This episode opens on the set of a tacky TV show where the presenter is talking to an apparently reformed rapist, Alan Beaks, who has served a remarkably short sentence... nothing to do with the fact that he is the son of a prominent Florida citizen and his victim, Ellen Mason, was a black teacher... honest! The presenter wants to let him apologise to the victim on air but she understandable refuses; he even calls her at home to try to get her on the show. After the show ends she gets a threatening call saying that she should have accepted the apology. In the days that follow the press start circling like vultures; harassing her at work and at home; then Beaks turns up and starts shouting that he wants to talk.
Trudy, the officer who originally worked the case is trying to help Ellen but has been ordered to stop doing so by Castillo who thinks she has become too emotionally involved. After the harassment has gone on a little while Ellen recalls the end of the TV programme where the presenter states that the next episode will be talking about mercenaries and whether they are just assassins... she goes out and buys a copy of 'American Mercenary' magazine and calls up the advertisers until one says he will deal with Beaks. Trudy sees the magazine with the circled adverts and tells the team even though she doesn't believe Ellen would do such a thing. After an attack on Beaks which he survives the team end up trying to protect him while tracking down the people who advertised in the magazine.
This was a decent episode, if a little bit melodramatic at time. It is hard to believe the media could get away with treating a rape victim like that; I can only hope that this was for dramatic effect and that couldn't really have happened even back then. The action was limited to a shootout at the end but there were a decent number of tense moments when it looks as if Beaks was going to try something. It was nice to see one of the secondary team members, namely Trudy, take centre stage for a change; it reminds us that the vice squad isn't just Crockett and Tubbs although they, along with Gina and Switek do have a role to play in the case. Overall I'd say it was an average episode by 'Miami Vice' standards; not great but certainly worth watching.
Trudy, the officer who originally worked the case is trying to help Ellen but has been ordered to stop doing so by Castillo who thinks she has become too emotionally involved. After the harassment has gone on a little while Ellen recalls the end of the TV programme where the presenter states that the next episode will be talking about mercenaries and whether they are just assassins... she goes out and buys a copy of 'American Mercenary' magazine and calls up the advertisers until one says he will deal with Beaks. Trudy sees the magazine with the circled adverts and tells the team even though she doesn't believe Ellen would do such a thing. After an attack on Beaks which he survives the team end up trying to protect him while tracking down the people who advertised in the magazine.
This was a decent episode, if a little bit melodramatic at time. It is hard to believe the media could get away with treating a rape victim like that; I can only hope that this was for dramatic effect and that couldn't really have happened even back then. The action was limited to a shootout at the end but there were a decent number of tense moments when it looks as if Beaks was going to try something. It was nice to see one of the secondary team members, namely Trudy, take centre stage for a change; it reminds us that the vice squad isn't just Crockett and Tubbs although they, along with Gina and Switek do have a role to play in the case. Overall I'd say it was an average episode by 'Miami Vice' standards; not great but certainly worth watching.
