Combining action and drama with friendship and humor, LETHAL WEAPON reboots the hit movie franchise, as it follows classic cop duo Riggs and Murtaugh, who are working a crime-ridden beat in modern-day Los Angeles. Grief-stricken after the loss of his young wife and unborn child, ex-Navy SEAL-turned-detective MARTIN RIGGS (Clayne Crawford, "Rectify") moves to California to "start over" at the LAPD. He's paired up with ROGER MURTAUGH (Emmy Award nominee Damon Wayans, Sr., "My Wife and Kids," "In Living Color"), who's just coming back to the job after a near-fatal heart attack. Riggs' penchant for diving headfirst into the line of fire immediately clashes with Murtaugh's prudent, by-the-book technique. It's clear from the moment they meet, this partnership could be lethal. But during their first case together, Riggs drags Murtaugh on a high-speed chase culminating inside the Long Beach Grand Prix and into a seaport shootout with drug dealers - and despite his protests, the older cop feels more alive than he has in years. Meanwhile, Riggs gets a glimpse of why Murtaugh is so determined to get home safely at the end of each day - he's got a family and a newborn baby of his own. By the time their investigation ends, Riggs realizes he may have found something worth living for - a partner and friend like Murtaugh. And even Murtaugh figures this arrangement might just work out after all. If only Riggs doesn't get them killed first...PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Warner Bros. Television, Good Session Productions, Lin Pictures EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Matt Miller, McG, Dan Lin, Jennifer Gwartz WRITER: Matt Miller DIRECTOR: McG CAST: Damon Wayans, Sr. as Roger Murtaugh, Clayne Crawford as Martin Riggs, Jordana Brewster as Dr. Maureen "Mo" Cahill, Kevin Rahm as Captain Brooks Avery, Keesha Sharp as Trish Murtaugh
THE FIRST IMPRESSION | As a child of the ’80s, I had reservations about cuing this pilot up. Believe me. But damn… this small-screen reboot is fun.
This show is undeniably bad, but calling it Lethal Weapon and trying to cast it as a reboot also makes it offensive. There is no sacred intellectual property in 2016, and Shane Black’s original film is not The Godfather, but Riggs and Murtaugh deserve better. The pilot dips its toes into PTSD, grief, suicide, and the cartels. It also has a few car chases, a handful of shootouts, a bank robbery, and more than a couple references to oral sex. It’s a bloated mess, and not even an entertaining one.
