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Vote of Confidence
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Season
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Episode
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13 (81st Overall)
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Airdate
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February 12, 1988
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Repeat Airdate
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June 17, 1988
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TV Rating
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TV-14 D-L-S-V
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Writer(s)
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Director
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Guest Stars
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Previous Episode
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Next Episode
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"Vote of Confidence" is the thirteenth episode of Miami Vice's fourth season. It premiered on February 12, 1988, and was rerun on June 17, 1988.
Summary[]
A gubernatorial candidate is busted by Vice on a mobile whorehouse.
Plot[]
Crockett & Tubbs are watching a speech by gubernatorial candidate Tom Pierce, before they prepare for a raid on a train filled with prostitutes and johns later that night. When they stop the train, everyone on board is arrested, including Pierce, running around with his pants down to his ankles.
At OCB, Gina is discussing one of the johns, a hefty fellow who liked to dress up like a baby in diapers and a crib, when Pierce's campaign manager, David Macklin, is brought in by Deputy Commissioner Hazlett who wants to talk to Crockett & Tubbs. Castillo is unhappy with his breach of security and neither Crockett nor Tubbs will speak to Macklin or Pierce. After his arrest, Pierce & his campaign team begin planning damage control, despite poll numbers dropping and groups like the League of Women Voters denouncing him. Meanwhile, D.A. Andrea Sirelli refuses to press charges against Pierce because he's a candidate for governor, despite the Vice cops pointing out it's a double standard to arrest the girls but not the men. At OCB, Castillo tells them to let it go, that they're good enough cops to realize a dead end. Switek shows his pics of the raid and finds one Barry Bloom, who dropped off Pierce at the train station and finds (through a Pierce campaign volunteer) he's real good at "dirty tricks" and screwing up the opponent's campaign. Bloom is speaking with Angelica, owner of the train and a friend of Myles Cowan, Pierce's opponent, who doesn't want anything from Bloom. Crockett & Tubbs meet with press man Hank Frazier, who explained Pierce's rise from errand boy in a law office to partner in record time, then becoming a force in politics (by always being on the "right" side of everything), going from legislator to Congress quickly, but his one flaw is his tendency to get caught in compromising positions with other women, and asks Crockett & Tubbs to attend a press conference from Pierce, who plans to fight on, surprising Frazier.
Crockett & Tubbs go see Grover Watkins, Pierce's mentor, who explained that Pierce learned so well from him that when Watkins made his last political campaign, he didn't know it was his last until Pierce took all his staff, but harbored no bad feelings, but asks them to check out his list of campaign contributors, because he's taking more money in than out. Trudy pulls his campaign records and find a lot of his money is coming from dummy corporations, and Castillo wants them to check it out. Annie Pierce wants Bloom to resign from her husband's campaign quietly, because she wants to be First Lady more than her husband wants the governorship. Frazier stops by to see Pierce, to "pitch batting practice for the boys in the badges", then when Crockett & Tubbs arrive to talk to Pierce, he goes onstage to announce he's pulling out of the race, said a few words about the police, and leaves quickly before Crockett & Tubbs can talk to him.
Internal Affairs lean on Crockett & Tubbs about Pierce's disappearance after they came by to talk to him, Crockett & Tubbs leave when IAD can't prove they did anything outside of department guidelines...yet. Castillo suggests they talk to Bloom, but Frazier is talking to Cowan, who pays him $10,000 for the information needed to drive Pierce out of the race, but Frazier wants more, or things could change before the general election. Cowan informs Frazier that he was suggesting blackmail and he shouldn't blackmail his benefactor. Bloom said it wasn't hard to get Pierce to the train, and he knew about the bust because of a leak at the courthouse, but won't reveal it to Crockett & Tubbs. Frazier meets with Angelica, who threatens to expose her in the papers if she doesn't help him get Cowan, she refuses outright. Annie said her husband didn't take his own life, and has never disappeared for this long of time, and about his interview with Frazier right before his good-bye speech. Meanwhile, Angelica has been strangled in her tub, and Bloom has left the building.
Bloom has been arrested and the team interviews him, he said there are three others who infiltrated the Pierce campaign, which he didn't know their names, but he identified as an "outsider" who was helping them Frazier, who fed them the sex stuff & his campaign funds source, and he was blackmailing him to get money to pay off gambling debts. Crockett & Tubbs go to see Editor Chance of the Record, Frazier's paper, who confirms his gambling problems as he has to draw advances on his salary which don't cover his debts, but is surprised that he would blackmail anyone. Frazier calls Crockett to let him know he's about to get a visit from some "bookie muscle" because he owes $75K he doesn't have, but sets the story straight--he admits to killing Angelica to get names for him to use, and he was blackmailing Pierce, but the muscle shows up before he can finish talking. Crockett & Tubbs arrive at Frasier's place and find him dead, and their case too. The muscle guys were arrested and charged with Frazier's murder, then the headline the next day that Pierce is resuming his campaign (after three weeks) and wants to talk to Crockett & Tubbs. They attend his press conference and speak with Andrea who lectures the Vice cops on how to put bad things aside to believe in someone. Pierce gives his speech and Crockett and Tubbs are waiting.
Cast[]
- Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett
- Philip Michael Thomas as Metro-Dade Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs
- Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese
- Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek
- Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin
- Edward James Olmos as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo
Guest Stars[]
- Larry Pine as Tom Pierce
- Barry Lynch as Barry Bloom
- Anthony Holland as Chance
- Jonathan Hadary as Hank Frazier
- Moultrie Patten as Grover Watkins
- Bradley White as David Macklin
- John Cunningham as Myles Cowan
- Shelly Burch as Angelica Payson
- Lucinda Jenney as Annie Pierce
Co-Starring[]
- John Archie as Metro-Dade IAD Officer Walter Mills
- Ellen Berman as D.A. Andrea Sirelli
- Mary Fanaro as Waitress
- Glenn Rosenbaum as Joel Weisman
- Alan Schack as Client Leaving Train
- Chuck Seubert as IAD Agent
- Michael Stark as Deputy Police Commissioner Wayne Hazlitt
"Ripped From The Headlines"[]
This episode deals with political scandal and the extent to cover it up, reminiscent of the Gary Hart scandal back in 1987 when he was caught on a boat with a woman (Donna Rice, who appeared in an uncredited role in "Forgive Us Our Debts") that was not his wife, broken by, ironically, The Miami Herald, which ended his presidential aspirations in 1988.
Goofs
• In the scene (near the end)where Jonathon Hadary is talking on the phone with Sonny, Hadary walks across the house (1720 W 28th St. Miami Beach, FL) when you can clearly see an entire light truss rigged with assorted production lights. Though slightly out of focus it is clear to see these are not residential cans.
Notes[]
- A running theme on Miami Vice is how often Crockett and Tubbs are investigated (often mercilessly) by Internal Affairs (IAD) for actions they have taken, only to be exonerated, as they are again in this episode. Tubbs even makes reference to their repeated tangles with Internal Affairs with his line, "IAD has a permanent poker with our names stenciled in on it!"
- The ongoing "politics affecting police operations" theme continues with this episode. It will return again in season 5, starting with "Miami Squeeze".
Production Notes[]
- Filmed: January 7, 1988 - January 15, 1988
- Production Code: 63520
- Production Order: 82
Filming Locations[]
- Gold Coast Railroad Museum, 12450 SW 152nd Street, Miami (opening scene train raid)
- South Pointe Tower, 400 South Pointe Drive, Miami Beach (Pierce HQ, Crockett/Tubbs question Bloom)
- 1720 W. 28th Street, Sunset Island 1, Miami Beach (Angelica Paison's residence)
- Wet Paint Cafe, 915 Lincoln Road Mall, Miami Beach (meet with Frazier in a cafe)
- South Pointe Theater, South Pointe Drive (press conference, theater was torn down)
- Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables (Meeting Frazier and Cowen, Crockett/Tubbs question Watkins)
- Kennedy Space Center Headquarters, Cape Canaveral, FL (exterior Pierce's office)
- NE 125th Street/Biscayne Bvd southbound/I-95 southbound (Crockett/Tubbs in car)
- 4950 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach (Pierce campaign rally at end)
Music[]
- "Stand and Deliver" by Mr. Mister (Crockett, Tubbs & Frazier talk at restaurant)
Quotes[]
- "By God, he's got my vote!" -- Crockett after arresting Pierce on the mobile whorehouse
- "You take some guy who's been living like a monk, plop him in political office, and six months later he thinks he's Warren Beatty!" -- Frazier about Pierce's sex life