The Checklist: Tropical Heat (S2 Ep2) “Mafia Mistress”
When Bulletproof Action’s own Matt Spector suggested that I put an episode of Tropical Heat to The Checklist test, I must admit I did not even know Tropical Heat existed. I was quite familiar with Acapulco H.E.A.T. and L.A. Heat, but Tropical Heat (or Sweating Bullets as it is also known) was a new one for me… but that was all the more reason to check it out.
So I randomly selected an episode of Tropical Heat to get my first impressions of the series and put it to The Checklist test…
- Synopsis: Nick is reunited with an old flame from high school who finds herself in trouble with her mafioso boyfriend and his jealous mafia wife.
#1. Does the show have a quality theme song and opening?
Tropical Heat managed to capture the vibe of the early 1990’s with the effects used in the open. The steel drum heavy reggae tune “Anyway the Wind Blows” instantly put me in tropical state of mind. The bikini clad woman with the Tropical Heat logo tattoo was a nice touch. 1/1
#2. Does the show’s premise have legs?
Tropical Heat did not tread in uncharted waters with its premise… Nick Slaughter (Rob Stewart) is an ex-RCMP and DEA Agent, who after he is fired from his job relocates to Key Mariah, Florida and becomes a private detective. Joining Nick in this new venture is travel agent turned sidekick Sylvie Gerard (Carolyn Dunn)… but there is nothing wrong with going with what works and Tropical Heat road the coattails of the detective series that came before it, plus threw in the whole attractive members of the opposite sex working together to tease a possible hook up at some point.
Playing it safe kept Tropical Heat on the air for three seasons, so that fact alone proves the premise had legs. 2/2
#3. Was there truth in advertising?
All the cover art I saw for Tropical Heat featured the star of the show Rob Stewart with his shirt wide open, exposing his lean and hairy torso.
I am not sure it is the case in every episode, but I can say with certainty in “Mafia Mistress” that Nick Slaughter either had his shirt wide open or he didn’t have a shirt on at all… I assume after spending time in Canada where he had to wear multiple layers 10 months out of the year, Nick is making up for lost time.
The cover of Tropical Heat was definitely a case of what you see is what you get and not one those misleading covers that would suck in unsuspecting viewers. 3/3
#4. Were there any notable guest stars?
Nick is shocked to see Maria, the girl he went to prom with, at a local Key Mariah hotel restaurant. But before Nick and Maria can have a happy reunion, Maria finds herself unwittingly causing a scene when a woman spots her and starts shouting insults and threats directed at Maria.
The angry woman is the wife of mafioso Ralph Scarrano and Maria is the mistress of Ralph Scarrano… so you can understand where the animosity comes from. Things are about to get worse for Maria however, when Ralph’s wife tells him he needs to eliminate Maria once and for all. Ralph is between a rock and a hard place since the don of the family is his father-in-law and unless he wants to be wearing cement shoes, he needs to make sure his wife is happy.
Maria turns to Nick for help and to rekindle their romance and just like that we’ve got this episode’s adventure including a plan to fake Maria’s death to get the mob off her trail. Maria was played by the one and only Vanity… who action fans will remember from her work in Action Jackson, The Last Dragon and Never Too Young to Die. 4/4
#5. Did the show end on a light hearted note?
Nick’s trip down memory lane doesn’t just end with his romantic and adventurous reunion with Maria, because Sylvie manages to get Nick’s high school yearbook and shares with everyone at their local watering hole that the ponytailed Nick had a crew cut in high school. 5/5
- Final Score = 5/5 (100%) This episode was a great introduction to Tropical Heat for me, if for no other reason than it made me want to see more. I also have to point out that Nick Slaughter is a great name for an action hero. Don’t be surprised to see more Tropical Heat in future editions of The Checklist.
