Liam Neeson is perhaps a family identify now, however the inception of his profession may be traced again to low-budget movie/tv titles and modest stage productions. The truth is, filmmaker John Boorman (“Level Clean,” “Deliverance”) observed Neeson’s potential when he was on stage for “Of Mice and Males,” which led to his movie debut in the 1981 Arthurian saga, “Excalibur.” Certain sufficient, “Excalibur” opened many doorways for Neeson, and he starred in a handful of tasks over time, together with 1986’s “The Mission.”
In that movie, Neeson performed a Catholic missionary in 18th-century South America alongside Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons, and this small but impactful position altered the trajectory of Neeson’s performing profession. You see, De Niro launched Neeson to an American casting director whereas they have been filming collectively, which allowed the latter to amass a piece visa within the U.S. and work his approach up the ranks. The tv position that facilitated this was “Miami Vice,” the place Neeson performs Sean Carroon, an IRA terrorist masquerading as a pacifist within the episode “When Irish Eyes Are Crying.”
Neeson shouldn’t be the one Hollywood A-lister who made a splash with an episodic look in “Miami Vice.” Earlier than his breakout efficiency in “Moonlighting,” Bruce Willis additionally performed a villain in one of many present’s earlier episodes, cementing his knack for giant, dramatic performances. In an analogous vein, Neeson’s visitor position on this crime drama collection highlights his startling display presence, as his Sean Carroon is instantly compelling regardless of coming off as low-key and refined. It is no shock that the often level-headed detective Gina (Saundra Santiago) is initially unable to clock Sean’s duplicitous nature, falling head over heels for his candy, delicate facade. General, it is a terrific episode that showcases Neeson’s skills in his pre-superstardom period whereas additionally that includes a decently crafted storyline that references The Troubles (a battle lined in depth within the latest FX collection “Say Nothing”).
With out additional ado, let’s study extra about Sean Caroon as an episodic villain in “Miami Vice.”
Liam Neeson performs a harmful, conniving villain on this Miami Vice episode
Spoilers for “When Irish Eyes Are Crying” are to observe.
Within the episode, Sean meets Gina throughout a fundraiser for Northern Irish youngsters, the place the previous organizes the occasion whereas posing as a pacifist. A masked gunman bursts in out of the blue and threatens Sean with the intention to shoot him. Nevertheless, Gina steps in and orders the masked stranger to drop his gun, however his refusal forces her to shoot him. When the shooter’s prints are run on the Organized Crime Bureau, they’re able to discover nothing: no identify, ID, or weapon serial quantity. Whereas everyone seems to be scrambling to unravel this weird case, Sean invitations Gina for lunch close to the seashore as a thanks for saving his life. That is when he surreptitiously reels her in, due to a mixture of suave smooth-talking and a light-weight blue shirtless vest-jacket that exemplifies the height of menswear style that “Miami Vice” has come to popularize over the a long time.
However sustaining an phantasm of sincerity for too lengthy is not possible for even essentially the most educated operatives, as detectives Crockett (Don Johnson) and Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) work along with Gina to unravel this quickly escalating case. After the trio uncover Sean’s true identification and goal, Gina confronts him on the roof, gun in hand, tearfully pleading with him to not undergo together with his nefarious plan. That is when Gina realizes the extent of his betrayal: Sean appears at her with an amused scoff, wanting unmoved by her pained and conflicted expression.
Though this climactic scene performs out in essentially the most melodramatic style (with Patti LaBelle and Invoice Champlin’s “The Final Unbroken Coronary heart” blaring within the background), Neeson’s measured efficiency lends gravitas to this heartbreaking second and what’s about to occur subsequent. Simply when Sean thinks he can get away with it, Gina and Crockett shoot him, inflicting him to fall to his demise. A distressed Gina weeps, flanked by Crockett and Tubbs, who do their finest to console her.
Though formulaic and predictable, “When Irish Eyes Are Crying” is certainly price trying out, particularly in the event you take pleasure in Liam Neeson and the smooth, maximalist aesthetic “Miami Vice” dropped at community tv.
