His alarming death – shot in the throat by Armando – provides one of Bad Boys for Life’s most compelling moments, but why did it have to happen? What does it mean for the film’s plot, and how does it contribute to the film thematically? And since Bad Boys 4 is already in the works, what does Captain Howard’s death mean for the franchise going forward?
From Isabel’s perspective, Captain Howard was one of the organizing forces that led to her incarceration. As Mike explains it, “Twenty-four years ago […] Captain Howard pulled me right out of the academy – nobody knew who I was. He sent me in undercover with the Aretas cartel.” After listing the victims of Isabel and Armando’s shooting spree, Mike concludes, “This is revenge.” As Mike reveals when explaining his backstory, he formed a relationship with Isabel during his time undercover. Though they had plans to run away together, when Mike realized that Isabel is a “stone-cold killer,” he chose to put the woman he loved behind bars.
For Isabel, the one-by-one kill list is a way to slowly turn the screws on Mike, and as she goes down the list, each victim is closer to him personally than the last. Killing Captain Howard, Mike’s friend and mentor, ratchets up the pressure. While Mike may believe that Isabel made him who he is, Isabel likely believes that Captain Howard influenced Mike to turn her over to law enforcement and put her behind bars.