Now in its sixteenth episode, "Miami Vice" bravely has an opening sequence devoid of any regular characters, showing us instead a gorgeous young woman (played by Tery Ferman) being sucked into the world of "modelling" by the story's bad guys.
A far better episode than previous "innocent corrupted" tales, "Rites of Passage" is effective because the viewer actually cares about the young lady and we see the strain on her sister, Valerie, played by Pam Grier. Grier is sexy and stunning as always, even though she is sporting the largest '80s hair I've ever seen on screen. She makes the episode really come alive and is an important element of the plot.
Crockett hardly has a look-in as Tubbs rekindles his relationship with Valerie, although he does manage to bring some comic relief to a party scene where he is constantly being approached by eager call-girls.
Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is" is used to chilling effect in this episode.
10 out of 10. Very, very good television. They really don't make them like this anymore.