Miami Vice (TV Series) Stone's War (1986) User Reviews

A dark, hard hitting episode featuring the return of Ira Stone

[DVD_Connoisseur · 9/10 · 14 April 2008]

This second episode continues the darker tone of the season. Beginning with one of the grittiest openings of any "Vice" episode, this hard hitting tale takes no prisoners.

When Ira Stone films footage of American soldiers committing atrocities in Nicaragua, his life is placed in peril and events spiral out of control.

Don Johnson plays a doubtful, cynical Crockett in this episode and he delivers a solid performance. Crockett and Tubbs' nemesis from season two is back in the form of "Captain Real Estate", played by G. Gordon Liddy.

This is television gold. Difficult and confrontational viewing, I score this tale 9 out of 10.

Stone cold

[Mr-Fusion · 8/10 · 3 January 2017]

One thing I've always liked about 'Stone's War' is that it's unusually jam-packed with pop songs, and they're all great. It's something you take for granted - you know you're getting '80s songs in a Miami Vice episode, but it's a treat to be turned onto something new (like Steve Jones' Mercy, for instance).

This episode directly recalls last season's "Back in the Real World" with the continuing misadventures of Ira Stone (Bob Balaban), this time covering the hot-button issue of American forces in Nicaragua. Sadly, that also means the return of G. Gordon Liddy, who isn't top-=shelf villain material. The other big reveal is Crockett's brand-spanking new Testarossa with the requisite car chase to show it off. It's no Daytona, but it's still a big deal.

'Stone's War' is a bitter pill. The bad guys end up getting away with it and Crockett's left with the broken pieces. But it's a good way to wrap up the Stone sage and one of the better episodes of the season.

But seriously, the songs are fantastic.

8/10

Testarossa TV

[gbshuler · 9/10 · 9 July 2006]

Lt. Castillo to Sonny: "It's out back"

A month without the Daytona has Sonny a little antsy. After complaining to the boss that he can't show up for six figure drug deals looking like Lil' Abner (with some ordinary car) Sonny finds his new patrol car out back - a white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa - marking this episode as a classic forever. Earlier in the episode Sonny picks up a friend at the airport who quips at his truck -- "where's the Ferrari?".. nice foreshadow..

Bob Balaban also makes this an interesting episode with a long career as a character actor. G. Gordon Liddy rounds it out.

Best episode ever

[nedzepelin · 11 March 2006]

This is my favorite episode of Miami Vice, maybe my favorite episode of any TV series. For a show that was heavy on style and action, not too mention the typical cop show format of good guys chasing down the bad guys, this episode is also surprisingly leftist. In fact, it's more leftist than shows from truly liberal series like Lou Grant or LA Law. "Stone's War" features superb performances by Bob Baliban and G Gordon Liddy (reprising their roles from an episode of the previous season). The plot revolves around Liddy supplying arms to unnamed fighters in an unnamed Central American country (but it's evident that it's about US arms being shipped to the Contras in Nicaragua). The last scene, set to Jackson Browne's "Lives in the Balance," makes a powerful, unforgettable statement.

A great episode

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 25 April 2012]

This fine episode sees the return of two characters from the series two episode 'Back in the World', namely journalist Ira Stone and the dubious Capt. Maynard. The story opens in Nicaragua where stone and his cameraman record an attack on a village where many people including the priest were gunned down; this might not be major news in a dirty civil war but those doing the killing were Americans. Stone manages to get out with his tape but from the moment he lands in Miami agents are trying to make sure it never sees the light of day. Needing help Stone turns to Crockett who is initially suspicious and thinks that Stone may have faked footage to get a valuable story. However when a warrant is issued for Stones arrest, on charges he knows to be untrue, he starts to believe their might be some truth in Stone's allegations. As Stone tries to get his story on the air things start getting very dangerous for those around it as Maynard, who is running the military operation, and those he is working for are determined to keep all knowledge of their activities secret.

This season opened well enough but things really get kicked up a notch here. The action was solid and there was a real sense of danger as Crockett went up against people whose illegal actions seemed to have tacit governmental approval; or at the very least the backing of some people within official agencies. Bob Balaban did a good job as journalist Ira Stone and G. Gordon Liddy was fine as Maynard, although his was a much smaller role. The episode was darker in tone than most but that is no bad thing. Many viewers will have been saddened when Crockett's Ferrari was destroyed in the previous episode but they'll be pleased to see that he gets a new one here; a Testarosa, which unlike the previous one is a real Ferrari with an impressive growl! If season three continues to be as good as this I can't wait to see future episodes.

The Black Plumber

[shawn-jenkins91 · 10/10 · 15 February 2021]

Love the black guy who obviously plays a watergate styled plumber with the rubber gloves and suit