Crockett and Tubbs are investigating an arms dealer named Tony Amato (Bruce Willis) when they are contacted by the FBI. Tony Amato has managed to acquire ten stinger missles and the government is afraid they'll be used to blow up passenger liners. While surveying Amato, Crockett and Tubbs discover his wife is planning to have him killed. This is because he's an abuser, though, and in self-defense.
- Abusive Spouse: Amato beats his wife when she defies him and then tries to buy her back.
- Asshole Victim: Amato getting killed will be mourned by no one.
- Big "NO!": Crockett shouts this after Rita shoots her husband dead, not for his sake of course, but her own.
- Bittersweet Ending: Crockett and Tubbs end up being useless to the resolution as Rita ends up having to kill Amato herself.
- CIA Evil, FBI Good: The CIA attempts to get Amato off in order to have him operate in South America on their behalf.
- Darker and Edgier: Despite the show already being a mixture of glamorous and gritty, this proves to be one of the darker ones of season one as our heroes prove unable to help the victim.
- Hate Sink: Amato is one of the most despicable monsters in Miami Vice and utterly without redeeming qualities.
- If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: Rita struggles with the fact she doesn't want to kill Amato and backs away from using a hitman. She changes her mind when he's about to become a Karma Houdini.
- Karma Houdini: Amato almost becomes one when Rita takes matters into her own hands.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Rita ends up having to kill Amato herself since the CIA overrides the FBI and Metro-Dade.
- Police Are Useless: An early example of this in the series where Crockett and Tubbs attempt to help a spouse abuse victim, only to have their efforts prove in vain due to being overriden.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Amato hired thugs to rape his wife's divorce lawyer.
