"OUT OF MIAMI" MIAMI VICE Flashback February 18, 2001

by
Gordon Hom

You can't lose when you get Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas back together again. In his second appearance on NASH BRIDGES (remember his first appearance - waaay back in Season Two, "Wild Card," episode #30?), Philip repeats his role as Cedrick Hawkes (Rick for short, which makes it an even better reminder that he was Ricardo Tubbs of MIAMI VICE), though a few modifications have evolved. Now, all of a sudden, Rick is a U.S. Marshal (well, a suspended one). In "Wild Card," Rick was just a Bahamian gambler, though he still retains his gambling habit. And Rick and Nash are still buddies, though it seems, like all of Nash's attachments and friends, Rick is a bit of a pain in the ass for Nash (now doesn't that all rhyme nicely?).

In "Out of Miami," they're chained to pipes. It seems like Nash has been chained to a lot of pipes before (remember when that building was about to implode, in "Blow Out," episode #108?). This time, Rick demonstrates an amazing dexterity with his toes. Rick removes his shoe, and manages to grab the keys and toss them to Nash with an amazing precision, all with the flick of his foot. Nash barely bats an eyebrow, as they unlock themselves. Ahhh, such are the amazing escapes, the close calls in NASH world...

The appearance of these two together is so nostalgic, the yearning for MIAMI VICE so strong, that any plot or story deficiencies are forgiven. Who can forget that when MIAMI VICE was hot, red hot, these two were on the cover of TIME magazine? The times that these two have been through, the experiences on MIAMI VICE, the subsequent inevitable fade, Don's attempt to expand into starring roles in movies, and resurrection once again on NASH BRIDGES... They both return to TV, they return to a time when both were on top of the TV world, when fans loved them, and when both were doing quality work. Now those times have faded, but the memories these two invoke are very strong for original fans of MIAMI VICE, and the diehard fans of Don Johnson. Philip Michael Thomas is an integral part of that nostalgia, and we can only hope that he returns in future episodes.

For more, see synopsis for Episode 114

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