Crockett and Tubbs are in Columbia chasing after a new cartel, The Rivellas, with a DEA agent named Drummond. They get some information from a local military group who has been torturing an informant. The pair, working with the DEA, manage to thwart a large drug shipment and throw a party. The party ends in a massacre with Drummond as well as two other DEA agents killed. Gina is also badly wounded.
Furious over the massacre, Crockett and Tubbs decide to go undercover in New York as big time drug dealers. With the help of Newton Blade (Gene Simmons), they get an introduction to Jimmy Borges (Penn Jillette). Borges is out of the drug business but the prospect of a vast payoff is enough to get him to come out of retirement despite the Revillas having eliminated most of their competition to the New York pipeline.
Tubbs reunites with Valerie Gordon (Pam Grier) but finds her in a relationship with a drug dealer. Crockett also begins a fling with a woman named Margaret who acts suspiciously around him. The local police are extremely obstructive and unhelpful, eventually being revealed to be under the influence of a banker named JB Johnston (Julian Beck). Crockett and Tubbs are on their own to stop the cartel's leadership from escaping New York.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- All for Nothing: Valerie's months long sting against Frank Sacco becomes this when Tubbs shoots him to death.
- The Cartel: The Rivella Cartel is the second most powerful cartel in the series, rivaling the Calderones.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Despite all the hell our heroes go through, the heads of the Rivella cartel are dead along with several of their lieutenants. Crockett and Tubbs also are headed back to Miami no worse for wear. Valerie and Tubbs part on good terms. Gina is recovering too and will soon be back to work. The only downside is Johnston is untouchable and the NYC police are still useless.
- Electric Torture: The Columbian military (or paramilitary forces) subject an informant to this to our heroes' discomfort.
- Expy: The Rivella Cartel is one for the Cali Cartel that is far more business-like and rooted in New York.
- Honey Pot:
- Valerie is supposedly serving as this for the NYPD but they have no intention of moving against her boyfriend.
- Margaret is this for Crockett, seducing him and passing along information to JB Johnston.
- It's Personal: Gina being wounded in the attack on the DEA party is enough to make Crockett and Tubbs want to go all the way to New York in order to get revenge.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Pearson, despite delivering no results, continually insults as well as undermines Crockett and Tubbs.
- Killed Off for Real: Drummond, Sacco, Jimmy Borges, and the Rivella Brothers are all dead by the end of the episode.
- Jerkass Has a Point: The NYPD are worried that Crockett and Tubbs' actions will result in increased violence in the city. Which it does.
- Jurisdiction Friction: The New York City Police and DEA do not appreciate Crockett and Tubbs' presence.
- Money Is Not Power: JB Johnston set up Crockett and Tubbs to be killed but they simply kill all of his minion and the leaders of the Rivella Cartel.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: Crockett and Tubbs run into these repeatedly in New York.
- Police Are Useless: The New York City police are unable to do anything about the Revilla Cartel due to pressure from JB Johnston. They're also jerks about it.
- Retirony: Jimmy Borges has already gotten out of the drug game but Crockett and Tubbs pull him back in. Of course he's killed for it.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: JB Johnston is representative of a bank that has hundreds of millions of dollars. They made a massive loan to the Rivella Cartel and their payments from them are all that is keeping the bank afloat.
- Violence Really Is the Answer: Due to having their chance to arrest and dismantle the Rivella Cartel thwarted at every turn, Crockett and Tubbs just mostly end up gunning down the people involved.
