Characters / Miami Vice

This page relates to characters seen in the series Miami Vice (1984-1989).

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Miami-Dade Organized Crime Bureau

In General

The Miami Metro-Dade Police Department branch, nicknamed "Vice", that deals with drugs, gambling, weapons, prostitution, human trafficking, and seemingly other crimes as needed. OCB works out of a clandestine office in the former Gold Coast Shipping company in order to protect its personnel and separate their identities from easily-identifiable police and anyone who might recognize them from undercover work.

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• Known Only by Their Nickname: For the most part, the men are nicknamed, if not referred to on a Last-Name Basis. Crockett is virtually never called James, Tubbs is seldom called Ricardo, Switek and Zito are given a variety of nicknames (Stan and Swity for the former, Larry and Lar for the latter) but are almost never addressed as their given names Stanley or Lawrence. Gina and Trudy subvert this by being known on a simple First-Name Basis to the entire department — although they have names which can be viewed as nicknames.
• Manly Facial Hair: All of the guys, obviously, have sported this at one point. Crockett has his Perma-Stubble, Tubbs sported a well-coiffed beard in the final season, Castillo always had his thick mustache, and Switek and Zito rocked a full beard every now and then (albeit the latter's beard was inconsistently seen throughout season two due to the episode's production vs. airing order).
• Married to the Job: With a dash of Everybody Is Single: their difficult and often draining work comes before any meaningful relationship, although this is not without its conflict. Castillo was a widower until his not-dead wife came Back from the Dead (so to speak) who loved his wife, Gina tries to date on occasion, but her partners are usually corrupt or otherwise bad for her, Tubbs had to witness the mother of his child being killed and is Star-Crossed Lovers with his Long-Distance Relationship Valerie and except for Gina, all of Crockett's past and present love interests suffer from Cartwright Curse, especially Caitlin. Even when Crockett and Gina try having a relationship within the office, it doesn't succeed; although they can strongly give the impression of being each other's "work spouses" regardless.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Each of the partnerships have this contrast, with Crockett, Switek, and Gina being the hot-blooded red to Tubbs, Zito, and Trudy's calmer blue. Interestingly, Castillo, in spite of the characteristic of blue, can also become rather red, especially if he's giving his classic staredown.
• True Companions: They care about each other very much and share everything in times of triumph and tragedy, including Tubbs losing his former fling and son to murder, Crockett's wedding and later shooting and Zito's death.

Sonny Crockett

James "Sonny" Crockett

You've got to know the rules before you can break 'em. Otherwise, it's no fun.

Played By: Don Johnson

Dubbed By: Patrick Poivey (European French)

A former University of Florida college football player and Vietnam vet turned undercover Miami police detective.

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• Abusive Parents: Crockett hints in several episode that his father was an alcoholic who beat his own wife and was gone for long stretches of time. His behaviour is implied to have influenced Crockett's need to protect other women.
• The Ace: He makes it abundantly clear from his earliest appearances that he is very good at his job, being able to bluff his way into numerous situations (as is befitting his alter ego as a high-profile drug dealer) and carry out dangerous tasks with ease. Notably, in the Sonny Burnett arc in season five, he proves himself to be so capable as a mob enforcer that he singlehandedly destabilizes several cartels, doing far more damage as an enemy than he ever did as a Miami-Dade cop.
• Affectionate Nickname: Tends to call Tubbs "Rico" throughout the series, usually during lighthearted moments.
• All Girls Want Bad Boys: Scores of women are attracted to Crockett's shady, dangerous, and illegal-dealing undercover persona. Special mention goes to Polly Wheeler and Celeste Carrera when he believes he is actually Sonny Burnett and acts like it.
  Burnett: I'm rested enough. What else is there to do around here? [Meaningful Look shared with Polly]
  Polly: (later) I like hoods. They're... upfront with their treachery.
• AM/FM Characterization: In the pilot, Tubbs looks through Crockett's music collection and finds George Jones, Jimmy Buffett, Dickey Betts, and Waylon Jennings, characterizing him as a Good Ol' Boy.
  Tubbs: Where does Crockett get his music? Sears and Roebuck catalog?
• Amicable Exes: While Caroline files for divorce from Crockett early in the first season, they remain on (relatively) good terms with each for the remainder of her appearances on the series.
• Amnesia Episode: The first four episodes of the fifth season, which sees Crockett subsume his role as the Sonny Burnett alias due to Trauma-Induced Amnesia.
• Amnesiac Dissonance: Exemplifed when Crockett gets his memories back. He walks right into the Miami-Dade police precinct, spends a few moments walking around in the building, and strolls right into the middle of the precinct's office before almost every other person there pulls a weapon on him, which finally clues him in that something's wrong.
• Badges and Dog Tags: After his time in Vietnam, he became a cop so he could try to make the world a better place.
• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Despite being beaten, injured and shot at multiple times over the course of the series, Sonny's looks are none the worse for wear. This is actually a plot point for his character — it's implied that his looks cause mobsters to underestimate him, allowing him to get the drop on them more easily.
  • Exaggerated in "A Bullet for Crockett". Doubling as Artistic License – Medicine, Sonny's been shot in the chest, through multiple major surgeries, hemorrhaged massively and required transfusions, in the ICU the entire time and even been defibrillated –– and throughout it all, he still looks like Don Johnson asleep under some medical equipment and bandages, in good shape and with a healthy skin tone, and with his shirt off, naturally. This continues into the following season, where we see him in an undone shirt a few months later and with no trace of any scarring.
• Becoming the Mask: Crockett loses his memories after he is caught in an explosion at the end of the fourth season, and subsumes the role of his undercover alias, Sonny Burnett, for the course of several episodes.
• Being Good Sucks: Part of Crockett's eventual decision to quit the force by the end of the series is that, for all of his (and the rest of the force's) attempts to do the right thing, it often results in the villains getting off on technicalities and innocent people being caught in the crossfire. This is further exemplified in the Sonny Burnett arc in season five, where (as the personal hitman working for multiple cartels), Burnett does far more damage and accomplishes more in destabilizing enemy factions than he ever could as a Miami-Dade cop.
• Berserk Button: Tends to drop all pretenses and lose it whenever he encounters a man who admits to abusing women.
• Betty and Veronica: Gina and Brenda in "Nobody Lives Forever". He gets neither.
• Big Brother Instinct: Raised in a family with a largely absentee (and possibly alcoholic) father, Crockett had an older brother, Jake, who protected him from bullies in their youth.
• Black Comedy Animal Cruelty: Resorts to pointing a gun in Elvis the alligator's face and dangling his prized blanket over the railing of the St. Vitus Dance after latter chews up Crockett's Buddy Holly collection in "Heart of Darkness".
• Bodyguard Crush: How Crockett meets Caitlin (who he would eventually marry). Crockett is on a protection detail to protect her against her former manager, and eventually falls in love with her after he saves her from hitmen.
• Breaking Speech: Though numerous examples abound in the series, the earliest (and most notable) occurs in the pilot, when Sonny reduces his former friend (turned The Mole) Scottie Wheeler to blubbering and tears after laying the weight of his actions on him.
• Break the Cutie: The end of Season 4 and the majority of the fifth season is largely devoted to a plotline that sees Crockett pushed past his breaking point, including the death of his wife, Vigilante Execution of her killer, urge to drink, an accident that leaves him an amnesiac, his guilt and distress over what he did as Sonny Burnett, and afterwards, an increasing sense of burnout after he comes to realize Miami is a Crapsaccharine World.
• Butt-Monkey: Whether it's the death of a friend, losing his latest love or the bad guys getting away with it yet again, a ridiculous number of episodes – perhaps the majority – end in an emotional setback that further traumatises Crockett.
• Career-Ending Injury: Part of Crockett's backstory — he played football in college, but had to stop after fracturing his knee.
• Cartwright Curse: Among the women he's involved with are Brenda, where trying to have a "normal" relationship severely threatens his career; Margaret, a New York woman who turned out to be working for someone trying to kill him; Sara Davis, a flight attendant who kept him company when she came home to Miami (and died after one of the cocaine balloons in her GI tract came open); Dr. Theresa Lyons, whom he wanted to marry before he found out she was a drug addict who needed the rehab he found her in another state; Christine Von Marburg, who turned out to be a madam; and his second wife Caitlin Davies, who was murdered (and turned out to be pregnant to boot).
• Character Tics:
  • Calls a lot of guys "pal", and periodically flings around things like "babe", "sweetheart", or "girls" for other men when he's being sarcastic. Also uses "darlin" a lot for women he cares for.
  • He plays with his cigarettes in his mouth before he lights them ^*they're unfiltered, so they stick to your tongue if you don't, and only smokes unfiltered, even breaking the filter off one he's offered.
• Chick Magnet: No shortage of women fall for Crockett's charms, with him holding liaisons with numerous women over the course of the series.
• Cool Boat: As a significant amount of smuggling in Miami involves moving contraband over the water, he also owned several high-speed cigarette boats during the course of the series. Furthermore, his permanent residence was a sailboat moored in one of Miami's many harbours, which he shared with his pet alligator Elvis. His boats included:
  • A white and blue 1984 Chris Craft Stinger 390x (season 1)
  • A silver, blue and black 1986 Wellcraft SCARAB 38' KV (season 2-5)
  • The St. Vitus Dance (whole series; portrayed by a Cabo Rico 38 in the pilot, an Endeavour 40 in season 1, and an Endeavour 42 in seasons 2-5)
• Cool Car: He drove the confiscated cars of high-rolling criminals that Metro-Dade took down, mainly expensive sports cars to fit in with his undercover drug dealer personality. He has a particularly affinity for Ferraris, and five out of the six vehicles he is seen using are black. His cars included:
  • A black 1978 Porsche 911 SC Targa (opening sequence of "Forgive Us Our Debts")
  • A black 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona (seasons 1-2 and two episodes of season 3)
  • A black 1981 Ferrari BB 512i (1985 Pepsi commercial)
  • A black 1959 Chevrolet Task-Force Apache 31 (briefly, after the Daytona was blown up)
  • A white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa (seasons 3-5)
  • A black 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS (rented in LA in "Rock and a Hard Place")
• Cool Shades: In the very early portion of the first season, he wears brown Carrera 5512 Large sunglasses and Alpina TR 4 glasses; for most of the first season and all of the second season, Crockett wears tortoise shell Ray-Ban Wayfarers. In the third season, Crockett wears black Persol Ratti 69218 glasses. For the fourth and fifth seasons, Crockett wears black Ray Ban Wayfarers, however he wore blue mirrored Revo sunglasses while masquerading as Sonny Burnett.
• Cowboy Cop: One of Crockett's signature character traits is his tendency (alongside Tubbs) to go the extra mile to solve a case, even if it skirts the law or gets them into Jurisdiction Friction with other agencies.
• Crazy Jealous Guy: Zigzagged all over the place in "Blood and Roses" when Gina gets involved with returning villain Frank Mosca. On the one hand, it's justified because Mosca is extremely dangerous and ruthless and has already killed a person Crockett cared about (there's even a slight note of Sonny being jealous of Gina for being the one with another crack at Mosca while he's ordered to do nothing), and he at least expresses to Gina that he knows she is a capable professional and can take care of herself... on the other hand he does it while going over to her apartment, ignoring his current marriage, and getting just a touch too intimate with her. When he wants to check up on her later after she's been shot at, Tubbs –– who has just as much reason to be concerned for Gina and a slightly more logical perspective –– points out he could be endangering her himself, which Crockett brushes off. His motivations are complicated and mostly valid (and Mosca does eventually try to kill her, necessitating him and Tubbs to race to her aid...) but also highly irrational and with a big dose of sexual jealousy mixed in.
• Criminal Amnesiac: Crockett loses his memory while undercover in his alias, Sonny Burnett. As a result, he becomes Burnett and proceeds to take over much of the Miami market. When Crockett does regain his memory and tries to return to the Vice squad, he's arrested. It takes a convoluted plot of defeating an Ax-Crazy criminal and saving Tubbs' life to return Crockett to the force.
• Cynicism Catalyst: Caitlin's death, which motivates Crockett's eventual decision to quit the force in the series finale.
• Dating Service Disaster: In "Love at First Sight", where Crockett goes undercover to stop a serial killer who is targeting men via a video dating service, and ends up being stabbed in the shoulder by her before he takes her down.
• Dead Partner:
  • The series begins with Crockett losing Eddie Rivera via a car bomb planted by Calderone's men.
  • It's established in "Forgive Us Our Debts" that Crockett had an earlier partner, Frankel, who was shot and killed by Frank Hackman.
• Did Not Get the Girl: Specifically, "Nobody Lives Forever" is this for him, since Gina dumps him when he won't pick her over Brenda or even at least give their relationship an equal effort... and then he has to break up with Brenda by the end or face losing his whole career, so he goes from two relationships to none. More generally, the entire series ends up like this for him, despite many relationships and even remarrying.
• Dramatic Gun Cock: Does this while confronting Hackman at the end of "Deliver Us From Evil".
• Drives Like Crazy: The Ferraris don't help, and sometimes it's actually part of the job for pursuit, but generally, you don't want to be sharing a stretch of road with Crockett.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Resorts to drinking heavily in the wake of Caitlin's death.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: Crockett in the pilot is not exactly the memetic fashion icon he would become and looks far more like the "beach bum" his character was conceived as, in at least one scene sporting darker, heavier stubble, a totally unstructured and wrinkled jacket and far less-flattering sunglasses. Apparently it took the show getting picked up for Sonny's look to be refined.
• Erotic Eating: He does this to the chunk of ice Callie was playing with on a scorchingly hot day in "Definitely Miami", while claming to Tubbs "Don't worry... I'm immune". Amusingly, it's both after she's left in a huff and still more blatant than anything she tried on him.
• Establishing Character Moment: In the pilot episode, when he learns that Scottie Wheeler (his friend of many years) was The Mole (thus breaking his trust), he calls his ex-wife, Caroline, just before the fight with Calderone's goons, and asks her if their old relationship was real. The scene emphasizes early on how much Crockett values trust.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: In the first season, Crockett's hairstyle is short and parted over on the side; in the second season it becomes slightly longer in the front and becomes a combed back bouffant-like style; in the third season, it becomes short and spikey, and gradually grows out in the back, making it mullet-like; in the fourth season it reverts to being bouffant-like in the front and remains mullet-like, and grows out as the season progresses; for the fifth season he's first portrayed with a stylish ponytail until he regains his memory, after which his hairstyle becomes long and parted over on one side and continues to grow to its longest length.
• Famed In-Story: Tubbs is aware of Crockett's former career as a star college football player, and discusses it with him briefly during the first season, just after they first meet.
• Fish out of Water: After a season of Tubbs fulfilling this role, Crockett himself becomes this in "The Prodigal Son," when the bustling metropolis of New York is completely unfamiliar to him.
• Foreshadowing: "Burnett" can be seen at the funeral◊ at the end of "Sons and Lovers", two years before Crockett's Amnesia Episode and personality switch.
• Fourth-Date Marriage: Crockett meets Caitlin about ten minutes into "Like a Hurricane." The last scene is their wedding. The episode takes place over the course of about a week.
• Glasses Pull: Happens multiple times throughout the series, but the biggest example is when he does this after his beloved Daytona is destroyed in "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling".
• Good Ol' Boy: Has shades of this, as his personal music collection (as seen in the pilot episode) is filled with classic country tunes.
• Go-to Alias: "Burnett", which Sonny uses during most of his undercover cases. Becomes a case of Becoming the Mask when he develops amnesia and loses his memories of who he once was, becoming Burnett completely for several episodes.
• Hand Cannon: As befitting his undercover lifestyle, he is fond of carrying the most high-tech (at the time) and powerful handguns, such as the Bren Ten (chambered in 10mm Auto) for the first two seasons, and for the latter three, the Smith & Wesson 645/4506 ACP.
• Has a Type:
  • Crockett says he likes "long legs" at one point, but based on his relationships with Brenda, Margaret, Theresa, and Caitlin, he actually seems to go for petite, small women, mostly with short-to-Boyish Short Hair. Melanie Griffith as Christine Von Marburg is not petite, but definitely has the Boyish Short Hair.
  • It might also be suggested that he likes women who can sing, since Gina is good enough to pose as a professional (and the daughter of one) and Caitlin actually is one.
• Heartbroken Badass: After Caitlin's death, he lapses into this, resorting to drinking to dull the pain.
• Heroic BSoD: Goes into one following Caitlin's death (resorting to staying alone on his boat and drinking as a result), and again when he realizes what he did during his amnesiac episode as Burnett.
• Hidden Depths:
  • "The Great McCarthy" in the first season shows that Crockett is an absolutely lethal pool player, able to wager his Ferrari and dispatch someone already shown to be excellent at playing with relative ease. While that's not something completely unexpected from him, a Continuity Nod in "Bad Timing" in the final season goes into why and how he got so good — he was taken to snooker halls by his father as a child, and he remembers his dad helping him set up shots.
  • Downplayed in "The Lost Madonna", but Crockett not only admits he went to the library to do art history research for a case, but more interestingly, uses the correctly-pronounced Italian for "patron" instead of the English word.
• Houseboat Hero: He spends the majority of the series living on his houseboat, the St. Vitus Dance, which is infrequently used as a staging area for surveillance against other mobsters.
• It's Personal:
  • Crockett makes the decision to go after Calderone in the pilot after the latter had his partner, Eddie, killed via car bombing.
  • He (and Tubbs) also chase Calderone to the Bahamas in retaliation for the death of Lt. Rodriguez.
  • He makes the decision to gun down Hackman (the man who murdered Caitlin) in cold blood after learning the latter was pregnant, unbeknownst to him.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy:
  • Despite Gina snarking earlier in the episode about "Sonny being real objective" about her, in "When Irish Eyes Are Crying" he's... not, but actually swings this way instead in a downplayed fashion, questioning the possibility of Gina being right and Sean Carroon's turn to peace being authentic. Sadly, Carroon is a liar and a terrorist and Crockett and Gina have to gun him down at the the end, at which point she collapses sobbing in his arms.
    Crockett: What if she is right? What if she is...? [...] What about her...?
  • Averted in "Blood and Roses" when he knows Frank Mosca's a murderer (to be fair, so does Gina), and just generally goes for Crazy Jealous Guy instead.
• Jaw Drop: He does this in addition to a dramatic Glasses Pull when his beloved Spyder is blown up in "When Irish Eyes Are Crying".
• Jerkass Has a Point: In the pilot he acidly refers to Switek and Zito as "Bluto and Lee Harvey Oswald", in a case of Early-Installment Weirdness (they get along fairly well after that). It's mean, but although Switek and Zito are Nice Guys, it's still not exactly inaccurate...
• Ladykiller in Love: With Caitlin, after he rescues her from a group of assassins.
• The Lost Lenore: As both this and an I Let Gwen Stacy Die, his second wife Caitlin Davies is tragically shot and killed in front of his eyes, which eventually motivates his Sanity Slippage and subsuming of the Burnett persona in the fifth season.
• Married to the Job: Crockett's work schedule routinely plays havoc with his personal life, to such an extent that it destroys his marriage to Caroline.
• Mr. Fanservice:
  • Crockett has Shirtless Scenes in the first seven episodes of the series, and even after that, his shirts are nearly all henleys with the buttons undone or show off his chest in some other way, or sleeveless to exhibit his biceps.
  • Season 2's "Whatever Works" deserves special mention for giving Crockett an over four-minute scene dressed in only a short black swimsuit^* only distinguishable from the style of underwear popular at the time in that he's outside the entire scene for no particular reason at all.
  • He has blond hair, light eyes, and a reasonably fair complexion... and absolutely no Tan Lines, ever, and this trope leaves him stripped off enough to know pretty easily. Which... leads to some interesting questions about how and where Crockett potentially gets and maintains that tan.
• Must Have Nicotine: Before he quits, it's easier to count the scenes in episodes where Crockett isn't smoking an unfiltered Lucky Strike; his raspy voice attests to his heavy habit. He even goes as far as to break the filter off one he's offered in "Smuggler's Blues".
• My God, What Have I Done?: After he gets his memory back in Season 5, and realizes that he shot Tubbs (luckily, non-fatally).
• My Greatest Failure: Caitlin's death causes Crockett to spiral into drinking to cope with the pain, followed by an accident that renders him amnesiac and unable to remember his former identity for several episodes. According to Tubbs, Caitlin's death made "everything turn sour" for Crockett.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Crockett's decision to stop Frank Hackman from being executed (via Clear My Name) results in the latter being released from prison — and telling Crockett on his way out that he really did kill Frankel, leaving the incredulous detective in his wake. Then it turns into a case of Laser-Guided Karma when Hackman shows up and attempts to kill Crockett, but ends up killing Caitlin in the process.
• No-Sell: He frequently stonewalls the advances of duplicitous women, as seen prominently with Callie in "Definitely Miami".
• Only Known By His Nickname: Goes by, introduces himself as and is addressed as Sonny — even when he's undercover. Even his police ID signature says "Sonny" James Crockett! It's periodically pointed out that his legal name is James, but nobody uses it.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Although it's not jarring, Crockett's southern accent is variable. Occasionally he does sound like a Good Ol' Boy; more often he just seems to stick with something closer to Johnson's native south-Midwestern twang — although this may be part of his "transient" character.
• Perma-Stubble: Is rarely seen without his 5 o'clock shadow throughout the series, to such an extent that his look (in combination with the pastel suits) became a fashion trend. Probably the Trope Codifier for this, as not being cleanly-shaved was viewed as uncouth before this, not a style preference... even though it's implied that Crockett just doesn't like shaving much and gets away with it due to his "asshole" cover lifestyle and having lighter, sparser hair – aka, it's not the fashion choice for Sonny that it is for his memetic legions and generations since. Subverted with the Burnett personality, when he's clean-shaven.
• The Profiler: Dabbles in this during the third-season episode "Shadow in the Dark", when he tries to track down a cat burglar (and nearly goes insane in the process).
• Punny Name: Crockett's actual first name of James seems to only exist for the "Sunny Jim" reference, especially given how often he is referred to as "Sonny James Crockett" ^note versus almost never as just James, not even on his police identification or at his wedding.
• Real Men Wear Pink: Is fond of wearing pastel-colored t-shirts (and sometimes blazers, pants, or even shoes), especially in the first two seasons. Notably, Johnson himself wasn't sure how this would work with Crockett's tough, macho attitude, but was persuaded. It went on to inspire many Real Life imitators and be seen as a hallmark of The '80s.
• "Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • Gina gives him a couple in the first season when he seemingly won't treat their romantic relationship as seriously as any of his other ones.
    Gina: You just keep me around for an occasional pit stop until something better comes around.
    Sonny: Gina... that's not fair.
    Gina: That's right. It's not fair at all. Just stay out of my life.
  • Caroline explodes at him in "To Have And To Hold" when Crockett implies her unplanned pregnancy is irresponsible, although Sonny then basically chalks the outburst up due to hormones and stress.
    Caroline: It was an accident.
    Sonny: ...Damn, Caroline. We're not teenagers, anymore. For God's sake.
    Caroline: Oh, that's just great, Sonny. You of all people. You with your swinging lifestyle and your—your women and your fast cars, come up here and judge me? For once in my life —just once— I want to do something without asking someone's permission, and you come down on me like a hammer. Well, I'm sorry, Sonny. I'm sorry I even called you!
• Relationship Labeling Problems: He has genuine feelings for Gina and cares about her romantically, but his inability to commit any further or choose her over other non-OCB connections torpedoes them as an Official Couple after the first season, following which they are Amicable Exes who flirt heavily for the rest of the time.
• Rule of Cool: Wears pastel clothing in the sweltering Miami heat, carries weapons that are top-of-the-line (at the time the series was made), drives some of the most powerful vehicles on the road at the time and scores with a bevy of women who love his dangerous lifestyle. In short, there are multiple reasons why Crockett's lifestyle caught on with teens and young men in The '80s.
• Sex with the Ex:
  • He and Caroline get back together in-between their canceled first divorce hearing and the later real one.
  • Downplayed, but Crockett still cuddles and kisses Gina in "Blood and Roses" in a way that's a little too intimate for someone in a faithful marriage. Even more strangely, neither of them bother mentioning or even apparently remembering the fact he is married to Caitlin at the time.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Takes to wearing a button-up suit in his role as Sonny Burnett at the beginning of the fifth season, in tandem with Badass in a Nice Suit, symbolizing just how ruthlessly efficient he is as an enforcer for the Manolo cartel.
• Ship Tease: Numerous examples abound.
  • The relationship with Gina takes up the focus in several early episodes of the series, but fizzles out once Crockett attempts to repair his relationship with Caroline, and then becomes infatuated with Brenda, below. However, they have many more flirtatious moments through the rest of the series.
  • Then there's Brenda, the architect seen in "Nobody Lives Forever", whom Sonny is implied to have serious feelings for (to the point that it threatened both their jobs) before they mutually agreed (off-screen) to end their relationship.
• Shoot Everything That Moves: Seen prominently in several episodes; most notably in the series finale, "Freefall," when Crockett and Tubbs confront General Borbon in a running firefight, killing his guards to a man and blowing up Borbon's departing seaplane.
• Shoot the Hostage Taker: In "Glades", when Crockett finds a girl being held at gunpoint by a villain, who threatens to kill her if he so much as twitches — Crockett tells him he won't even twitch and shoots him down.
• Significant Birth Date: Crockett mentions his birthday is July 29 in "By Hooker By Crook". Assuming he was born in 1951, that would have given him a terrifyingly high draft number of 4 in the 1970 draft lottery and definitely explain how he wound up on his first tour of the Southeast Asian Conference...
• Significant Wardrobe Shift:
  • In Season 4, Crockett wears a bunch of grey-patterned and black-and-white jackets in place of his former iconic white ones^note one of the few times he wears one of the latter is the Hope Spot of his bachelor party at the station, foreshadowing the trouble and darkness awaiting him at the end.
  • Downplayed, but in the final season it's easy to see small holes in Crockett's shirts as well as his jeans fraying, signifying how things have already come undone for him and are about to come apart further still. The jeans are also likely an attempt to be more "Crockett", instead of his slick undercover alter ego.
• Sleeping with the Boss's Wife: In the fifth season, Crockett begins a relationship with drug kingpin Oscar Carrera's wife, Celeste, and uses her to help him seize control from the drug lord.
• Smoking Is Cool: One of the most prominent examples in 80's television, although this habit was eventually phased out during the second season^note  because legions of young men were imitating it trying to be like Crockett and the network and executives didn't want to be responsible for the health risk. His Establishing Character Moment in the pilot shows him waiting for a contact while smoking.
• Southern Gentleman: Crockett updates the trope and plays with it; his white linen suits are famous, he can talk almost anyone into anything as The Charmer, his Southern-ness veers into Good Ol' Boy angles at times, and he has major issues around protecting ladies in distress and being relatively chivalrous to them. He also has a less-gentlemanly side, given that his job is to successfully con criminals and play someone with no gentlemanly virtues whatsoever, and he's occasionally ungentlemanly when he's trying to flirt with or seduce someone. Not helped by Don Johnson subsequently playing much straighter examples, including being the page image.
• Sports Hero Backstory: In his youth, Crockett was a "golden boy," a University of Florida Gators football star, once catching a 92 yard touchdown pass with six seconds remaining in a game against Alabama, and catching the winning pass in the Gator Bowl, an act that found him being awarded the game ball. He later sustained a knee injury on the field which put an end to his sports career.
• Strange Cop in a Strange Land: Crockett travels out of state in several episodes, including two trips to New York, one to Los Angeles and other destinations. This is most prominently seen in "The Prodigal Son," when Crockett and Tubbs first go to Bogota, then spend the majority of the episode in New York, where Crockett becomes a Fish out of Water.
• Take My Hand!: At the end of the Burnett arc in the fifth season, when Sonny rescues Tubbs via this method while destroying the cartel.
• Theme Initials:
  • Shares his with Gina’s other Love Interest, the villainous Sean Carroon.
  • And narrowly averts this with Esteban Calderone, who would be some form of Stephen/Steve in English.
  • If one considers his real name, James, then Crockett has the JC Significant Monogram, although he manages not to quite become the Sacrificial Lamb, except for his career, although he notably has a couple resurrections.
• Trauma-Induced Amnesia: Crockett loses his memory after being caught in a boat explosion at the end of the fourth season (and possibly motivated by his Heroic BSoD after Caitlin's death).
• True Companions: With Tubbs, so much so that the final scene of the series hints that they may continue to work together...
• Turn in Your Badge: Crockett's (and Tubbs') last major act in the series is to throw their badges away in disgust after a federal agent threatens to get both of them kicked off the force after they kill the deposed dictator of a Banana Republic who was in league with corrupt government officials.
• Undercover Cop Reveal: In the pilot episode, in tandem with Tubbs when they both reveal their identities to each other during a stakeout.
• Underestimating Badassery: Numerous times, to the point that it became a Running Gag. Numerous gangsters do business with Crockett (as Burnett) and Tubbs (as Cooper), completely unaware not only of their apparent reputation within the criminal underworld for several years, but their alter-egos as highly-capable detectives.
• Unresolved Sexual Tension: He keeps flirting with Gina even after they aren't an Official Couple anymore, to such an extent that his actions towards her veer towards a bit too intimate during "Blood and Roses" in the fourth season, while he's married to Caitlin.
• The Vietnam Vet: He was drafted by the US Army at around the age of 20, and he served in the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) for two tours in The Vietnam War, or, as he calls it, the "Southeast Asian Conference". During his first tour in 1971 he met Danny Allred, an expert cryptographer with whom he served in Pleiku. At some point during his time in Vietnam he also served with fellow infantryman Robbie Cann, who would remain a close friend after the war and even make Crockett godfather to his newborn son in 1985. Crockett's second tour was in 1975, leading up to the Fall of Saigon, and it was around that time he met combat reporter Ira Stone, who brought him in on a conspiracy being run by a man known only as "The Sergeant", who was using bodybags containing KIA soldiers as a means to smuggle heroin back to the United States in the closing months of the war. His experiences in the war gave him great sympathy for fellow Vietnam veterans, particularly those less fortunate than himself, and would always take great care to respect their dignity and issues whenever a case involved them.
• Vigilante Execution: Delivers one to Hackman, in revenge for the latter killing Caitlin, in "Deliver Us From Evil".
• Water Torture: Resorts to this in the episode "Forgive Us Our Debts," in order to make a gangster talk after the latter stonewalls him.
• Weapon-Based Characterization: His signature weapon was the high-tech, stainless steel pistol he carried as his primary sidearm, and he carried three such weapons during the course of the series, mainly the then-state-of-the-art Dornaus & Dixon Bren Ten chambered in 10mm Auto.
• Wife-Basher Basher: He has a strong need to protect women, and repeatedly goes out of his way to antagonize and/or beat up men guilty of hitting other women. This was particularly seen in "Death and the Lady," when Glantz's sadism towards women enraged him, first into saying, "You know what really turns me on? The idea of you in a room with all the fathers of all the girls you've turned out." By the end of the episode, he was so eaten up by knowing that Glantz had gotten away with murder that he crossed the line and beat Glantz, saying, "Is that sexy? Do you like that?" Similarly, in "Junk Love", he didn't even try to stop Rosella from shooting her abusive father and showed more sympathy for her than Tubbs even before he knew what her true situation was.
• Will They or Won't They?: With Gina after they break up, since their ongoing friendliness and flirtations seem to signal something could begin again. They don't, despite it being obvious they still care very much for each other.
• Working with the Ex: Despite the breakup, he and Gina are fine working at OCB together.
• Written-In Absence: Is only missing in one episode in the series, Season 5's "Borrasca", where he is said to be testifying against a mob dealer (alongside Castillo, who is similarly absent) in a neighboring county.
• Wrong-Name Outburst: He messes things up with Gina in the first season by apparently calling her "Caroline" when he was half-awake, after having denied still being in love with his separated wife. It gets resolved but seemingly later contributes to their breakup.
• You Are Too Late: Happens multiple times to him (and Tubbs) throughout the series, including their failed pursuit of Calderone in the pilot episode, failure to stop Ira Stone from being fatally shot in "Stone's War", inability to prevent certain informers from being killed, and other incidents that contribute to his eventual burnout in the fifth season.
• "You Used to Be Better" Speech: Gives one to a former friend he served with in Vietnam in the episode "Buddies", after the latter is embroiled in several dangerous and illegal activities he's instigated.

Ricardo Tubbs

Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs

That's TUBBS, T-U-B-B-S: Tough, Unique, Bad, Bold, and Sassy.

Played By: Philip Michael Thomas

Dubbed By: Sady Rebbot (European French)

A former New York robbery detective who comes down to Miami to avenge his dead brother, then becomes Crockett's new partner.

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• All Girls Want Bad Boys: Tubbs gets a lot of ladies while pretending to be a ruthless criminal undercover.
• Badass in a Nice Suit: Fond of taking part in busts or investigations while dressed in a tailored suit. The fact that he's dressed up doesn't stop Tubbs from getting down and dirty in melee fights with other dealers.
• Big Brother Worship: Tubbs' backstory establishes that he idolized his brother, and that he pursued a career in law enforcement due to his brother's prior entry into and work in the New York City Police Department.
• Big "NO!":
  • Fond of doing this, notably when it involves close associates who are killed in the line of duty.
  • In "Little Miss Dangerous", he does this when Jackie shoots herself.
• Busman's Holiday: Ends up winning a trip to an island retreat in "The Afternoon Plane" — only for the whole thing to be revealed as a set-up so that Orlando Calderone could lure him away from Miami and kill him in an isolated place.
• The Casanova: He's a ladies' man, as evidenced by his many relationships with women, but he was never married. He had an on-again, off-again fling with his NYPD colleague Valerie Gordon, when she visited Miami on two occasions and he visited New York on two others they got together, to the point of almost proposing marriage — but decided not to after she deceived him on a case she was involved in. Tubbs moved on to a tryst with his enemy Calderone's daughter, Angelina, who he met in the Bahamas. Despite that turn of events, he had real feelings for her, which came out when he found out he had a son (also named Ricardo) with Angelina. The Calderone family took their son away, and when Angelina died Tubbs assumed his namesake died with her, but he never found out his son survived. Tubbs then had flings with Vanessa, who murdered an accountant to cover up a secret bank account, then Laura, who was killed by a stray bullet during a bust (prompting him to volunteer himself to stop a drug operation inside state prison), Alicia, who accompanied him to an island "vacation" (actually a Calderone trap) and was shot but survived, then he was with the wife of a drug lord, Maria Pendroza, until it was discovered she was a member of a ruthless gang, the Escorpionistas.
• Chick Magnet: Has a string of girlfriends during the show, and has no shortage of other women showing interest in him during casual moments.
• Contemplate Our Navels: He is especially prone to this kind of behavior; almost anything involving the Big Bad or his daughter would immediately launch the audience into a five-minute long Big "NO!"-filled flashback montage.
• Cool Car: His street car was a blue 1964 Cadillac Coupe de Ville convertible that he appeared to own personally. However, more often than not, he travelled as a passenger in both of Crockett's Ferraris. During three undercover operations, he drove a Mercedes Benz 500 SEC coupe in "One-Eyed Jack", from season 1, and an Aston Martin V8 Volante and a Mercedes Benz SL in season 3 episodes "Walk-Alone" and "Streetwise", owing to the fact such cars were more befitting of their undercover personalities. He also was seen in earlier and later episodes driving other cars as well.
• Cowboy Cop: Like Crockett, he's prone to episodes of this, such as trying to get close to the target in "Walk-Alone" after the latter killed his Girl of the Week, and in his Establishing Character Moment, when he subsumes his brother's identity to chase Calderone to Miami in an attempt to stop him.
• Death by Origin Story: His older brother, Rafael, was a NYPD Detective who was killed by Calderone. It was his murder that set him in Miami to track him down and take revenge.
• Determinator: Part of his Establishing Character Moment — he chases his brother's killer all the way across the country to get revenge in the pilot episode.
• Edgy Backwards Chair-Sitting: He sometimes sits like this while interrogating people.
• Fake Defector: In "Red Tape," when he pretends to quit the force, then sell information about future busts to a drug dealer in order to discover the source of a leak in the department.
• False Rape Accusation: In "Amen... Send Money", when he's accused of rape by a parishioner after he arrests a televangelist's wife.
• Fish out of Water: In the early part of the show, he tended to make remarks showcasing this (whether about weather, attitudes, or something else), to which Crockett's standard response was that Tubbs was in Miami now, not New York.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: Gets into this at times, especially when it comes to his friends who are roped into crimes. In at least one case ("Red Tape"), his behavior helps out an internal leak within the Miami-Dade police department.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Crockett, to the extent that it's hinted that the pair will continue working together even after both quit the force in the series finale.
• It's Personal: Opts to go after the crooked cops responsible for Angelina's capture in "Sons and Lovers", prompting intervention from Crockett and the rest of the department.
• The Lancer: To Crockett, in that Tubbs doesn't necessarily take the lead on many cases, and is often focused on support tasks in some episodes.
• Misblamed: An in-universe example. Tubbs is blamed by Orlando Calderone for his father's death, when it was Crockett who fired the fatal shots and was on Calderone's hitlist in the first season. Despite this, Orlando continues to pursue Tubbs, up to instigating a fake lottery to draw the detective out and get him alone on an isolated island.
• Mr. Fanservice: A distant second to Crockett, but Tubbs is still a handsome guy who makes full use of the "open shirt with gold medallion" look when he's not being a Badass in a Nice Suit, and for whatever reason, probably has the most amount of screentime doing love scenes in the series.
• Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Ironically, given the variety of reasonably good accents Tubbs tends to use for his covers, the native Ohioan-and-Californian Thomas doesn't especially try to make Rico sound like someone from the Five Boroughs, other than slipping in an occasional "Noo Yawk".
• Out of Focus: His involvement in storylines is noticeably downscaled in season four, leading to complaints from fans and causing some people to christen it "The Don Johnson Show".
• Prodigal Hero: In "The Prodigal Son", Tubbs is this, having been drawn away from Miami back to NYC to help the DEA bust a cartel, and running afoul of his former police precinct in the process.
• Punny Name: “Rico” is also known as the acronym for one of the most famous and effective American anti-organized crime laws; meaning several of the people he and Crockett bust are probably jailed under this, although the show doesn’t linger on the coincidence.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Part of his Establishing Character Moment — he embarks on one after Calderone has his brother (and a fellow NYPD agent) executed during a sting operation, and pursues Calderone to Miami to seek justice.
• Sawed-Off Shotgun: Fond of using one throughout the series. In the first season, he used a standard sawed-down double-barrel model; in the second, he switched out for a custom Ithaca 37 Stakeout, an already short-barreled shotgun that was cut down even shorter, and for the third and fourth seasons he used a similarly-cut down S&W Model 3000.
• Scary Black Man: Tubbs channels a downplayed example at least a couple of times when he's undercover, especially as Butch the pimp and when faking a Face–Heel Turn to catch a search warrant leaker. He's not especially imposing physically, but he can act truly unhinged when he wants. It's all the more of a contrast because Rico is normally a pretty levelheaded guy, moreso than Crockett on several occasions.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!:
  • Tubbs' backstory involved an incident where he was forced to testify against his own partner, Clarence Batisse, in New York after a shooting incident, and gets him dismissed from the force as a result. Tubbs is then able to clear his partner's name via an internal memo that exonerates him over the charge.
  • Part of his Establishing Character Moment — against his better judgement, he forges interoffice documents and takes his brother's name to get a chance at arresting or killing Esteban Calderone.
• Slimeball: Has shades of this in the pilot episode, sweating profusely, drooling and making really strange sounds when he sees a beautiful woman walk past him. This is dialed way back by the time the second episode begins.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: With Valerie Gordon, his on-again, off-again girlfriend. The relationship finally fizzles out for good by the end of the series.
• Strange Cop in a Strange Land:
  • The series begins proper with this concept — having lost his brother and intent on pursuing a Roaring Rampage of Revenge, Tubbs follows Calderone to Miami. After his antics during the pilot episode, and after realizing that his actions have permanently crippled any chance he may have had of moving up the ranks in New York, Tubbs elects to stay in Miami and pursue a career in "Southern law enforcement".
  • He subverts this and Fish out of Water by seeming like he's always worked vice, being highly competent as Crockett's partner, and never having any kind of adjustment issues, despite the pilot making it explicit that he only worked armed robbery back in New York.
• Turn in Your Badge: Like Crockett, he throws away his badge in disgust at the end of the series upon seeing the futile nature of the duo's quest against crime, via a deposed dictator who is in league with corrupt government officials.
• Undercover as Lovers: Goes undercover alongside Trudy to draw out a convict with information in "Walk-Alone", with both of them claiming that their lovers having a "conjugal visit".
• Weapon-Based Characterization: Unlike Crockett, who utilized high-tech handguns as his primary weapons, Tubbs' choice of firearms more strongly reflected his "from the streets" origins and consisted of cheaper, more readily available weapons. His primary sidearm throughout all five seasons of the show was a Smith & Wesson Model 38 "Bodyguard" revolver with a 2 inch barrel and custom Pachmyr grips, chambered in .38 Special.
• Written-In Absence: In "The Home Invaders", due to Philip Michael Thomas having injured himself performing a stunt in the previous episode. His absence is excused by having Crockett state that Tubbs is spending time with Valerie in New York.

Gina Calabrese

Gina Navarro Calabrese

You can play that beach bum-cowboy routine^* with the football lingo and the beer-commercial mentality from now till doomsday, but I don't believe it.

Played By: Saundra Santiago

One half of OCB's main female detectives along with her partner Trudy.

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• All Girls Want Bad Boys:
  • Averted in "When Irish Eyes Are Crying". Gina only likes ex-Provo Sean because he says he's renounced violence. When it turns out to be a lie, she helps gun him down.
  • Played straight in "Blood and Roses". She's attracted to and briefly dates mafioso Frank Mosca as part of a sting, even though she knows exactly how violent and ruthless he is. Trudy even brings it up when Gina's on the verge of incredulous tears after having slept with him under questionable consent.
• Am I Just a Toy to You?: She accuses Crockett of this when he prefers Brenda, and while Sonny protests, it's the official end of their relationship.
• Attempted Rape: In "Bought and Paid For", when mobster Nico Arroyo pursues her to her apartment and attempts this, leading Gina to shoot him in response.
• Beautiful Singing Voice: She's revealed to have one in "Heroes of the Revolution", seemingly In the Blood from her deceased mother, to the point where a gushing jazz club owner compares her quite seriously to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, and her mother's ex-lover convinces her to use it to draw out her mother's killer.
• Betty and Veronica: Specifically, the Betty to upper-class architect Brenda's Veronica in "Nobody Lives Forever"; they're contrasted in every single aspect physically and emotionally, but especially in that Gina is a co-worker while the relationship with Brenda inadvertently endangers Crockett's career; more generally, as a Nice Girl fellow law enforcement officer who knows Sonny pretty darn well, she's this to a lot of his more temporary and glamorous Veronicas, even when they aren't technically in a relationship anymore.
• Big "NO!": In "When Irish Eyes Are Crying", when she is forced to gun down Sean after he pulls a weapon on Crockett.
• Casual Danger Dialogue: When Frank Mosca points out he only found out she was a cop after he'd "had her", Gina's fed up enough for this despite being in mortal peril.
  Gina: That's real nice, Frank. You're a real gentleman.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Zigzagged. In the pilot she tells Sonny she's turned him down because getting involved with a man On the Rebound is a bad idea, then she throws out the idea Sonny still has feelings for Caroline, which Crockett explicitly denies, so Gina's hurt after his Wrong-Name Outburst is pretty justified. When he's involved with Brenda, she plays this straighter, nagging Tubbs for details and trying to interest and coax Sonny into giving her equal attention, and when it's clear he's serious about Brenda (and not her), she's really hurt. The end result is Sonny making a point of informing her first after becoming engaged^* although oddly, it didn't seem to cross his mind when he had already purchased a ring for Theresa, at which point she's not very grateful and angrily questions him as to what difference it makes after the fact... and then finally does an I Want My Beloved to Be Happy... and in the end it's inverted when it's Crockett who shows up at her apartment, kisses and cuddles her during his troubled marriage to Caitlin, because he's seemingly both jealous and worried about her relationship with another man, who happens to be a dangerous criminal.
• Cool Car: Her main vehicle was a 1971 Mercury Cougar convertible, first shown in "Bought And Paid For" in white, then changed to a 1973 silver Cougar convertible. In "Calderone's Return (Part I)", she was driving with Trudy in a Pontiac GTO convertible, as well as driving a Chrysler LeBaron convertible in "Fruit of the Poison Tree" and "The Lost Madonna".
• Damsel in Distress:
  • She is critically injured in "The Prodigal Son" after a group of Revilla mobsters storm a DEA party she's attending, necessitating immediate surgery.
  • Crockett and Tubbs have to "ride"/Ferrari-speed through Miami to her rescue in "Blood and Roses".
• Dark and Troubled Past: Her father was killed in the Cuban Revolution, while her mother was murdered by an ex-boyfriend, all before Gina was old enough to remember either of them. She fled Cuba with her aunt for America.
• A Day in the Limelight:
  • "Bought and Paid For" isn't about Gina herself, but her friend Odette and Gina's attempts to help and protect her.
  • "When Irish Eyes Are Crying", when her budding relationship with a former member of the Provisional IRA takes centre stage.
  • "Blood and Roses", likewise with a high-ranking Italian mafioso from Joisey, this time undercover.
  • In-between the last two, "Heroes of the Revolution", which features the death of her mother Elena Obregon decades ago and its current-day repercussions.
• Dirty Harriet: Alongside Trudy, she is often seen in this role, acting as a prostitute in order to catch a criminal.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: Downplayed, but Gina in the pilot is ever-so-slightly more loudmouthed, boisterous, and Rambunctious Italian ("He told you he volunteered?!? This guy never volunteers for anything except maybe a massage parlor bust") than the demure Nice Girl she is most of the rest of the time.
• The Exile: Gina was one before she was a toddler; she and her aunt were able to enter the US due to the government's policy of accepting people due to the regime change and diplomatic break with Cuba.
• Hidden Depths:
  • She is an excellent singer and performer, entertaining a nightclub audience with the songs "Stormy Weather" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" in the episode "Heroes of the Revolution", while she claims not to have sung or performed since high school!
  • In a throwaway moment from "Death and the Lady", it's Gina who mentions enjoying some parts of an artistic-but-ultimately violent high-class porn film.
• Identical Grandson: Plays herself and her own mother in "Heroes of the Revolution".
• If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten!:
  • In "Give a Little, Take a Little", when she is forced to have sex with a crimelord (under the guise of a prostitute) in order to maintain her cover.
  • Does the same thing in "Blood and Roses" when she sleeps with mobster Frank Mosca to protect her cover... only for Mosca to later uncover her identity and attempt to kill her, anyway.
• In the Blood: Her mother Elena was a professional singer, and Gina is talented enough to pose as one with very little practice.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: After first being upset by the news, she not only says this to Crockett before his remarriage, but helps arrange a honeymoon for him and Caitlin in New Zealand.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover: She owns a longhaired white cat (and is gifted an orange kitten by Crockett after seemingly losing the former), has a painting of a woman with a cat in her apartment, and is probably the nicest, most openly kind person in the show.
• Ms. Fanservice:
  • Like Crockett and Tubbs, she and Trudy tend to wear revealing, in their case Stripperiffic, outfits as part of their work wear... unlike the boys, however, they also have more normal office clothes, whereas the men tend to use theirs as appropriate for all situations. As another contrast, whereas Crockett and Tubbs get their wardrobes on loan from the forfeiture department, she and Trudy are shown at least once as delightedly shopping for their hooker clothes, meaning they have to consider and provide two wardrobes for themselves.
  • She's also shown underdressed on occasion, like wearing (presumably) one of Crockett's football jerseys and little else in an early episode and (sadly) with her lingerie briefly on display while being coerced by Frank Mosca, and also has a lengthy love scene with Sean Carroon.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Gets this in "Fruit of the Poison Tree", when she realizes that a C4 bomb meant for her (due to her identity being made) ended up causing the death of a 12 year-old boy, Nicky, instead.
• Nephewism: She was raised in the US by a maternal aunt and her husband (seemingly with five cousin-siblings) after the deaths of both her parents in Cuba.
• Nerves of Steel:
  • In "Bought and Paid For" when a rapist invades her apartment while she's sleeping, Gina doesn't make one fearful sound, just reaches for her gun.
  • In "When Irish Eyes Are Crying" she's totally composed in a roomful of panicky people when a masked assassin invades, simply telling him to drop the weapon and matter-of-factly shooting him down when he doesn't.
  • In "Blood and Roses" she's remarkably calm when she's alone and defenseless in an abandoned factory with a guy with a garrotte in his hands; no tears, begging, or pleading. She actually gets annoyed enough to engage in a bit of Casual Danger Dialogue.
• Nice Girl: Mentioned by (of all people) someone she busts on a hooker train in "Vote of Confidence"; then she has to deal with Sonny making one of his Unresolved Sexual Tension remarks with particular comic timing, but the point still stands. She's a thoughtful, warm, open person who manages to avoid most of the jading the rest of OCB has already gone or goes through.
  John: But I wasn't trying to buy you! I just wanted to take you away from here! You seemed like such a nice girl.
  Gina: I am a Nice Girl...!
  Crockett: I should know....
• Plucky Girl: Gina goes through about as much trauma as anybody on the unit, including sexual assault, deaths of people close to her, and dealing with Crockett's issues, but unlike her male coworkers, she doesn't let any of it make her cynical and stays kind and caring while she carries on.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Even in sun-soaked, tropical Miami, Gina is notably the palest person on the unit and is never really seen with a tan.
• "Reason You Suck" Speech: She briefly gives these to Crockett a couple of times in the first season when he won't give their relationship any more effort than Relationship Labeling Problems, especially if he has something more serious going on. The first time she says "I deserve better"; the second time she tells him to stay out of her life.
• Relationship Labeling Problems: Has this arrangement with Crockett in the first few episodes of the series, but a combination of bad timing, Gina's feelings for Sonny, and Crockett's feelings towards his ex-wife (to such an extent that he whispers Caroline's name in his sleep) ends things between them.
• Series Continuity Error: Possibly.
  • The first season establishes her as an Italian-American (who was raised Catholic). The third season episode "Heroes of the Revolution" then explicitly lists her origin as being born to deceased Cuban parents before she was brought to America as a small child by her aunt... however since we don't know anything about her uncle, it's not much of a stretch to assume her aunt then married an Italian-American.
  • In "When Irish Eyes Are Crying" Gina mentions she has five siblings. In "Heroes of the Revolution", there are no signs of other children, and her mother only mentions Gina. Unless Gina considers her cousins as her siblings, it's this.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Gina is a genuinely friendly Nice Girl and a kind, caring person — and she's a highly trained vice cop who's killed more people than her more practical, less-sentimental partner. If you hurt her or anyone she cares about, the odds are very good Calabrese will be the one who ends you.
• Snap Back: Is seriously injured in the second-season opener, "The Prodigal Son", to such an extent that no one in the department is sure she'll pull through the surgery. When Crockett and Tubbs get back to the department at the end of the episode, Gina's little worse for wear, with only an arm brace as proof of her injuries and an explanation that she'll be back to work in a couple weeks.
• Theme Initials: Her Love Interests Sonny Crockett and Sean Carroon.
• Unresolved Sexual Tension: A little less explicit than on Crockett's side, but Gina – who is the one who bitterly broke things off (again) with a "The Reason You Suck" Speech to him (again)... notably really doesn't discourage Sonny from flirting with her, touching her or kissing her at any point after that, including when she's undercover and he's married (again).
• Working with the Ex: She and Crockett had an on-off relationship in the first season. Thankfully, they're mostly Amicable Exes, although not without some Unresolved Sexual Tension.
• Wrong-Name Outburst: She's really hurt by Crockett mentioning Caroline when he's half-asleep after explicitly denying he was still in love with the woman, and it's one of the things that eventually contributes to their breakup.
• You Killed My Father: Subverted. In "Heroes of the Revolution", she actually refuses to kill her mother's murderer Orrestes Pedrosa simply for revenge, saying she can't do that and he needs to be dealt with by a justice system, even when her mother's lover Klaus Herzog points out that will never happen. She ends up killing Pedrosa to protect Herzog after he uses himself as bait.
  Gina: I never thought hate lasted this long.
  Herzog: Well, maybe it's love that endures...

Stan Switek

Stanley "Stan" Switek

Search warrants... get 'em while they're hot!

Played By: Michael Talbott

Dubbed By: Francis Lax (European French)

Initially very laid-back and good-natured, he's in charge of surveillance for OCB with his partner Zito.

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• Affectionate Nickname: Various people on the unit call him "Swity".
• AM/FM Characterization: He is a huge Elvis Presley fan, keeping a photo of "The King" at his desk, doing Elvis impersonations, and watching his movies.
• The Artifact: Once Zito (his partner and one half of the Plucky Comic Relief) dies, his character arc and connection to the main storyline is greatly reduced, and he becomes little more than a background character and extra presence in the department. In the fifth season, the producers attempted to get around this by giving Switek more to do (a storyline involving his girlfriend and growing gambling addiction), but this was all but ignored by the end of the series. Scenes that would have better explained his decision to become a turncoat were deleted from the series finale, and his arc ends without answering what happened after he shot and killed the goons attempting to kill him after he ratted out his fellow detectives.
• Beard of Sorrow: Played with. He sported a beard in the earlier seasons which didn't qualify as this, but by season five with his mounting troubles over gambling and still grieving Zito, it represented one.
• Carpet of Virility: All the men minus Crockett had one, but his was the most glorious.
• Darker and Edgier: Literally and figuratively, as his wardrobe and personality changes completely after Zito's death. He begins dressing in darker suits, his gambling problem becomes an underlying plotline and his demeanor is far more serious.
• A Day in the Limelight: During the first-season episode "Made for Each Other", focusing on his friendship with Zito.
• Elvis Impersonator: Pretends to be one in "Everybody's in Showbiz", even resorting to singing part of "Heartbreak Hotel".
• Expository Hairstyle Change: In tandem with his Trapped by Gambling Debts lifestyle, Switek's hair becomes longer and shaggier in the final episodes. While working undercover, he often wears it slicked back.
• Facepalm: He does this in response to Zito interacting with his new goldfish, Harriet.
• The Gambling Addict: Switek's gambling habits take up more and more of his time following Zito's death, leading him to become indebted to gangsters and eventually culminating in him selling out Crockett and Tubbs in the Series Finale.
• Game Show Appearance: In "Phil The Shill", he and Zito pretend to be sick so the former can appear on a game show called "Rat Race", which is ran by a con man named Phil Mayhew (Phil Collins). Not only does he lose, he's also seen on television by others at the OCB, they're both given a strong dressing down by Castillo, they're given both a double shift and docked pay for the deception, but Phil ultimately gets away with his crimes due to his other victims refusing to come forward.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Zito. He was never the same after his murder and remains affected by it for the remainder of the series.
• Love Triangle: Between him, Zito and the latter's ex-girlfriend Darlene, who dates and moves in with him (and Larry!) in "Made For Each Other". It ends when they break up and he orders her out.
• Manly Tears: Breaks down crying at Zito's funeral when he gives a eulogy for his friend.
• Mangst: He never truly got over Zito's death and it remained with him for the rest of the series. In the final episode, "Too Much, Too Late", ^note which was the very last episode to air of the four "lost episodes" and that aired in syndication he is seen holding and looking sadly upon one of his partner's many snowglobes.
• Playing Sick: He and Zito do this so the former can appear on a game show, Rat Race in "Phil The Shill". Unfortunately, not only does Switek lose on the show (and he didn't even have a chance at winning due to the game show and its host being crooked), but they're soon caught by the guys at OCB, chewed out by Castillo and assigned to both a double shift and docked pay for the deception.
• Plucky Comic Relief: Alongside Zito. This ends almost completely after Zito's death in "Down For The Count".
• Shoot the Television: Resorts to doing this at the end of "Phil The Shill" when he sees the titular con man posing as a faith healer on television.
• Sorrowful Stutter: When Switek is giving Zito's eulogy in "Down for the Count," he begins with "Lar was my partner..." He pauses for almost twenty seconds before continuing, "...but to me, he was more like a brother." He then stops, overcome by emotion.
• Spies In a Van: Alongside Zito, in the "Bug Van" surveillance unit, for several of their appearances in the first two seasons.
• Status Quo Game Show: Goes onto a game show in "Phil The Shill", but fails to realize that the game has been rigged by a crooked host.
• Those Two Guys: Alongside Zito, as the comic relief of the series.
• Trademark Favorite Food: If not a Sweet Tooth: he loves junk food, which Zito often ribbed on him about.
• Trapped by Gambling Debts: As the series rolls on, it becomes abundantly clear that Switek's gambling habits are consuming him. In an act of desperation, he sells out his colleagues in an attempt to get himself out from debt, though he eventually changes his tune and takes out several of the gangsters in response.

Trudy Joplin

Trudy Joplin

Played By: Olivia Brown

Gina's partner. Equally willing to put herself into dangerous situations for a case.

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• Action Fashionista: In later seasons, Trudy becomes more fashionable with the jewelry and coordinated outfits she wears.
• Affectionate Nickname: Referring to her... assets, the staff are fond of calling her "Big Booty Trudy". She even proudly displays a nametag bearing the same nickname on her desk.
• Agony of the Feet: She walks barefoot on the streets of a low-rent Miami neighborhood posing as a jonesing hooker in "Little Prince". She's also tied up and has foot torture techniques performed on her in "Asian Cut", just before Crockett and Tubbs rescue her.
• Character Development: After spending the first three seasons largely acting as Dirty Harriet, she eventually moves out of the role and becomes the department's resident information gatherer.
• Dirty Harriet: Practically the only thing both her and Gina ever seem to do is go undercover as prostitutes. At least, this tends to be the only time they get the spotlight; otherwise they are mostly support for Crockett and Tubbs.
• Girly Bruiser
• If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten!: In "Asian Cut", where she becomes immersed in the BDSM culture (to such an extent that she ends up undergoing Agony of the Feet at a BDSM club) in order to protect her cover.
• Just Friends:
  • It is hinted in "Little Miss Dangerous" that Trudy has a crush on Tubbs. When she retrieves information for him, she suggests he should take her out for dinner and wine. However, Tubbs brushes her off with a swift: "Thank you, Trudy."
  • In "Walk-Alone" Tubbs and Trudy go undercover as a married couple. When she tries to kiss him during their "conjugal visit", he rebuffs her and starts an argument instead. Trudy responds: "So, this means you're not gonna kiss me."
  • In "Streetwise" Tubbs and Trudy go undercover as a pimp and a prostitute. When Tubbs asks Trudy for a kiss, she turns away and remarks: "You had your chance."
• Male Gaze: Several of her male squad members have complimented her physique. In "Baby Blues," an undercover Zito walks up to an undercover Trudy and comments: "You look nice as a nurse." In "Vote of Confidence," Crockett compliments Trudy's curves in a more direct, slightly inappropriate way. "Talk about a caboose."
• Married to the Job: Like Crockett, Tubbs and Gina, she's committed to seeing cases through to the end. This results in her personal life suffering over the course of the series, costing her at least one relationship in the process.
• Mind Screw: In the infamous fourth-season episode "Missing Hours", when she begins to go crazy due to not knowing if she's hallucinating UFOs and aliens.
• Ms. Fanservice: In the later seasons, Trudy is often shown in the workplace in bodycon dresses that accentuate her curves and expose her skin, and midriff bearing outfits.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: In "The Dutch Oven", when she begins pushing a suspect and shoving him onto his car after he tries to solicit her to have sex with two teenagers in the back of a car. Gina has to pull her off the suspect to stop her.
• Sex for Solace:
  • In "The Dutch Oven", she turns to an old boyfriend for this after shooting her first suspect.
  • After Zito's death in "Down for the Count," she sleeps with a man she hasn't seen in five years because she doesn't want to be alone. It doesn't make her feel any better.
• What the Hell, Hero?: In "Give a Little, Take a Little", when she calls out Gina for not wanting to bring backup when a mobster offers to bring her out for dinner, backed by several of his associates.

Larry Zito

Lawrence "Larry" Zito

Played By: John Diehl

Switek's partner in being great at police surveillance and slightly quirky otherwise.

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• Affectionate Nickname: Switek often refers to him as "Lar" (pronounced as "lair").
• Afraid of Needles: It's established that Zito has a crippling fear of these due to his only brother dying of an overdose, leading to Death by Irony (a forced overdose).
• The Boxing Episode: "Down for the Count", when he goes undercover to help a budding boxer and catch a crooked bookmaker. At the end of the episode, he is murdered by the bookmaker and his accomplices.
• Butt-Monkey: He's this in "Made For Each Other": he bemoans losing his girlfriend to Switek, he burns his fingertips grabbing evidence money from a warehouse fire, his house burns down, causing him to lose everything, including his beloved goldfish, Harry, he has to move in with Switek and his ex where she keeps trying to convince his partner that he's a nuisance that will drag him down, and he nearly blows the case of trying to bring down some counterfeiters. Fortunately by the end of the episode, he's got a new goldfish who he names Harriet, Switek and Darlene break up and he orders her out, and the case ends up resolved for the better.
• The Cavalry: Takes this role multiple times throughout the second season. Notably, he leads the group that comes in to rescue Crockett and Tubbs in "Sons and Lovers", and appears at a critical moment to distract a mobster's attention on the sand dunes (helping Crockett gun down the enemy) in "Definitely Miami".
• Cigar Chomper: He is occasionally seen smoking or at least holding a cigar (as John Diehl is one in real life).
• Clear Their Name: A posthumous example. In the second half of "Down For The Count", Internal Affairs believes him to be dirty due to the circumstances of his death and his past alcoholism, to the rest of OCB's horror and frustration and Stan's anger and wrath. He is thankfully cleared by the end of the episode, though.
• A Day in the Limelight: In "Made for Each Other", when his partnership with Switek and their investigation into a case fuels the plot of the episode.
• A Death in the Limelight: In the final episode he appears in, Zito gets much more characterization dealing with his efforts to coach a budding boxer, and talking about some of his vices. He ends up being killed at the end of the episode by a mobster and his crew.
• Disappeared Dad: His father James, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty when he was a child.
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: Averted; his death cast a permanent shadow over the squad, particularly for Switek, who never truly got over it or was assigned another partner.
• Hawaiian-Shirted Tourist: He and Switek. Whereas Crockett and Tubbs are usually seen in designer suits (but particularly the former), Gina and Trudy often wear dresses and Castillo mainly sports his basic suit and tie, the two of them are almost always wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Switek. Their partnership was more reminiscent of close friends or brothers.
• Love Triangle: In "Made For Each Other", his ex-girlfriend Darlene moves in with and starts dating Switek. It gets particularly awkward when Zito has to move in with him due to his own house burning down. By the end of the episode, however, Stan chooses his job (and his friendship with Larry) over her.
• Playing Sick: He and Switek do this so the latter can appear on a game show, Rat Race, in "Phil The Shill". In addition to him losing the rigged game, it earns them a chewing out by Castillo, a double shift and docked pay once their deception was uncovered.
• Recovered Addict: In "Down for the Count", he mentions this of himself, saying he hasn't had a drink in five years and has been attending AA meetings.
• Sad Clown: Implied; his father was killed in the line of duty when he was young, his only brother died of an overdose, he was formerly an alcoholic, and he's the only member not to have a current significant other, so it's plausible that he used humor to cope, especially since his final episode portrayed him as much more serious compared to the rest of his time on the series.
• Series Continuity Error: His beard reappears and disappears at random throughout the second season, due to the running order of some episodes being changed around by NBC.
• Spies In a Van: He and Switek work surveillance in the famous "Bug Van".
• The Thing That Would Not Leave: Downplayed in "Made For Each Other"; ex-girlfriend Darlene wants him to leave Stan's apartment and he often (unintentionally) interrupts their attempts at intimacy, but Stan demands he stays. He soon stays the night at headquarters to let them have alone time, but Stan eventually kicks her out since the job and partnership came first.
• Those Two Guys: Switek's partner in surveillance and comic relief.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: After his death, the fate of his new goldfish, Harriet, is never revealed. One can reasonably believe that she went into Switek's care (like his collection of snowglobes, oddly enough), but it's never stated outright.

Bobby Price

Bobby Price

Played By: Larry Riley

A detective who is killed during an attempt to outdo Crockett and Tubbs in busts.

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• Affectionate Nickname: Is called "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by his partner and some of the other detectives at Miami-Dade.
• Distaff Counterpart: Of Tubbs — loud, boisterous and extremely loyal to his friend and partner.
• Rule of Symbolism: Price, along with his partner, Esteban, are shown as a cautionary tale in the series regarding what happens to detectives who fail to ensure they have proper backup.
• Suicidal Overconfidence: Walks into a drug meet while acting arrogant and refusing backup — and pays for it with his life.
• Surprisingly Sudden Death: Gets gunned down and dies instantly in a hail of Uzi fire after the Jamaican drug runners ambush him and Esteban in "Cool Runnin'".
• Tempting Fate: Alongside his partner, they set up a "preliminary meet" with a drug kingpin — and refuse to bring any backup, even when help is offered to them. The bust goes south, and he is shot and killed instantly during an ambush.
• Those Two Guys: Forms a conventional duo with Esteban. Unfortunately, their partnership doesn't last much longer in the show.

Lou Rodriguez

Lieutenant Lou Rodriguez

Played By: Gregory Sierra

The chief of OCB and an early suspect for the mole in the department.

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• Cigar Chomper: Is fond of his cigars, particularly when he's first seen.
• Da Chief: The first leader of the department seen in the series.
• Fire-Forged Friends: With Crockett. While it's never made explicitly clear, it is suggested that both of them have been friends for many years and have worked together on numerous cases.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Goes above and beyond the call of duty to get Crockett into witness protection, but ends up paying the price for it — with his life.
• Rule of Symbolism: His behaviour, mannerisms and story evoke that of the "classic" portrayal of police chiefs from 70s cop shows, and after his death, he's replaced by a much more complex and nuanced character in Martin Castillo.
• Sacrificial Lamb: Is the first major character to die in the series, demonstrating the extent to which some villains will go in the series.
• Small Role, Big Impact: He is only seen in five episodes, but he gives Crockett the idea to partner with Tubbs to work on the Calderone case, personally leads a group of officers into danger to rescue Tubbs, and ends up Taking the Bullet to save Crockett from an assassin.
• Taking the Bullet: After attempting to get Crockett to safety, he realizes too late that Armstrong is aiming at them with a sniper rifle, and takes a bullet pushing Crockett out of the way.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Gets offed four episodes into the series after taking a bullet for Crockett.

Martin Castillo

Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo

It's who I am... it's what I do.

Played By: Edward James Olmos

The head of OCB after the assassination of Lou Rodriguez. Castillo is a former DEA agent with a Mysterious Past.

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• And Starring: Takes this spot at the end of the opening credits.
• Archenemy: General Lao Li, who killed a bunch of his men in Thailand and kidnapped his wife. Notably, they only face off in a two-parter once but the shadow of the man always hangs over the character.
• Beware the Quiet Ones: Refuses to raise his voice, keeps details about his personal life to a minimum and runs into friction with his detectives over his cold demeanor... but once he cuts loose, it becomes abundantly clear why enemies fear him.
• Ceiling Cling: In "Bushido", when he clings to the ceiling in a house in order to outwit a group of assassins chasing him and Jack Gretsky's family.
• Clothing Reflects Personality: Is fond of wearing a muted black suit, pencil-thin black tie and white shirt, which can be seen as a metaphor for the way in which he views the world, with no shades of gray.
• Da Chief: Is transferred to the Miami-Dade Police Department early on in the first season, and remains as its Captain through the rest of the series.
• A Day in the Limelight: Several, notably "Golden Triangle" (which provides the first hints to his Hidden Depths) and "Bushido" (which further explores his DEA background and connections).
• Death Glare: One of his defining traits, so much so that the "Castillo staredown" has been used as a shorthand for a character looking at someone else intently with restrained rage in their eyes.
• A Father to His Men: Castillo makes it clear on multiple occasions that he'd rather end a stakeout or investigation than lose one of his officers.
• Hidden Badass: Castillo turns out to be a master martial artist capable of killing a man with his bare hands.
• Idiot Ball: The final act of "Bushido" is motivated by Castillo telling a I Have This Friend story to Gretsky's son, with Laura Gretsky realizing that the story Castillo is telling him is referring to how he had to perform a Mercy Kill on Gretsky. This motivates her decision to stab him In the Back, limiting him for the duration of the confrontation with Surf.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: At the end of "Golden Triangle", to the extent of becoming O.O.C. Is Serious Business. He takes Crockett up on his offer of a drink, after having socially-distanced himself from the rest of the department for the majority of the first season.
• In the Back: Gets stabbed in this fashion by Laura Gretsky in "Bushido", but manages to survive and hold his own against a group of KGB assassins.
• Limited Wardrobe: Based on the few times he's seen out of his standard outfit, Castillo only appears to own a single black suit, a single black tie, a single white shirt, a white blazer, and a pair of shorts/T-shirt for casual days.
• The Lost Lenore: Castillo's wife, May Ying, who was presumed dead before the events of the series... that is, until it's revealed that she survived and moved to Miami.
• Married to the Job: To the point that he has no problem sleeping at the office during multi-day cases. With the exception of his (ex-)wife, May Ying, he's never shown to have any major personal connections or hobbies besides meditation, and rarely (if ever) goes on personal excursions with any other member of the force.
  Castillo: If it's not illegal, I'm not interested.
• Mysterious Past: While bits and pieces of information about his past in the DEA are mentioned in the show, his full history is never explored, and he remains about as mysterious a person at the end of the show as he does at the beginning. According to the CIA, even they don't know who Castillo was prior to his involvement with them.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
  • In "Bushido", he cracks a smile while talking to Gretsky about his past.
  • In "Golden Triangle", Olmos does not speak in Castillo's normal mumbling voice, expresses anger when he tries to choke Menton, and even goes so far as to shout (albeit just a single word, "Wrong!") at Menton after the final confrontation.
  • He also ends up warming up to Crockett in later seasons, to such an extent that, in the wake of Crockett having shot a young boy in "Child's Play" in Season 4, he admits he is one of the people who "cares" about the detective during a heart-to-heart conversation in the latter's office.
  • He lets a sobbing and remorseful Gina hug him (for Castillo, it's the equivalent of giving her a hug) in "A Bullet For Crockett", when they don't know if Crockett will live or not.
• The Reveal: In "Golden Triangle, Part I," when the audience (and the Vice cops) discover that Castillo has Hidden Depths, after he chases Li's lieutenant into an alleyway and takes him on in single hand-to-hand combat, gaining the upper hand just as backup arrives.
• Revolvers Are Just Better: Like Tubbs, he's fond of carrying a Smith & Wesson revolver.
• Samurai: He displays obvious proficiency with a katana, is able to move in stealth and appears to abide by the Bushido code, as seen in the titular second-season episode.
• Second Episode Introduction: Or rather, sixth episode. Castillo wasn't originally intended to be added to the series until Gregory Sierra (Lt. Rodriguez) opted to leave, necessitating Edward James Olmos' casting. Castillo first appears in "One Eyed Jack", the first episode after the Calderone arc is completed.
• Tranquil Fury: Besides yelling for his agents to get out of harm's way, he never raises his voice in anger against anyone, instead staring them down until they avert their eyes or leave the room.
• Worthy Opponent: Is considered to be this by General Lao Li during "Golden Triangle".

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Residents of Miami

Izzy Moreno

Isadore "Izzy" Francisco Moreno

Have we already had the scene where I ask, "What this is all about?" and you say, "Shut up, we ask the questions"?

Played By: Martin Ferraro

A petty criminal and con man who is happy to serve as an informant for OCB. He has something of a mutual fondness for Crockett and Tubbs.

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• Ascended Extra: While a supporting character, he remains one of the few characters in the series to appear in all five seasons, including the series finale.
• Character Development: Initially set up as an altruistic thief who engages in petty crime, Izzy forms a friendship with Crockett and Tubbs, so much so that when the former is shot in the line of duty, he breaks down while visiting him in the hospital.
• Chekhov's Gunman: In "Whatever Works", after initially thwarting the department's attempt to seize Crockett's Daytona, he shows up again to get it back at the end of the episode, risking his own freedom to do so in the process.
• Citizenship Marriage: Izzy claims it's a "tragic coincidence" that he and his ex-wife got divorced shortly after he got his green card.
• A Day in the Limelight: Season 2's "Whatever Works", which introduces his assistant, Manny, and follows his efforts to recover Crockett's Daytona from an overzealous government employee.
• The Informant: Is often consulted by Crockett and Tubbs in each season for intel regarding the villain of the week. Izzy once even helped the two cops out while Izzy was in the middle of committing another crime (the crime was straight burglary... they're Vice cops... they cut him a break).
• Lovable Rogue: He's committed virtually every petty crime under the son, but the Vice cops excuse his antics due to his ability to glean information on various criminal enterprises — and his charming personality.
• The Malaproper: Izzy's continual mangling of English with fascinating word substitutions is part of his charm.
• The Merch: In-universe, Izzy capitalizes on the Miracle Man's success by selling items such as hats, guitars, and baseball bats with his logo on them.
• Refuge in Audacity: One of his Running Gags involves Izzy creating criminal ventures that are so convoluted and ridiculous that there's no way they'll succeed. These include ventures like offering dance classes (with a free financial advice seminar), celebrity dog walking, interior design, stealing a cement mixer and more.
• Running Gag:
  • When Izzy gives up the information in each episode he appears in, he claims he'll be killed if anyone else finds out.
  • Crockett and Tubbs threaten to arrest Moreno in each episode he appears in, hanging his previous felonies over his head. This is then subverted in the series finale, whereupon realizing that they'll either be killed or quit the force due to the impending battle, they realize they don't hold any leverage over him and release him from any form of prosecution.
• Small Name, Big Ego: In-universe, Izzy considers himself to be this, owing to his connection with the "hotshot" detectives Crockett and Tubbs. In "Whatever Works", he also claims that both detectives "respect him" after helping Crockett keep his Ferrari Daytona.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Is one of the few to visit Crockett in the hospital during the fourth-season Clip Show episode "A Bullet For Crockett", and nearly has a breakdown upon seeing the cop, contrary to his typically argumentative stance towards the latter.

Noogie Lamont

Nugart "Noogie" Lamont

Played By: Charlie Barnett

A petty criminal who is known to work as an informant.

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• Action Survivor: He manages to survive the shootout between Vice and the Jamaicans in "Cool Runnin'", despite not being armed with a weapon and being injured in the crossfire.
• Affectionate Nickname: Everyone either refers to him as "Noogie" or "The Noogman", and never by his first name.
• Demoted to Extra: Unlike Izzy, whose usefulness to the Vice squad remains consistent throughout the entire series, Noogie's role reduces further and further, despite also being The Informant. By the time of his final appearance on the show ("Missing Hours"), he's been reduced to a glorified extra who is seen helping Izzy with a scheme, and disappears completely from the series after the first act of the episode.
• Happily Married: To local resident/stripper "Ample" Annie, who aids the Vice cops in a separate case.
• The Informant: Provides intel and tips to Crockett and Tubbs, most notably during the first season.
• Put on a Bus: Disappears at the end of Season 2's "Trust Fund Pirates", and doesn't appear again until Season 4's "Missing Hours".
• Real Life Writes the Plot: Noogie all but disappeared after the second season due to an alleged incident where Charlie Barnett (Noogie's actor) was on drugs during filming, causing Don Johnson to swear off doing scenes with him in the future.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: His ultimate whereabouts are left unknown at the end of "Missing Hours", and he never appears in the series again.

Caroline Crockett Ballard

Caroline Crockett Ballard

Played By: Belinda Montgomery

Crockett's ex-wife and the mother of his young son.

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• Amicable Exes: Though they do run into friction, Crockett and Caroline continue to treat each other well for the rest of their appearances together.
• The Bus Came Back: Disappears after the first few episodes of the series, and only reappears once in the fourth season (when Crockett goes to check up on her), and in Season 5 (when he is tasked with helping his son, Billy, and learns that she is pregnant with Bob's child).
• The Cameo: Shows up in the form of a photograph, alongside Billy's, seen in Crockett's locker during the series finale.
• Damsel in Distress: Briefly, as she is put in danger after Calderone's hitman, Ludovici Armstrong, tries to kill them in their family home.
• My God, What Have I Done?: In "To Have and to Hold", she blames herself for Billy's troubling behavior in school and towards her new husband, Bob.
• The One That Got Away: How Crockett considers her, as he relates to Tubbs at the end of "To Have and to Hold".
• Parent with New Paramour: Ends up dating (and eventually marrying) businessman Bob Ballard, with whom she has another child.
• Ship Tease: It seems as though Caroline and Crockett (who are on the outs at the beginning of the series) will mend their relationship, and even seem to be steering towards moving back in together. However, the events of "Calderone's Return" end things permanently.
• Spanner in the Works: It is implied, but never confirmed, that Caroline's (and Billy's presence) near the end of "Calderone's Return, Part I" causes enough of a distraction that Armstrong doesn't immediately fire on him. In the first moments during the gunfight, Armstrong shifts his position to attempt to shoot around them, giving Crockett enough of an opportunity to get them to safety.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Calls out Crockett for not visiting at any point after the family was nearly killed by Calderone's hitman, with the former only bothering to make an appearance after he was searching for answers after accidentally shooting a teenage suspect.

Caitlin Davies

Caitlin Davies

Played By: Sheena Easton

Crockett's second wife, a singer who finds her career resurrected after their marriage. She meets an untimely end through a spiteful ex-con with a tangled past with Sonny.

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• Affectionate Nickname: Sonny calls her "Cait" (or possibly "Cate"/"Kate") — meaningful, given their relationship started by disliking each other.
• The Bard on Board:
  • There are quite a few references to The Taming of the Shrew in her relationship with Crockett. Aside from the above, he's an unorthodox, hard-living ladykiller who's only initially with her because he's being paid to do it, there's an immense amount of Snark-to-Snark Combat and needling each other to go with the mutual dislike, and they are married very quickly, and on a Sunday.
  • Even the "English" mention and her old love–"creator"–part of her "company of players" being "Will" are probably not coincidental. Unfortunately, her story with Crockett then starts taking pages from one of the tragedies.
• Best Served Cold: She's willing to send Tommy Lowe to prison for payola because she believes he's responsible for Will's death.
  Caitlin: How about Will...? Are you going to make him a star, too...?
• Bodyguard Crush: She starts off the series acting antagonistic towards Crockett (who is assigned to protect her), but warms up to him once he saves her life.
• Boyish Short Hair: Crockett's is actually far longer by this point.
• Cartwright Curse: What could have happened to Caroline does end up happening to Caitlin, as the latter is murdered by one of Crockett's enemies.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Caitlin eventually tells a pretty gruesome tale about how her bandmates were eliminated by Lowe and his corrupt, unscrupulous Murder Is the Best Solution tactics... unfortunately, she has no idea how high up the record chain the rot goes. Ironically, she's not killed for She Knows Too Much or anything having to do with this (though she has multiple saves by Crockett), but by someone with a grudge against her husband.
• Double Entendre: She casually drops a couple of the most blatant and explicit anybody ever throws at Crockett in "Like A Hurricane", and it's a sign of how things have gone up to this point that he just stays annoyed after the first one. He does smile and say "What'd you have in mind...?" after the second, but she continues to insult him.
  Caitlin: Bet that's a specialty of yours... taking girls out on that thing and getting them wet. Is everything of yours that fast...?
• Expecting Someone Taller: How she perceives Crockett during their first meeting, shortly before they start dating.
• Fourth-Date Marriage: Is introduced to, dates and marries Crockett within the span of a week in-universe (and in the span of one episode, no less!).
• Hand on Womb: She discovers that she's pregnant before her final concert and calls Crockett, but doesn't have time to tell him before she ends the phone call. Crockett later discovers that she was six weeks pregnant, according to an autopsy.
• Her Boyfriend's Jacket: Takes to wearing Crockett's jacket after they consummate their relationship.
• Hidden Depths: She's introduced as a (at least-formerly) successful performer with multiple albums and a very comfortable and polished Miami lifestyle, but the way she picks at Crockett over his clothes, boat and car^note  which as he explains, are all on loan and for show, and when she was the one who wanted to go to an expensive restaurant that can only be reached by boat in the first place combined with her particular defiant statement about acquiring a stepson, suggest Caitlin isn't from any kind of affluent background at all.
  Caitlin: I ain't afraid of no kid!
• I Let Gwen Stacy Die: For her husband Sonny, who'd managed to protect her several times before that. Her death sends him into a Heroic BSoD and eventually over a psychological breaking point.
• Imperiled in Pregnancy: Though known only to the audience (at first), Caitlin is six weeks pregnant when Hackman decides, on a whim, to shoot and kill her at the end of her concert.
• The Lost Lenore:
  • Caitlin herself starts out with one; she was in a relationship with the bassist in a former band, Will, who died under suspicious circumstances, and carries around a picture of him where he wrote "All my love" on it.
  • Crockett is so broken by her above murder that he drops any pretense of legality and hunts Hackman down, who wrongly assumed Crockett wouldn't kill him if he didn't appear armed. While he then seems okay to start working normally again, turns out (with an explosion and severe head injury)... not so much.
• Meaningful Name: The innocent-seeming "Pied Piper" nickname she gains after meeting Crockett – the Piper vanished one day, with children in tow, and left immense grief behind...
• Morality Chain: There's a strong argument she was this to Crockett, considering Sonny's response to her death is a vengeance killing and then becoming a Criminal Amnesiac.
• Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Caitlin mentions how "English bands" were popular, suggesting she was part of one, but Easton plays the role with her native Scottish accent, in a touch of As Long as It Sounds Foreign. If she is meant to be from Scotland, it's never mentioned.
• Properly Paranoid: She is very, very sure, with fairly good reasoning, that her former boyfriend Will was murdered, framed to look like suicide.
  Crockett: Do you know that?
  Caitlin: Yes! But I can't prove it.
• Sacrificial Lamb: Gets killed, with virtually no foreshadowing, by a criminal that Crockett unintentionally helped free from prison, who decides at the last second to shoot her, ostensibly to push him over the Despair Event Horizon.
• Satellite Love Interest: Lampshaded in how as her career resurges after their marriage, she's away frequently and she and Crockett spend little time together. She's on tour overseas when he's shot and clinging to life in "A Bullet For Crockett", initially can't be notified (Gina refers to her as "his wife" and not by name; interpersonal dynamics aside, it implies they aren't even any kind of casual acquaintances, and in the end it's never even specified that she was notified), and doesn't appear. He is exponentially more affected by her death than the rest of OCB, who are sincerely shocked and sympathetic but didn't know her that well.
• Slap-Slap-Kiss: She and Crockett have what's likely Belligerent Sexual Tension and argue from the moment they meet until the first time he saves her life and The Reveal of the deadly way Caitlin and her former bandmates were struggling, after which they have Rescue Sex.
• Targeted to Hurt the Hero: Is cruelly killed off, just a few episodes after being introduced, so that a villain can twist the knife further into Crockett and drive him to a Despair Event Horizon.

Ira Stone

Ira Stone

Played By: Bob Balaban

A reporter who befriended Crockett during the Vietnam War, Stone is in Miami when he uncovers evidence of toxic drugs being circulated in the city and goes to his old friend for help. He later reappears and enlists Crockett's help to aid him in taking down a corrupt CIA Colonel.

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• The Bus Came Back: In "Stone's War", he reappears after half-a-season away.
• Died in Your Arms Tonight: Is mortally wounded during a shootout with Maynard's men and dies in Crockett's arms, just after the latter reassures him that his expose on Maynard will be aired.
• He Knows Too Much: He is pursued by William Maynard, who sends several goons after him due to the former getting information about his drug-smuggling operation in Nicaragua.
• The Lost Lenore: Mrs. Stone, who is shot and killed by Maynard's henchman, Hmung, when she tries to smuggle his unpublished news story on Maynard out of the city.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gets called out by his wife for not having any permanent employment, getting her roped up in his quest pursuing Maynard, and culminating in them living out of a dumpy motel while he searches for leads in his case.
• Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Due to being a cameraman with no combat experience, he's often seen fleeing from dangerous situations, necessitating that Crockett rescue him.
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: Implied to be this, as he shouts out comments ("Incoming!" and "Medic!") when he and Crockett are chased by Hmung in "Back In The World".

"Elvis"

Elvis the Alligator

An alligator formerly belonging to the University of Florida as a mascot, now Crockett's pet.

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• The Artifact: Elvis appears less and less as the show rolls on, notably appearing only a couple of times in the third season (in tandem with the show's tone becoming Darker and Edgier). While he is referenced in the fourth-season episode "Love at First Sight" (and it's established that he's still living onboard the St. Vitus Dance), but he never appears again, and is only referenced in a montage (in flashback) at the end of the series.
• Big Eater: Fond of eating entire bags of fish, bags of dog food — or anything else he can get his hands on.
• Karmic Trickster: Befitting his status as a large amphibian creature, he is fond of scaring the locals, causing havoc in nearby boats and freaking out guests onboard the St. Vitus Dance. Despite this, he is generally neutral (or friendly) to everyone he encounters, even letting himself be led back onto the St. Vitus Dance by a pair of government agents sent to talk to Crockett.
• Mascot: He originally served as the Team Pet for the University of Florida Gators (the team Crockett played on in his previous football career), until Crockett brought the alligator with him after the latter bit one of the free safeties.
• Troll: Used by Crockett whenever he wants to scare the living daylights out of anyone who isn't expecting the presence of a live alligator.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Elvis stops appearing by the fourth season, and is never referenced or seen again, with his fate left unanswered after Crockett quits the force at the end of the series.

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The Calderone Family

The Calderone Cartel

A drug dealing organization that operates primarily in Florida and the Caribbean.

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• The Cartel: It is a Columbian drug cartel that wields immense influence and power.
• Cop Killer: The Calderone cartel has no issue with killing police as part of their efforts.
• Expy: Of the Medellin cartel of Pablo Escobar fame, including Esteban being a poor peasant who rose to being an international billionaire.
• The Family That Slays Together: The death of Esteban Calderone just results in his son, Orlando taking over. He's not the only member of the family involved with the business either.
• Greater-Scope Villain: The Caledrone cartel is involved in more episodes of Miami Vice than any other group. Possibly more if you assume any of the other Columbian villains are related to their business.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: Their primary way of dealing with troublesome cops, informants, and rival gang members.
• Ruthless Foreign Gangsters: The Calderone cartel is among the most violent and dangerous of the criminals the heroes face.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: When they do get captured, they use either vast amounts of cash to bribe officials to get away with their crimes.
• Villain with Good Publicity: A lot of people depend on the cartel to make ends meet. An entire island is annoyed with Esteban's death due to how it impacts their livelihood.

Esteban Calderone

Esteban Calderone

Played By: Miguel Pinero

A Columbian drug lord that was involved in the death of Crockett's partner and Tubb's brother.

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• Affectionate Nickname: Appears to be fond of calling his daughter "Angia".
• Asshole Victim: With the exception of his son (who's set on revenge), and given his crimes, no one mourns his passing, not even his own daughter, who concedes that she understands why Tubbs wanted to kill him. Subverted later in the series, when it's revealed in "The Afternoon Plane" that the townspeople on the island where Tubbs is trapped aren't so much bothered by Calderone's death, so much as angry at Tubbs for causing a main source of revenue that flowed to the townspeople to vanish virtually overnight.
• Berserk Button: During his final scene, he snaps into a a rage at the drop of a hat once he learns that Tubbs escaped his ambush for the duo.
• Big Bad: The first (and, to some, the most important) villain of the series, as his actions have far-reaching consequences, both for Tubbs and Calderone's own family.
• Expy: Of Pablo Escobar, including coming from poor peasant roots before becoming an international billionaire.
• I Own This Town: Brags about his connections with local law enforcement and rule over the people in St. Andrews for Crockett's benefit.
• Morality Pet: In the form of his own daughter, Angelina, who he keeps arm's length away from his criminal business dealings.
• Only Known By His Nickname: Up until Crockett and Tubbs begin tracking him, he's only known to Miami cops as "The Columbian".
• Professional Killer: Implied — he has no problem whatsoever picking up a weapon and killing his enemies, as evidenced during "Calderone's Return, Part II".
• School Is for Losers: According to the rapsheet read out by the detectives in the pilot, and later by his own admission, Calderone dropped out of school in the fourth grade.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Calderone skirts justice in the pilot episode by bribing a judge to get out of custody after Crockett and Tubbs apprehend him. Four episodes later, he brags to Crockett about the judges he plays golf with, and how much power he wields.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Though he only appears for two episodes in the series (and in those, he appears for about ten minutes each), his actions have far-reaching consequences for Tubbs and the rest of Calderone's family.
• Starter Villain: He acts as the primary threat (and Tubbs' goal in his quest for revenge) in the first few episodes of the series.
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Gets an entire Uzi magazine pumped into him, courtesy of Crockett, causing him to have a "dance of death" by his own pool. Notably, the "extended" sequence of this death was trimmed after its original television airing (though part of the footage can still be seen in the Montage at the end of "Calderone's Return, Part II").
• You Wouldn't Shoot Me: Says this to Tubbs in the pilot, after the latter has him at gunpoint with a shotgun.

Angelina Madeira

Angelina Madeira

Played By: Phanie Napoli

The initially innocent daughter of Esteban Calderone. She was involved with Tubbs romantically and consequentially for a short while.

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• Back for the Dead: After a two year-absence, Angelina returns at the end of the second season, intent on reuniting with Tubbs and being a family with their son — only to be kidnapped, tied to the wheel of a limo set to explode, spit on and blowing herself up to save Tubbs after she frees herself from her restraints.
• Big "NO!": Shouts out in despair when Crockett shoots down her father in "Calderone's Return, Part II".
• The Cavalry: Dispatches a sniper, on her orders, to rescue Crockett and Tubbs during the botched drug deal at the beginning of "Sons and Lovers".
• Contrived Coincidence: She just happens to be the daughter of one of the most powerful drug kingpins in the country — a fact Tubbs only discovers after they've slept together.
• Damsel in Distress: When she's kidnapped by her brother, Orlando, in "Sons and Lovers".
• Instant Seduction: Falls in love with Tubbs and consummates her feelings towards him after less than a few hours of interaction.
• Lady in a Power Suit: During her second (and final) appearance, she becomes fond of wearing a white suit with massive shoulder pads.
• Meaningful Name: Her name is "Angelina" and she's a purely good, convent-educated primary schoolteacher who has absolutely no idea what her father does or the kind of world he lives in.
• Morality Pet: For Calderone, who doesn't let her in on his inner business dealings and leads her to believe that he's an honest businessman. When the truth is finally revealed to her, she immediately disavows him and supports Crockett and Tubbs.
• Put on a Bus: At the end of her introductory episode, when she elects to stay on St. Andrews' Island as Crockett and Tubbs leave. Two years later, The Bus Came Back, when it's revealed that she's not only amassed her own group of loyal bodyguards, but is pregnant with Tubbs' son, who she has been raising in the interim.
• Someone to Remember Him By: Discovers that she's pregnant with Tubbs' child just after he leaves in "Calderone's Return, Part II". True to the trope, Tubbs Jr. was conceived after they'd only slept together once.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: With Tubbs. She attempts to rekindle their romance after two years apart from each other (and giving birth to their child), but is cruelly killed by Orlando before her and Tubbs share more than a night of passion.
• What the Hell, Hero?: She calls out Tubbs for leading her on (and seducing her) in order to get close to her and find out more information about her father, Esteban. As a result, she begins screaming at Tubbs until the latter reveals the depths of her father's machinations.

Orlando Calderone

Orlando Calderone

Played By: John Leguizamo

The son of Esteban Calderone and his successor as head of the Calderone cartel.

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• Avenging the Villain: He goes after Tubbs twice, both by kidnapping (and, by proxy, killing) Angelina, and later enacting a scheme to kill him on an isolated island, all in the name of his father.
• Insignia Rip-Off Ritual: Tears off Angelina's dolphin necklace, which their father gave to both of them as children. He later mails the necklace, along with a bouquet of flowers and a threatening note, to Tubbs during Angelina's funeral.
• Misplaced Retribution: Goes after Tubbs due to the latter having shot and killed his father... except it was Crockett who actually did so, a fact that both Angelina and Tubbs witnessed personally. Despite this, Tubbs never attempts to clear the record, and Orlando is never led to believe otherwise.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Immediately flees the scene when his plot to kill Tubbs in Miami goes south; as such, he's the only member of the attacking force to survive — albeit barely.
• Spiteful Spit: He spits on Angelina before leaving her to die in the rigged limo in "Sons and Lovers".
• Would Hurt a Child: Subverted; he initially intends on leaving Tubbs' and Angelina's baby to die in the limousine the latter is rigged up to, but has a change of heart at the last minute and has it replaced by a doll, leading Tubbs to think his child has been killed.
• Xanatos Gambit: Runs a large-scale operation to ensure that Tubbs gets onto a remote Caribbean island alone, without his gun, for the purposes of hunting and killing him. This includes bribing nearly everyone on the island along with a rigged raffle where he wins the grand prize.

Xavier Calderone

Xavier Calderone

Played By: Antoine Pagan

The nephew of Esteban Calederone and cousin of Orlando Calderone.

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• The Alcoholic: Displays this trait on several occasions in the one episode he's seen in ("The Afternoon Plane").
• Chekhov's Gunman: He pilfers a weapon from a local deputy who didn't agree to the Calderones' plan to pursue and kill Tubbs in St. Gerard... which is then taken from in turn and used by Tubbs' girlfriend, Alicia, after Xavier is shot and killed.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Throws wads of money at the local police chief in St. Gerard so that the latter will remain off the island during Tubbs' arrival and pursuit in "The Afternoon Plane".

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New York City Police Department

Valerie Gordon

Valerie Gordon

Read me my rights!

Played By: Pam Grier

A New York police detective who comes to Miami looking for her younger sister, as well as Tubbs's longtime on-off girlfriend.

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• Action Girl: Unlike Gina or Trudy, who function within a larger police unit, Valerie ends up taking on missions or personal quests on her own, and is highly capable with a weapon, to boot.
• Battle Couple: With Tubbs, notably in "The Prodigal Son", when they end up being Back-to-Back Badasses while fending off the Revilla Cartel.
• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Takes part in two gunfights, but never gets her makeup or clothing damaged, with the exception of a stray shot that wings her shoulder in "Rites of Passage".
• Becoming the Mask: In "The Prodigal Son", when she ends up doing drugs and having a physical relationship with James Sacco, a New York drug dealer. Notably, she gets called out on this by Tubbs when they reunite.
• Break the Cutie:
  • Goes through this hard in "Rites of Passage", when the string of events leading to her sister's death causes her to snap and go on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against the man who killed her. This is hinted to be the cause of her Becoming the Mask the next time she's seen, at the beginning of Season 2.
  • Happens again in "Too Much, Too Late", when the act of being complicit in the death of her friend, which she approved of, leads her to head back to New York to quit the force in disgrace.
• The Bus Came Back: Shows up after three seasons in one of the last episodes of the series, ostensibly to tie up her lingering plot threads with Tubbs while solving one final case.
• But Now I Must Go: Broken up over her complicit nature in her friend's death (via goddaughter) in the fifth-season episode "Too Much, Too Late", she heads back to NYC, intent on resigning from the force.
• The Cavalry: Shows up to interrupt the drug deal with the Revillas in New York, just when it appears that things are going south for Crockett and Tubbs.
• Dirty Harriet: Like Gina and Trudy, she has conducted undercover operations by ingratiating herself as the girlfriend or confidante of drug dealers. In Sacco's case, it leads to her sleeping with him to maintain her cover.
• Foreshadowing: In her first appearance, she mentions that she's considering quitting the NYC police force due to having worked on homicide for too long. In her last appearance, nearly five years later, she actually goes through with it, having lost her goddaughter and become burned out from the job.
• Hope Spot: Happens in each episode she appears in, due in part to the Will They or Won't They? tension with Tubbs:
  • In "Rites of Passage", Valerie and Tubbs talk about spending their future together in Miami after reconnecting while searching for Diane... only for the mood to be ruined when Diane is murdered and Crockett breaks the bad news to her.
  • In "The Prodigal Son", when both seek Sex for Solace after fending off the Revilla Cartel. It looks as though Tubbs will stay behind and rekindle his relationship with her... only to leave and meet Sonny back at the airport.
  • In "Too Much, Too Late", when Tubbs finally tries to persuade Valerie to marry him, only for The Reveal of what happened to her friend to come out, causing him to swear off it completely.
• Modesty Bedsheet: Wears one during her love scene with Tubbs at the end of "The Prodigal Son".
• My God, What Have I Done?: Lapses into this once she shoots down her sister's killer, and several years later, when she covers up for her goddaughter after the latter kills her own mother. In the former case, she asks Crockett to read the Miranda Rights for her, intent on turning herself in; in the latter, she heads back to NYC, intent on quitting the force after realizing she was burned out.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: In her introductory episode, "Rites of Passage", she embarks on one to kill the man responsible for her sister's murder.
• Sex for Solace: Sleeps with Tubbs at the end of "The Prodigal Son", after both of them survive the shootout with the Revilla Cartel.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: With Tubbs. Several factors conspire to keep them apart, including their distance from each other and Diane's death.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: In the original broadcast run, Valerie disappears after "The Prodigal Son", and doesn't appear again proper in the series (despite being setup as Star-Crossed Lovers with Tubbs). Her storyline was originally intended to be concluded in the fifth-season episode "Too Much, Too Late", but the episode was banned by NBC due to its controversial subject matter. The episode was later broadcast in syndication and in home media releases.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Gets called out by Rico after she decides to sleep with an NYC drug dealer, ostensibly to maintain her cover while taking down the operation. Notably, this occurred soon after Rico had visited her in New York after the events of "Rites of Passage".
• Will They or Won't They?: How both she and Tubbs feel about their relationship. The tension is finally resolved when she refuses to get married to him in her final appearance.
• Working with the Ex: How she is introduced in the series — she had a relationship with Tubbs prior to the series that ended on bad terms. When she turns up in Miami looking for her sister, she rekindles her feelings towards him.

Rafael Tubbs

Rafael Tubbs

Played By: Ernest Robinson (uncredited)

A New York City vice detective murdered by Esteban Calderone.

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• Death by Origin Story: Is killed in the pilot episode, causing Tubbs to go to Miami to seek revenge.
• Died in Your Arms Tonight: Dies in the arms of his younger brother after being shot down by Calderone's men.
• Oh, Crap!: Gets this reaction once he hears his brother shout his name in a panic, just before he's gunned down by Calderone's goons.
• Plot-Triggering Death: Is shot and killed by Calderone after his undercover identity is blown, leading his brother to pursue Calderone to Miami to seek revenge.
• Posthumous Character: His only appearances are in flashbacks and fleeting memories in the first few episodes of the series, entirely by his younger brother, Ricardo.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Were it not for his death, Tubbs never would have met Crockett, and the entire series might not have happened.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Is only present for a single scene in the pilot episode, but his death sets the whole series in motion and leads his brother to Miami.

Lieutenant Pearson

Lieutenant Pearson

Played By: Charles S. Dutton

A top New York City police officer and one of the people in charge of the local vice department.

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• Actually Pretty Funny: He cracks a smile once Crockett and Tubbs realize the DEA in New York won't commit any resources to the Revilla bust.
• Idiot Ball: Like Commander Rene, he seems to enjoy the fact that Crockett and Tubbs aren't getting any help from the DEA, despite the fact that the Revilla Cartel have established themselves as a major player in drug operations within the city, and the Miami cops are close to busting the entire organization.
• Jerkass: Due to the friction between his department and the DEA, and the fact that one of his former detectives is back in town and giving orders to him, Pearson acts in this way towards both him and Crockett.
• Jerkass Has a Point: He may come across as abrasive and standoffish with Crockett and Tubbs, but he does have a point when he mentions that he's already up to his neck in trying to deal with other cases in the district (specifically pointing out that break-ins, robberies and rape cases have spiked), and is incensed at having to "baby-sit" two detectives from out of town who've pulled rank on him and caused no end of complications for the drug trade.
• Karma Houdini: Despite his abrasive attitude towards Crockett and Tubbs, he never gets any comeuppance for refusing to help the duo, and his reaction to the Revillas effectively being wiped out is never shown.
• Underestimating Badassery: He clearly doesn't expect much from Crockett or Tubbs, and makes his opinions known to them several times during the course of their stay in the city.

Clarence Batisse

Clarence Batisse

Played By: Victor Love

Tubbs' former partner, who is wrongfully blamed for excessive force during a bust, and moves to Miami in disgrace after his personal life falls apart. Batisse eventually runs into Tubbs in his new career, and is torn between running a criminal scheme and helping his former partner.

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• Clear My Name: He is blamed for a numbers bust gone wrong, accused of excessive force, and loses nearly everything in his life. He ends up turning to a kidnapping plot to make some money, but ends up backing out (and helping the heroes) after he learns that Tubbs has been able to reverse the charges against him by questioning a witness who lied about the incident.
• It's Personal: Initially leads a vendetta against Tubbs, culminating in him setting up the detective to be killed by Wango Mack, in revenge for the former ruining his life eight years earlier. He only comes to his senses once his girlfriend, Melody, tells him that Tubbs went to bat to clear the charges against him.
• The Lost Lenore: Batisse's wife, Emeretta, was Driven to Suicide in shame over what happened to their family life after he was drummed out of the NYPD.
• That Man Is Dead: Batisse tells Tubbs that the Clarence the latter knew eight years earlier "is dead" when he gives himself up at the end of the episode.

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DEA

Scottie Wheeler

Scottie Wheeler

Played By: Bill Smitrovich

A former OCB detective who became The Mole for the Calderone cartel.

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• Being Good Sucks: He becomes resentful after discovering that $30,000 (his yearly salary on the force) is considered to be a drop in the hat to Miami drug dealers, who make much more with illegal activities. This motivates his decision to become The Mole.
• Fallen Hero: Established as a two-time recipient of the Medal of Valor in combat, and as Fire-Forged Friends with Crockett... before it's revealed that he sold out his fellow detectives for a payoff from Calderone.
• Fire-Forged Friends: With Crockett, to such an extent that they routinely visited each other's families for holidays and dinners together.
• I Did What I Had to Do: He admits to taking the money Calderone offered him, both to pay off his mounting debts and due to a sense of inadequacy after seeing how much money dealers in Miami made, versus his own salary.
• The Mole: Has been acting as one inside the DEA/Metro-Dade area for several months, at Calderone's/Trini's behest.
• My God, What Have I Done?: He finally breaks down crying after the weight of his actions (and being caught) collapses in on him.
• Not So Stoic: Starts suffering from a breakdown once the weight of his actions as The Mole collapses on him.
• Scylla and Charybdis: In his last scene before being arrested, he admits to Crockett that he was caught between trying to honor his obligations to his workplace, feeding intel to Trini DeSoto and trying to protect his co-workers from being killed.
• Taking the Bullet: It's established in his backstory that he took a bullet for Crockett during their early years working together in Vice Division.
• True Companions: Initially said to be this to Crockett, to the point that their families ate dinner together often.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Is on the receiving end of this by Crockett (and, by virtue, the rest of the Miami-Dade force) after it's revealed that he was The Mole for Calderone.

Commander Burr

Commander Burr

Played By: Bill Smitrovich

The head of the Miami branch of the Drug Enforcement Agency.

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• All There in the Manual: He is identified as "Burr" in the DVD captions and the script — in the episode itself, he's identified only as "Miami DEA Commander".
• Dare to Be Badass: He's the one who suggests that Castillo send Crockett and Tubbs to New York as the middlemen to bust the Revilla Cartel, after his entire network of agents is compromised.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He is the one of the few (if only) DEA representatives seen in the series who isn't a turncoat or outright evil, and he consistently supports Crockett and Tubbs throughout their excursion in New York.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: He disappears for good after the Miami detectives confront Pearson and Rene on the rooftops of New York, and despite being unambiguously on their side, he isn't able to help the duo during the final battle, and is never seen again.

Commander Rene

Commander Rene

Played By: Anthony Heald

A crooked DEA officer who is working for the Revilla Cartel case.

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• Idiot Ball: He refuses to commit resources to the Revilla bust, out of misplaced anger, after Crockett and Tubbs stand up for their actions blowing up the cartel's warehouse. Were it not for Valerie's intervention, both cops likely would have been killed during the deal.
• Jerkass: He is needlessly antagonistic towards both Crockett and Tubbs, even though the latter two are seemingly the only ones capable of stopping the Revilla Cartel.
• Jerkass Has a Point: While he is antagonistic towards the Miami cops, he does have a point when he says that their actions have likely caused a gang war in New York.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat: He nearly sabotages the entire Revilla operation by refusing to provide resources to Crockett and Tubbs, forcing them to conduct the deal without backup.
• What the Hell, Hero?: He calls out Crockett and Tubbs for blowing up the Revilla Cartel's warehouse and stealing their shipment of drugs, even though they needed to take that action to initiate a deal to draw the Cartel out of hiding.

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Notable Villains

Ludovici Armstrong (The Argentinian)

Ludovici Armstrong

Played By: Jim Zubiena

A Argentinian hitman who is hired by Esteban Calderone to eliminate his competition in Miami.

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• Assassin Outclassin': Due to a combination of carelessness and Underestimating Badassery, Armstrong is besieged and shot down by nearly the entire Miami-Dade department after he attempts to kill Crockett in his own home.
• Bling-Bling-BANG!: Is fond of carrying a chrome-plated Model 1911, which he wields to great effect in several scenes.
• Crazy-Prepared: He appears to have planned for every possibility during an assassination, setting up weapons for an ambush, taking care not to leave prints and always having an escape route.
• Fatal Flaw: Crockett's family being present during his final assassination proves to be his undoing, as his hasty retreat from the living room clues Crockett in that something's wrong. Notably, Armstrong attempts to shift his aim around the family when he sees them, giving Crockett enough time to get them out of the line of fire.
• The Ghost: No one has a clue about his identity, his name or his purpose in Miami until the Vice unit stumbles upon him due to sheer coincidence.
• Hero Killer: He ends up fatally wounding Lt. Rodriguez, who succumbs to his injuries shortly afterwards.
• Last Stand: Attempts to go out in a blaze of glory against the Miami-Dade officers when they have him dead to rights.
• More Dakka: Sprays the Crockett family home's living room with Uzi fire when it becomes clear he's outmatched, just before attempting to make a break for it.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: While Armstrong does manage to get through most of his targets, he ends up being outclassed by a single Miami-Dade cop (who ends up holding him off during their final encounter), is outdrawn and shot down by the department, and his information eventually leads Crockett and Tubbs to pursue (and eventually kill) Calderone.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain: Compared to the villains previously established in the first few episodes, he initially comes across as a non-threatening relic from a bygone decade. It isn't until he quick-draws on a hapless guard and flees the area that it becomes abundantly clear why Calderone was so fond of him.
• Oh, Crap!: The look on his face says everything when he jumps out of the front window of Crockett's home — and finds himself face-to-face with the entire department and deputies, who all have their weapons drawn on him.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: At the outset, he's only known to cops as "The Argentinian".
• Professional Killer: Despite looking like a holdover from The '70s, he has one of the quickest draws humanly possible (he was played by a real-life trained marksman). In fact, he kills Sonny Crockett's boss and most of the targets before being taken down, and that's only because more than a few police officers unload at him at the same time.
• Quick Draw: Fond of this style of maneuver, as is befitting the style of the actor who plays him, Jim Zubiena.
• Small Role, Big Impact: He only appears in a single episode, but his actions cause the death of a major character (Lt. Rodriquez), indirectly lead to the arrival of another (Castillo) and result in Crockett and Tubbs using the information he had to pursue and kill Calderone.
• Spanner in the Works: The Vice department only happens upon him by chance while performing surveillance on an unrelated target at a nearby hotel. In a rush to flee, Armstrong leaves behind his "hit list", which gives the cops the lead they need to start tracking him.
• Super Window Jump: Takes a headlong leap through the front window of the Crockett family home after Crockett and Tubbs outgun him — only to come face-to-face with the rest of the department, who all have their guns drawn on him.
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill: He uses a shotgun to pump several rounds into the back of a limousine where his target is, utterly destroying the area (and blowing half the vehicle apart) in the process.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Is fond of eating coffee and donuts during his assassination missions, while waiting for his target to show up. Turns into a Chekhov's Gun when their presence alerts Crockett to the fact that Armstrong is inside the family household.

Al Lombard

Al Lombard

Played By: Dennis Farina

An Italian mobster heavily involved in gambling and loan sharking in Miami.

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• Affably Evil: Despite being ruthless when the chips are drawn, Lombard is generally charming to his family, associates, and even the Miami Vice squad. Even while under Crockett and Tubbs' protective custody, Lombard treats them to a homemade vermicelli dinner.
• Artistic License – Law: At least in terms of the mafia, Lombard being a high ranking career mafiso and The Don in Miami would almost certainly be a Made Man. Ordering his execution on the possibility that he might squeal would be a major infraction against the organization.
• Bolivian Army Ending: Is presumed dead at the end of "Lombard", as he's followed out of a courthouse by Librizzi's henchmen and disappears shortly thereafter. "World of Trouble" reveals that he escaped and has been hiding out overseas in the interim between seasons.
• The Bus Came Back: In Season 5's "World of Trouble", after a four-season absence.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Lombard is taken aback when Crockett accuses him of murder and requires jogging of his memory to remember the events of "One Eyed Jack."
• The Don: Is the head of the gambling racketts in Miami.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Gets namechecked several times in the first season before he shows up proper near the finale, including references in "Nobody Lives Forever" and "Golden Triangle, Part I".
• The Ghost: When Crockett and Tubbs start investigating him, his identity is so secretive that no one knows what he looks like.
• He Knows Too Much: His former business associate, Librizzi, puts a hit out on him after he decides to turn state's witness in order to avoid jail time.
• Heroic Sacrifice: In his final episode, he goads Frederick Librizzi into shooting him so that the Vice cops will have a chance to take down the mobster by the book.
• Hypocrite: Considered to be this by his son, Salvatore, who points out that his father can't criticize him for not attending law school when Al himself did the exact same thing (giving up a legitimate career to pursue criminal activities).
• I Gave My Word: He ends up dying while seemingly pulling a gun on Librizzi and his bodyguards, before revealing to Crockett that he was never armed and maintained his promise not to carry a weapon, just before he dies.
• Noble Demon: Insists he abibes by a code and refuses to break it even when his life is on the line. Is also a loving father and good friend.
• Not So Harmless: Despite his status as one of Miami's top racketeers, he seems to abide by a code and repeatedly maintains his innocence in Barbara Carrow's murder. However, when his back is up against the wall, he kills a group of assassins Librizzi sends after him... and dumps one of them into Librizzi's pool from a helicopter, to boot.
• Survival Mantra:
  If I'm owed, I'm paid.
• Villain Respect: He ends up coming to respect Crockett for his commitment to his job, to such an extent that he puts the life of his grandson in Crockett's hands.

Jack Gretsky

Jack Gretsky

Played By: Dean Stockwell

A former CIA agent who worked with Castillo during the latter's time in the DEA. Gretsky reappears in Miami, botching a major drug deal OCB were investigating, and forcing Castillo to confront his old friend.

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• Determinator: Is posthumously described as having late-stage cancer so bad that he shouldn't have been able to move normally, according to an ME that did an autopsy on him.
• Famed In-Story: According to Castillo, Gretsky is so potent an agent that he is feared within the CIA because of his body count.
  Castillo: On this man's level, death is a profession.
• Hidden Depths: Is shown to have a long, storied history with Castillo, having worked with him in the "Golden Triangle" region many years earlier, to such an extent that he is described by a CIA agent as being the "last of the dinosaurs" alongside Castillo.
• Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Has been presumed dead for years, but was only mistaken as such by the CIA — in actuality, he had been operating for years afterward in Russia.
• Small Role, Big Impact: For the notable moments he's associated with (acting as one of the key figures in Castillo's past, causing the latter to crack a smile while talking with him, stealthily disrupting the drug deal at the beginning of "Bushido"), he only appears in person in one scene (and is glimpsed in another), yet his death provides the impetus for Castillo to risk his life to protect Gretsky's family.
• Spanner in the Works: Interrupts the Vice Squad's drug deal by killing the dealer himself, tying up a DEA agent and stealing half a million dollars, not only putting the squad on his trail, but attracting the attention of the KGB.
• Suicide by Cop: He baits Castillo into shooting him down, both because he's being hunted by the KGB, and because he has late-stage inoperable cancer (putting him in the Death Seeker category as well).

William Maynard

William Maynard

Played By: G. Gordon Liddy

A corrupt US military official heavily involved in drug smuggling.

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• Actor Allusion: Described in-universe as being a big fan of former U.S. President Richard Nixon — Liddy was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison (though he would be released after serving 5 as his sentence was commuted by later President Jimmy Carter), for his direct role in planning and executing the break-in that lead Watergate scandal, pushed by Nixon himself.
• Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Seems to have no problem handling difficult jobs himself, as evidenced by him taking an active part in the delivery and negotiation for the bodies stuffed with bags of heroin.
• Coffin Contraband: Gives the order to start smuggling heroin out of Vietnam by hiding it inside corpses. Unfortunately, the wood alcohol used to preserve the corpses turned the heroin toxic, killing many people.
• Desecrating the Dead: Gets the idea to increase heroin profits by smuggling it out of Vietnam — via stuffing it into the corpses and shipping them back home.
• Karma Houdini: He gets away scot-free after ordering the death of Ira Stone's wife, and again after his actions cause the death of Stone himself in a later episode. Even worse, he is not identified as the leader of the militia that instigated the war against the Sandinistas, meaning that no one is likely to come after him.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: He flees to Nicaragua with his militia at the end of "Stone's War", and is never seen again in the series.

Esteban Revilla

Played By: Miguel Pinero

The leader of the Columbian Revilla Cartel, who deals with Crockett and Tubbs (in their undercover identities) while in New York.

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• Crazy-Prepared: Grows, transports and distributes product, with plenty of moles in the DEA and highest levels of banking, who are all working in tandem to help the cartel move their product.
• Expy: As the Calderone cartel is one for the Medellin Cartel, so is the Revilla Cartel one for the Cali Cartel. Being far more business like and involved in New York's drug trade rather than the Florida one.
• Fatal Flaw: Absolutely refuses to allow any competition in the U.S. drug game, to such an extent that he (and his brother) have any and all contenders eliminated in multiple cities. This comes back to bite him hard when a pair of "hotshots" (Crockett and Tubbs) steal his shipment and he is forced to deal with them directly — and then sees most of his men gunned down before he himself is shot down as he tries to flee.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Attempts to flee the city when Crockett, Tubbs and Valerie gun down most of his men — only for Crockett to shoot down his escaping helicopter with some well-placed shots.
• Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: When it becomes clear that things aren't going his way, he immediately flees the gun battle in front of the World Trade Center.

J.B. Johnston

Played By: Julien Beck

A Wall Street investment banker revealed to be in league with the Revilla Cartel, Crockett and Tubbs confront him during their visit in New York.

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• Affably Evil: Offers some water multiple times to Crockett and Tubbs, is completely calm when speaking to them, and attempts to dissuade their investigation by politely pointing out that the situation is much bigger than they expected.
• Bald of Evil: As is befitting the appearance of the actor, Johnston is a balding investment banker who is knowingly bankrolling a major drug cartel, with pull within law enforcement and the ability to run interference for illegal activities.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Makes it very clear to Crockett and Tubbs that a lot of things in the world are commodities — and that his firm has helped bankroll "our friends in Latin America" as part of an investment deal, even though he's knowingly supporting a drug-running operation.
• Crazy-Prepared: Despite no apparent Foreshadowing, he rattles off Crockett and Tubbs' financial histories, goads them in an attempt to drop their investigation, and gives them a short lesson in macroeconomics before telling them to get out of his office.
• Genre Savvy: When confronted with a pair of cops who are questioning him over his illegal activities, he points out that the situation is far bigger than they realize, gives them an impromptu lesson on what having a lot of money does for the owner, and points out that he has enough pull to shut them down (if not silence them) completely. As such, they are forced to leave without arresting him or holding him to task for his crimes.
• Karma Houdini: Due to his status as a banker, Crockett admits that he's unable to arrest him, and Johnston seemingly gets away scot-free with his involvement. However, it is never shown whether the functional destruction of The Cartel destroyed the investment firm or not.
• The Man Behind the Man: Is revealed to be the financial mastermind behind the Revilla Cartel, as his investment firm both bankrolled them and has enough pull within law enforcement to stop Crockett and Tubbs from getting any backup.
• Morally Bankrupt Banker: Openly admits that he's in league with "our friends in Latin America" due to a sizable investment loan his firm gave them — and suggests that they won't repay it by "selling straw hats and clay pots".
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Invoked as part of his comment to Crockett and Tubbs.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Considered to be one of the most notable villains of the series — an investment banker who has had a hand in the operation of a major drug cartel and actually has enough pull to shake the heroes — and yet, he only appears in a single scene before disappearing completely from the series.
• Tempting Fate: He appears to presume that he is untouchable, and attempts to dissuade Crockett and Tubbs from their investigation of the Cartel by pointing out that the situation is much bigger than they think.
  Johnston: Look, all you need to know is that you're just along for the ride. It's a big boat... why rock it?
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Despite Crockett pledging to stop him after having learned of his involvement in the drug trade, he never appears again, despite implications that he will be an Arc Villain. This is due to the death of the actor a few months after the episode aired.

Callie Basset

Callie Basset

Played By: Arielle Dombasle

A beautiful woman who uses her looks and charisma – in league with her husband – to eliminate her unsuspecting prey.

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• Beauty Is Bad: She's a strikingly gorgeous woman who's used her looks to ensnare multiple murder victims.
• Beauty Is Best: She's fine with murdering Crockett. She just asks her husband not to shoot him in the face.
• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Subverted; she allows her husband to beat her up in order to lure Crockett in.
• Blatant Lies: Gives a sob story to Crockett about how her life is tough, and that she's been abused by her husband — a story which Crockett immediately knows is suspicious at face value. Once she attempts to tell him that Charlie busted in on them because of her claim that she was arranging a cocaine buy of $60,000 from him, he knows she's a criminal.
• Everyone Looks Sexier if French: Although Callie is only explicitly identified as "not American", she is one of the most exaggeratedly sexy characters to appear on the show and her actress is French.
• The Farmer and the Viper: Preys on the sympathy of men by telling them a sob story about her husband, then convinces them to help her "escape" by arranging a cocaine buy with said husband... who murders them, takes the money and buries the evidence in sand.
• Femme Fatale: She uses her charms to lure in men who want to "save" her, then leads them to her husband, Charlie, who kills them and buries their bodies and vehicles in sand.
• Hope Spot: Initially thinks she sees her husband walking down the beach towards her... until it's revealed to be Crockett, wearing a similar outfit.
• Ms. Fanservice: Lying in a strapless bikini poolside and rubbing yourself with tanning oil to a Sexophone while Crockett and Tubbs ogle you, followed by a Sexy Soaked Shirt scene all in the same introduction definitely counts. She's quite annoyed when Crockett's then apparently less-interested after she comes over, rubs a piece of ice on her skin, and tries to make a move.
  Crockett: Give [Castillo] my love.
  Tubbs: If he looked like that, I'd give him mine...
• Oh, Crap!: Once she witnesses a police helicopter arriving with officers to arrest her on the beach.
• One Dialogue, Two Conversations: With hindsight, Callie's "men are my job...well, one man" monologue is not only perfectly true and describing her MO, she's talking about Charlie (at least at the time). To Sonny, though, it sounds like an extreme sort of come-on. In turn, she has no idea he's really a cop.
  Crockett: You don't know me. You don't know anything about me. You don't know what you're dealing with.
• Rule of Symbolism: The cut from the cars being unveiled in the sandpiles at the end of the episode to her building sandcastles on the beach suggests she was complicit with (if not directly aided) her husband to dispose of the bodies.
• The Vamp: Definitely not above using this against her targets, though she points out to her husband that Crockett resisted her advances, claiming that he's "old-fashioned" and refused to sleep with her. She's even shown "cuddling"/groping one of the police officers arresting her not ten seconds after she kisses Crockett goodbye, obviously looking for her next "protector"/victim.
• Villains Out Shopping: Appears to spend most of her time lounging around or building sandcastles on the beach. Later revealed that she acts innocent in order to draw in gullible men for her and her husband's benefit.
• Visual Innuendo: Tempts Crockett by plucking an ice cube out of a glass of iced tea and rubbing it on her face and arm in an attempt to seduce him.

Danielle Hier

Danielle Hier

Played By: Lisa Eichhorn

A French Interpol agent assigned to help OCB crack a case in "French Twist", who proves to be more than what she appears.

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• Bait-and-Switch: As the episode title says. While she is introduced as an ally, everything about her appears to be pointing her out as a crooked cop, including when Tubbs finds out there are warrants for her on terrorism charges. Turns out, she's really a spy and assassin. Then it turns out she's an immoral spy and assassin...
• Everyone Looks Sexier if French: Played with. Crockett is certainly interested in her, and she takes advantage of it and seduces him when it suits her, but her cold, off-putting personality is on display the entire time.
• Femme Fatale Spy: She actually works for French foreign intelligence (and is licensed by them to kill), and has a destructive enough trail behind her to be wanted as a terrorist. Aside from taking advantage of Crockett, she taunts Tubbs about it and finally tries to kill Rico when she thinks He Knows Too Much.
• Gender-Blender Name: The French pronunciation of her name had Miami expecting "Daniel". She says it happens a lot.
• Psycho for Hire: It's eventually quite clear Danielle has no problem with killing or destruction even outside the bounds of her missions. In the meantime, she has the sanction of her government as a cover.
• Punny Name: She may be a Psycho for Hire, but her name means "yesterday" in French (possibly a vague nod to Leonard Cohen who guest-starred in the same episode as her handler), not Hire.

Frank Hackman

Frank Hackman

Played By: Guy Boyd

A ruthless and manipulative hitman both arrested and spared from execution by Crockett, who becomes involved in a fatal chain of deaths with him.

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• Actually Pretty Funny: Hackman, along with Felicia and Barkley, start smiling and waving goodbye at Crockett after revealing that Hackman was responsible for Frankel's death — and that Sonny can do nothing about it.
• Ambiguous Situation: Whether or not he was armed when Crockett shot and killed him. The majority of the scene plays out as if Hackman didn't have access to a weapon, and was completely caught off-guard reading on Cailos Island. After Crockett shoots him and walks away, a pistol is seen being held in Hackman's left hand. NBC allegedly added the shot of the gun in to make Crockett's actions appear less villainous, though Crockett himself says that he went outside the law and tracked Hackman down to kill him, regardless.
• Bald of Evil: On Death Row, he had his head shaved in preparation for the execution, but is released at the eleventh hour. As soon as he's released, he brags to Sonny that he really did kill Frankel, mocking him all the while.
• Big Bad: Eventually revealed to be this, of the fourth season.
• Chekhov's Gunman: He returns a season after his introduction to terrorize Miami, and winds up killing Crockett's wife in retaliation for a raid that resulted in the death of his own wife.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Evil as he is, he does seem to have a soft spot for his wife, enough that he kills Crockett's in retribution for the death of his own.
• Eye for an Eye: He murders Crockett's wife due to believing that Sonny was behind the death of his own wife during a botched raid.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Starts out as a two-bit criminal who is sent to Death Row for shooting Crockett's old partner, gets released from Death Row on a technicality, then proceeds to create a new gang and torment Crockett after his own wife was killed, leading to him killing Caitlin Davies.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Seems to think he's gotten away scot-free after killing Caitlin... but makes the mistake of pretending to be Crockett. The latter tracks him down, threatens him and shoots him dead as he relaxes at an island resort.
• Last-Minute Reprieve: Gets busted out of Death Row, seemingly at the eleventh hour, after Crockett finds the evidence necessary to prove his innocence... then Hackman brags that he really was the killer, before driving off in amusement.
• Returning Big Bad: Initially made out to be a one-shot villain, he eventually returns and causes a sequence of events that shakes up the status quo of the series.
• The Sociopath: Styles himself to be the moral opposite of Crockett, and targets innocents (including families and children, who he kills) for fun. As such, it's not a surprise when his actions catch the interest of the Vice team.
• Villains Out Shopping: After killing Caitlin, Hackman goes island-hopping for a suitable place to settle down. When Crockett finds him on Caicos Island, he's chilling out drinking iced tea and reading a book.
• Would Hit a Girl: Revealed to have no problem injuring — or killing — women, to the extent that he shoots and kills a teenage girl in her own home.

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