First of all, disclosure, if I remembered seeing this from when it was first on, I'm sure I'd have a very different reaction now. I can understand why so many love this episode. But I can only do a 2021 review. Second, Don Johnson seems to have a great eye for iconic scenery, color, and lighting. Like he took regular Miami Vice and turned it up to 11 visually. That said, the pacing is very disjointed and I hate the script. I see the writer has 3 credits and one is a video game. Tv writing was not his thing. Couldn't care at all for the story or characters. I don't find the acting strong either. Bob Balaban was especially annoying.
But overall, part of my issue is this really took me back to being a young teen in the mid-80s and how intensely oppressive it felt having Boomers talk (what seemed like) endlessly about the 60s, Vietnam, hippies, the works. To teens, that was ancient history and we did not want any of it. Saw this story a zillion times. It wasn't even mentioned in school as part of history. But now, as an adult, I realize some of the events of this episode took place just 10 years earlier. Ten years is nothing! It blows me away now at how recent those events were. I totally get why the adults were still dealing with Vietnam and why stories like this could be powerful.
Maybe if the script or some other aspect of the show was different, I could feel now some of what the adults were feeling and get transported into their shoes. But I could only still watch this as an 80s kid who did not want anything to do with Vietnam.
I'm giving an extra star for Iman at her most iconic, plus Switek dressed as a leather daddy. 80s gay panic aside, I'm sure they thought they were being progressive and meant well.