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mitochondriaandbunnies · 3 months

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Miami Vice S1E18: The Maze

Tubbs is sent undercover to save hostages in an abandoned hotel.

This is absolutely one of those Vice episodes where you are given two versions of the truth and are asked to be discerning enough to realize which one is real. Vice likes doing this a lot with music-- you see something happening on screen that's contradicted by lyrics or musical tone, and you have to figure out if what you're seeing is the lie or whether it's what you're hearing. In The Maze, we are presented with a spoken truth (some people aren't "good enough" to be cops, the world is hard and dangerous, a kid with a gun can't be thought of as a kid ever again) and a witnessed truth (a "bad cop" is suffers no consequences because he's a cop, people you think of as disposable or even frightening are worth protecting, a kid with a gun may be dangerous but that doesn't make him not a child) to striking, devastating effect. There's a distinct sense in this episode that our protagonists are playing proscribed black and white roles in a drama they're not quite ready to see shades of gray in yet-- later in the series their disenchantment with the justice system will come, but in this point in the series, they don't quite see what we, the audience see.

I started this one thinking "it's always weird seeing other cops outside of the main squad," and then one of them immediately died

Womp womp

The two "new" cops, Tim and Dickie, are talking about how they finally made some "real arrests," and how they usually can't get charges to stick because something-something-the-law, and that it's because of guys like them that the area they're in is starting to get "cleaned up"

Immediately Sonny and Rico correct them, very gently explaining the concept of community organizing, and pointing out that whatever "clean up" they've seen happen recently has nothing to do with the cops and everything to do with the people who live here deciding to stand up for themselves and invest in their neighborhoods

This is the thesis of the episode

From here on in it becomes a split between Tim's tough-on-crime view (what's said) and Sonny and Rico's maybe-heavier-policing-isn't-the-answer view (what's shown)

The dancing guy, Pepe, is played by a choreographer known by the real-world name of Shabba-Doo

Sonny pours water on him because Sonny is an asshole

There is a scene in which Switek offers Zito lunch while Zito tries to pick up a woman through the window of the bug van; both of them tell the other they're "pitching" and I. I have questions

Tim, the asshole cop whose partner got shot, suggests that the best way to catch the criminals that killed Dickie is to just go into a building full of squatters guns blazing, random innocents be damned

Sonny glares at him like he is a leopard and Tim is a plate of ground beef

They decide to, instead, send Tubbs undercover in to see if he can clear the squatters out and get them to safety before they go after the Escobars. In order to do this they dress Tubbs up as the world's most beautiful filthy transient. He looks like he should play Jesus in a modern version of Jesus Christ Superstar

It should be mentioned that the ~*scary dangerous building*~ the homeless people and the Escobars are in is a dilapidated hotel owned by a rich white guy who's on the phone about golf when we meet him, and it turns out the only thing really scary about it is that the people inside are living in terrible conditions because they are poor. In case, y'know, other parts of the episode weren't already clear enough on the whole "maybe the system is broken, actually" angle.

After Tubbs is in the hotel for approximately three and a half minutes, Tim charges across the street with his gun because it's "ridiculous" that this is "taking so long"

He completely ruins the operation and causes an immediate gunfight between the police and the Escobars to break out; Tubbs and the rest of the squatters are taken hostage as a result. Tim is not punished for this-- Castillo says that if he "didn't need every man," Tim would be sent home, but that's it.

Let's be very clear, this is a perfect example of why the whole "one bad apple ruins the whole bunch" thing is 100% true about the police

You get one Tim the Asshole on your squad and people fucking die

Actor Joe Morton, who I best know as Henry Deacon from Eureka, but who others may know better as the SkyNet Scientist from Terminator 2, plays hostage negotiator Jack Davis. He has a big ol' stick up his ass, but he's kind of hot anyway?

Sonny smokes like twelve cigarettes in the course of about 3 minutes, and then goes outside because he can't stand to look at Tim any longer. Castillo makes an attempt to comfort him in his extremely Castillo way (he's the one who says the Escobars, who are a bunch of teenagers, "stopped stopped being kids when they started using guns"), which does not seem to calm Sonny down much. He tells him the best thing he can do for Tubbs is "be cool," and then there's a lovely little match on Sonny's face and Rico's face, both looking off to the side, both looking worried.

The graffiti in this episode slays me

666 is COMIN

Why ME

Rico plays with the child hostages, and a teenage girl dances to the music playing inside her head. I genuinely feel like this is one of the saddest episodes of Vice-- we see the squalid conditions these people are forced to live in, they're humanized and made very real feeling, even if they don't have many lines, and you know that even if they all get out alive, nothing good is going to come of it, because they've been living illegally inside an unused building and the police will have to remove them, leaving them all completely homeless. There are multiple shots throughout the episode of the beach-- its crystal blue water, the sun, the pristine sand, palm trees-- through the broken windows of the collapsing hotel. The squatters are bereft in an ostensible paradise, completely disconnected from the glamorous world outside their crumbling walls.

Sonny suggests that they pinpoint the exact location of the hostages; Tim asks why they should bother when it was the hostages who "got them into this."

Yes Tim

Definitely not you, fuckwad

When Davis negotiates to let the small children hostages go, Jaime, one of the Escobars, argues with one of the older boys that "they're just kids," and that they should do as the police said and let them free. Jaime appears to be about fourteen.

Sonny insists he go in to find the hostages; Davis stands behind him shaking his head no at Castillo. Sonny goes in to find the hostages. He climbs over a fence and through a hole in the wall in his loafers and chinos.

When Sonny figures out where the hostages are located, they send in what appears to be the entire national guard of Florida. The Escobars, it should be noted, are five teenagers.

At the end of the episode, approximately twenty adult men with machine guns point their weapons at one teenage boy. He breaks down in tears and falls to the ground, because no matter what Castillo said, he is ultimately a frightened child.

The episode ends on a freeze frame of Sonny and Rico looking at each other, silent, with the darkening blue sky behind them.

#miami vice #miami vice s1 #s1e18 #the maze #sonny crockett #rico tubbs #martin castillo #my gifs

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ashandalder · 6 months

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Non-Spoilery Miami Vice Fic List - Season 1

One of my offerings for Miami Vice day is a reclist of sorts. When I first started watching, I immediately wanted to dive into ALL the fic. However, when stepping into a fandom that is 40 years old, avoiding major spoilers, while also finding things to read, can be a challenge. My go to in these situations are usually episode tags, because, for obvious reasons, those tend to only focus on the characters up and to that point. That said, even looking for these is fraught with the opportunity to be spoiled, and I was, a bit, in the process.

So, for anyone just starting to watch, or considering doing so, here is a selection of fics for season 1 against the episode they relate to. This is a non exhaustive list which I am still adding to as I find and read more. And if I missed any, particularly those that don’t have a home on AO3 but exist in the vast wilds of live-journal or the wayback machine, saved from Yahoo Groups, or even beyond, and someone knows of them, shout in the comments.

I’ll post the same for season 2 also, and another for non episode specific but also non spoilery fics.

Season 1

Milk Run (1-13)

Ghosts Of My Past by MorganaNK

Reward by swayingwires

The Golden Triangle (1-14 & 1-15)

Tequila Sunrise by Library_of_SKGates

Bacardi 151 by JBC_Saigon_Moon

Smuggler’s blues (1-16)

Cartagena Blues by JBC_Saigon_Moon

Liminal Blues by JBC_Saigon_Moon

Made For Each Other (1-19)

Something Nice for Harriet by Oddmonster(LJ)

Ashes in a Goldfish Bowl by bitochondria

Evan (1-22)

Crumbling Comfort by TheLemonrevenge

Healing and Forgiveness by Library_of_SKGates

Gas Station Confessional by bitochondria

#Miami Vice #Fic Recs #Episode Tags #Miami Vice Fic #Miami Vice Fic Recs #Sonny Crockett #Ricardo Tubbs #Larry Zito #Gina Calabrese #Trudy Joplin #Martin Castillo #Miami Vice Season 1 #Tubbs/Crockett #Miami Vice Day 2023

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red-hot-moon · 1 year

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Me when my boss tells me oh, by the way, I’ve pulled a few strings to get your impounded Ferrari back,

#a normal reaction to have #why are you blushing and giggling as if you were just asked out on a date??? inquiring minds want to know #the best part is that in the next scene he's like Rico I missed that car as much as I'd miss you if you went back to NY #sonny pls #miami bi's #miami vice #sonny crockett #martin castillo #don johnson #edward james olmos #red hot gifs

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oceluna · 2 years

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#Miami Vice #mvedit #james sonny crockett #sonny crockett #rico tubbs #ricardo tubbs #martin castillo #edit #mine #ocelunagifs #ocelunaedit #don johnson #philip michael thomas #edward james olmos

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detectiverickitubbs · 2 years

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Tubbs sitting on Castillo’s bookshelf like it was made for sitting on and Crockett sitting with his feet up on Castillo’s desk. I have no words for how much I love this.

#Muse: Tubbs #Rico Tubbs #Sonny Crockett #Lt Castillo #Castillo #Martin castillo #Ricki Tubbs #Miami Vice #my screencaps #ep: out where the buses don't run

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the-herdier · 2 years

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Crockett: "In my defense, I was left unsupervised."

Castillo: "Wasn't Tubbs with you?"

Tubbs: "In my defense, I was also left unsupervised."

#incorrect quotes #incorrect miami vice quotes #ricardo tubbs #sonny crockett #martin castillo

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alverrann · 9 months

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Kitty!Tubbs

No one asked for this, and possibly no one wanted it, but I've been writing a bunch of useless Miami Vice clips and this one is too cute not to share.

In this, I have turned Tubbs into a cat. This particular clip is from the middle of whatever conceivable story would be written around it, because writing middle clips is far easier than writing beginnings or endings, lol.

Anyway. It isn't my best work, but it's also a cat!fic, so I'm somewhat unapologetic. If you do happen to have any questions about this ridiculous AU I'd be happy to answer them, and in the meantime, enjoy!

---

It didn’t take long for attention to be drawn when Sonny walked into the office, a fluffy and extraordinarily dirty cat following at his heels. Any distraction was better than the somber mood that had dominated the office since his partner's disappearance, though, and it was uncommon for an animal to get in. Most eyes went to Castillo’s office, but Zito spoke up with a smile, “You’ve decided to adopt?”

“Somethin’ like that.” Sonny wasn’t about to tell them that the cat was Tubbs. That would land him in even worse trouble than his partner, and neither of them could afford that.

“He’s adorable!” Gina stopped to crouch next to Tubbs, who looked as though he didn’t know what to do about her incoming hands. In the end he merely stayed there as she scratched his head. “But he needs a bath.” Then, to a panicked and extra fluffy Tubbs' surprise, Gina was picking him up, “I wonder how he and Elvis will get along.” Tubbs seemed to be frozen in panic, indecision in his eyes, and Sonny couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him.

“He doesn’t really like to be held, Gina.”

“Oh, but he’s hurt, poor thing!” She had twisted him a little and Crockett felt his blood run cold when he spotted the large gash on his partner’s underbelly. How had he missed that before? “He must have been in some kind of fight!”

“Gina, put 'im down before he scratches you.” Trudy was shaking her head, and Switek grinned,

“At least put him down before the Lieutenant sees him; Sonny brought 'im in, Sonny can deal with the consequences.

Crockett might have laughed, but now he was just staring at his partner, determined to get a look at the gash. It had scabbed over, but it looked awful. And now that Gina mentioned it, Tubbs did look terrible. It had been almost a full half hour since he’d discovered and accepted that the stray cat from the crime scene was Tubbs, and now he was coming away from the shock of it enough to realize that his partner was not a healthy cat. “Here, quit manhandlin’ him.” He reached out and took Tubbs from her, pulling him back into his arms, where he knew he was safe.

“Have you decided on a name for him yet?” Gina asked, still concerned with Tubbs, whom Sonny gently deposited on his desk.

“Naw, not yet.” Crockett only had eyes for his partner, who immediately began nosing his way through the files that Crockett had left there earlier.

“Hey, he’s a regular detective, look at ‘im go!” Zito laughed, “You should call ‘im Sherlock!”

“Would that make Sonny 'Watson?'” Switek got in on the joke as well, but the mood was killed when Castillo's voice interrupted.

“Crockett.”

Everyone froze, looking over at the lieutenant. Castillo was standing at the entrance to his office, as severe-looking as ever, but his eyes were on the cat. Tubbs had frozen as well, crouching lower on Sonny’s desk over the files that he had been going through.

“Look, I can explain-”

"My office. Now." Castillo walked back through his door, and Crockett realized that all eyes were on him. When he met their gazes they all looked away, leaving him feeling almost exposed. He turned around at a soft meow, and met Tubbs' eyes.

His partner may have been a cat, but when Tubbs looked meaningfully at Castillo's office, Sonny knew what he was asking.

"Don't worry about it, pal. I'll think of something." He spoke softly, aware that he already looked crazy enough without talking to the cat. "Do you have what you need?"

Tubbs looked down at the desk, his tail twitching, and then pawed at the top drawer. Sonny opened it and Tubbs nodded.

"All right, hang tight. I'll be back." He turned towards Castillo's office just in time for everyone to focus on their work and pretend that they hadn't been listening. He didn't say anything, heading straight to Castillo as he frantically tried to come up with a reason for the cat that wasn't the truth.

When he got into the office Sonny closed the door behind him, meeting Castillo's gaze as calmly as possible. The Lieutenant was standing in front of his desk, hands in his pockets, unblinking eyes pinning Sonny where he stood.

"What have you found?"

Out of everything that the lieutenant might have said, Sonny hadn't expected that question at all. "What have I found?"

"You've been working on this case non-stop since Tubbs disappeared; this is the first time I've seen you in the office during decent hours in three days."

Sonny wasn't sure how he felt at the assessment, but he had a feeling that Tubbs would have laughed - or at least smiled. "That cat was at the crime scene, Marty." He began, not quite sure yet where he was going, but at least certain that Castillo was in a forgiving mood.

"I remember. It got into the squad car."

"Well it turned up at the boat this morning. By itself." Castillo's eyebrow twitched, and Sonny forged ahead. "I think-" He stopped himself before telling the truth. He couldn't, could he? He glanced out at Tubbs. Who had somehow managed to pull out one of the files, and was staring down at it intently. Many of the Vice team had stopped and were openly watching, and Sonny decided that the risk was worth it. If Castillo was on their side then things would be much easier. "Lieutenant, could I show you?"

Castillo followed Sonny's gaze. "The cat?"

"Yeah. The cat." Sonny waited until Castillo nodded to open the door, watching as Tubbs looked up from the file. His partner meowed, pawing the paper, and Sonny headed over quickly to look at it.

Tubbs looked almost smug as Sonny's brow furrowed. "Lazard? That hokey sideshow?" A quiet hiss came from his partner and he gently took the file from under Tubbs' paws. "All right, okay, I'm sorry. I believe you." He sat on his desk for a moment, meeting his partner's eyes and lowering his voice to a murmur. "Listen, I think Castillo will believe us."

Tubbs pulled back with a hiss, his ears folding back and Sonny shook his head.

"Not your call, man. I'm the one doing the talking, but I'll need help."

Tubbs' tail had begun to twitch, and Sonny held up his hands in surrender.

"Please?"

For a long moment Tubbs glared, then he hopped off of the desk, heading for Castillo’s office on his own. Sonny got up to follow, tucking the slightly chewed-on file under his arm.

At this point most of the other people in the office were staring openly. Sonny ignored them, closing the door behind himself when he reentered Castillo's office. Castillo was staring at Tubbs, who was sitting on the floor a few feet in front of him. He looked up at Sonny after a moment. "Tell me about the cat."

Tubbs gave Sonny a meaningful look, and Sonny steeled himself for what he was about to do. If Castillo decided that he'd cracked then it was all over. He bent over and picked up Tubbs, who meowed with alarm as Sonny put him on Castillo's desk. He murmured an apology before turning back towards the lieutenant—who was clearly not a fan of having a cat on his desk—but seemed willing to hear the explanation.

"All right, I know this is gonna sound ridiculous, but I swear it's true." Sonny began, stopping when a small paw swatted his hand where he was leaning on the desk. Tubbs' expression was that of disapproval, and Sonny surmised that his partner disliked how he was explaining things. He forged ahead anyway, knowing that if he didn't say it right then then he never would. "This cat is Rico Tubbs."

Silence descended on the room as Castillo stared, not even asking for clarification. Sonny didn't wait for more than a few seconds before he continued.

"Someone turned him into a cat; I don't know how, but I do know that he showed up at the Miamarina this morning, which means he walked all the way there from the crime scene." He held up his hands to stop anything Castillo might have said, "Now before you put me away just watch this." He turned to his partner, "Rico?" Tubbs nodded, and so he continued, feeling ridiculous. "Were you turned into a cat?" Another nod. "Who did it?" Sonny knew that the question was open ended, but hoped that his partner would know what to do. Tubbs gave a small meow, reaching to paw at the file under Sonny's arm.

Sonny obliged him by putting the file down next to Rico, closed. Rico gave him a light glare, and then clumsily bit the edge of the top flap and pulled the file open, before resting his paw right on top of Lazard’s picture with a self-satisfied purr. Sonny looked over at Castillo, who appeared unmoved. The lieutenant took a step forward and Tubbs tapped Lazard’s photo again with another meow.

“Lazard?” Castillo asked, and Tubbs nodded. Castillo kept his eyes on Tubbs for several seconds of silence, then he finally said. "Are you all right?"

Tubbs made a dramatic show of looking down at himself, and then shrugged. Sonny had never seen a cat shrug before, and sort of hoped that he never had to again, but he wasn't about to let his partner get off with the lie. "He's got a pretty nasty cut, but it looks like its healin'."

Castillo looked at Tubbs, who glared at Sonny. Then he said, "Has he eaten?"

"I don't know." It was another thing that Sonny hadn't even considered. "Have you eaten anything in the past three days, man?"

Tubbs turned to the side to nod, almost like he was embarrassed or ashamed, and Crockett frowned.

"Take the rest of the day off." Castillo said, and Sonny looked over in surprise. "Go eat and get cleaned up, and we'll work on finding Lazard."

Tubbs seemed annoyed, but while Sonny understood why, he really wanted to take a look at the gash and make sure that Tubbs was all right.

"I'll expect you both in office tomorrow morning." Castillo walked around to sit at his desk, clearly dismissing them. "Call if anything else happens."

#miami vice #ricardo tubbs #sonny crockett #crack fic #fanfiction #my fanfic #just a clip #I was picturing Tubbs as a LaPerm cat #very fluffy #very cute #if Sonny is a puppy or a doggo kinda guy #Tubbs is definitely a kitty-cat #kitty!Tubbs

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doesnotloveyou · 8 months

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the best parts of MV continue to be the moments where they have the extremely iconic masculine characters both question and defy toxic masculine norms. for example,

both Rico and Sonny show compassion and sometimes even affection for each other

both Rico and Sonny show it's okay to cry and be vulnerable, and that you shouldn't be mocked for it

both Rico and Sonny treat sex workers as fellow human beings who deserve respect and protection (sidenote: i think the undercover cops relate to the hookers because both jobs require putting on a persona under potentially dangerous circumstances)

Sonny regrets not backing up a friend who came out as gay because he was young and didn't know what to do

Sonny regrets not standing up for a high school classmate who was sexually assaulted and then demeaned behind her back, again because he was young and didn't know what to do

Sonny barely holds back his rage against a man who emotionally abuses his wife

Sonny barely holds back his rage against all abusers, including the couple who exploited a 13yo runaway for their own benefit

Sonny does, for the most part, hold back his rage or seek counsel from a male friend to calm him down (his anger issues needed more attention in the writing imo)

Rico approaches difficult circumstances with calm compassion and a positive mental attitude

Rico makes it clear it is never okay for an adult man to have a sexual interest in teenage girls even when they are asking for it

Rico also makes it clear that a hypersexual teenage girl does not deserve less respect for acting that way

Sonny is continuously nonplussed by LGBTQ people, treating them as equals, and rolling his eyes at cishet who don't like it

Sonny is emotionally devastated over every teenage boy who doesn't make it out of a bad situation

Castillo is gentler with female officers, female victims, and is proud of his wife for marrying again and finding happiness

actually, the biggest deal to me is this reoccuring theme of "forgive yourself for not knowing better at the time."

For instance, Sonny doesn't seem to know how to handle Gina's rape, but in a later season when she is avidly hunting down a friend's rapist Sonny jumps at the opportunity to chase the man down and be extra aggressive. Then in other instances where sexual assault is a topic, Sonny has stronger opinions and stronger reactions. So part of his character is that he learns, but it's usually the hard way and he tends to overcorrect.

#miami vice #dnly tv #dnly rants #sonny crockett #crockett and tubbs #martin castillo #ricardo tubbs #there are messages that are weird or i just don't understand #like the theme of having sons but not raising them #is it bc the main characters are too messed up to raise children?#or keep a wife? or? huh?#then ofc the misogyny that is definitely still there #the female characters are hookers or secretaries even when they are supposed to be police #gina and trudy start out dressing 'in costume' for work #and end up wearing street walker getups 24/7 #and abusing gina seems to be a thing the writers enjoyed #she was never allowed to have a lover other than sonny #even after he cheated on her twice #THAT was a weird thing to just breeze past #anyway the soap opera vibes ruined it #but it had good bones in the beginning #tw rape mention

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yodeleyewho · 6 months

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Happy Halloween

#the rest will come either tonight or tomorrow #happy halloween #miami vice #sonny crockett #don johnson #rico tubbs #80s #philip michael thomas #lt castillo #martin castillo #vampire #catholic priest #kill bill

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mitochondriaandbunnies · 23 days

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Miami Vice S1E19: The Home Invaders

Vice helps Sonny's mentor investigate a rash of violent robberies.

A heavy, methodical, paranoid episode* with a surprisingly non-devastating ending and a lot of Castillo doing very serious detective work-- The Home Invaders is another Vice classic, and also a great Crockett & Castillo episode

The Squad is roped into a robbery case in the middle of the night (Gina seems bright-eyed and bushy-tailed-- the rest of them are in various states of decay); a series of homes have been broken into and their residents not only robbed but violently assaulted

There's no Tubbs in this episode, which is explained by an offhand comment from Trudy-- he's in New York "sipping champagne with Valerie," which bothers the hell out of me, because last time we saw her she was going to jail for murder. Next time we see her we learn Sonny pulled some strings to get her exonerated (which... okay. Fine. I don't actually buy it, for a number of reasons, but I do understand why you'd want to get Pam Grier back), but at this point it just seems like a major oversight, like they forgot how the last Val episode ended

When the squad is pulled in to help, we learn that Sonny's old mentor is leading the investigation. Sonny is thrilled to see him and clearly still is harboring a bit of hero worship. Martin is significantly less impressed, looking through the files from the robbery department and asking, essentially: okay, but do you actually have any... clues? This becomes a running theme, and Sonny has to navigate a My Parents Are Divorced situation because of it-- his mentor doesn't actually seem to be doing a very good job with the investigation, but Castillo-- who is incapable of tact on this topic-- is his current boss, and someone he has developed a lot of loyalty to.

Trans Flag Sonny

The episode involves scenes where the robbers are doing the robbery (with faces hidden, violent and unknowable and terrifying), which are really well done and raise the tension and stakes to genuinely uncomfortable levels. However, there are also scenes where they show the robbers plotting, and to be honest I think the episode would've been better without those. This episode is by no means a treatise on the nature of criminality, so by turning them from almost a force of nature into "a couple of chuckling guys talking about money," it just makes them... less scary? (And I think there's a sense early on that Sonny's mentor might be corrupt-- once we meet the titular home invaders, it becomes fairly clear that he's not involved in the crime, he's just phoning it in. I think that extra bit of tension could've been really good!)

This is such a good Castillo episode, partially because it really establishes the dichotomy of how good he is at his job vs. how weird he is and how iffy his social skills are. Castillo will solve the case! But he will absolutely not make eye contact with anyone as he does so. The moment where he and Sonny sit in the car and Castillo just... literally does not move for about a minute is fantastic, and there's another scene that's all cuts between Sonny out pounding the pavement and Castillo... reading. Reading every file ever. Endlessly reading files forever. That is just so emblematic of their two characters. I swear at one point he drinks a random drink he finds on the bar-- he is odd! Insanely competent, but odd.

Sonny realizes Castillo is right, but he does not want to be his babysitter-- he spends a lot of this episode sighing and furrowing his brow and trying to apologize to Malone (his mentor) even though he is actually suspicious of his ability to run this case-- Sonny is very charming, but he actually does not have the emotional wherewithal or bandwidth to play go-between for those two. (There is a scene where Sonny and Marty both ask Malone a bunch of initially gentle and then increasingly dire questions and Malone just..... stops making eye contact, too.)

Gina is sent to the hairdressers to investigate a possible link between victims, and has a really well-done sequence where she is carefully watching everyone in the salon (to the tune of Sheila E.'s The Glamorous Life-- which I always think is a Vanity song, and then I always think about the fact that Prince wanted to name Vanity "Vagina"). It's not only a well-shot and choreographed sequence, but also one where Gina mirrors both Sonny and Castillo-- it's an episode with a lot of watching and looking, and the three of them all get a really lovely opportunity to show off their actual detective skills. Sonny watches the streets and looks for clues there, Castillo watches the actions of the robbery division and looks for clues in files, and Gina watches people, looking for behavioral hints that could help them get to the heart of the case.

Trudy is not given much to do in this one, which is a bummer, because she is also super-extra hot this week. Otherwise it's also a really good "the whole team working together" episode, too.

I do like this episode but there's a bit of mean-spiritedness towards both the sex workers that help them narrow down their suspects and the older woman who is a potential victim-- it's all a little too victim-blamey and ha-ha-women-are-frivolous for my tastes.

So, Sonny has a number of "person I have hero worship feelings about" episodes, and every other one ends with that person being swallowed up by the job and either dying or letting the system turn them bad. Malone, on the other hand, makes amends with Castillo, realizes and admits he's been phoning it in, decides to retire because of that, tells Sonny what he's doing and why, and then goes and eats lunch with Vice Squad. He's the only person in the whole series who shows Sonny that sometimes you need to say goodbye, and gives him an example of what it looks like when you do it on your own terms. Given the ending of the series, Malone may in fact be the true hero of Miami Vice-- he literally says to Sonny "let me show you when it's time for you to put your gun on the shelf," and when the time comes, Sonny also manages to walk away.

Also Castillo/Malone remarriage for the sake of their son arc?

*Re: the home invasion plot and sense of paranoia-- there's a bunch of S3 episodes that basically are just Dick Wolf saying "hey, what if we redo the plot of a S1 episode but worse and with more police brutality," but there's another paranoid home invasion episode in S3 (Shadow in the Dark) that is so good it almost makes The Home Invaders seem a little tame by comparison. It's probably the only "plot retread" episode I actually like just a smidge better than the "original." Nonetheless, this is still a great episode.

#miami vice #miami vice s1 #the home invaders #s1e20 #sonny crockett #martin castillo #gina calabrese #my gifs

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ashandalder · 6 months

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Non-Spoilery Miami Vice Fic List - Season 2

As explained in my previous post this is meant as a useful tool if, like me, you like to read fic as you watch a new show rather than waiting till you finish all five seasons, and are keen to avoid major spoilers.

Season 2

The Dutch Oven (2-4)

Not Like a Painting by bitochondria

Tale of the Goat (2-7)

Unnecessary Medicine by bitochondria

the right feelings by silver_and_exact

Why Didn't They Listen by Paula Cas (PaulaCas)

Bushido (2-8)

So Little Time by Cat_Moon

Re-Play by bittenfeld

Warfarin, Eggs, and Chase & Sanborn by bitochondria

Adventures in Microwave Sales by bitochondria

Not Episode Specific but set prior to season 3

Disturbing the Peace by Oddmonster (LJ link)

#Miami Vice #Miami Vice Fic List #Miami Vice Season 2 #Episode Tags #Miami Vice Day 2023 #Miami Vice Fic #Miami Vice Fic Recs #Sonny Crockett #Ricardo Tubbs #Larry Zito #Gina Calabrese #Trudy Joplin #Martin Castillo #Tubbs/Crockett

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olderthannetfic · 2 years

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Rhodey/Tony ship being less popular! I did a quick search and saw something about the actor change, which is super valid; I'm interested in hearing more too, tbh. If you're open to talking about it, of course. If not, feel free to ignore this. :)

I don't mind at all.

I'm a big fan of a number of ships with a black guy that were either unpopular or the less popular option. Many of them strike me as falling into fairly similar patterns, not just with the ship itself but with what the other "rival" ship is like and various other fandom dynamics.

Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs from Miami Vice are buddy cops with a super intense relationship of the kind where they spy on each other's girlfriends because they're always insanely suspicious of them and are forever ditching people the minute the other one wants something. The big ship in the zine days was Crockett/Castillo. That's partly due to Edward James Olmos being smoking hot in the 80s, but you basically never saw Castillo/Tubbs, and a lot of the comments C/C fans made were like "I don't think Tubbs cares about Crockett enough". There was a lot of coded talk about Tubbs being "full of himself", which basically means a black guy who doesn't have false modesty as a cultural value. The thing that annoyed me the most was all the C/C fics that act like they're buddy cops. If people are there for daddykink with the stern boss wrecking Crockett, I get it. (And those zine fics are extremely hot.) But to take a series with a zillion sets of buddies, including some for Castillo, ship a non-buddy ship and then go on about the buddy vibes... just... guys... have you heard yourselves???

A lot of ships where people think "Man, if he hadn't been black, this would have been huge" fall into similar patterns. The black guy is almost always the Sane Best Friend rather than the Single Perfect Tear Woobie. Plenty of ships, like Sam/Steve from MCU, further have the problem that the black guy is a side character who doesn't get the development of some of the white leads.

Tony/Rhodey strikes me as being a little different. It shares the problem of Rhodey being a side character while other white leads got a lot of development, and he's another Sane Best Friend to a compelling white hot mess, but it had some other things going on too.

Ships and fanon often form very early in a fandom's history. I know they used Rhodey some after I stopped watching, but the part of MCU I did see is where a lot of the fic trends came from for years afterwards. Iron Man 1 has some potential shipbait with Rhodey searching frantically for Tony, but all of that good shit is erased, IMO, by him being recast for the next movie. Since the majority of fic writers were just MCU fans, not comics fans, this is like a whole new character.

Maybe if he'd been styled the same and acted the same, it would have been less jarring, but IM2 Rhodey is also a dad sweater-wearing wet blanket who gets handed the humorless Nagging Babysitter role. This is not sexy. It is not shippy. Pepper got a bit of it, but she also got a lot of canon romantic development with Tony. Rhodey just got shafted.

Compare to elsewhere in MCU: Sam was presented as a hottie with a snarky sense of humor. A lot of people walked into TWS eager to see Bucky come back and walked out being more interested in Sam. It didn't lead to a ton of fic, but there was more Sam/Steve than Tony/Rhodey, and there was a lot more buzz.

Race isn't irrelevant, but Tony/Rhodey shippers crying about how racism sank their ship are just wrong. Fandom was never going to go for the unfunny babysitter over the zillions of other dynamics available.

I didn't keep up with MCU, but Sam went on to get his own buddy team up with Bucky, and Rhodey got... what? Not much that I heard about.

So yeah, I think we should lay most of the blame at canon's door relative to a case like Miami Vice or Psych.

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gi-maeve-rose · 2 years

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Rafael, however, was more or less pleasantly surprised, smiling with amusement. She was hard to forget, for sure. At first, when he saw her outside, he admittedly thought she was a collar let out on bail. She looked the part, but it was evident that looks could be deceiving. “Actually, I believe we’ve already met,” he mused, eyes never wavering from Valeria.

“You— You have?” Olivia’s brows furrowed, confused.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Thursday, May 12th, 10:02AM

Months of calm in the precinct were far and few between, but they were never unwelcome, especially after the harder cases. It was hard to want to do anything after a bad ending, no matter how many times anyone denied needing any break, but it was only ever apparent in the lack of energy in the squad room. And you just knew it was a rough patch when Carisi wasn’t even cracking any jokes. But as with anything damaged, it would only take time to fix.

And a new face never hurt. It was a little easier to forget the gloom and doom in the squad room when no one was there, but the reality always set in again when they stepped back in, but as Olivia figured, a fresh detective to train and show the ropes should busy everyone enough to keep them out of their own minds.

She stepped just outside of her office, shoulders squared, yet relaxed as she addressed her subordinates. “Hey, guys, I just want to remind you that we have a new body coming in from vice,” she reminded. “I’ll be in a one-on-one meeting with Barba when she comes in, so, Fin, I want you take charge of making sure she settles in comfortably.”

Amanda perked up at the mention of a new detective. Another woman, at that. “It’s about time,” she chirped, shifting her focus from her paperwork. “We’ve been needing more of a woman’s touch around here.”

Fin gave a glare of faux offense from across their desks. “Damn. After all this time together, that’s how you feel?” He was answered with a shrug and a grin, a smirk playing across his face.

“Do we get to know who she is or is it a surprise?” Sonny chimed in.

A blank expression laid over Olivia’s face before it fell into mild frustration and embarrassment. It was clear she needed a break, but knowing her, she wouldn’t take one unless forced. “Yeah, sorry. Her name is Valeria Castillo.”

Fin did a double take, brows raised high in disbelief. “Not that Valeria Castillo, right?”

Olivia nodded with a half grin. “That Valeria Castillo,” she confirmed before retreating back into her office.

Between her lieutenant’s and trusted partner’s knowing reactions of surprise, it was clear that this Valeria person was someone really good, or really bad. Either way, she was someone worth noting. “Wait, who’s Valeria?” Amanda asked curiously, eyes fixed on Fin, but still aware as Sonny approached to join in on conversation.

“Ten years ago, Munch and I took on a DV case,” Fin began to explain. “Sweet girl, twenty-one years old, living with her boyfriend who turned out to be a scumbag. Beat her, raped her, isolated her from friends and family. She only got the courage to report it after her mom was in rehab for the hundredth time and her baby sister had nowhere to go.”

“And she wasn’t about to have that kind’a thing around her baby sister,” Sonny assumed, confirmed by Fin by a nod of his head.

“How did that case go?”

“Smooth sailing. We avoided a trial altogether. She documented everything, left nothing out, her story was consistent. That piece of shit never knew what him.” More admirable was how Valeria now chose to make a career out of making sure other victims got their justice as well. She already fit right in with Olivia and Amanda.

“Wow,” Amanda breathed with a half smile, leaning back in her chair. “Hardened by trauma and vice? Sounds to me like we got a firecracker coming our way.” Not that it bothered her any. The distasteful thought that Valeria’s attitude would be more aimed toward men momentarily crossed her mind.

Sonny nodded, trekking over to pour himself a cup of coffee. “‘Castillo’,” he said aloud. “Sounds Puerto Rican. That might add to that firecracker attitude.”

“Did you just stereotype someone’s attitude based off their ethnicity?” Rafael only managed to catch the tail end of the conversation, mainly Sonny’s remark. “Carisi, I’m surprised at you.” Of course he knew it was only banter and Sonny didn’t mean anything bad by it. Sonny wasn’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box when it came to social propriety, but he was a good man regardless. Rafael just enjoyed busting his chops every once in a while. Seeing the usually overconfident man stutter and stumble over his words to try and save face, he dropped the scowl, letting it morph into a facetiously smug smile. He landed a heavy pat on Carisi’s back once he relaxed a bit before heading off toward Olivia’s office.

Amanda and Fin chuckled under their breaths at the exchange. “Man, you just got the worst luck,” Fin teased. “Always making a fool of yourself in front of your crush.” He laughed just a little bit harder when Sonny flipped him the bird.

•••••••••••••••

10:25AM

She just meant to have one cigarette, but she had another out of spite when that pompous prick in a pressed suit and over-gelled hair went ahead with his unsolicited comment on her first one. ‘You know those are bad for you, right?’ he’d said, flashing Valeria a smug grin. She hoped she didn’t have to work too close to whoever that jackass was.

Valeria smoked her second cigarette all the way to the filter, tossing it into the receptacle some yards away from the front door before she went in herself. Even with nicotine in her system, her nerves were on fire. The smell of the hallways, the sound of the telephones and printers, the uniforms, all brought back every piece, every memory she thought she’d repressed from a decade ago. Each step closer to the squad room admittedly terrified her, but she found a small ray of solace in knowing that Olivia Benson, her saving grace in her leap of faith, remembered her and would be there to guide her as much as she could.

The squad room had changed drastically over the course of ten years. Better tech, new paint job. New detectives. The only one she recognized on the floor was Detective Tutuola. She felt slight relief and comfort, even more so when he caught her standing at the door. “Can I help you?” he asked, standing from his desk.

The quick and frequent swap of emotions flowing through her was enough to give her whiplash. She somehow expect him to recognize her upon first glance, completely forgetting how much time had passed and how much she’d changed herself. Valeria shifted on her feet, clutching the strap of her satchel in one hand while the other drew up to her chest. “I’m the new detective, Valeria,” she introduced herself. “Valeria Castillo.” In case it could jog his memory.

Again, Fin’s eyes widened, brows raised high. She was vastly different from how he remembered her. She use to be skinnier and paler from malnourishment, her hair thin and deep brown, cut to her shoulders. No makeup back then, otherwise her then-boyfriend would accuse her of cheating and beat her senseless. Forced to be conservative.

Now she was what Fin could only assume was her true self. Curvy and tanner, hair long, full, and dyed copper. A tiny stud decorated the left side of her nose, a little hoop on her bottom lip. In addition to the tattoo on her right wrist she’d had when they first met, a sleeve covered her left arm. She was dressed and made up like she was ready for a rock concert. Definitely not your run of the mill detective, but undeniably who she was meant to be.

“Valeria Castillo,” Fin repeated, approaching her with a welcoming smile and open arms. “Damn, girl, I hardly recognized you!” Familiarity. He could sense her nerves right off the bat and wanted to ease them. She was in good company and needed to know that.

Oh, thank fuck. Valeria accepted the hug, letting out a laugh of relief. “You think I’m unrecognizable? You should see Isabella,” she quipped.

Fin pulled back, keeping a comfortable hand on her shoulder. “Ah, Isabella. How is she? She’s, what, twelve now?”

“Thirteen,” she corrected. “And she’s doing great. She’s in eighth grade, a straight-A honor roll student. I became her legal guardian not long after you, Munch, and the others helped me through everything.” Munch. Valeria noticed he wasn’t here. While she held a bit of hope that he was just taking a vacation or came in on his day off, she knew very well the more likely reality that John had retired. But then where was Detective Stabler?

Thoughts and nostalgia were interrupted when Amanda and Sonny made their approach. “Hi, I’m Amanda Rollins,” she introduced herself, extending a friendly hand. “This is Dominick Carisi.”

“But everyone calls me Sonny,” he added, taking Valeria’s hand after Amanda. He always mentally cheered when no one objected to the nickname anymore.

What had Valeria been so nervous for? Olivia told her personally that she would be taken care of, that her and Fin would be there to make sure everything went smoothly. She felt kind of guilty for not trusting in them, but the guilt was washed away by the overwhelming sense of family she felt already. “Nice to meet you guys,” she beamed. “Olivia told me great things about you.” She glanced around momentarily. “Is… Is she here?”

Sonny nodded toward the closed door. “She’s having a chat with our ADA. She should be out in a little bit.” He stepped to the side, a hand gestured toward the empty desk across from him. “Here, why don’t you get settled? Want me to grab you a drink?”

“A water, please.” She set her bag down, looking toward the office, then to Fin. “Wow. So Captain Cragen really did retire.”

Fin nodded slowly with a mildly somber smile. “Yeah, with his girlfriend,” he confirmed, leaning against Valeria’s new desk with his arms crossed over his chest. “We miss the guy every day.”

More glances around the squad room. “What about Sergeant Munch and Detective Stabler?”

“Munch moved on to bigger things. As for Stabler…”

There was a pause. One that made Valeria’s stomach continue to do flips as she feared the worst. “What happened?”

Fin sighed, eyes cast toward the floor for a moment before looking back to her. “We were gonna go to trial for a high-profile rape case, and the victim was set to testify. Unfortunately, she was shot point blank just nights before.”

“The Luke Ronson case.” How could she forget? It was all over the news.

Fin nodded and continued. “We caught everyone involved in that, had them locked up in holding. We brought Jenna Fox, the victim’s daughter, in to see that we caught them, sent her on her way, and we figured that was it, right? Well, Jenna comes back later, pulls out a gun and starts firing into the cell. Next thing any of us know, Elliot fires his, Jenna’s on the ground, and…”

He didn’t have to finish. It was apparent what happened, and it was heavy. She, Amanda, and Sonny weren’t even present for it, but they could still feel the gravity. They couldn’t imagine how Fin felt. How Elliot felt. Silence loomed over the tiny group, Valeria only nodding in thanks as Sonny handed her the bottled water. “I hope he’s okay,” she finally said, voice soft.

“I don’t doubt he is,” Amanda chimed in with gentle optimism, taking her seat by her desk. “But I’ll tell you what, he left some pretty big shoes to fill when he left.”

Sonny huffed with a smile. “Yeah, no kidding. Liv doesn’t talk about him much, but when she does, it’s nothing but high praise there.” And well-deserved.

Valeria chuckled, sipping the water. “Then I guess I can only promise I’ll do my best.”

“Valeria.”

Valeria turned her head toward the voice. She hadn’t heard the office door open as she was caught up in conversation. Seeing Olivia stand there, aged but still such a refined and dignified beauty, a smile that reached her tired eyes brought on by the simple sight of Valeria, alive and well. Warmth swelled in her chest, almost bringing tears to her eyes. “Olivia,” she breathed wistfully, taking a careful step toward her.

Olivia’s smile widened. A decade had undoubtedly changed them both, but the bond their formed within their short time together was unmistakable. She started toward her as well, arms coming out for an embrace. Valeria closed the distance with faster steps, locking Olivia into a hug. After all these years, she still smelled the same. “It’s so good to see you again, Olivia,” Valeria expressed, voice wavering with emotion.

“Oh, it’s good to see you too, honey,” Olivia stated sweetly, squeezing Valeria firmly in her arms before pulling back to look at her. “You’ve grown up so much. How are you? Your sister, your mom?”

She gave a small shrug, a rather indifferent smile as she spoke about the circumstances. “I’m Isabella’s legal guardian now. Ma couldn’t keep herself away from drugs, so I did what I had to do.” And she would do it again.

Olivia nodded in understanding. If there was anything she could understand, it was mommy issues. “Well, I’m glad you found your way after everything. And I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you transferred over here from vice. There is not a single doubt in my mind that you’re going to be a perfect fit here.”

“You might wanna prep her for Barba,” Amanda quipped with a smirk.

Valeria looked between the two, brows furrowed. “Barba?” she wondered.

Olivia rolled her eyes with an equal grin to Amanda’s. “Our ADA, Rafael Barba,” she explained in more detail. “He’s cocky, he’s smug, he’ll push you, push your buttons—“ Valeria grimaced and rolled her eyes, making Olivia laugh. “But he gets the job done. And he’s really good at what he does. You’ll get use to him, I promise.”

Valeria groaned, shoulders slumping. “As long as he’s not on one today. I’ve had my fill of douche bag already.” And it was only noon.

“Someone already pushed your buttons?” Fin probed.

“Yes.” Valeria sighed, dropping her head back. “Some pompous prick saw me smoking outside and made a snarky comment about it not being good for me, like I don’t already know.”

“So what’d you do?”

“I smoked another one out of spite.” Her annoyance melted when her newfound squad laughed, pulling a smile onto her face.

Olivia rubbed a hand on her back. “Well, I can promise he’ll behave today,” she assured with a chuckle. “He seems to be in a good mood and that usually means good moods all around. I’ll introduce you when he finishes up his phone call.” She heard footsteps behind her coming out of her office as if right on cue. “Oh. Here. Valeria, this is Rafael Barba. Counselor, this is the new detective, Valeria Castillo.”

Barely noon, and already Valeria felt probably every emotion known to man. Her good mood was soured, expression morphing from shocked to annoyed beyond a reasonable doubt when she laid eyes upon the ADA.

“You— You have?” Olivia’s brows furrowed, confused.

“Yeah, the pompous prick,” Valeria reminded of the just had conversation. She stared daggers, her tone sharper and dripping with venomous disdain. She knew things were going too well today. It was only a matter of time before she was pushed off her cloud.

Oh, she had some spice. Rafael was use to it with Olivia. He wondered how much more Valeria had than her, just judging by her current demeanor. His grin grew. “Did you think about what I told you outside?” he asked, smug as ever.

Hands went on her hips to keep them from balling into fists and flying. Valeria’s blood was already boiling. “I did, actually,” she retorted with a wry smile. “And I’ve come to the conclusion that you can take it and shove it up your ass, if you can even get it past the stick you have lodged in there—“

“Okay, alright. Valeria, why don’t you keep getting settled at your desk?” Olivia guided Valeria away, casting a quick glare back toward Rafael. Her eyes bounced between her other detectives with a warning glare as they tried to conceal their shocked laughter. There was that firecracker attitude Amanda aforementioned.

Rafael was smiling wide now. He’d had witnesses and victims say things very similar to him, but never a detective. And rather than setting her straight, he figured he would play into this one. Why? Well, as smart as he was, not even he could tell you. “I look forward to working with you,” Rafael mused, catching her glare just before he turned to leave.

A second set of footsteps joined with his just outside the squad room. “Barba, listen, I know you’ve never done it before, but I’m asking you as a friend and as a lieutenant looking out for my squad to just go easy on Valeria.” She immediately held up a hand to stop Barba from protesting. “I swear I will keep her in line. Just, for now, at least pretend that you’re not always a jerk. For me.”

Rafael slowed to a stop, staring at her with a wondering smile. Now he was all sorts of curious and intrigued. Olivia had asked many things from him, but never a personal ask like this. “Is there some kind of personal history here?” he inquired as he continued to walk at a slower pace.

“In a sense. She came to us ten years ago as a victim. It’s not a long story, but—“

“Send me the case file, I’ll take a look at it.” Chismoso. He couldn’t help it sometimes. “Whatever it is, it won’t interfere with her abilities to work, will it?”

Olivia shook her head emphatically. “Not at all. She was with vice for seven years, they all only ever had good things to say about her.”

Save for the bad attitude, apparently. “Alright.” He pushed the elevator call button, waiting not very long for the doors to open and stepped inside. “On that note, I appreciate you taking the time to see me, Liv. We’ll keep in touch.” They parted with a smile, the elevator doors closing.

On the short ride down, Rafael found himself thinking an awful lot about Valeria. She looked so familiar, the name only adding to it. He swore he knew her somehow, it was right there in that blind spot of his mind. Yet he just couldn’t place her. All that came back around was her sneer and smartass remark, still bringing an amused grin to his face.

#SVU #law and order SVU #special victims unit #rafael barba #olivia benson #john munch #odafin tutuola #sonny carisi #amanda rollins #fanfic #oc #Rafael Barba x oc #fluff #smut #nypd #elliot stabler #donald cragen #nick amaro #l&o: marked

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