"No Exit", also known as "Three Eyed Turtle", is the seventh episode of Miami Vice's first season. The episode premiered on November 9, 1984 and repeated on March 22, 1985, July 5, 1985, and May 16, 1986.

SummaryEdit

Crockett and Tubbs try to bust an arms dealer who is also an abusive husband.

PlotEdit

The Vice team is on a stakeout for a weapons deal, but nothing appears to be happening and there are many civilians in the area, so Castillo shuts it down. Then the weapons dealers show up, pulling a gun on Crockett for a possible rip-off. Crockett throws one of the dealers in his car and drives away, taking him in. The other one jumps into a van and starts firing an M60 machine gun as they take off. No one is hurt, but Tubbs is wound up by the machine gun, which he hates. The guy Crockett took for the ride (Bill Cwikowski) gives up fellow gun dealers Ramone (Coati Mundi) and Gentile, but they are just dealers for the main supplier, international gun runner Tony Amato. Crockett, Tubbs, and electronics whiz Lester go to Amato's house, plant bugs in his home and boat, and plan for observation from the bay. As Lester sets up their electronic survillence on the St. Vitus Dance, federal agents suddenly board the boat and attempt to take over the bugs and stakeout. After a little power play, the agents tell them some Stinger missiles were stolen from a National Armory and are fearful Amato will sell the weapons to terrorists to take down a commercial jetliner. They will allow the bugs to remain in place in exchange for a compromise: the Vice cops get Amato, the agents get the Stingers, and Agent McIntyre (Tom Mardirosian) goes on stakeout with them, despite his fear of Crockett's pet Elvis.

While observing Amato (Bruce Willis) they find he is very abusive to his wife, Rita (Katherine Borowitz), throwing her into the pool because he disapproves of her dinner dress, then taking off without her anyway. They then monitor Rita calling a friend to arrange hiring a hitman to kill Tony. They play the tape of Rita's conversation for Special Agent Nick Pappas (Norman Parker) who does not believe that Rita would have her husband killed and ignores it. Amato's Jamaican contact, Dupass, is heading into Miami to arrange for the sale of the arms, including the Stingers. Dupass is quietly arrested at Miami International Airport and replaced with Tubbs, which passes since Amato has never seen Dupass before.

Meanwhile, Crockett overhears Rita receiving a call from the hitman her friend arranged, and a meet is set up in a park. Crockett wards the hitman off with his badge and meets Rita in his place. Rita tells Crockett she can't go through with having Amato killed. She fears for her life and the hitman's if Amato were to find out; when she hired a lawyer on advice from the police, Amato had his men rape the lawyer's wife, then threatened to do the same to his daughter to chase him off. Crockett reveals himself as a cop and takes her to OCB. Crockett and Tubbs assure Rita that they have the house bugged and they can hear everything, but that she needs to go back to Amato's house and not give them away. Castillo believes that there must be someone waiting in the wings regarding Amato, and orders them to watch him closely.

Tubbs (as Dupass) meets with Amato, Ramone and Gentile, and is shown how the Stingers work; they demonstrate one to prove their effectiveness. They meet that evening in a bar and finalize the deal. Amato returns home and Crockett (who is observing) has to stand by in cold fury while Amato beats Rita and forces her to have sex with him. At OCB, the Federal agents want to get the Stingers while they have the chance, but Crockett, Tubbs and Castillo want to bust Amato, and with Tubbs having a meet with Amato, Ramone, Gentile in the same place as the missiles, they could all accomplish their goals. Castillo is still concerned about "another element" in this deal the Feds haven't told anyone about, but the deal is set for the next day.

That night, Amato slams down his phone after a call and discovers the bug. Tubbs quickly calls Amato, saying that he is also being monitored, and the deal is moved up to that night. After meeting in an airport restroom and forcefully frisking each other - "just checking!" - they go to a ship to close the deal. The Vice cops move in, and despite preemptive intervention by the Feds they arrest Amato and the Stingers are recovered. When they arrive at the courthouse the next morning another group of Federal agents ("the other element") show up with a court order to release Amato, as he has certain overseas contacts they are interested in exploiting. Rita shows up just as Amato is released; distraught, she pulls a gun and fires it as Crockett shouts "NOOOOOOO!"

CastEdit

• Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett
• Philip Michael Thomas as Metro-Dade Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs
• Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese
• Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek
• John Diehl as Metro-Dade Detective Larry Zito
• Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin
• Edward James Olmos as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo

Guest StarsEdit

• Bruce Willis as Tony Amato
• Norman Parker as FBI Agent Nick Pappas
• Tom Mardirosian as FBI Agent McIntyre
• Coati Mundi as Ramone
• Bill Cwikowski as Gun Dealer
• Katherine Borowitz as Rita Amato

Co-StarringEdit

• Vinnie Curto as Tony's Bodyguard
• Al Garrison as Gentile
• Julio Oscar Mechoso as Metro-Dade Policeman Lester Kosko

UncreditedEdit

• Robert Paisley as FBI Agent Paul
• Julian Voloshin as Pensioner "White hat/shirt"

NotesEdit

• This episode was called "Three Eyed Turtle" when it originally aired, but the name was changed to "No Exit" when it went into syndication. This second title is now its official one, and has been used on the show's VHS and DVD releases, and online, although some DVD sets mention the original title as an alternate name for the episode. It is possible the name was changed due to "three-eyed turtle" being slang for a position in sexual intercourse.
• Bruce Willis gives a preview of the "tough-guy" persona he would take to the big screen in the Die Hard series of movies.
• The episode was repeated on three other occasions during Vice's run, the most of any episode.
• This is the first episode for which Michael Mann would be the only Executive Producer (listed at the end of the episode). Series creator Anthony Yerkovich was listed as a co-Executive Producer on the first six episodes.
• When Crockett, Tubbs and Lester go to bug Amato's house, Lester says they have 30 seconds between the time he interrupts the burglar alarm circuit until the alarm goes off. In real time, it takes Lester 55 seconds to shut off the alarm.
• The plot of preventing the use of Stingers to take down commercial aircraft would be recycled in "When Irish Eyes Are Crying", except in that episode a terrorist is attempting the same thing.
• Bill Cwikowski also appeared in Michael Mann's Manhunter alongside fellow Miami Vice guest stars Garcelle Beauvais (from "Give A Little, Take A Little" and "The Maze"), Chris Elliott (from "Down For The Count (Part II)"), Dennis Farina (from "One Eyed Jack", "Lombard" and "World Of Trouble"), Kim Griest (from "Nobody Lives Forever"), Michele Shay (from "Theresa" and "Badge Of Dishonor"), Bill Smitrovich (from "Brother's Keeper" and "The Prodigal Son") and Jim Zubiena (from "Calderone's Return (Part I)"), as well as Miami Vice regular Michael Talbott.

Production NotesEdit

• Alternate Title: "Three-Eyed Turtle"
• Filmed: September 7, 1984 - September 19, 1984
• Production Number: 59508
• Production Order: 7

Filming LocationsEdit

• Winter Haven Hotel, Ocean Drive / 14th Street (Opening gun deal)
• Spear House, 9325 North Bayshore Drive, Miami Shores (Amato's house, used again in episode "Mirror Image")
• Miami International Airport (Swap Dupass for Tubbs)
• Jose Marti Park 351 SW 4 Street near 2nd Avenue at Miami River (Crockett heads off, then poses as hitman)
• Virginia Key Northeast end (Test of missiles)
• Ukulele Bar, 10950 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami (Amato & Tubbs in bar)
• Shipyard SW 2nd Avenue (Ship scenes for arms deal)
• Dade County Courthouse, 73 West Flagler Street, Miami Downtown (Scene where Amato is brought, then released)

MusicEdit

• "Stay With Me" by Teddy Pendergrass (Amato slapping Rita around in house)
• "I Don't Care Anymore" by Phil Collins (Crockett and Tubbs bust Amato)

Jan Hammer MusicEdit

• "Airport Swap" (when Dupass and Tubbs are switched at airport)

QuotesEdit

• "Let's nail this pig!" -- Tubbs to Crockett after watching Amato's abusive treatment of Rita
• "I tried to tell you fellas - I got the juice! -- Amato to the Vice cops after being released
• "And the satafortis and the ratafortis and the hantoon rantoon!" -- Crockett to Lester after Lester tries to explain surveilance equipment to him
• "Just what is your mission, Mr. Phelps ?" -- Crockett to FBI Agent Pappas