Warning: Spoilers for Bad Boys: Ride or Die below!The Bad Boys movie franchise follows the exploits of Miami detectives Mike and Marcus (Martin Lawrence), who are somehow best friends despite their polar opposite personalities. The series is known for its blend of comedy and setpieces, with action auteur Michael Bay having made his name with the 1995 original.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die's cast introduces some new characters to the franchise, including Mike's former physical therapist Christine (Melanie Liburd). Ride or Die opens with Christine and Mike getting married, which marks a major evolution from the cocky, womanizing figure the latter was when the series began. Of course, Mike's fear of losing Christine and protecting her against the movie's villains forms a key part of the finale.

Mike & Rita Don't End Up Together In Bad Boys 4 After Bad Boys For Life Set Up

The third Bad Boys implied a different future for Mike Lowrey

Also returning for Bad Boys: Ride or Die is Paola Núñez as Rita, the head of AMMO (AKA Advanced Miami Metro Operations). Rita is Mike's ex-girlfriend, and viewers may recall that Bad Boys for Life's ending implied that the pair might work things out. The third entry saw Mike go through a lot of growth; he barely survived a shooting that left him hospitalized and also learned the shooter was the son he never knew he had.

In short, he went through a lot, but Mike's relationship with Rita suggested he was finally ready to grow up. Cut to the opening scenes of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Mike is getting wed to a character that audiences have never seen before, while Rita has wed ambitious politician Adam Lockwood (Ioan Gruffudd). This might prove disappointing for those who invested in their romance, though the duo seem to have moved on from each other with no bitterness.

Melanie Liburd is best known for her roles in This Is Us and the video game Alan Wake 2.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die's Story Needed Mike & Rita Not To Be In Love

Mike and Rita's romance wasn't meant to be

While Mike and Rita seemed likely to end up together, it's perfectly fine that they didn't. Ride or Die takes a more interesting route with their relationship, where they've moved on from their prior romance but remained close friends instead. It's possible that following the events of Bad Boys for Life they dated again for a brief period, only to decide it wasn't going to work out. There's a story reason for this separation too, since Rita is married to one of Ride or Die's chief villains.

Rita's new husband Lockwood is revealed to be in league with Eric Dane's antagonist McGrath.

In a plot twist that's reasonably easy to see coming, Lockwood is revealed to be in league with Eric Dane's antagonist McGrath. Lockwood helped frame the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) as corrupt too, and tries to kill Rita when she learns the truth. The latter gets her revenge though, with Bad Boys: Ride or Die's ending sees the heroes get into a shootout with McGrath's men in an abandoned amusement park. After trying to escape, Rita kicks Lockwood into an alligator pit, where he's quickly devoured.

Mike's Marriage In Bad Boys 4 Eliminates Any Hopes Of Him & Rita Getting Together

Bad Boys 5 isn't going to retcon the Mike/Rita romance

While Rita's marriage obviously ended on a sour (and bloody) note, Mike and Christine are very much in love. It's one of the failings of Bad Boys: Ride or Die that the sequel doesn't give a very clear image of Christine as a character. She's supposedly Mike's physical therapist and helped him recover following the attempt on his life in the third film, but she was never mentioned before. Christine is also used as a McGuffin in the fourth outing and is basically there to be kidnapped in the finale so Mike and Co can rescue her.

If a potential Bad Boys 5 moves ahead - and that's very possible given Ride or Die's $404 million box-office gross (via Box Office Mojo) - Christine needs to be fleshed out way more. Still, the sequel makes it clear that Mike and Christine are together for the long haul, and it would be weird for the next entry to flip the script again and have Rita and Mike wind up together. An even worse idea would see them having an affair.

Ultimately, Bad Boys: Ride or Die took the more interesting option with the Mike/Rita relationship. Not every romance is going to work out, and Rita didn't need to be Mike's girlfriend to play a key role either. The AMMO squad has become an important part of the most recent sequels too, so if a fifth film happens, Rita will almost certainly return.

Source: Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes