The last of the four "lost episodes" released in syndication after the first-run airing of the series finale.
Tubbs is surprised to discover that his ex-girlfriend, Valerie Gordon, has unexpectedly returned to Miami after several years out of contact with him to help her old friend, Yvonne, who's caught up in a drug addiction and in debt to a dealer named Swain. Unbeknownst to Tubbs, however, Valerie knows more about Yvonne (and her goddaughter, Lynette) than she's letting on, and Tubbs' attempt to rekindle his romance with her runs into an unexpected hurdle as Valerie's secret comes to light...
Meanwhile, Switek's gambling problem reaches an inflection point despite his attempts to go into a Gamblers' Anonymous program, and he is driven straight into the arms of a group of gangsters who claim they now "own" him...
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Battle Couple: Briefly, as Tubbs and Valerie team up one final time to break into Swain's house in order to stop Lynette from executing the latter.
- Bookends: Both this and "Rites of Passage" (the first episode she appeared in) deal with Valerie going to Miami to help a relative (her sister/her goddaughter), someone close to her dying (Diane/Yvonne) and a character ultimately taking it upon herself to get vigilante justice in response to the death of said friend. However, the situation is ultimately reversed in both episodes — Valerie gunned Traynor in the first episode to avenge her sister, while in this episode, she ultimately talks down Lynette from executing Swain in cold blood.
- Break the Cutie: The act of being complicit in the death of her friend, which she approved of, leads Valerie to head back to New York to quit the force in disgrace.
- Burnout by Traumatic Job: In a bookend to Season 1's "Rites of Passage", the episode ends with Valerie electing to return to New York and Turn in Your Badge, reasoning that she's so burned out from being a cop and the situation with Yvonne/Lynette that she's going to quit the force entirely.
- The Bus Came Back: Valerie returns to the series after four seasons, after last being seen in Season 2's "The Prodigal Son".
- But Now I Must Go: By the end of the episode, Valerie refuses to stay with Tubbs in Miami, instead electing to go back to New York to quit the force due to burnout.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Izzy is able to dig up info about one of Swain's stash houses after being tasked by Tubbs to find info early on in the episode.
- Continuity Nod:
- Switek, who by this point in the series is drowning in debt due to gambling, is seen holding one of Zito's old snowglobes and playing with it just before his beloved Thunderbird is towed.
- While talking about Valerie in a bar at one point, Crockett references his relationship with Caitlin.
- Downer Ending: There's a reason why this episode was banned from NBC in first-run broadcast — it's the bleakest of the four "lost" episodes, as it deals with very heavy subject matter and themes. Yvonne sells out her own daughter to Swain, who subsequently sexually assaults her. In turn, Lynette kills her own mother, and is ready to execute Swain in cold blood before Valerie talks her down. However, Valerie knew about the situation and didn't inform Tubbs or OCB about what was going to happen until it was nearly too late, which proves to her that she's burned-out and needs to quit the force. Tubbs' attempts at rekindling his romance goes out the door when he discovers what she was willing to keep secret, and he rescinds the marriage proposal he made. Finally, Switek is in so far over his head with gambling debts that it's implied he's now under the control of a group of mobsters, setting up the events of the series finale, "Freefall".
- Hope Spot: Tubbs seems dead-set on marrying Valerie, as he apparently learned a lesson in the interim from the last time he saw her about letting her go. However, this comes in the midst of the situation with Yvonne and Lynette, and when he learns the truth about Valerie covering for Lynette and hiding crucial information, he rescinds the proposal.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: It becomes abundantly clear that Valerie has lost her morals, as she learns about Lynette's assault at the hands of Swain (and, offscreen, learns about Lynette killing Yvonne) early on in the episode, but refuses to divulge any of the information to OCB or Tubbs in an attempt to protect Lynette. This nearly gets Lynette killed when she decides to ambush and attempt to murder Swain herself. Ultimately, Tubbs rails at Valerie for both lying to him and trying to frame Swain for Yvonne's murder, which ultimately leads him to rescind his marriage proposal.
- Love Makes You Dumb: Tubbs immedaitely sets about trying to rekindle his romance with Valerie, despite the latter being involved in a tenous situation with her goddaughter, in a case that becomes a priority for OCB. Worse yet, after consummating their relationship yet again, he tries to ask her to marry him as she's dealing with the fallout from Yvonne's death. She ultimately tells him that it's too little, too late, and leaves him for good by the end of the episode.
- Sequel Episode: To both Season 1's "Rites of Passage", which this episode evokes several elements of, and Season 2's "The Prodigal Son", which continued her plotline with Tubbs.
- Snow Globe of Innocence: Zito's snowglobe collection is referenced during a scene where Switek, who is battling a crippling gambling addiction that has ruined his life, is seen playing with one of his snowglobes and thinking of him.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Even moreso than Season 2's "The Prodigal Son", this episode ultimately proves that Tubbs and Valerie are victims of bad timing and incompatible situations. Tubbs' attempt to rekindle his relationship with Valerie and marry her is rebuffed by Valerie, who appears to have Jumped Off The Slippery Slope with the way she handled Yvonne's situation. Moreover, Valerie is burned out by her job, and Yvette's death and Lynette's murder of her own mother is enough to convince her to quit policing entirely, as she tells Tubbs that she's on her way back to New York to turn in her badge.
- Trapped by Gambling Debts: Switek's addiction finally reaches its lowest point, as his beloved Thunderbird is nearly towed, and he wakes up to a group of mobsters in his apartment that tell him they now "own" him, ultimately setting up the actions he takes in the series finale (via Caesar Montoya).
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Judging by her absence from the scene at Switek's apartment just before the Thunderbird is nearly towed, it's implied that Holly (his girlfriend in "Hard Knocks") ultimately left Switek due to being unable to handle his gambling addiction, despite her previous comment to help him face his addiction.
- What the Hell, Hero?: When Tubbs finally tries to persuade Valerie to marry him, only for The Reveal of what happened to Yvonne to come out, he swears off it completely and calls her out for her actions.