Bad Boys: Ride or Diemakes the death of Joe Pantoliano’s Captain Howard a major part of the story, but completely reframes the motive behind it. Many were surprised to see Pantoliano amongthe cast ofBad Boys: Ride or Die, considering Howard’s fairly unambiguous demise during the third film. Alongside leading men Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Pantoliano is the only actor to have appeared in every entry intheBad Boysmovie franchise. While the death of Howard was a shocking moment in the third entry, it served a narrative purpose.
Howard filled the role of the angry Captain typical of most cop movies, but Pantoliano brought both humor and heart to what could have been a one-note character.Bad Boys for Lifeunderlined his love for his “bad boys” Mike (Smith) and Marcus (Lawrence), butCaptain Howard’s deathat the hands of Mike’s son Armando (Jacob Scipio) raised the stakes.Bad Boys for Lifemade Howard’s death look like a revenge scheme on Armando and his mother’s part, butRide or Diereveals there was far more to it.
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die Ending Explained
Bad Boys: Ride or Die’s ending reaffirms the themes set up in the previous film and reveals some big retcons about previous villains.
The third film saw Mike being tormented by former lover Isabel (Kate Del Castillo), and the son he never knew he had. On the surface, Howard’s shock demise was another way for them to hurt Mike, but when the Captain is posthumously accused of corruption, Mike and Marcus learn this wasn’t the case. From speaking with Armando in prison,Mike and Marcus learn Howard was greenlit for assassination due to his investigation into links between the cartels, the police and the FBI.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die’schief villain, James McGrath (Eric Dane), is a former DEA agent who worked with the cartels for years following 9/11; in exchange for helping them bring drugs into America, the cartels helped keep the borders secure. Howard learned of this Faustian pact but kept Mike and Marcus out of the loop when two other cops he put on the case turned up dead. The Captain kept his investigation open, butMcGrath eventually ordered Isabel and Armando to silence Howard when he got too close to the truth.
Captain Howard makes several brief appearances throughoutBad Boys: Ride or Die, mostly in the form of video messages he recorded before his death. These are intended to put Mike and Marcus on the right path while warning them not to trust anybody else in the department. This proves sound advice, since they are soon framed for murder and forced to go on the run. In addition to adding more context to the events of part three,Ride or Dieeven links Howard’s murder back to the events ofBad Boys II.
This suggests that McGrath was working withBad Boy IIantagonist Johnny Tapia (Jordi Molla), helping his cartel bring huge quantities of ecstasy into Miami.
The Captain’s suspicions about corruption in the force are due to a failed drug raid, but after digging further, Howard discovers links that back to the Haitian Zoe Pound gang from the second film. This suggests that McGrath was working with that entry’s antagonist Johnny Tapia (Jordi Molla), helping his cartel bring huge quantities of ecstasy into Miami. If so,this makes McGrath one of the overarching villains of the entire franchise, even if he went unseen untilBad Boys: Ride or Die.
TheBad Boysfranchise spawned a TV spinoff withL.A.’s Finest, with Gabrielle Union reprising her role as Marcus' sister, Syd; the show ran for two seasons between 2019 and 2020.
Ride or Die makes Howard’s murder a huge part of the story
Rather than being a cheap death to surprise viewers, the impact of Howard’s murder has continued to linger within theBad Boysseries.The Captain’s final speech to Mike about reflecting on where his life was going had a profound impact on the detective, with the former bachelor even getting married whenRide or Diebegins. Despite pulling the trigger on Howard, Mike doesn’t blame Armando for his death and is working to build a relationship with his son.
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Ride or Diesmartly makes Howard part of the story via his video messages, giving the story some personal stakes. This made expanding on the motives behind his death a must, which also reframed the events ofBad Boys for Life. Mike and Marcus also have several dreams/visions of their late boss, whose ghostly words inform their actions.It wouldn’t have felt like a proper sequel without Pantoliano’s Howard, though how a potentialBad Boys 5will deal with this is unclear.
While his death stung, the fourth installment was right not to try and undo his demise. Armando must carry the guilt of having killed a good man, while the impact of it weighs on every character, including Howard’s U.S. Marshal daughter, Judy (Rhea Seehorn). Even thoughBad Boys: Ride or Dieis arguably the funniest outing of the saga so far, the Captain Howard story gives it an emotional grounding.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Cast
Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues the action-packed saga of Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The film follows the duo as they face new threats and personal challenges, blending intense action scenes with the camaraderie fans have come to love in the Bad Boys series.
