Miami Vice (TV Series) Heart of Darkness (1984) User Reviews

Gripping second episode from the first season

[DVD_Connoisseur · 8/10 · 2 March 2007]

"Miami Vice" is certainly a series that hit the ground running. Although viewers turning their television sets on during the pre-credits sequence may have wondered momentarily what they'd stumbled across (the episode cleverly opens on an "adult" film shoot with an acrobatic young lady being manhandled by a burly air-conditioning repair man!), "Heart of Darkness" is proof indeed that "Miami Vice" did not hesitate in demonstrating its high production values and top-quality scripts from the very start.

In "Heart of Darkness", there's the possibility that an undercover vice cop (played by a pre-"Married With Children" Ed O'Neill) may have "turned to the bad side." Seeing a mirror reflection of himself during his deep cover assignments, Crockett decides to give the cop a chance to prove himself. Is Crockett making a dangerous decision he will live to regret? The show reveals why the chemistry between Crockett and Tubbs works. As both cops learn about each other, there's clearly a lot of respect and trust between the two. "Heart of Darkness" is a dark episode of "Vice" but it does have its lighter moments including a great scene with Elvis the alligator and a humorous insight into the average day of Zito and Switek.

Easily an 8 out of 10, rated on my "Vice" scale. This blows most television series out of the water, displaying a scale and budget that you just don't see these days.

Has an undercover FBI agent switched sides?

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 8 March 2012]

This story opens with a young woman doing her exercises when she is interrupted by the air-conditioning repair man; it could almost be a scene from a cliché porno... wait a moment that is what it is! Crockett and Tubbs are investigating a pornography producer while posing as buyers from New Jersey. They are trying to get their hands on Sam Kovics but first they must get past Artie Rollins who acts as a go between. There is something they don't know about Rollins though; he is a deep cover FBI agent. When they discover this fact it doesn't make things easier though; the word is that the FBI are concerned that he may have gone over to the other side. When they meet he insists that he still knows what side he is on but not everybody is convinced. This means that when Crockett and Tubbs get their meeting with Koviks they are gambling with their lives that Rollins is still one of the good guys.

After the fine opening Miami Vice continues with another great story; right until the end I was unsure whether Rollins was one of the good guys or not; Ed O'Neill did a good job in the role. This episode explores the effects going deep undercover have on officers; something Crockett clearly worries about. It also has some lighter moments though; the scene where Crockett threatens to throw Elvis the Alligator favourite blanket overboard as punishment for eating his record collection was hilarious and any scene with Switec and Zito will provide a chuckle.

Strong follow-up

[Fluke_Skywalker · 8/10 · 8 September 2015]

'Heart of Darkness' is a very strong follow-up to the classic pilot. It features a powerful performance from guest star Ed O'Neill, who does an amazing job of keeping us guessing as to whether or not he's fallen over to the dark side.

Little set-up is given for Tubbs' transfer to Miami ("Southern law enforcement) from New York, but Thomas and Johnson retain their chemistry, perfectly complimenting one another while getting an assist from their able co-stars.

This is also a great example of the show's unwillingness to tack on a happy ending just because Hollywood says so.

The episode that made The Vice a great show

[nikola-oric · 10/10 · 6 January 2011]

Miami Vice's second official episode may be even called as the 1st spiritual episode. Although the real first one was quite amazing, and presented us with something new in the world of TV shows, "Heart of Darkness" also represented and showed us quite realistically what the world of crime really does to people. Ed O'Neill in one of his greater rolls shows us the difference between an agent undercover and someone involved in the world of crime. Also, Phillip Michael Thomas confirms that he's an actor worthy of his role and representing himself in the world of TV, and maybe even cinema in the future. Don Johnson, the Brad Pitt of the 80's, as usual, wins the hearts of lady viewers. The writing of the show is interesting and tense, including the stories as well, ergo, meaning that Miami Vice will have (or, should I say, had) many episodes in the future, continuing a 6 year long emission. Great job!

Miami Vice:Heart of Darkness

[Scarecrow-88 · 9/10 · 5 February 2010]

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.

One of the stronger episodes!

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 6 August 2018]

One of the stronger episodes and here is Why? An interesting story about the porn industries dark side! The murder and why? Great acting Ed O'Neill plays a role different from the Al Bunndy character as an agent who has been in too long. The rest of the cast creates great character development for an early series. Tubs and Crockett are the series heavy actors and the partners on air chemistry works. One sees that Miami Vice will be Don Johnson's series as the Crockett character shines. Zitto and partner add comic relief and others are supporting cast.. After a murder Crockett gives a deep cover agent a chance to prove himself (O'Neill) The ending is the start of the series formula of the darker side of the series with the shock ending which exploits the darkness of the world of vice. I liked Heart of Darkness. 7 out ot 10 stars.

Aptly named, this one's a downer

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 7 April 2016]

Fresh off the series opener and right out the gate, the show's focusing on the tragic side effects of being a Vice cop. The clothes are flashy, the car's a dream, but Crockett and Tubbs rely on solid backup during an operation. And they walk that line on a daily basis, always at risk of getting in too deep and losing sight of what's important. This is what makes 'Heart of Darkness' resonate.

To that end, Ed O'Neill does a pretty good strung-out cop performance, and there's a sinister undercurrent running throughout all of this. Even so, that's one bitter ending and the seeds of our detectives' mistrust of the Feds are sown here.

7/10

Early Neo-Noir masterpiece in the series...

[gvf · 10 February 2006]

Somewhat surprising for a newly-launched TV drama, this first "regular" episode is one of the best in the entire first season. You could easily call this one a Neo-Noir classic which above all shows Michael Mann's abounding talent in creating a certain look, touch and feel in his works.

This episode is a very, very dark story about an undercover cop (Arthur Larsen, played by none other than Ed O'Neill) who is so far under he doesn't know which way is up, let alone see the fine line between good and bad. He enjoys a high-rolling, fast-lane, glitzy lifestyle up there with all the fat cats of organized crime. It all begins to fall apart when Crockett and Tubbs break the news to him that his closest "business associates" are responsible for the killing of a barely legal aspiring porn starlet. Our two favorite 80s TV cops try to set his head straight and pull him out of this predicament. In the end, the bad guys are booked and Arthur is free to go; however, his guilty conscience gets the better of him and becomes a tremendous burden. Ultimately, he quits the force and hangs himself.

Like I said, it's Neo-Noir at its finest, and in being that, not only a great start for this seminal 80s TV drama, but also a reverent homage to the classic Film Noir era.

Heart of Darkness

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 30 September 2021]

Miami Vice was ahead of its time. This second story was directed by British veteran John Llewellyn Moxey. His early work was on Coronation Street.

The episode starts out on a porn movie set with a minor (Suzy Amis) getting the come on from a heating repair man. She is later found dead.

Crockett and Tubbs are undercover hoping to get the Mr Big of the Miami porn scene. They come across a deep cover FBI agent Arthur Lawson (Ed O'Neill) who is close to being burnt out and gone over to the other side.

Crockett who knows about the pressure of being undercover is willing to give Arthur a chance to show that he is not corrupt.

An episode that shows Crockett and Tubbs already make a good team. The story is grim and grimy. There is a punch in the gut ending. Switek and Zito are the comic relief.