Some shows change television forever. Anthologies have never been the same since The Twilight Zone, the modern sitcom owes a lot to I Love Lucy, and puzzle-box mysteries all had to step up their game after Lost. But sometimes, a show’s influence on the medium is more subtle, like Roots quietly championing long-form storytelling or The Wire redefining grounded realism on TV by exploring uncomfortable topics within a crime drama setup.
Speaking of crime dramas with unforgettable legacies, Miami Vice (1984–1990) also left a massive cultural imprint. Although the NBC show did nothing novel in terms of storytelling, Miami Vice’s use of striking pastel shades and frenetic camera work made it stand out from genre fare. If you’ve been meaning to check this groundbreaking series out, there’s good news: All five seasons of Miami Vice are now available to stream for free on Tubi.
What is Miami Vice about?
Miami Vice follows detective sergeants James “Sonny” Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), who team up to fight crime — and do so in style. Crockett and Tubbs are supported by a core cast and a revolving door of guest stars, including the likes of Laurence Fishburne, Viggo Mortensen, Ben Stiller, Bruce Willis, and Liam Neeson, among others. Following a case-of-the-week format, Miami Vice keeps things fairly lighthearted in the initial seasons, but turns darker and more cynical as Crockett and Tubbs explore the seedy underbelly of crime and corruption in the neon-tinted streets of Miami.
Miami Vice is essentially Crockett’s show. Johnson brings a rugged charm to the effortlessly aloof “lone wolf” routine, a trait that is offset by the smooth, likable Tubbs, who is more world-weary than he lets on. Together, they are forced to accept the systemic failure at the root of the justice system, as Crockett and Tubbs often run into corrupt cops and cracks in the law enforcement machinery.
There’s a startling amount of moral ambiguity at play here, as these detectives constantly operate within grey areas. Some cases venture beyond the fixed categories of “right” and “wrong,” and often, ethical lines need to be crossed to maintain their covers. This is also why many episodes reject the “happily-ever-after” template in favor of a more ambiguous ending where characters do not experience catharsis of any kind.
Miami Vice paved the path for a distinct neon-tinted aesthetic across mediums
Stylized violence is a staple for every Miami Vice episode. These segments were shot with great visual flair, evoking comparisons to MTV music videos of the time in terms of style and tone. Michael Mann (Heat), who served as one of the show’s executive producers (and later adapted it into an acclaimed feature film), helped flesh out that signature look, including the trendsetting pastel shades and neon tints that dominate the show.
This might feel underwhelming by today’s standards, but Miami Vice injected flamboyance into the crime procedural genre like never before. The show looked like nothing that aired on TV in the late 1980s, especially in combination with an increasingly bleak tone that explored the rot of urban isolation.
While Miami Vice is chock-full of intriguing characters, the city of Miami emerges as a sentient entity in itself. The South Beach in Miami Beach served as a beautiful (and often run-down) backdrop, eventually leading to real-life renovations of structures that were modeled on the Art Deco style. These locales were paired with pop soundtracks and fast-paced editing, allowing Miami to come alive as a lucrative tourist spot due to the show’s enduring appeal and popularity. This impact also lends itself to fashion, as the show’s tendency to linger on Crockett and Tubbs’ linen shirts, loose-fitting blazers, and statement jewelry shaped menswear over the decades.
Miami Vice is a must-watch for anyone who loved playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, as the video game recreates the show’s neon-soaked aesthetic while drawing inspiration from its crime-centered storylines. Even if you’ve never played Vice City, the show does a remarkable job of making you root for the magnetic duo at its center. As Crockett and Tubbs keep navigating their stressful jobs by bending the rules, these risks make Miami Vice feel much more substantial than a flashy procedural about suave-looking detectives. The depth, after all, can be found in the details.
Miami Vice is streaming on Tubi.