Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Lethal Weapon’

The recent slew of film-to-television adaptations have not always proven themselves to be successful, with rare exceptions to the rule like the brilliant Fargo,  (which, if we’re being honest, was really more of a spiritual spin-off than a reboot). The latest entry in this well-worn genre is FOX’s Lethal Weapon, created by showrunner Matthew Miller. We’re here to see if the show packs the same punch as the films. 

A Guide to Our Rating System

Opening Shot: The opening of a pilot can set a mood for the entire show (think Six Feet Under); thus, we examine the first shot of each pilot.
The Gist: The “who, what, where, when, why?” of the pilot.
Our Take: What did we think? Are we desperate for more or desperate to get that hour back?
Sex and Skin: That’s all you care about anyway, right? We let you know how quickly the show gets down and dirty.
Parting Shot: Where does the pilot leave us? Hanging off a cliff, or running for the hills?
Sleeper Star: Basically, someone in the cast who is not the top-billed star who shows great promise.
Most Pilot-y Line: Pilots have a lot of work to do: world building, character establishing, and stakes raising. Sometimes that results in some pretty clunky dialogue.
Our Call: We’ll let you know if you should, ahem, Stream It or Skip It.

LETHAL WEAPON

Opening Shot: A sweeping shot of El Paso, Texas, and bumping rock and roll music sucks you right into the action as a chase takes place through the desert.

The Gist: After losing his wife and unborn child in a tragic auto accident, a depressed Detective Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford) relocates to Los Angeles and is paired up with by-the-book Detective Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans). Things kick off quickly once the duo is introduced during a bank robbery/hostage situation, and while Murtaugh is wary of Riggs’ suicidal tendencies and reckless behavior, they eventually begin to trust each other after they crack their first case together.

Our Take: The flashy action sequences and quick cuts make the show feel as though it might be exciting, and the pilot actually proves to be better than expected. The problem, however, is that the cast far outshines the material – particularly Crawford, best known for his turn as Teddy on Rectify. He plays Riggs with such a heart-wrenching sense of emotional sincerity that it almost feels out of place on show of this mediocre caliber.

The buddy cop genre is already wrought with a million different cliches, and this show does not avoid any of them – it feels predictable and average – we’ve seen it all before. Two wacky dudes (one that’s reckless and slightly insane, the other that’s definitely too old for this) get involved in a series of dangerous situations that evidently conclude with an explosion or gunfight or some other kind of boom. It’s not that it isn’t fun – it just isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, and television should be getting better, not lazier.

Sex and Skin: Murtaugh and his wife attempt to get busy on several occasions but always seem to be interrupted – whether by their children, Riggs, or otherwise.

Parting Shot: Murtaugh’s wife welcomes a limping Riggs into their house for a drink, much to Murtaugh’s chagrin. These two are now set up to get stuck with each other for whatever lies ahead.

Sleeper Star: It was a happy surprise to see Kevin Rahm again after having not caught much of him since Mad Men, and his performance as Captain Avery, while limited in this pilot, is bound to lend itself to more comedic interactions with the show’s leading dysfunctional duo down the road.

Most Pilot-y Line: “Something happened to you, man, and you snapped! You wanna kill yourself? Go home, put the little sheet down, and get it done, but don’t you dare judge me for wanting to stay alive.” This is one of the many clunky pieces of dialogue delivered regarding Riggs’ unstable mental state throughout the pilot, and it eventually begins to feel like they’re beating a dead horse (especially after so tackily showing his wife’s death at the start of the episode).

Our Call: Skip it. While the chemistry between the two leads becomes apparent towards the end of the pilot, both Crawford and Wayans are entirely too talented for such a mediocre script. Their time would be better spent elsewhere, and so would yours.

[Watch the pilot for Lethal Weapon on Hulu or the Fox Now app or Hulu]

Jade Budowski is an indecisive sometimes-writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.