Air Date: 16 Dec 1988 (NBC)
Director: Richard Compton
Writer: Raymond Hartung
FBI agents ask Crockett and Tubbs to take their key witness, Keith Mullis, to Miami to keep him safe, then bring him back in 72 hours to testify in court. Things get off to a rocky start after meeting their witness. All Keith wants to do is hit the beach and the clubs instead of staying put in the safe house, and is unhappy about staying in, watching videos on TV [Stigmata].
After "dinner" Rico and Trudy tease Sonny about his attitude being much like that of their witness. After Trudy leaves to go get more supplies, Keith sneaks out of the hotel and hops into a cab, but is spotted by Switek, who's been on guard outside. The three of them ask the hotel doorman where he went, and end up splitting up to search several different clubs.
Keith immediately finds fun at the club, hitting the mosh pit with a waiting girl. After Crockett finds him and drags him out, he lets him know how stupid a move that his breakout was, reminding Keith that he's worth $1 million dead.
The girl from the club has followed them. She makes a phone call, telling someone which hotel they're hiding in. Tubbs and Crockett get the drop on a couple of assassins, just barely in time. None of them are hurt, but Keith becomes keenly aware of of how dangerous his situation really is.
After agreeing that their safehouse is blown, Crockett suggests that he take Keith on a boat ride. The girl tries to tail them as they leave the hotel, but she's snapped up as Crockett takes off with Keith. She identifies herself as FBI, and she was assigned as a backup eye on the witness. Tubbs refuses to tell them where Crockett has taken Keith, believing that they were responsible for the leak that led to the attempt on Keith's life in the first place.
On the boat [Only the Good Die Young], Sonny and Keith exchange opinions on musical tastes, Sonny even going as far as suggesting something better [Layla] for him to listen to. Then he tells Keith how much he reminds him of someone he used to know, someone who deep down was more of an idealist than a rebel.
Castillo lets Tubbs know how badly the FBI hates him for not giving them the information they want, but Tubbs refuses to let them in, fearing that would make Sonny and Keith a target again. Tubbs tells Castillo when and where the boat would be coming in, and Castillo tells him to be sure he meets it.
On the boat, Keith asks Sonny why he became a cop. As they're talking, a helicopter approaches and shoots up the boat. Sonny manages to take out one of the shooters, but appears to be on the short end of holding them off completely until Keith comes up from below deck and hands him a flare gun. Sonny fires a flare into the helicopter, destroying it.
Afterwards, Keith wonders how they found them, even going as far as accusing Rico of selling them out. Keith freaks out at the possibility that they're heading into a trap when they come back in, but Sonny reassures him, telling him that Rico's never let him down. It's all about trusting your partner.
In court, Quintero receives a note. Angry at what he's read, he tells his lawyer to relay a message to Felix: Double the fee. Under no circumstance is the kid to leave Miami alive.
When Crockett doesn't check in on time, Castillo contacts the Coast Guard, allowing Rico to search for Crockett's boat aboard a Coast Guard helicopter.
Crockett makes a couple Molotov cocktails to use in defense, and is surprised to find out that Keith knows how to make them, saying he learned from his deceased father, a Korean War veteran.
Tubbs and Switek stake out Felix after receiving a tip from Izzy that Felix has an man inside the FBI. They see Agent Bates make a drop off that Felix picks up. Switek captures Felix, but Bates escapes from Tubbs' pursuit.
Tubbs and Switek interrogate Felix, trying to get what he knows about the next attempt to hit Keith, but he doesn't budge, so they tell him to take off. Tubbs tells Felix that he'll try to square it with Quintero, that he didn't give anything up. Felix has a change of heart, knowing that Quintero won't believe anything of the kind, and tells them what they need to know.
Castillo talks about how many hitters Quintero has in Miami looking for Sonny and Keith while his office is being swept for listening devices, ones that are quickly found. Castillo lets the FBI know how displeased he is that his men were used in a sting to identify their internal leak. Tubbs discovers that they'd taped the conversation about when and where Crockett would be bringing Keith back in, realizing that Bates knows this, they have to get to the boat before Bates does.
Sonny and Keith pull in to port, but more assassins are there waiting for them. One of the shooters is taken out by the Molotov's, the other gunned down by Bates as he gets up after the explosions.
Sonny and Keith come out to meet Bates, Keith ecstatic about being back on dry land. Bates tells Sonny that he had just mopped up another hit team down the road before coming here, and that Tubbs is right behind him. As Crockett checks on one of the shooters, Keith tells them how that'd be the last boat ride he'd ever take. Bates agrees, and shoots Keith down. Tubbs and Crockett react quickly, taking Bates out. Crockett tells Keith to hang on as Tubbs signals a rescue chopper to pick them up.
At the hospital, a doctor tells them that it's still too soon to tell if Keith will survive or not. The prosecutor lets them know how much their help has been appreciated, angering Crockett when he tells them that this unfortunate setback has in truth helped the case, and that such a contingency had been accounted for.
In court, the real Keith Mullis takes the stand, but breaks down in fear and is unable to testify against Quintero.
Back at the hospital, Crockett sits watch, waiting to see if he comes around. When he does, Crockett tells his "partner" that he knows who he really is. Joey Hardin, DEA agent, tells Crockett how badly he'd wanted to tell Sonny what was going on. Joey tells Crockett that his father was a cop, killed in the line of duty. Sonny reassures Joey that he did a fine job, that he didn't screw up this first assignment.
Joey asks if the witness testified, and Sonny tells him that he did, and that Quintero's going down for a long time. Joey suddenly lapses into a flatline, and the crash team comes in.
Back in court, the judge has to dismiss the charges against Quintero for lack of evidence. Afterwards, outside the courtroom, an ice cold Crockett confronts Quintero, assuring him that it ain't over.
Crockett and Tubbs come back to the hospital, bringing Joey a new boom box and some new tunes to play... all heavy metal, just like he likes.
--Jo Brooks
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Guest Cast Justin Lazard Ahron Ipalé Kevyn Major Howard Barry Primus |
Additional Cast Teresa Blake Parris Buckner Gino Cabanas Judith Delgado John W. Gentz Aasif Mandviwaia Michael George Owens K.H. Roberts Rugged Edge Avery Sommers |
Featured Music Ministry, Stigmata Iron Maiden, Only The Good Die Young Derek & The Dominos, Layla |
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Music by Tim Truman
Supervising Producer
Co-Producers
Created by
Executive Producer
Co-Executive Producer
Co-Executive Producer
Casting
Associate Producers
Executive Story Editor |
Executive Story Consultant Ken Solarz
Story Editor
Theme by
Director of Photography
Art Director
Edited by
Costume Designer
Costume Supervisor
Unit Production Manager
First Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director |
Miami Casting by Lori S. Wyman Cheryl A. Louden
Casting Assistant
Set Decorator
Supervising Sound Effects Editor
Music Editor
Sound
Stunt Coordinator
Visual Consultant
Artistic Consultant
Titles & Optical Effects |