Miami Vice (TV Series) Yankee Dollar (1986) User Reviews

Great episode with a great villain

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 21 November 2009]

This excellent episode opens tragically when Sonny picks his girl friend up at the airport and soon after he drops her off she collapses, he rushes her to hospital but it is too late, she dies of a massive drugs overdose. It turns out she wasn't a user but a courier who had swallowed a sample bag to smuggle it into the country.

They arrest her brother who tells them the man they want is one Charlie Glide a man clever enough to have avoided the police's notice. He is also clever enough to realise Crockett and Tubbs are police when they try to get him to broker a deal... unfortunately for him he didn't suspect they'd pay him with counterfeit money so they still have a charge against him. Of course he is more than happy to deal, but can he be trusted? As one would expect from Miami Vice there is plenty of action including an explosion and a shoot out to go with the sharp dialogue and sharper suits. Ned Eisenberg does a good job as the Teflon dealer Charlie Glide.

One of the strongest openings to any "Vice" episode

[DVD_Connoisseur · 9/10 · 12 August 2007]

Without a shadow of a doubt, "Yankee Dollar" has one of the most unexpected and memorable openings to any "Miami Vice" tale. Ably directed by Aaron Lipstadt, this is a classic episode. There's drama, action and excitement in equal measure as Crockett and Tubbs set out to catch the dealers behind Sarah Davis' death.

The pretty Audrey Matson has only short screen-time as Crockett's ill fated girlfriend. "Vice" favourite Ned Eisenberg plays the slippery Charlie Glide and Austin Pendleton appears as Glide's sidekick, Max Rogo.

The music in this episode is by Mike + The Mechanics, Russ Ballard, Pablo Cadena and Jimmy Cliff.

9 out of 10.

Guest villains raise the value of this 'Dollar'

[Fluke_Skywalker · 7/10 · 24 September 2016]

Plot; A lover of Crockett's dies from an overdose when a baggie containing the cocaine she was smuggling suddenly bursts inside her. A grieving Crockett then makes it his mission to track down those responsible and bring them to justice.

Even at its worst Miami Vice is a slick and sumptuous bit of eye candy, but this episode looks flat and feels clunky at times, as if it were edited by an amateur or else under extreme duress. Even Don Johnson seems stuck in second gear in a story tailor made for one of his Crockett in revenge mode performances. Despite this it largely works, thanks in no small part to great guest work from Ned Eisenberg as the villain of the week (the aptly named Charlie Glide) and Austin Pendleton as his harried assistant. These two aren't your standard Vice baddies, and their fresh takes help spackle over the episode's many cracks.

Vintage MV

[trentj101 · 2 March 2007]

Quintessential MV. The last 10 minutes consist of what has become staples of MV. Quick flash editing, extended music store, free cuts and of course the Miami locales. This episode does not consist of the greatest plot as it revolves around a love interest of Don Johnson's, however, this episode is a must-see for fans of this series or for people who wonder why this series was so groundbreaking. Definitely Miami has the Miami Vice look 100%. I have said this before and It bears to be said again. There are very few shows from the 80's that do not feel outdated , almost comical by today's standards, and MV is the leader if that club. Great series. Very good episode.

Starts out very strong

[Mr-Fusion · 6/10 · 15 April 2016]

Man, does Crockett know how to pick 'em. This time, he's dating a girl who o.d.'s on a drug sample she's muling for some slimy venture capitalist. And they brought Ned Eisenberg back from last season to play the guy, so you know the producers liked him. And he works. This episode is memorable mostly for how dark the opening is. Oddly enough, once our heroes go undercover, it starts to fizzle a bit. Throw in a Peruvian drug dealer and a widowed financier and we start to get away from the tragedy that was Crockett's love life.

It's kinda cool to see the Vice squad bend the rules to outsmart an uncommonly slippery prey. Anbd it's not the worst of Season 2 (by far), but there are better.

Well okay episode.

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 4 August 2018]

Well Yankee Dollar is not a classic episode, but entertaining. Crockett's girlfriend dies from drugs which involves a drug middleman. What makes Yankee Dollar interesting is the guest characters. All are slime, and play their roles in a similar believable way! Crockett is outraged, with the anger which drives the character's role. Crockett is the jaded Vice cop who has seen too much in Yankee Dollar! Whatever, Crockett has done the Glide character just slims out of the fix. There is humor, strong acting and plot twists in Yankee Dollar. Not a classic but above average. 7 out 10.