 Willis' portrayal of Amato has been described by critic Mark T. Conard as an example of a recurring character archetype in the series, that of a troubled male with a checkered past.Other examples given by Conard are Bruce McGill's guest role in "Out Where the Buses Don't Run" and G. Gordon Liddy's appearance in "Stone's War".Conard also identifies the three male protagonists—Crockett, Tubbs and Castillo—among this archetype.