A series of brutal home invasions are occurring across Miami with a woman put in the hospital with electrical burns. The one connecting thread is they always happen when the families are at home and involve torturing them. The Vice Squad is paired with Robbery Division, headed by Crockett's former mentor, John Malone.
John Malone has assembled a dossier on the robberies that have been happening in Chicago and New York as well. Castillo notes that Robbery's police work was incredibly shoddy and doesn't give them much to work on. Crockett is upset about Castillo's dismissal of his mentor even though he doesn't disagree that the police work was shoddy.
Setting up a sting operation with Gina, they find out that the home invaders are planning another heist soon.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- '80s Hair: The Hair Emporium has a bunch of extreme examples of women's hair for the period.
- Broken Pedestal: Crockett gradually becomes to believe that John Malone is no longer the officer he used to be.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: The Home Invaders torture the families of the people involved to know where their valuables are.
- Cop Killer: Romano, one of the home invaders, kills a police officer.
- Greed: The Home Invaders have already stolen two million in jewelry and cash but want more.
- Jurisdiction Friction: Castillo has very little respect for the Robbery Division.
- Kick the Dog: The Home Invaders are prone to beating up prostitutes.
- Malevolent Masked Man: The Home Invaders wear hockey masks while performing their invasions.
- Police Are Useless: Despite having more than enough clues to stop the Home Invaders, Malone's shoddy police work means they don't get any progress on capturing the home invaders until Vice becomes involved.
- Rich Bitch: Muriel Goldman is a racist, classicist, and deeply stupid woman with a lot of money.
- Shoot Everything That Moves: In a rare ending for Miami Vice, all of the Home Invaders are killed in the showdown with the police.
- Spotting the Thread: Castillo realizes that all of the robberies are linked by a beauty salon where they scope out targets.
- Would Hurt a Child: The Home Invaders have no hesitation in threatening or torturing children to get what they want.
