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in: Miami Vice Season 3 Episodes

Down for the Count (Part II)

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Down For The Count (Part II)

Downforthecountpart2title

Series
Miami Vice
Season
3
Episode
13 (57th Overall)
Airdate
January 16, 1987
TV Rating
TV-14 L-V
Writer(s)
Director
Guest Stars
Previous Episode
Next Episode


"Down For The Count (Part II)" is the thirteenth episode of Miami Vice's third season. The episode premiered on January 16, 1987.

Summary

Shaken and angered by Zito's death and the results of an IAD investigation, Switek, Crockett and Tubbs vow to take down Guzman.

Plot

After the events of part one, Zito's funeral is held, and Switek is asked to do the eulogy, which he cuts short after a few words, overcome with grief. The entire team is trying to grieve and recover from the shock of Zito's death at OCB, the investigation indicates no signs of physical trauma and that Zito's fingerprints were on the syringe found in his arm, indicating the death was not a homicide. The team, especially Switek, is outraged, as they all feel Guzman had Zito killed, but IAD wants to talk to Switek about Zito, and Stan has a few spiteful words to Crockett before leaving. Trudy tried to forget what happened by bringing home an old friend for the night, which didn't help, and Gina breaks a pencil in half in anger and grief. Switek is grilled by IAD about Zito's drinking habits (according to Switek, Zito had been sober for five years and never missed an AA meeting) and storms out when they ask him about Zito's drug use. Crockett and Tubbs stop by Zito's apartment and they find Harriet, the goldfish he got when his house blew up, that he was an avid snowglobe collector, and they find in his mail a certified letter that wasn't picked up. The mail was Guzman's gambling book, sent from Moon, and they take it for analysis. At Guzman's, they cannot locate Sykes, he hasn't been seen in over a week, but then he shows up at Guzman's place wanting to be under contract with him. In Las Vegas, a mobster, Alfredo Giulinni (Joe Dallesandro) is upset with Guzman and wants to "teach him a lesson about turf", since he owns South Florida and all its action (gambling, women, etc.), and places a call to Vespa (Robert Pastorelli) to find out about Guzman and his connections, including Crockett and Tubbs (as Burnett and Cooper). However, the FBI has a tap on Giullini's phone, picks up the call and sends an agent down to Miami to warn them.

Gina and Trudy find the customized gator covered gambling book either belongs to Guzman or a bishop in the church. Crockett refers them to a cryptographer (and old war buddy) named Danny Allred (Chris Elliott) who can decode the book faster than the lab can. Switek is still in a grief-stricken daze. IAD has Zito's death as an OD, which infuriates Crockett and Tubbs, who mentions Zito was afraid of needles, especially when OCB had their blood drive. Castillo says the book on Zito is closed unless new evidence arises. Sardoni calls Crockett for a meet with Guzman, who tells them Sykes is with him now, and Crockett agrees to set up the deal with the satellite network. Tubbs points out that they have no network, therefore no prayer with Guzman, Crockett plans to stay on it until Guzman is in jail and Zito's name is cleared. Gina and Trudy stop by an airstrip to meet with Allred (with an FBI agent circling the whole time), who will have the book decoded by the next day. Gilluini arrives in Miami and meets with Vespa, apparently everytime Sardoni puts a bet down on a fight he doesn't lose, and that Burnett and Cooper are working for satellite sports TV. Gilluini wants to meet with Sardoni, Burnett and Cooper. Crockett and Tubbs are spotted by Vespa and are chased by two cars, but Crockett and Tubbs elude them.

At OCB, an FBI agent said Gilluini ("a combination of Bugsy Siegel and Charles Manson") has been taking a bath on boxing to Guzman, and Gilluini wants Guzman dead, and possibly Crockett and Tubbs too. Gina and Trudy go see Allred who has the book decoded, and finds what Guzman is doing is building up fighters, driving the odds way up and then the fighters take a fall to a no-name, making huge money all along, and his latest is Sykes. Gilluini meets with Sardoni, who threatens his family unless Sardoni tells him all of Guzman's activities. Castillo wants to pull Switek off because he's still out of it, Switek said he will carry his weight, and does surveillance on Guzman, who is using Crockett and Tubbs' satellite deal to get more action. Crockett plans to pitch his deal to Gilluini, hoping he'll bite, which will cause a war between Gilluini & Guzman. Crockett and Tubbs go to see Sykes, but he wants nothing to do with them because they lied to him and used him, but wants to kill Guzman for all he did.

Crockett and Tubbs go see Gilluini to pitch their satellite deal, who says he can get fighters from Guzman, as he won't be needing them. Gina and Trudy bring in a printout of the book Allred decoded, they find Guzman's made over a million dollars in six months on fights, with Guillini eating the most losses. Castillo orders 24 hour surveillance on both Guillini and Guzman. Crockett and Tubbs cancel their deal with Guzman, citing their meeting with Guillini. Guzman orders a hit on Guillini, and has Sardoni set it up. Switek (as a delivery man) brings a copy of the decoded book to Guillini, who realizes how big a hit he has taken on Guzman, and that Guzman is fixing his fights to make his money. Sardoni called Guillini to tip him to the hit on him, and that Guzman will be at his jewelry shop at the mall that evening (which is where is bookmaking operation is). Switek monitored this call but didn't call anyone. Later, with about 10 minutes before the hit is to go down, Switek's conscience gets the best of him and calls Crockett to tell him what he heard, and they all head to the mall. Guillini's goons arrive at the jewelry store, and a shootout entails with Guzman and his goons. All the goons are killed and Guzman runs to the second floor, briefly takes a woman hostage before Switek (thinking about Zito) shoots Guzman and he falls to the first floor dead. With Zito's name cleared, Crockett, Tubbs, Switek and Sykes toast to Zito's memory on the St. Vitus Dance.

Cast

Guest Stars

Co-Starring

Notes

  • This is the only two-part episode that was actually aired in two parts; "Brother's Keeper", "The Prodigal Son" and "Freefall" originally aired as two hour episodes that were changed to two part episodes in syndication. Similarly, "Calderone's Return (Part I)" and "Golden Triangle (Part I)" were originally separate from their concluding parts and had different names ("The Hit List" and "Score" respectively), they only became two part episodes in syndication.
  • The opening recap of the previous episode's events actually changes the outcome of Zito's final meeting with Sordoni - in Part I he agrees to sell Sykes' contract to Guzman in exchange for a piece of his illegal gambling action, whereas in the opening of Part II he is shown to outright reject any offer for the contract. This change was probably implemented to simplify the scene and allow it to fit into the brief timeslot available for the recap.
  • Zito's goldfish never reappeared in the series and her fate was never known.
  • Joe Dallesandro appeared as gambler Vinny DeMarco in Season 1's "One Eyed Jack"
  • Robert Pastorelli was best known for his role as Eldin, the painter-nanny in the series Murphy Brown.
  • This episode is an example of how rough the language has gotten starting in the third season, with the use of the words "bitch" and "bastard", something not normally used in the first two seasons.
  • Jan Hammer's "mob" music (first played in "Lombard") is heard when Gilluini threatens Sordoni, and during the shootout at the mall.
  • The end credits feature scenes from "Made For Each Other", "Rites of Passage" and Zito's final scene (alive) in Part I instead of the normal Miami stock footage shots.
  • Towards the end, when Crockett, Tubbs, and Switek storm the mall to stop the hit, if one looks closely, there is a different actor playing Tubbs.
  • It is clear the producers committed a sizeable portion of the season's budget to this pivotal episode, as it features many large, impressive action sequences, not least of all the destructive car chase between Crockett and Tubbs and Giullini's Mafia goons.

Music

Quotes

  • "Larry Zito was my partner, but to me, he was more like my brother!" -- Switek's eulogy for Zito
  • "I know you all hurt inside, but do your grieving in private, the street has no sympathy." -- Castillo to the team after Zito's funeral
  • "Been around a guy everyday for the past seven years, turns out you don't know anything about him!" -- Crockett after visiting Zito's apartment
  • "They're (IAD) dumping trash on a good cop's grave!" -- Crockett to Castillo after IAD's findings on Zito's death were revealed
  • "I don't just want to know when Guzman goes to the bathroom, I want to know what he does when he's in there!" -- Gilluini to Sardoni
  • "To Lawrence Zito, a cop, a man, and a great friend!" -- Switek's toast to Zito
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