Miami Vice (TV Series) Free Verse (1986) User Reviews

A little repetitive, but overall entertaining, tale

[DVD_Connoisseur · 8/10 · 23 August 2007]

"Free Verse" is an entertaining tale with Byrne Piven playing a fun-loving, recently freed Latin American writer whose life is in danger from political activists.

The delightfully sexy Yamil Borges plays Piven's daughter, Bianca. Appearing in this episode is Bianca Jagger as a cool, stylish and seductive assassin! Jaime Tirelli also appears as bad guy Gomez.

Interestingly, a young mega-producer Michael Bay appears as a goon in this episode.

8 out of 10. A little repetitive towards the end but still capable of maintaining tension, this isn't a bad tale.

The music soundtrack contains tracks from Honeymoon Suite, Suicidal Tendencies, Nancy Allen and Bruce Cockburn.

Weak for this season but still okay

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 3 December 2009]

While this episode was less exciting than most of the previous from this series of Miami Vice it is still good enough when compared to other television programmes of its time. Rather than their usual vice work the squad are given the task of protecting Hector Sandoval, a poet who's political utterances have left him as a target of the right wing death squads from his homeland. He is in the US to address congress but is determined to attend events in Miami even though doing so will put his life in danger.

He doesn't help his protectors when he decides to slip away and go to a night club. As the story progresses it becomes clear that it's not just the right who want to see him dead... some on the left would quite like a high profile martyr.

The episodes feature a few exciting shoot outs and Byrne Piven puts in a good performance as Hector Sandoval, the fun loving, wheelchair bound poet.

An awkward statement on geopolitics

[Mr-Fusion · 6/10 · 8 April 2016]

'Free Verse' was never one of my favorite episodes; there was just something forced about it. Why would the Vice squad be on protection detail for a congressional witness? It doesn't make a lot of sense. And the odd thing about said politico is that they found a larger-than-life actor to play him and then confined him to a wheelchair. Far as I can tell, Byrne Piven wasn't disabled, and the role needed movement, life.

That said, there's a cool nighttime shootout on the beach, and this episode first introduced me to Bruce Cockburn with "Maybe the Poet", an excellent song that opened the door to an amazing album.

For that, I am greatly thankful.

6/10

Watchable

[mm-39 · 6/10 · 15 August 2018]

Watchable episode. What worked: Johnson and rest the cast excellently execute their roles. There is great sets, supporting actors etc, and the attempted hits are choreographed perfectly. What did not work: The poet/self-absorbed quest character is so so, just annoying. Rude, arrogant, condescending which reminds one of a few college professors everyone hated, annoys the viewer in a bad way. Every time there is a hit, I was rooting for the bad guys! Please just get rid of the blank an de blank blank character! There is a Miami Vice plot twist which sort of saves the character driven episode. But I wish just they killed the guy off so I never have to endure such a character again. I would rather be on a car trip with the annoying informants than this Byrne Piven character. The sound track nothing memorable too! Strong enough support from acting and directing to save Free Verse episode. 6 out of 10 stars.

Getting stale

[xbatgirl-30029 · 3/10 · 30 June 2021]

Yet another plot that makes no sense and the action's a little slow. The show seems to have lost a little steam already and I'm not surprised knowing it's getting a new showrunner for season 3. I can't remember how that turns out because I think I had stopped watching by this time in the Eighties.

I feel like this type of main character was pretty stereotypical from the mid century until the 90s. Usually they would be Eastern European but here there's a Latin twist because of Miami. His art is so subversive and dangerous his government wants to kill him. (eye roll) He's that bloated into Will Farrell's narcissist college professor, SNL character. Is he being guarded by the FBI? CIA? No! A handful of people from Miami Vice!

The Bianca Jagger subplot ended up as filler and it was surprising how quickly and easily she was killed off. In the end, all the characters are so unlikeable, there's no one to root for and no one cares about their stupid revolution.

Bonus points for a bunch of office types and Valley Girls disco dancing in a club to Suicidal Tendencies.