaway Kovics has killed, afraid she will turn him in for filming pornography with a minor. This episode was directed by John Llewellyn Moxey(The City of the Dead). I think this also works well at further evolving Johnson's Crockett as we see he carries a burden, in regards to understanding Lawson's plight, knowing what it means to suffer the part of an undercover cop, terrified that Arthur will not do the right thing.