Miami Vice (TV Series) Give a Little, Take a Little (1984) User Reviews

A great cast, superb performances and an excellent script make this a memorable episode

[DVD_Connoisseur · 9/10 · 10 March 2007]

"Give a Little, Take a Little" has several familiar faces appearing in it. "Lost"'s Terry O'Quinn plays a slippery lawyer, Michael Madsen plays bad guy Sally Alvarado and "Rocky"'s Burt Young plays the high-level pimp who is making Gina's life uncomfortable. The late Charlie Barnett makes his second appearance as 'Noogie' Lamont.

This is a well scripted, complex tale that is dark and uncompromising. Crockett reveals his sensitive side when he tries to protect a young informant's name from being revealed to the court. Meanwhile Gina finds herself in too deep when undercover as a prostitute.

This is solid, quality viewing.

Tina Turner's "You Better Be Good To Me" provides a memorable track in this episode.

9 out of 10.

Give a Little, Take a Little

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 12 December 2020]

Noogie gives Crockett and Tubbs a tip off about some amphetamines in a warehouse.

Crockett gets the name of Alvarado from a guy called Bob who Crockett pressurises to talk. However it is Crockett who ends up in jail. In court he refused to name his informant Bob.

Meanwhile Gina and Trudy target a pimp called Lupo Ramirez who runs a call girl service for elites.

Ramirez and Alvarado are linked to each other. Trudy finds herself in trouble as she tries to charm Ramirez.

I did wonder if Crockett would had been better off to plead the 5th amendment in front of that judge!

I do think there was no way in southern law enforcement a judge would pressurise a cop like that to name names unless that judge was crooked.

There is a starry cast in this one from Michael Madsen to Burt Young. Although Young was as convincing as a hispanic than Charlton Heston was in Touch of Evil.

This was another episode with some atmospheric use of music.

Miami Vice:Give a Little, Take a Little

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 12 March 2010]

Plot heavy episode of Miami Vice also has an influx of familiar faces in the supporting cast. Burt Young(Rocky)is a South Miami gangster, Lupo Ramirez, who runs drug smuggling and prostitution along with his dangerous lieutenant, Sally Alvarado(Michael Madsen). Crockett is able to arrest Alvarado thanks to information from a reluctant informant, Bobby Rickert(Lenny von Dohlen), an innocent who got pulled into helping friends smuggle small time drugs such as amphetamines in a warehouse. When the judge demands at the request of slimy big city lawyer, Richard Cain(Terry O'Quinn), to identify the name of his informant in order to question the one who assisted in Alvarado's arrest, Crockett will not do so, himself imprisoned temporarily for contempt of court. Meanwhile, Gina(Saundra Santiago)is able to secure a proposition with Ramirez as a high-money call girl, hoping to get on the inside of his organization, not knowing that the whole deal could fall apart after her former pimp, Cinco(Tony Plana)discovers a van with wire and equipment near their night club. Emerging story lines include Ramirez forcing Gina to perhaps sleep with him while also setting up a hit on her, Bobby unwilling to allow Crockett to sit in jail protecting him, Alvarado walking away after nearly shooting both Crockett and Tubbs when they were about to arrest him, and the frightening possibility regarding Bobby's impending doom(in releasing Crockett, he had to appear in court and remove himself as an informant, allowing Alvarado to go free, and, in turn, acknowledging that he was the one responsible for the potential downfall of a powerful criminal, known for his nasty work over Ramirez's hookers and those who pose a threat to their empire). Charlie Barnett returns as Noog, helping Crockett and Tubbs substantially during their case. Again, as often was the case, we see how the life as a Vice cop has it's disadvantages and struggles when trying to apprehend those criminals with power, money, and influence, and what they must go through in order to get convictions and arrests.

Top rate 'Vice' episode

[Tweekums · 16 March 2012]

When Crockett and Tubbs paid a visit to comedy informant 'Noogie' I thought this was going to be a fairly light hearted episode; as it turned out is was anything but. His information leads them to a location where they catch a guy in possession of drugs; he claims to be 'looking after them' and Crockett offers to let him go free on condition that he names names. An arrest is quickly made but the dealer's lawyer demands to know the name of Crockett's informer. This leads to Crockett being sent to gaol for contempt of court when he refuses the judge's order to name the man. Meanwhile in an apparently separate case Gina is getting close to the man running a local prostitution racket; the problem is she might be getting too close and putting herself in danger.

Despite the presence of Noogie, who I usually find annoying this was a classic episode. Don Johnson does a fine job as Crockett; conveying his determination not to endanger his informant very well. Saundra Santiago also performs well as Gina; it was nice to see her get to be more than a secondary character, the scene of the 'night after' she visited the pimp were particularly impressive. This episode is notable for featuring a couple of actors who have become better known since; Terry O'Quinn of 'Lost' Fame and Michael Madsen who is best known for 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill'.

Not bad not great either.

[mm-39 · 6/10 · 7 September 2018]

Not bad but not good either! The good: Don Johnson plays a great role of a detective who will take a hit and contempt of court to protect C I! There is a good story line about police needing C I and C I's protection is essential. Gina plays a vice role to get a pimp. The bad: Formulated script similar to other Vice stories. Zito and crew doing surveillance, Lt gives direction, etc. The Ugly: Burt Young acts as a slime pimp so well, but and there is a but here, Young's Spanish accent is so awful it is just killing it and not in a good way! Not for that the episode would be more watchable. The memorable Vice ending saves the episode. 6 out of 10 stars.